Introduction

"Things will break loose from the hands of the wise men" : Darfur, scarcity, and conflict

"We're the far country" : the Gulf Coast, warming waters, and the flight from paradise

"A spectacular bit of growth as times get hard" : Europe, migration, and political backlash

"At a new frontier" : Brazil, unsettled ecosystems, and disease

"Beautiful country" : the West Coast, hotter summers, and the grape harvest

"Everything is late in Churchill" : the Arctic, melting ice, and the new land grab

"An elemental kind of existential threat" : South Asia, disappearing glaciers, and regional catastrophe

Epilogue.