Hot Flat And Crowded Summary

Hot, Flat, and Crowded by Thomas L. Friedman is a book that outlines the causes of climate change, argues against those who refuse to believe in climate change, proposes solutions to the challenges of climate change, and urges the United States to be at the forefront of these solutions. Friedman argues that the United States would be able to overcome the Great Recession if it shifted its focus on finding viable alternatives to fossil fuels and reforming our current energy systems. Freidman begins the book by looking at America’s political and economic downfall in recent times, attributing it to the country’s inability to take a good look at itself and reform before it implodes, mainly with mortgages and loans, which led to the giant national debt. The country adopted a faulty system in order to make a quick dollar and ended up owing trillions, but not before inspiring
Friedman also looks at 9/11 as a missed opportunity by the United States to begin reforming and growing, but instead closed its borders and spent more money on defense and had to cut from the education budget. Friedman continues by stating that the United States need to shift its mindset from a situational to sustainability model. This means that instead of focusing on growing as big and as fast as possible on both an environmental and economic level, the focus needs to be on being accountable and acting as if it is your responsibility, and not that of your children or grandchildren to have answers and solutions.
Friedman spends a majority of the book explaining how important it is that the U.S. jumps out in front and is the champion of ‘going green’, that in order to