Alan Weisman: a new look at the environmental crisis
Alan Weisman spoke to GMC students about the environment and the publication of his book, The World Without Us.
Alan Weisman, author of the New York Times best-seller The World Without Us, addressed GMC students about the current environmental crisis.
BY CHAD SKILES
It was all talk of hope, natural intricacies, and a dash of well-placed confidence and humor. For its third annual plenary session, Green Mountain College welcomed critically-acclaimed, best-selling author, Alan Weisman to give a talk on his book, The World Without Us.
As the seasoned journalist stepped up to the podium, he tipped his glass while remarking, “Thanks, I’ve really had a lot of fun here.” While many people may not agree with Weisman, they probably had no qualms about that. GMC likely served as an enjoyable, tranquil retreat alongside of the author’s usual stops at formal book lectures, signings, and various conferences. He outlined the greater portion of his unorthodox book, which, as he explained, “avoids so much of the environmental literature that speaks of impending doom.” Weisman noted that starting a book out with the entire human race dead does not necessarily scream hope. Nor does it scream love to the average shelf-browser, but he insisted there was something deeper going on with his work. “Part of (my reason for writing was) we’re all suckers for the future,” said Weisman. Elaborating on the widespread curiosity humans have on contemplating the severity of a massive die-out is evident. However, this wasn’t the whole point either. Not only did Weisman think through the various biological processes that would ensue over several thousands of years after humans were gone, but urged readers to see the good, the bad, and the ugly when it came to thinking about the Earth on its own terms—if somehow humans beings left it alone to do its own business.
“I did not write The World Without Us because I think the world would be better without people,” Weisman explained. Many readers, including Images students and professors, seemed to get that idea, viewing Weisman’s thesis as a way of belittling humans to a proverbial thorn in the planet’s side. Weisman argued that his message stemmed from his desire to write an “environmental best-seller,” where the average person could contribute to the ongoing debate. “I got so sick of these types of books only being read by people who already agreed with them,” he concluded.
Perhaps the reason his book has been called things such as “the very DNA of hope” (by a Toronto newspaper) is because Weisman’s ultimate message was that despite all of the things human beings have done to industrialize and dismantle its natural order, the earth would, within the scope of a few millennia, return back to its original “Eden,” where rivers flowed through Manhattan and trees were growing out of skyscrapers. Something underlying Weisman’s book and his conversation with the GMC community, revealed that he accomplishes something that is very difficult to do in a time where ominous threats of global warming and overpopulation often fill the public discourse: he salvages hope in the idea that, in the end, the planet wins—and there’s not much all of our little carbon footprints can do to make an irreversible effect on the grandiose ebb and flow of nature.
Of all the students Weisman has encountered (most of which he thinks are learning “in a pressure cooker”), the GMC folks provided him with a mild sigh of relief. “It was great coming to a place where people are pursuing environmental issues academically, eating sustainable food, and maintaining a humane institution.” While many proactive voices take a cooler approach, Weisman also shared that he believes the “need for change is much newer. This place seems to understand the need for a passionate message.”
Ultimately, Alan Weisman showcased the value of a liberal arts education by presenting his bold outlook on the persistent forces of nature during his time with the college community.
As is commonly the case, he also pepped up the student body by reminding us that as environmental issues become more pressing, we will be the most equipped to confront them in the future. “What a great place for learning,” he noted, “whatever you’re doing—keep it up.”
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