A Contract with the Earth

engaging treatise

This is an interesting look at merging American conservative values with environmentalism. Using the concept of the Contract with America that ironically failed to have any of it points survive, but helped bring the conservatives to power making it a successful manifesto; Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple provide ten points to save the environment, but not at the cost of the economy. The key unlike the 1994 tenet is reconciliation with all sides moving past rhetoric into doing the right thing politically while encouraging "compatible partnerships" between business and environmentalists. However some of the hug the other side tone is lost when the authors condemn the ¿Inconvenient Truth¿ crowd as being the drivel of activist scientists (taken from the mantra of activist judges as if society would accept as professionals, inactive judges or inactive scientists). Well written and interesting as the writers make a concerned case for saving the planet without destroying business interests, CONTRACT WITH EARTH is an engaging treatise at how the economy and the environment can coexist in harmony, but the book lacks deep fecundity as Newt Gingrich and Terry L. Maple never drill past the surface mantle.<BR/><BR/>Harriet Klausner

Environmentalism: The Devil Is in the Details

In ¿A Contract with the Earth,¿ Newt Gingrich and Terry Maple correctly plead for a bipartisan approach to environmentalism. Gingrich and Maple also rightly emphasize the importance of objectivity, education, green entrepreneurship, partnership of government at all levels with organizations and businesses, the need for a long-term vision, and U.S. world leadership in tackling environmental ills. Unfortunately, ¿A Contract with the Earth¿ is ultimately of uneven quality. To their credit, Gingrich and Maple convincingly show what green entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships can achieve in reducing the human footprint on nature in some particular cases. Chapters 5 and 6 will be of particular interest to readers looking for some success stories such as Costa Rica, Walt Disney, Shell Oil, and Geoplasma. Gingrich and Maple also review with clarity in chapter 7 what some philanthropists such as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Richard Branson¿s Virgin Fuels are working on to address some environmental ills. Furthermore, Gingrich and Maple remind readers that open societies are more receptive to environmental and social reform. Finally, Gingrich and Maple call in chapter 9 for political leaders of substance who exhibit some of the characteristics that Jim Collins has identified in his best-seller ¿Good to Great.¿ Unfortunately, Gingrich and Maple seem at times to over-simplify the challenges at hand. Here follow a few examples for illustration purposes only: 1. Gingrich and Maple note that in some respects, the population problem (in the third world) is solving itself, with birth rates falling as nations develop healthy economies with stable, predictable futures. Both authors also point out that the U.S. can handle overpopulation most effectively by targeting foreign aides for emerging democracies with a stable rule of law and growing economies. Unfortunately, Gingrich and Maple fail to mention that U.S. support for family planning abroad began to decline in 1996. The U.S. is not alone in this area. As Jonathon Porritt, Chair, U.K. Sustainable Development Commission, rightly states in BBC-sponsored Planet Earth, good family planning is all about empowering women and girls with literacy and better healthcare to bring birth rates down. Furthermore, both authors omit to mention that the current U.S. administration has banned funding to groups that provides or promotes abortion. Unlike the other regions of the world, Africa, especially sub-Saharan Africa, is experiencing fast and ultimately unsustainable population growth as John May of the World Bank and Jean-Pierre Guengant of IRD (French Research Institute for Development) recently observed. 2. Gingrich and Maple lament that the American Government, both Congress and the President, is not doing enough in addressing environmental challenges. However, many Americans are wary of pushing the American Government too far, too fast, because of the high costs involved in solving environmental problems. The new, imperfect compromise over CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards illustrates this point very well. 3. Gingrich and Maple also plead for a plan to significantly and rapidly reduce U.S. dependence on (foreign) oil by considering a serious switch from fossils fuels to renewable alternatives. Since 1974, all U.S. presidents have called for energy independence, but all have failed in this endeavor. Despite the rhetoric, U.S. reliance on foreign oil increased from 36.1% in 1974 to 65.5% in 2006 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Americans use more oil per person than any other country in the world, with the possible exception of some oil-exporting states. 2/3 of all oil consumed in the U.S. is used for powering U.S. cars and trucks according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The new changes to CAFE standards will probably not significantly alter this picture, especially when one considers the existing v

a worthwhile publication

'a contract with the earth' has alot of documentation about cleaning up the envioroment and the best things that I like was this book does not have anything about the hype that puts out films and books that scientists shoot down like certain famous people. Iam glad that newt gingrich has put out so much research that has some exellent material that showed a great way to clean up the enviroment I hope this book will show the 2008 candidates some great hope with our nation to see some truth about the enviroment. great gift idea for a friend or family member or soldier serving over seas.as an added bonus there are some great web sites that will offer wonderful research and helpful material.

Gingrich´s Contract with the Earth is a Death Sentence for the Planet

Gingrich sites a market-driven environmentalism and incentitive driven controls. Has Gingrich ever heard of China? Frankly, the entire new China is market- driven by the west. Look at the outcome. Does the author truly believe business will voluntarily yield the call for a cleaner world. No, it costs money. Ask the Olympians going to China if they have enough air to breathe? Gingrich is as reluctant to accept the fact, as big business, that we have an environmental crisis to deal with now. His nature, like most human nature, will ignore the dangers until it is too late.

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No text was provided for this review.