The author’s unique authority and original perspective sets this book apart from other books on environmental change. He speaks as a planetary physician with more than 40 years’ experience of thinking about how to respond to the Earth’s needs as a living organism.

Illustrated with examples drawn from his experiences around the world, he draws many radical conclusions, most controversially a passionate advocacy of nuclear energy. This, he argues, is not only a secure, safe and reliable source of energy but also the only way to counter the lethal heat waves and rising sea levels, which will increasingly threaten civilisations. He argues that the only way for humankind to come to terms with Gaia (Greek earth goddess) now, and have a chance of surviving, is to embrace science and technology, not reject them.

He applies the Gaia theory to climate change. Using the latest scientific findings, he concludes that an abrupt and radical climatic shift is unavoidable.

This is his passionate manifesto of how to avoid climatic shift and also lessen its impact on the Earth before it is too late.