Surviving The Warming: Strategies for Americans

The time to start preparing to deal with the developing climate crisis is NOW. Individuals, families, extended families—everyone—needs to begin thinking about what they need to do multi-generationally to cope with The Warming. In less than 25 years the world will be a very different place. Surviving The Warming: Strategies for Americans is the one book you will need to help you get this critical process underway.

“While predicting that the warming will ultimately change civilization, the author provides strategies to help families construct themselves now and in future to adapt to the changed world—a source of strength that differentiates it from other books on the subject.” (Midwest Book Review)

Surviving the coming world of the warming will pose significant challenges for the world’s eight billion people. And, despite America’s status as the world's richest, most technologically advanced country, our people will fare no better.

The rising temperatures, ocean levels, and more numerous damaging storms will, within several decades, render large portions of the country inhospitable to human habitation and bring with it economic and social chaos.

The heat of the warming will crack, blister and peel away what has always been the thin veneer of civilization—leading over time to the demise of civil society and collapse of major institutions.

While continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are laudable, they are too little, too late. We are already long past the tipping point after which the worst of the warming cannot be avoided. It has become baked in—irreversible. Instead, we need to increase our focus on how to adapt and survive the developing long-term climate calamity.

The focus of the book is on survival for families, multi-generationally. People will need to lower their expectations for what will be possible in the world of the warming. It will be critical for families and others to embrace simplicity, self-reliance and sustainability as lifestyle choices.

The book explores coming changes in housing, the economy, family finances, food, water, employment, energy, healthcare, safety and security, the eventual need for many to migrate and suggests strategies families can use to prepare—starting now!

To encourage conversations about the need to prepare for the warming’s inevitable impact, a detailed discussion guide is included, providing readers with a summary of key information to help organize a discussion about the seriousness of the situation and what can be done.

My fear is that the frightening enormity of the monster we’ve created will lead to a paralyzing fatalism—the belief that nothing can be done to save us from its civilization-changing impact. But, as two million years of history have shown, humankind can be very flexible, adaptable and creative. Those are the traits that can help save our species.

Links

The One Book You'll Need to Start Preparing for The Warming

Reviews

(4/5 Stars) It's not if, but when, and short-and-long-term planning for it!
I have read the author's other 2 books on this subject. The first 2 were more novel like, with facts, but also some story lines involved, that were interesting reading. This book is totally different. Book 3 doesn't read like a novel, but more like a textbook. I'm not saying that it is bad, but don't pick this up for an evening of light and mindless entertainment. In this book there are all the latest facts available, on where our planet sits in regards to this issue. After presenting these dismal but true scientific facts, he then goes on to help us understand what we must do to try to prepare for this. Just as it has taken us years to get ourselves into this situation, it will take years of planning and lifestyle changes, to help us cope with the new future. It is interesting to read his helpful ideas on what we will need to do for our families to make the transition to this new world. (Doug Epperson)
(4/5 Stars) A Survival Manual for Climate Change
Surviving the Warming takes a hard look at global warming and gives us facts and many examples of what we can do as individuals to get into the necessary mindset and prepare ourselves and our progeny for what may be our collective inevitability. While not a scientist or climate professional, Robinson uses his story-telling ability and journalistic skills to provide his survival manual and to encourage conversations around the need to prepare. An important read! (Joe Boyle)

(5/5) Multigenerational Strategies to Survive and Prosper in a Warming World
Global warming is coming after us. Here in Sacramento, California, we set a record for the number of 100 degrees or more days in a year. And that record, 45 days, will be broken this first week of October 2024. Hurricane Helene just set a record as the strongest hurricane to cross the Florida Panhandle. It left destruction all the way to Western North Carolina. Extreme weather events have become the new normal. Scorching weather can kill you, especially if you are one of the approximately 45 percent of Americans who are obese. Sweating keeps us cool. High humidity can prevent cooling. Excessive layers of fat act as an insulator that slow cooling. Keeping your body at an average weight will soon become necessary to stay alive in a warming world. How did we get to such a dire place in the history of our planet? And what can we do to survive and live reasonably comfortably in a warming world? Those are the questions that Lorin Robinson answers in Surviving The Warming: Strategies for Americans. His recommendations are multigenerational since future generations will suffer more than the present ones. They include considering the best places to live, not relying solely on the medical establishment to care for your health, finding access to food as crops fail from heat and drought, and personal security. If you care about staying healthy in a warming world, especially if you have grandchildren, this book should be required reading. (Tom Spradley)

