The World Without Us

The World Without Us

I had a dream, which was not all a dream…
From “Darkness” by Lord Byron

1 Susan Bertolino Mosaic 852

Some Comments on the book
This is one of the grandest thought experiments of our time, a tremendous
feat of imaginative reporting!"--Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature and
Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and The Durable Future
 “The imaginative power of The World Without Us is compulsive and nearly
hypnotic--make sure you have time to be kidnapped into Alan Weismans
alternative world before you sit down with the book, because you wont
soon return. This is a text that has a chance to change people, and so make
a real difference for the planet.”--Charles Wohlforth, author of L.A. Times Book
Prize-winning The Whale and the Supercomputer
 “Alan Weisman offers us a sketch of where we stand as a species that is
both illuminating and terrifying. His tone is conversational and his affection
for both Earth and humanity transparent.”--Barry Lopez, author of Arctic
Dreams
“An exacting account of the processes by which things fall apart. The scope
is breathtaking...the clarity and lyricism of the writing itself left me with
repeated gasps of recognition about the human condition. I believe it will
be a classic.”--Dennis Covington, author of National Book Award finalist
Salvation on Sand Mountain
 “Fascinating, mordant, deeply intelligent, and beautifully written, The World
Without Us depicts the spectacle of humanitys impact on the planet Earth
in tragically poignant terms that go far beyond the dry dictates of science.
This is a very important book for a species playing games with its own
destiny.”--James Howard Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency

Some Readers Say….
1. This is a charming book on a macabre subject: if every person on earth died tomorrow
what would happen to the works of man? Using New York as an example the author
details the slow, inevitable destruction of the subways, bridges, buildings, the return of
the forests and the animals, and the disposition of those things that never seem to go
away: poisonous heavy metals, plastic, and radioactive waste.
2. It's a fascinating read of well-reasoned speculation.
3. This is an oddly hopeful book. Hopeful because it offers compelling evidence that life
on earth will outlive human tampering with the ecosystem, yet odd because it also
demonstrates that the world won't miss us much. In fact, it's pretty clear that, on
balance, the world would be better off without us.
4. This should be required reading for every graduating high school and/or college
student. The real world they're inheriting!
5. Anyone believing that the rats and cockroaches would be locked in a struggle for
dominance of the Earth will find themselves reconsidering, for instance, since these
species' success in much of the world stems from their association with humanity.
6. The appalling insight is that most of the legacy that we will leave once our cities have
crumbled will be filth and pollution


Other readers say…
 7. The basic premise of this book is a hypothetical examination of what would happen to the earth if
human beings were to suddenly vanish. (If only.) Some chapters are better than others, but overall,
this is a really interesting read. Some parts are uplifting, like the brief time it would take Manhattan
to return to wilderness. The author's descriptions are quite beautiful and riveting. Then other
chapter's make me want to put a gun in my mouth, like the one on all those abandoned nuclear
power plants, and the giant plastic gyres in the ocean.

8. There is no single unifying narrative in this book, it is rather a series of essays of some imaginative
science writing. Weisman takes us to Bialowieza Puszcza, a protected land on the border of Poland
and Belarus. This is Europe's last primeval or old growth forest - the stuff of fairy tales - with trees
150 feet tall and 10 feet in diameter, covered with scary looking moss. Before there were humans, all
of Europe was covered with this kind of forest, and, presumably, would be again if humans vanished.

 9. Life's ability to survive in these circumstances is the upside of Weisman's story. On the downside,
however, he makes some ominous predictions. For example, since the end of World War II humans
have been producing tons of plastic material. Plastics are not biodegradable unless they are
incinerated. Weisman claims that much of this plastic material ultimately finds its way into the
oceans and ends up killing fish and other sea creatures at an alarming rate. He predicts that these
creatures are doomed whether humans disappear or not - more likely if they don't disappear.


