Dan Sperling talks about writing Two Billion Cars, Apr. 2, 2009 4:30-6 pm in MUII
| What | |
|---|---|
| When |
2009-04-02 04:30 PM
2009-04-02 06:00 PM
April 02, 2009 from 04:30 pm to 06:00 pm |
| Where | MU2, Memorial Union second floor |
| Contact Name | Gary Sue Goodman |
| Contact Email | gsgoodman@ucdavis.edu |
| Contact Phone | 530-752-4947 |
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As part of the Conversations With Writers Series, the University Writing Program and the UC Davis Bookstore present.
Daniel Sperling (Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies, Acting Director of the Energy Efficiency Center, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis)
in a presentation about the writing process he employed in the creation of his new book Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability
Oxford University Press, 9780195376647, $24.95, 304 pages.
April 2, Thursday, 4:30pm to 6:00pm
The MU2, Memorial Union second floor, UC Davis campus. Free and open to the general public.
At present, there are roughly a billion motor vehicles in the world. Within twenty years, the number will double to 2 billion, largely a consequence of China's and India's explosive growth. Given that greenhouse gases are already creating havoc with our climate and that violent conflict in oil-rich nations is on the rise, does this mean that matters will only get worse? Or are there hopeful signs that effective, realistic solutions can be found?
In Two Billion Cars, transportation experts Daniel Sperling and Deborah Gordon provide a concise history of America's love affair with cars and an overview of the global oil and auto industries. America is still the leading emissions culprit, and what is especially worrying is that developing nations are becoming car-centric cultures as well. The authors explain how we arrived in this dangerous state, and also what we can do about it. Sperling and Gordon expose the roots of the problem-- the resistant auto-industry, dysfunctional oil markets, short-sighted government policies, and unmotivated consumers. They zero in on reforming our gas-guzzling culture, expanding the search for low-carbon fuels, environment-friendly innovations in transportation planning, and more. Promising advances in both transportation technology and fuel efficiency together with shifts in travel behavior, they suggest, offer us a realistic way out of our predicament.
"Provocative and pleasurable, far-seeing and refreshing, fact-based and yet a page-turner, global in scope but rooted in real places. The authors make a convincing case that smart consumers driving smart electric-drive cars can find the critical path to a safer planet." --Robert Socolow, Princeton University
"In this insightful and persuasive book, Sperling and Gordon highlight one of the biggest environmental challenges of this century: two billion cars. They rightly contend that we cannot avert the worst of global warming without making our cars cleaner and petroleum-free. Luckily the authors also offer a roadmap for navigating this problem that is both visionary and achievable." --Frances Beinecke, President, Natural Resources Defense Council Watch Daniel Sperling being interviewed by John Stewart on the Daily Show (taped February 11). Go to segment three at the 14 minute mark.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=218365
To schedule an interview please contact the author: Daniel Sperling, 530-752-7434, dsperling@ucdavis.edu.
To request a review copy please contact:
Christian Purdy
Director of Publicity Oxford University Press, Inc.
198 Madison Ave. NY, NY 10016
212.726.6032
This event is sponsored by the University Writing Program and the UC Davis Bookstore. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A period and a book signing. For more information on the talk or the Conversations With Writers Series, please contact Gary Sue Goodman, 530-752-4947, gsgoodman@ucdavis.edu
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