No matter how hard politicians try to broker agreements about curbing greenhouse gas emissions there are deeper obstacles that would seem to guarantee Planet Earth's ecological decline. Beyond the Limits is a hard-hitting and probing analysis of the underlying problems that define the possibilities of any response to the problem of climate change. If you have wondered how humanity has managed to reach a point of no return, this is a book for you. Our problems stem from an unwavering commitment to the growth of economies, populations and improved standards of living. Unpalatable as this diagnosis may be, the underlying issues involve cultural prejudice, inertia, outmoded political programs, and an overwhelming faith in technological innovation and social progress. Further, insufficiently analysed optimism may blind us to the obvious: there still are limits to growth. The author is able to combine evidence based scientific analysis with the best of contemporary social and cultural theory to provide a compelling interdisciplinary analysis. His appeal for a genuinely eco-centric approach to politics will definitely rattle a number of philosophical cages.