Speculative Non-Fiction
 Weisman offers an unlikely premise: humans will
suddenly disappear. He chooses not to explore the
veracity of such a claim. It is hypothetical.
 Weisman looks at various aspects of our world to see
how they have fared before us and with us.
 Weisman is particularly critical of human behavior
over the past 200 years, when industry begins to
develop.
 Weisman draws unpleasant conclusions over the role
of nuclear power plants, radiation and plastics.
 Weisman also notes the earth’s bludgeoning
population growth, but offers a solution that few find
practical. (See pgs. 271-272)


Prelude and Chapter 1
 The prelude deals with the effects of an
endangered human culture in South America.
Conservation efforts keep the people alive, but
they essentially lose their ability to live according
to their own traditions. Why is this significant for
the book?
 Chapter 1 calls itself “A Lingering Scent of Eden”.
We saw another scientist, Dawkins, use a similar
metaphor. Weisman is discussing a forest
(Bialowieza Puszcza—the word means “primeval
forest) at the borders of Poland and Belarus that
faces extinction. What endangers the forest? Are
there many forests left in Europe? Would a world
without humans save this forest?


The Forest


Our Homes and Our Cities
 Chapter 3 uses Manhattan
 Chapter 2 shows how our as a city under siege after
homes will eventually humans disappear.
succumb to ruin.
 Water will be one of the
 Weisman explains the effect most destructive forces.
of climate on all types of
housing materials:  Bridges will decay and fall.
teak, cement, drywall, wood-  All major highways will
framed homes (typical in crumble.
many suburbs)tile and  Look at the subway!
stainless steel.
 He opines that nature
through beast and weather
will reduce our homes to
rubble within 100 years.
Only tile and stainless steel
will survive.


Chapter 4: The World Just Before Us
An “ice age” is a time of extensive glacial activity that covers a relatively large area with ice.
During the Ice Age, which ended a few thousand years ago, 30% of the land surface of
the earth was covered by ice . In North America an ice sheet covered almost all of
Canada and the northern United States.
 We know the extent of the Ice Age because the glaciers left features on the landscape
similar to features we observe around glaciers today in Greenland and Antarctica. Most
likely, Earth has endured a series of ice ages over millions, possibly billions of years.
 Animal bones are part of the geological record—the earliest fossils are found in parts of
Africa. Later we emerge as a dominant species.
 Weisman believes a great dry spell occurred about 7 million years ago in Africa. Much of
the world’s moisture was buried in the glaciers that covered Europe and North America.
This changed the course of evolution, as certain species became extinct and others
survived. (47)
 Scientist Kate Dewiler believes there were 2 dominant species that later on became a
hybrid—us. She opines that this hybridization is an evolutionary force, similar to natural
selection. (46)Post ice age created conditions for man to evolve, possibly from apes, who
could function on two legs, but also used all 4.
 As chimpanzees have no real predators or each other, they are equipped with a gene of
adaptability; they are able to live off all kinds of foods.(51)
 If man were to disappear, the chimpanzee would flourish, and other game, such as lions
and elephants would augment.The r possible destruction could only happen if there
were another ice age. Then the cycle would begin again.


Chapter 7: What Falls Apart Chapter 8: What Lasts
Weisman uses the island of Cypress as the Weisman uses Istanbul, of Turkey as a
setting for his theories. setting for his theories.
The decay of resorts off the shore seem to Istanbul was once Constantinople, the
predict what would happen to buildings if capital city of the Eastern Roman
humans disappeared. empire.
The search for natural resources: Cypress It still has many sturdy buildings from the
gets much of their water from Turkey. past—the Hagia Sophia, once an
One portion of Cypress is Greek; the other Orthodox church.
is Turkish. There are also a series of underground
Cypress deliberately allows cheap caves that seem to be a city in itelf.
manufacturering of resorts for British The caves are man-made—their structure
retirees. Those buildings are bound to suggests that they served as
fall apart. defense, storage and shelters.
Cypress construction shows us that many As Turkey has suffered great economic
modern resorts are made with the depression, their buildings are poorly
cheapest material. It cannot withstand made—they actually sway on a windy
the test of time. day.
Metin Munir, a journalist, says: “You An earthquake would destroy the many
understand just what the Taoists mean cities in Turkey, where the majority of
when they say that soft is stronger than the population live. But the
hard.” (96) He is addressing the underground caverns would be largely
gradualism of decay in Varosha, the unaffected.
former resort of the Greek Cypriots,
which now belongs to the Turkish
Cypriots.

