The End of Ice : Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption

The author who Jeremy Scahill calls the “quintessential unembedded reporter” visits “hot spots” around the world in a global quest to discover how we will cope with our planet’s changing ecosystems After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisis—from Alaska to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest—in order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice. In The End of Ice, we follow Jamail as he scales Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Pacific only to find ghostly coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its melting glaciers. Accompanied by climate scientists and people whose families have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits for centuries, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planet’s wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before. Like no other book, The End of Ice offers a firsthand chronicle—including photographs throughout of Jamail on his journey across the world—of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can. \*\* Review Praise for The End of Ice: A Publishers Weekly “Top 10 Science Picks” for Fall 2018 “The End of Ice is about developing a stronger connection to nature, which Jamail says many people living in urban areas have lost or left behind.” —Smithsonian.com “Jamail commits to educating others on the plight of the planet, in hopes a younger generation can delay the inevitable.” —Men’s Journal “Enlightening, heartbreaking, and necessary.” —Booklist “This book will help readers understand how ecosystems have been affected by climate change and how inaction has potentially doomed further generations.” —Library Journal “Assiduously researched, profoundly affecting, and filled with vivid evocations of the natural world. Jamail's deep love of nature blazes through his crisp, elegant prose, and he ably illuminates less-discussed aspects of climate disruption. . . . A passionate, emotional ode to the wonders of our dying planet and to those who, hopelessly or not, dedicate their lives to trying to save it.” —Kirkus Reviews “In a sane world The End of Ice would be the end of lame excuses that climate change is too abstract to get worked up about. From the Arctic to the Amazon, from doomed Miami to the Great Barrier Reef, Dahr Jamail brings every frontier in our ongoing calamity into close focus. The losses are tangible. And so is the grief. This is more than a good book. It is a wise one.” —William deBuys, author of A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest and The Last Unicorn: A Search for One of Earth’s Rarest Creatures “What a strange and compelling paradox this book offers: to fall in love with the Earth and all that we are losing, to let our hearts open to the deepest grief, and then trust that our grieving opens us to profound love. When what we love is lost, our grief honors the loss and cracks open our hearts to live fully in the present moment, which is joyous. Thank you, Dahr Jamail, for this gift.” —Margaret Wheatley, author of Leadership and the New Science and \*Who Do We Choose to Be?\* Praise for Dahr Jamail: “A superb journalist, in the most honorable tradition of that craft.” —Howard Zinn About the Author Dahr Jamail, a Truthout staff reporter, is the author of Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq. Jamail has reported from the Middle East over the last ten years, and he has won the Martha Gellhorn Prize for Journalism. He lives in Washington State. As seen in Men’s Journal , Smithsonian.com, and The Guardian The author who Jeremy Scahill calls the “quintessential unembedded reporter” visits “hot spots” around the world in a global quest to discover how we will cope with our planet’s changing ecosystems After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisis—from Alaska to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest—in order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice. In The End of Ice, we follow Jamail as he scales Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Pacific only to find ghostly coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its melting glaciers. Accompanied by climate scientists and people whose families have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits for centuries, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planet’s wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before. Like no other book, The End of Ice offers a firsthand chronicle—including photographs throughout of Jamail on his journey across the world—of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can. Finalist for the 2020 PEN / E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Acclaimed on its hardcover publication, a global journey that reminds us "of how magical the planet we're about to lose really is" (Bill McKibben) With a new epilogue by the author After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisis—from Alaska to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest—in order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice. In The End of Ice, we follow Jamail as he scales Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Pacific only to find ghostly coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its melting glaciers. Accompanied by climate scientists and people whose families have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits for centuries, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planet's wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before. Like no other book, The End of Ice offers a firsthand chronicle—including photographs throughout of Jamail on his journey across the world—of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can. "After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisis--from Alaska to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest--in order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans. In [this book], we follow Jamail as he scales Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Pacific only to find bleached coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its collapsing food web. Accompanied along the way by climate scientists and people whose families for centuries have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planet's wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before. Like no other book, The End of Ice offers a firsthand chronicle of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing and caring for this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can."--Dust jacket After nearly a decade overseas as a war reporter, the acclaimed journalist Dahr Jamail returned to America to renew his passion for mountaineering, only to find that the slopes he had once climbed have been irrevocably changed by climate disruption. In response, Jamail embarks on a journey to the geographical front lines of this crisisfrom Alaska to Australias Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforestin order to discover the consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice. In The End of Ice , we follow Jamail as he scales Alaskas Denali, the highest peak in North America, dives in the warm crystal waters of the Coral Sea only to find bleached coral reefs, and explores the tundra of St. Paul Island where he meets the last subsistence seal hunters of the Bering Sea and witnesses its collapsing food web. Accompanied along the way by climate scientists and people whose families for centuries have fished, farmed, and lived in the areas he visits, Jamail begins to accept the fact that Earth, most likely, is in a hospice situation. Ironically, this allows him to renew his passion for the planets wild places, cherishing Earth in a way he has never been able to before. The End of Ice offers an essential firsthand chronicle of the catastrophic reality of our situation and the incalculable necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile planet while we still can. Media track record: Dahr Jamail has been a regular guest on Democracy Now!. Platform: He has a regular column in Truthout; he also contributes to Tom Dispatch. He has appeared on and reported for Inter Press Service, The Nation, The Guardian, Foreign Policy in Focus, Le Monde Diplomatique, The Independent, and Al Jazeera English. He has reported for NPR, Democracy Now!, Al-Jazeera, the BBC, NPR, and numerous other stations around the globe. Credentials: The author’s monthly climate change report for Truthout is one of the mostly highly-regarded and read columns of its kind. He can also talk about the dramatic effect climate change is having on glaciers and mountains because he is a seasoned mountaineer. Speaking: The author had toured extensively to promote his books in the past. Opportunities: More and more NGO and scientific reports will back the arguments the author is making Blurbs/endorsements: Amy Goodman, Jeremy Scahill, Tom Engelhardt, Robert Jay Lifton Affiliations: The Lannan Foundation is a strong supporter of the author’s work, as well as Wallace Global Fund. A Firsthand Chronicle Of The Catastrophic Reality Of Our Planet's Changing Ecosystems And The Necessity Of Relishing This Vulnerable, Fragile Earth While We Still Can-- Denali -- Time Becomes Unfrozen -- The Canary In The Coal Mine -- Farewell Coral -- The Coming Atlantis -- The Fate Of The Forests -- The Fuses Are Lit -- The End At The Top Of The World -- Conclusion: Presence. Dahr Jamail. Includes Bibliographical References (pages [231]-248) And Index. "A firsthand chronicle of the catastrophic reality of our planet's changing ecosystems and the necessity of relishing this vulnerable, fragile Earth while we still can"-- Provided by publisher