(5/5) The Next Great Migration
"Surviving the Warming: Strategies for Americans" is an exhaustively researched book. Robinson fills the reader in on past events, how it impacts the current world and a certain doomsday scenario as to what will occur in the future. According to Robinson's studies, we may already be beyond the point of recovery. A possible socioeconomic revolution and major geographical upheaval may be closer than we think. This work will make you think and more importantly act to help mute what is certainly headed our way. (Bob Timpson)

(5/5) Robinson Tackles a Troubling Subject with Head-on Professionalism
Whether you believe in climate change or not, you owe it to yourself to read Lorin Robinson’s Surviving the Warming. This book does not pull any punches, is well documented, and includes Dr. Robinson’s stories about how climate change could affect us in the future. This is a book that should be required reading for all, and required twice for climate change deniers. (Davie Perrin)

Surviving The Warming: Strategies for Americans may be purchased from all on-line booksellers in paper or eBook or ordered from your favorite bookstore. It is also available directly from publisher Open Books. Surviving The Warming by Lorin R. Robinson (open-bks.com)

How to Order

Other Books by Lorin Robinson

"A gripping adventure in which 13 young Ojibwe seek to regain the honor of their band. A delightful work of historical fiction." (Midwest Book Review)
"The story line in “The 13” is a compelling and sensitively-told coming-of-age tale in which the young main character confronts the universal and ageless question—“What is the price of honor?” The descriptions of the landscapes and features of the region are lyrical. Anyone from the northern climes will recognize and appreciate their accuracy. Throughout, the story is told with respect and honor to its subjects, their traditions and ways of life." (Bill Berry)
https://www.open-bks.com/library/moderns/the-13/order.html


Dr. Lorin R. Robinson has BS and MS Degrees in Journalism from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from the University of Minnesota. He served as a Professor of Journalism and Department Chair at the University of Wisconsin--River Falls and Distinguished Service Professor of Marketing in the Graduate College of Business at the University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis. Between teaching posts he was a marketing communications manager with 3M Company.

Meet the Author

Please feel free to contact me with comments or questions.

WARMING WATCH
With Lorin R. Robinson, Ph.D.

What's really going on with The Warming? WARMING WATCH will curate the massive amounts of information now being generated about the climate crisis and present primarily that which is relevant to the pressing need to start planning for the coming world of The Warming. Check for new posts at least weekly or more often. Your feedback and comments are welcomed. See Comments Box above.

September 24, 2024—For years we’ve been told that it’s possible to dodge the worst that The Warming has to offer by reducing the CO₂ in the atmosphere. So why aren’t we?

The data don’t support such optimism:

  • Each year brings a new record for CO₂ emissions. Last year it was 37 billion tons; the forecast for 2024 is 37.5 billion tons. While recent reduction efforts have flattened the curve, annual emissions are still rising.

  • The parts-per-million (ppm) of CO₂ in the atmosphere is now at 425. Climate science set 400 ppm as the top limit after which The Warming would become baked in—irreversible. The last time the ppm was over 400—3-4 million years ago—the global average temperature was estimated to have been 6ᵒ F above today’s and the seas were 30-feet higher. Camel and horses roamed a lush Artic and Siberian landscape.

  • The CO₂ molecule is very robust. It can stay intact in the atmosphere for up to 90 years. That means a molecule going up some smokestack today can be up there with the others causing trouble until 2114.

  • The last ice age (3-4 million years ago) froze the lush vegetation in the Arctic and Siberia mentioned earlier trapping more CO₂ and methane in the ice than human activity has ever emitted. Those greenhouse gasses are now outgassing as the region thaws sending billions of tons skyward. So as humans try to reduce emissions, the planet may be overwhelming our efforts. Earth’s revenge?