Varosha, Cyprus Caves of Turkey


Cyprus and North Cyprus (Turkish Occupied
Zone.

Constantinople, around the fall of the
Western Roman Empire.

This is a hotel with rooms in the
actual caves!
Pictures taken from thehttp://www.cappadociacavesuites.com/en/index.asp

Chapter 9: Polymers are Forever
 This chapter is one of the most important in the book. It shows the gradual damage of plastic
in the environment.
 It begins with a study of materials found in the sands at Plymouth Harbor in England.
 Plastic is everywhere; it even can be found in the depths of the ocean, consumed by the sea
creatures lowest on the food chain—krill and plankton.
 Plastic is in cosmetics: many exfoliants found in bath and face scrubs are made of
plastic, not organic material.
 Most plastics end up in ocean-fills, not land-fills. Plastic material litters the beaches which
then goes out to the sea.
 Plastics do not biodegrade easily. See page126. Part of what is broken down becomes a
lethal chemical.
 All plastic is a polymer, defined as “simple mechanical configurations of carbon and hydrogen
atoms that link together to form chains.”(118) Cotton and rubber are polymers.
 Landfills contain “constructive debris and paper products. Newspapers don’t biodegrade
when buried away from land and water.”(119) A year old newspaper can still be read.
 We are a “throwaway” society. The plastics we toss may be changed through geological
perseverance that takes thousands of years. Geologic time is what changes
landmasses, shifts plates in the ocean, alters the face of the world forever. Plastic can be
recycled, but it cannot decay as organic matter.


Polymer liquid crystals (PLCs) are a class of materials that combine the
properties of polymers with those of liquid crystals. A liquid crystal polymer
can be seen as a network of conventional LC molecules that are linked
together by polymerization.

Chapter 10 The Petro Patch
• Our relationship to petroleum—very
complex. It begins with rubber. • Texas Petrochemical: pipelines begin in
Pasadena, a Houston suburb; they extend
• Goodyear tires use a synthetic rubber. See
to Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi to the
page 130. Weisman: “A tire can’t be melted
Northeast. They pipe refined gasoline,
down and turned into something else.”
home-heating oil, diesel and jet fuel.
(131) It cannot be recycled.
• Oil was discovered in Texas after the Gulf
• Weisman: “In the United States, an average
hurricane in Galveston that killed 8000
of one tire per citizen is discarded…that’s a
people.
third of a billion, just in one year. Then
there’s the rest of the world.” (131) • This is where oil refineries, chemical
plants, synthetic rubber and plastics
• Tires contain carbon black filler—it gives
began production. Texas oil has been in
strength and color.
decline since the seventies.
• Burning tires release energy along with
• All oil refineries have a lot of complex
“surprising amounts of oily soot that
equipment. Malfunctions cause
contains some noxious components.” 131)
unfortunate results from hydrochloric acid
• The largest plant that produces synthetic leaks (Sterling Chemical) to liquid
rubber is in Texas, owned by hydrocarbons geysers (BP—not the recent
Goodyear.(Note—this is not the polymer oil spill) to explosions of plastics (again—
called elastomer that is found in the BP) to hydrogen sulfide leaks (guess
Amazonian Para tree, a natural who—BP).
substance.)
• Much is run by computers, but it is man
• Processing oil into gas and diesel is in high that puts out the fires caused by these
demand, but the problems go beyond explosions. See paragraph at the bottom
supply. Susan Bertolino Mosaicpg. 137-138.)
of 852 19

According to British Petroleum, in 2009
the United States had an oil refinery
capacity of 17,688,000 barrels per day,
or 19.5% of the world’s total oil refinery
capacity

.

