6 thinkers, books, and ideas connected to this field.
Carl Sagan's posthumous 1997 essay collection — on science, technology, environmental concerns, and the meaning of human existence — including his final essay written while dying of cancer.
Jared Diamond's 2004 study of why past societies collapsed — examining Easter Island, the Anasazi, Norse Greenland, and others — and identifying common patterns (environmental damage, climate change, enemies, trade partners, societal response) that explain civilizational collapse.
American China specialist — former Hoover Institution fellow — former undersecretary of commerce for international trade (2021–2023) — author of The River Runs Black and The Third Revolution — one of the most influential China watchers in US policy circles.
Canadian author — author of The Tiger, The Golden Spruce, and Fire Weather — who writes narrative nonfiction about humans at the extremes of the natural world — among the most celebrated Canadian nonfiction writers.
Paul Ehrlich's 1968 bestseller — predicting mass starvation from overpopulation in the 1970s–80s — which proved incorrect but triggered the modern environmental movement and is the most cited example of catastrophist prediction failure.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — created by Nixon in 1970 to set and enforce environmental standards, including the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.