Reactions to the Bet

I felt that the Bet was an interesting way to learn about the environmental debates that went on in the past and how they reflect those that are going on today. While reading the book, it was very easy to see the similarities between ideology then and now, and how these debates set the tone for the political parties today. In the final two chapters, it was clear that the neo-Malthusian ideas of Ehrlich and the economic, technological views of Simon greatly changed how people viewed the environment and essentially split the nation in two. As Sabin wrote, the propaganda and intense opposition between Ehrlich and Simon greatly changed how people viewed these issues. Simon's argument made it seem as though the Earth's environment was magically improving, yet it was people like Ehrlich who were helping to influence those improvements. I thought Sabin eloquently provided both sides to the debate, but still provided his own insight to the situation in the final chapter. Sabin ended the book simply asking what type of world we desired which helped connect the reader to the book. This changed the book from informative to a self-reflection that puts the power in not just two men debating the environment, but the totality of the population.