Books

The Invisible Killer

The Rising Global Threat of Air Pollution- and How We Can Fight Back

Gary Fuller

Author Gary Fuller

320 Pages

Published March 19, 2019

 

Product ISBNs
Hardcover: 978-1-61219-783-8
Ebook: 978-1-61219-784-5
The Invisible Killer
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About the Book

An urgent examination of one of the biggest global crises facing us today—the drastic worsening of air pollutionand what we can do about it

The air pollution that we breathe every day is largely invisible—but it is killing us. How did it get this bad, and how can we stop it?

Far from a modern-day problem, scientists were aware of the impact of air pollution as far back as the seventeenth century. Now, as more of us live in cities, we are closer than ever to pollution sources, and the detrimental impact on the environment and our health has reached crisis point.

The Invisible Killer will introduce you to the incredible individuals whose groundbreaking research paved the way to today's understanding of air pollution, often at their own detriment. Gary Fuller's global story examines devastating incidents from London's Great Smog to Norway's acid rain; Los Angeles' traffic problem to wood-burning damage in New Zealand.

Fuller argues that the only way to alter the future course of our planet and improve collective global health is for city and national governments to stop ignoring evidence and take action, persuading the public and making polluters bear the full cost of the harm that they do. The decisions that we make today will impact on our health for decades to come.

The Invisible Killer is an essential book for our times and a cautionary tale we need to take heed of.

Contributors

Dr. Gary Fuller is an air pollution scientist at King’s College London. He led the development of the London Air Quality Network, making information on air pollution more accessible to the public. He frequently appears on television, writes the Pollutionwatch series for the Guardian, and was one of Evening Standard’s ‘Progress 1000’ selections, highlighting London’s most influential people. He has given evidence to parliament and is a government advisory group member.
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Praise

“Fascinating, readable, and terrifying in equal measure.” —Mark Lynas, author of Six Degrees

“An important book and a real page-turner … showing us how we can all ‘act where we can. —Jenny Bates, Friends of the Earth clean air campaigner

“Adeptly and engagingly weaves the history, science, and politics of a global crisis. A timely intervention for the benefit of personal and planetary health.” —Simon L. Lewis, co-author of The Human Planet

“I only wish Fuller had written this book twenty years ago. The scandal of how we have been poisoned for greed shames governments and companies. His knowledge and insights are remarkable.” —John Vidal, former environment editor, The Guardian

“Fuller deftly lays out a compelling and disturbing history of air pollution, and the harm it causes. A must-read for anyone intrigued by what’s in the air they breathe, and concerned about the damage it might lead to.” —Andrew D. Maynard, director of the Risk Innovation Lab at the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University

“In this book, [Fuller] tells the stories of the scientists and researchers who have paved the way towards our understanding of pollution, shows its effects, and makes a passionate case for fighting back.”—LitHub

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