The Rescue Effect: The Key to Saving Life on Earth

In the face of climate change and other environmental threats, this testament to Earth’s resilience ＂makes a convincing case the natural world still has a lot worth fighting for＂ (New York Times bestselling author Paul Greenberg).

As climate change continues to intensify, the outlook for life on Earth often seems bleak. Yet we can find hope in the ＂rescue effect,＂ nature’s innate ability to persist during hard times. Like a thermostat starting the air conditioning when a room gets too warm, the rescue effect automatically kicks in when organisms are stressed.

In The Rescue Effect, Michael Mehta Webster reveals the science behind nature’s resilience, through compelling stories of species adapting to our changing world: tigers in the jungles of India, cichlid fish in the great lakes of Africa, and corals in the Caribbean. In some cases, like the mountain pygmy-possum in Australia, species may be lost without our help. We are not only observers to species declines; we are often also the cause. In choosing whether and how to help, we must navigate challenging questions about emerging technologies and the ethics of conservation.

Ultimately, there are good reasons to expect a bright future. Everywhere we look, we see evidence that nature can rescue species from extinction. When nature alone is not up to the task, we can help. Combining rigorous research with gripping storytelling, The Rescue Effect provides the cautious optimism we need to help save life on Earth.

Michael Mehta Webster is an expert in ecology, conservation, philanthropy, and non-profit management. His research interests focus on how organisms and ecosystems adapt to environmental change, how this information can be translated into effective conservation strategies, and the practical and ethical dilemmas that arise along the way. As an executive director of a conservation organization, program officer at a leading environmental foundation, and academic scientist, he has led efforts to connect cutting edge science to the management of species and ecosystems in the wild.