Our hope depends, McKibben argues, on scaling back—on building the kind of societies and economies that concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale.

"What really sets Eaarth apart from other green books is McKibben's prescription for survival. This won't be just a matter of replacing a few lightbulbs; McKibben is calling for a more local existence lived 'lightly, carefully, gently.' It's a future unimaginable to most of us, but it may be the only way to survive," states Time magazine.