Taming the Four Horsemen: Radical Solutions from Robin Hanbury-Tenison
Published in 2020, the lessons of Taming The Four Horsemen are clear: if we humans are to survive we need to make transformative changes now. The Author, Robin Hanbury-Tenison, may be known to readers as one of the founders of the charity Survival International, along with an involvement in the Eden Project. At 82, he has a long list of achievements and books to his name.
The central tenet of the book is that our world is facing catastrophes of many kinds, from the climate crisis to global outbreaks of deadly diseases. It asks the question - can we look back at the collapse of previous civilisations to see what lessons might be learned?
He flamboyantly and rather terrifyingly names the four harbingers of catastrophe:-
The White Horse of Pestilence and Pandemics – many remote tribal societies have lives that are healthier than ours – what can we learn from them?
The Red Horse of War – can we avoid conflict through promoting prosperity and renewable energy for all?
The Black Horse of Famine – is now the time to use technology we’ve had since World War II to influence the weather?
The Pale Horse of Death – will geoengineering help to undo the appalling pollution we are inflicting on the planet, especially the oceans?
I am deep into the Pale Horse of Death section and am hugely impressed by his depth of knowledge, particularly of flora and fauna. I am hoping it will end on a positive note but fearful that it won't!