Lives Per Gallon: The True Cost of Our Oil Addiction 
asked by casurf on November 5, 2006 9:13 AM
How much would you pay for a gallon of gas? $4.00? $10.00? Would you pay with the health of your lungs or with years taken from your lifespan? The infamous "pain at the pump" runs much deeper than our wallets, argues Terry Tamminen, former Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and current Special Advisor to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Petroleum may power our cars and heat our homes, but it also contributes to birth defects and disorders like asthma and emphysema, not to mention cancer. In Lives Per Gallon, Tamminen takes a hard look at these and other health, environmental, and national security costs hidden in every barrel of oil. While the petroleum industry is raking in huge profits, Tamminen shows, it is studiously avoiding measures that would lessen the hazards of its products. Using the successful lawsuits by state governments against big tobacco as a model, the author sets forth a bold strategy to hold oil and auto companies accountable and force industry reform. He also offers a blueprint for developing alternative energy sources based on California's real world experiences. Certain to be controversial, Lives Per Gallon is an unblinking assessment of the true price of petroleum and a prescription for change. The choice is clear: continuing paying with our health, or kick our addiction and evolve beyond an oil-dependent economy.
Reviews
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I just finished Lives Per Gallon and am both stunned and inspired. Not only does this book reveal the shocking horrors of our reliance on oil...but it made me want to do something about it. This is a page-turner that kept me riveted. A Must Read.
reviewed by tubi on November 9, 2006 7:43 PM
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Terry Tamminen gives an unblinking view of the price we pay for the way we live. From backyard "polluters for pleasure" to the large multinationals - no one gets a free pass. A must read for any & every thoughtful person.
reviewed by mountaindew on November 17, 2006 1:10 PM
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This book reads like a mystery novel but weaves together a compelling mountain of facts that illustrate what President Bush has referred to as America's "addiction to oil." Tamminen's book explores in depth the severity of the consequences of that addiction, from demonstrable public health impacts to dependence on regimes that don't like us. But more importantly, this book identifies a number of solutions to move us away from our dependence on oil. Too many well-written books do a thorough job of outlining the problem, but few authors take the time to discuss solutions. Reasonable people will disagree about what are the best solutions to our addiction, but Tamminen's book offers a menu of tools that can begin the discussion.
reviewed by porsche on November 26, 2006 4:49 PM