"Alan Weisman offers an utterly original approach to questions of humanity's impact on the planet: he asks us to envision our Earth, without us. In this far-reaching narrative, Weisman explains how our massive infrastructure would collapse and finally vanish without human presence; which everyday items may become immortalized as fossils; how copper pipes and wiring would be crushed into mere seams of reddish rock; why some of our earliest buildings might be the last architecture left; and how plastic, bronze sculpture, radio waves, and some man-made molecules may be our most lasting gifts to the universe."
Reviews:
NY Times: "Starting Over" by Jennifer Schuessler:
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/02/books/review/Schuessler-t.html
The Guardian:
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/may/03/society1
Book and Author Website:
http://www.worldwithoutus.com/about_author.html
Author Interviews:
1. NPR: https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14194915
2. Jon Stewart: http://www.cc.com/video-clips/0xoqg1/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-alan-weisman
3. NOVA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8CsBMCfu0s
4. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQxBYoGNmO0
Related Articles:
1. "Should it be Saved: Proposals to focus resources on some endangered species and let others go extinct are stirring fierce debate", Warren Corwall, Science, Sept. 7, 2018.
http://science.sciencemag.org/content/361/6406/962
2. "Florence engulfs hog farms and chicken houses, thrashing NC agriculture", Dan Charles, NPR, September 18, 2018.
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/09/18/649132289/florence-engulfs-hog-farms-and-chicken-houses-thrashing-north-carolina-agricultu
Eleven Fun Facts from the Book: Mother Earth News:
https://www.motherearthnews.com/nature-and-environment/nature/world-without-us-alan-weisman
Discussion Questions:
1. What
are some of the things that you found surprising or not, that would survive a world
without humans?
2. When
considering common household items you use (such as a computer, cell phone, lawnmower,
etc.), reflect on its origins, how it’s manufactured, its’ uses and lifespan,
etc. How might such self-reflection inform your future choices that you make to
buy, use or store something?
3. Which
species do you think will adapt, thrive or decline in our changing world?
4. Many
conservation groups and governments (i.e. Endangered Species Act, etc. ) have worked and
continue to work to protect and restore species most at risk of disappearing.
Which species do you think we should focus on to save? How does one choose?
5. Are
humans a part of the natural world or separate?
6. We
are aware of some of the worst ecological disasters such as Chernobyl, but were
some of the author’s examples surprising to you, such as plastics, embalming
products, flower industry waste, nuclear waste? (Remember, this book was
written in 2007)
7. Did
you find this book depressing? Hopeful? What was your emotional response to
this book?
8. If
humans were gone, what would you hope would return, i.e. animals, plants, etc.
9. What
new revelations might you have to help the destiny of the earth now, beyond
your own personal actions, which would have a greater, broader, meaningful
impact? Perhaps: promoting renewable energies, encouraging businesses to
eliminate plastic bags and straws, supporting conservation and environmental
groups, other ideas?
Some of the questions were inspired from: https://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/sites/default/files/bookclubkit/discussions/weisman_world.pdf
and http://www.galesburglibrary.org/BookClub/WorldWithoutUs.pdf
