Summary-on-the-Ships-in-the-Desert

SummaryontheShipsintheDesertInShipsintheDesert,authorAlGore,theU.S.Vice-Presidentfrom1993to2003,showsthattherelationshipbetweencivilizationandtheearthhasbeenchangedalot.Insearchofthecauseofenvironmentalcrisis,hetravelledaroundtheworldtostudytheseenvironmentaldestructioncasesthatweresimilartotheAralSeacasewheretheoceanbecomeshotdaysands.HewenttotheSouthpolarandfoundthatonecountry’semissionchangestheamountofpollutioninthisarea.HewenttotheNorthpolarandfoundthatthethicknessofthepolaricecapwasthinningasaresultofglobalwarming.HewenttotheequatorinBrailandfoundthatAmazonrainforestwasbeingdestroyedandmoreandmoredifferentspeciesofbirdswerefacingextinction.Also,hepointsoutthathumankind’sassaultontheearthcanbewitnessedalmosteverywhere,suchasnoctilucentcloud,temperatureover100degrees,skinburnt,andpublicdebateongrowingmountainsofwaste.Next,hesaysthatclassifyingenvironmentalthreatscanhelpusrespondappropriately.Heclassifieswaterandairpollutionas“local”skirmishes;heclassifiesacidrainandlargeoilspillsas“regional”battles;heclassifieschlorineintheatmosphere,ultravioletradiationandglobalwarmingas“strategic”conflictsthatcanthreatenanation’ssurvivalandmustbeunderstoodinaglobalcontext.Again,theauthoremphasizestheentirerelationshipbetweenmankindandtheearthhasbeentransformedowingtotheexplosionofhumanpopulationandthesuddenaccelerationofthescientificandtechnologicalrevolution.Heindicatesthatitisexactlythenewrelationshipbetweenhumancivilizationandthenaturalbalancethatleadstotheglobalwarming,ozonedepletion,thelossoflivingspeciesanddeforestation.InviewoftheprecedentofthenucleararmsracebetweentheUnitedStatesandtheSovietUnion,AlGorepointsoutthatwecanthinkinthewaythatenvironmentaldestructionhaveglobalandpermanenteffectsandweshouldseeourselvesaspartofthecomplexsystem.Finally,hecomesupwitharealresolutionthatwethinkoftherelationshipbetweencivilizationandtheearthinanewway,andthenreinventandfinallyhealit.