Loving this Planet

Book excerpt: Ever since quitting her job teaching pediatrics at Harvard Medical School in 1980, Helen Caldicott has worked tirelessly for a safe, sustainable, nuclear-free planet, most recently by hosting a weekly radio show featuring environmentalists and leading activists from around the globe. Together with some of the most brilliant thinkers and inspiring advocates of our time, Caldicott--whom Meryl Streep has called "my inspiration to speak out"--scrutinizes our unsustainable dependence on nuclear energy; explores how the United States could transition to renewable energy; and raises awareness about a host of other planetary issues, from deforestation and sea-level rise to nuclear arms and the potential health effects of cell phone radiation. Extending well beyond the scope of conventional environmental discussions, these stirring conversations give us Martin Sheen on grassroots movements and unionized labor; Chris Hedges on the costs of standing up for your morals; and award-winning actress Lily Tomlin on contemporary politics, in a sarcastic and witty exchange that is at once hilarious and inspiring. Loving This Planet offers an accessible overview of the chief environmental and social issues of our time and includes captivating interviews with twenty-five contributors, including Maude Barlow, Bill McKibben, Jonathan Schell, Daniel Ellsberg, and Bob Herbert, among others.