Vince’s view of how much the planet will warm may be pessimistic, but Nomad Century is a visionary book, an attempt to imagine how climate change might reshape our notions of what is politically possible...A society in which migrants are welcomed as equals is difficult to imagine in our own political moment, when the one profligate spending plan on which both our potential prime ministers can agree is the £120 million scheme to fly 200 migrants to the overheating equator...But Vince’s long view of history shows we can do better...In the words of a Times leader she quotes from 1853: 'This country is an asylum nation, and it will defend the asylum to the last ounce of its treasure.'.

Vince’s deeply humane vision of facilitated mass migration may seem unrealistic against the current backdrop of hysteria about asylum seekers in many parts of Europe and the United States...But we do now have to contemplate an extraordinary future in which the impact of global heating makes the migration of billions inevitable...Unfortunately, the same politicians who are failing to deal properly with migration are the same ones we are depending on to avoid dangerous climate breakdown..

Gaia Vince’s Nomad Century is written for all the right reasons. But it comes to the wrong conclusions.

... includes suggestions for change at all levels.

The information is densely packed, which can render it more useful for academics than curious readers. Consider primarily for specialized collections..

Assertive and provocative, Vince’s work is worth a look for policymakers concerned about the future of the planet..

British science writer Vince, a former editor at Nature and New Scientist and author of Adventures in the Anthropocene, mounts compelling dual arguments: Global warming must be controlled, and on a planet beset by fire, heat, drought, and flood, mass migration will be necessary for survival...'Fleeing the tropics, the coasts and formerly arable lands, huge populations will need to seek new homes,' the author predicts; 'you will be among them, or you will be receiving them'...In a text that bristles with urgency, Vince counters 'anti-migration rhetoric and misinformation' with abundant evidence showing that immigrants make positive economic, social, and cultural contributions to the society in which they settle...The redistribution of populations, however, will not reverse unsustainable behaviors and policies, and Vince devotes much of her well-researched book to considering bold changes...Geoengineering innovations may deflect heat away from Earth, and wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal power can obviate the burning of fossil fuels...A striking manifesto for sweeping change..