Chapter 12: The Fate of
the Ancient and Modern • What is the difference between
Wonders of the World an ancient and a modern
1. The English Channel Tunnel—it is
a train that moves from Folkstone
wonder of the world—besides
England to Coquelles, France. It
cost over 21 billion dollars to
time? Use this criteria to
make. answer:
2,. The Panama Canal----the land was
once part of Colombia until
• 1. Construction
Panama had independence.
President Roosevelt was • 2. Durability
instrumental in carving out this
canal so that ships wouldn’t have
to travel around the entire South
• 3. Beauty
American continent—it
connected the Pacific Ocean to • 4. Function
the Atlantic.
3. Mount Rushmore: an attempt to • 5. Material
“immortalize the greatest
American presidents in portraits
every bit as imposing as that long
• Weisman focuses on 3 marvels
vanished wonder, the Colossus of
Rhodes.
of modern technology:

Susan Bertolino Mosaic 852 22

• Possibly one of the most
Chapter 13: The World fascinating chapters in the book.
Without War • Weisman shows that war can
The DMZ is 151 miles long and 2.5 miles
wide.
Red-crowned cranes, white-naped crane
actually help the environment in
and whooping cranes (endangered
species) live in a portion that was once
one example.
• As long as Korea remains
for rice paddies—now wetlands. They
come here to winter.
Saber-tooth tigers are rumored to be
living in the DMZ.
Since no humans live there, it is safe for
divided, the Demilitarized Zone
most wildlife that might have
disappeared: “Asiatic black bears,
(DMZ) will be a habitat to
Eurasian lynx, musk deer, Chinese water
deer, an endangered mountain goat wildlife and plants that haven’t
known as the gotal and the nearly
vanished Amur leopard cling to what may
only be temporary life support.” (185)
been seen in ages.
“If there were no agriculture trying to
feed 20 million humans in Seoul…pumps • Few humans ever appear in this
that defy the very seasons would be
stilled. Wildlife would return and water
with it.”(189)
area, so the area is a reminder of
This is a commentary on our food
industry—as billions of people demand
what the wilderness might have
food, all living creatures and the land are
held in the balance.
been. (190)

• Perhaps the most important story is
that of Chernobyl in Russia. It had a
Chapter 15: Hot Legacy nuclear leak, but the then Soviet
The birth of nuclear energy—uranium in
every nuclear creation is highly unstable.
press clamped down and gave the
impression that it was a minor
Ultraviolet rays created the ozone level;
they became the shield against too much problem. It wasn’t. The radiation
exposure to them. It’s a bit like getting
pneumonia: your lungs fill up with mucus
from Chernobyl has brought
because white blood cells are fighting the
infection. But those same cells are
radiation sickness, cancer and all
making you sick by creating mucus as a sorts of problems to all living
way to bring down inflammation.
creatures. Chernobyl shows us a
One form of radiation is ultraviolet rays,
let loose by nuclear fission in the testing
worst-case scenario.
of nuclear weapons along with the
construction of nuclear reactors. • See pages 214 to 218.
The invention of freon, also known as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) became an
ozone destroyer.
Hydrochloroflourocarbons also hurt the
ozone layer (HCFC)—these polymers are
used today.

Chernobyl Accident
 On 26 April 1986, the most serious accident in the history of
the nuclear industry occurred at Unit 4 of the Chernobyl
nuclear power plant in the former Ukrainian Republic of the
Soviet Union. The explosions that ruptured the Chernobyl
reactor vessel and the consequent fire that continued for 10
days or so resulted in large amounts of radioactive materials
being released into the environment.
 The cloud from the burning reactor spread numerous types of
radioactive materials, especially iodine and caesium
radionuclides, over much of Europe. Radioactive iodine, most
significant in contributing to thyroid doses, has a short half-
life (8 days) and largely disintegrated within the first few
weeks of the accident. Radioactive caesium-, which
contributes to both external and internal doses, has a much
longer half-life (30 years) and is still measurable in soils and
some foods in many parts of Europe. The greatest deposits of
radionuclides occurred over large areas of the Soviet Union
surrounding the reactor in what are now the countries of
Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
 Unfortunately, reliable information about the accident and the
resulting dispersion of radioactive material was initially
unavailable to the affected people in what was then the Soviet
Union and remained inadequate for years following the
accident. This failure and delay led to widespread distrust of
official information and the mistaken attribution of many ill
31 Susan Bertolino Mosaic 852 health conditions to radiation exposure.

Pictures of Chernobyl after the meltdown

The World Without Us

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