People Making Money Off of Global Warming!? Part 1

Before I begin to give my opinions on this subject, I should first preface by saying what exactly the book is about.  The author, Mckenzie Funk has spent the last six years travelling the world to better understand the catastrophe of global warming, and ultimately reframes the climate change crisis by seeing it through the eyes of those who view it as a business opportunity!

I take no credit for this next section, which I've copied directly from the email I received, and get's at a few of the specifics on this topic.

"Global warming's physical impacts can be separated into three broad categories: melt, drought, and deluge.  Funk travelled to two dozen countries to profile entrepenuers who see in each of these forces a potential windfall.  The melt is a boon for newly arable, mineral-rich region of the Arctic, such as Greenland, which is working to buy its independence from Denmark with profits from their growing oil and mineral industry. Funk also spent time with the unlikely kings of the man-made snow trade, the Israelis. The process of desalination, vital to Israel’s survival, can produce a snow-like byproduct that alpine countries can use to prolong their shortening ski season.  Drought creates opportunities for private firefighters working for insurance companies in California as well as for fund managers backing south Sudanese warlords who control local farmland. As droughts raise food prices globally, there is no more precious asset than soil.  The deluge—the rising seas, surging rivers, and superstorms that will threaten coastal cities and island nations—has been our most distant concern, but after Hurricane Sandy and failure after failure to cut global carbon emissions, it is not so distant. For Dutch architects designing floating cities and American scientists patenting hurricane defenses, the race is on.  Funk visited the front lines of the melt, the drought, and the deluge to make a human accounting of the booming business of global warming. By letting climate change continue unchecked, we are choosing to adapt to a warming world. Containing the resulting surge will be big business; some will benefit, but much of the planet will suffer. Funk has investigated both sides, and what he found will change the conversation on global warming."

My father has often always said, "money talks and bullshit walks," which this book I'm sure reinforces time and time again.  I'm astounded but not surprised that in this day and age there are people who can see the anthropomorphic climate change  as a money making opportuntity, rather than what it is, a catastrophe that affects us all and could very well be the end of humanity as we know it!

See the continuation of this article titled: People Making Money Off of Global Warming!? Part 2

* I've included a link to my LinkedIn Profile if you would like a more detailed outline of my education and work experience.