Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Climate change is a real crisis which threatens the very future of humanity, activist Dick Russell asserts in this strident book. While humans’ use of fossil fuels is the cause of global warming, a shift to less harmful energy sources is possible, Russell argues. However, a powerful force stands in the way: The billionaire Koch brothers, former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson and a handful of other wealthy energy executives who have devoted huge amounts of time and money to confusing the public and undermining legitimate science. Russell tours the fracking fields of Oklahoma and the halls of power in Washington and Houston, giving a swift but harrowing overview of the forces shaping the climate change debate. In his telling, the Kochs and Tillerson are “enemies of life on earth.” The harsh tone might win applause from those who already agree with Russell’s point of view, but it’s unlikely to win over the significant chunk of the American electorate that has bought into the notion that climate change isn’t a legitimate threat. getAbstract recommends this book to anyone interested in the debate over global warming.