Audiobook 2011.06.24 - Hot, Flat, and Crowded

First off, an explanation of the title. Hot refers to the global climate, as in "It's getting hot in here." Flat refers to the globalization brought on by the Internet. Crowded refers to the global population.

In this audiobook, Thomas L. Friedman argues that the US needs to take the lead in developing clean, renewable energy for its own economic and political future. Friedman argues that global warming is not a question of if, but when. The country that can develop the cleanest, most efficient green energy gets first-mover advantage that other countries might not be able to overcome in the short term. With less dependence on oil, this will encourage the petro-dictatorships to open up and maybe become less of a dictatorship.