The time has more than come to start preparing to adapt to the coming dystopian world of the warming. Here are some suggestions that families should consider:

  • Reduce expectations. The Warming will bring major economic disruption including very high inflation, unemployment and loss of discretionary income. As a result, we’ll be required to focus on needs rather than wants (hamburger vs. Nikes).

  • The will be the need to adopt lifestyles revolving around simplicity, self-reliance and sustainability.

And planning for The Warming will need to be multi-generational. It’s our children, their children and beyond who will be most affected.

Don't Be Misled

September 26, 2024—There are lots of good reasons not to vote for Donald Trump in November. From his public statements, for example, it’s clear he would throw democracy out the window and become our nation’s first dictator. And there are others—his racism, his misogyny, his criminality. The list could go on.

There is, however, another significant reason that gets a little less attention. Hi anti-environmentalism, in particular, his denial of the reality of and danger posed by The Warming.

One of his early statements on the subject made his position clear. Through one of his incessant tweets, he told us: “The concept of global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive.” (That was just one of the 30,000 verified lies he told the public while President.)

When he took office, one of his first moves was to renege on our greenhouse gas reduction commitment made at the 2015 Paris climate talks. He also charged what might have better been called his “Environmental Destruction Agency” to cancel as many of the Obama-era environmental policies as possible—to repay his corporate and billionaire supporters.

If elected, he would do the same with President Biden’s successful efforts to begin building a green economy, one that candidate Kamela Harris has vowed to pursue.

Another Very Good Reason Not to Vote for Donald Trump

Previous Posts

September 21, 2024--Of all the data being generated about The Warming, those figures concerning sea level rise (SLR) and global average temperature increase are the most important predictors of where it’s heading and how fast.

Other data of real interest includes the parts per million (ppm) of CO₂ in the atmosphere and the amount being pumped aloft

First let’s take a look at SLR and temperature increases.

According to multiple scientific reports, 2023 saw the highest global temperature on record, with the average surface temperature being approximately 1.18°C (2.12°F) above the 20th century average, marking the warmest year since global recordkeeping began in the mid-1800s. This data is based on analysis from NASA, NOAA, and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Here’s a chart showing global temperature increases since 1880. Notice the tremendous spike in 2023.

https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-global-temperature

According to current projections, the global temperature is forecast to rise by around 1.5ᵒ C (2.7ᵒ F) by 2050, and between 2-4 ᵒ C (3.6-7.2ᵒ F) by 2100. Other data suggest a 2.7ᵒ F increase by as early as 2037.

A third of the world's population could live in a climate similar to the Sahara in just 50 years, according to a study published by the National Academy of Sciences in 2020. That means 3.5 billion people could live with average temperatures in the mid-80s, “outside of humanity's comfort zone,” by 2070.

Estimates for sea level rise vary widely depending on which variables are used in the calculations. The worst-case scenario presented by NOAA is a 6.6-foot rise by 2100.

To check the impact of various SLR levels on locations in the U.S. at depths from 1-10 feet, Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding Impacts (https://coast.noaa.gov/slr/).

One critical index of where we’re going and how fast is the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere. The figure currently is about 425 ppm (https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide). The last time it was this high was 3-4 million years ago, just before the last Ice Age. At that point the Earth was so warm that the arctic was lush and green and supported animals like horses and camels. Global average temperatures were thought to be 9ᵒ F higher than today with a sea level that was 30-feet higher.

Finally, before you start dozing off, 2024 is forecast to be another record year for CO₂ emissions—37.5 billion tons. Since efforts have ramped up to reduce GHG, the curve has flattened out a bit. But, from 1990–2022, Global CO₂ emissions increased by more than 60 percent.

So, anyone who tells you that continued efforts to reduce GHG will save us from the worst The Warming has to offer, needs to be told that we are not yet substantially reducing emissions. And, as of this date, only about 30 percent of the planet’s energy needs are being met by non-fossil fuels.

https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/carbon-dioxide/?intent=121#:~:text=Although%20total%20CO2%20is,photosynthesis%20on%20a%20massive%20

The Warming by the Numbers