Collaborating on Hot Air
Jeffrey Simpson, Globe and Mail columnist and author, on his collaboration with Jaccard on Hot Air: Meeting Canada’s Climate Change Challenge (2007):
“I had given myself a self-help program on climate change, in the course of which I read Mark’s prize-winning book (Sustainable Fossil Fuels). I thought that of all the material I was reading, it made the most sense; or at least it most closely corresponded with my instincts as to the best way of tackling the challenge.
“On a trip to Vancouver, I phoned and asked him for lunch. We met downtown. I asked him a bunch of questions, and toward the end he said he wanted to put his arguments in a more “accessible” form. One thing led to another, and we agreed to collaborate.
“I found the publisher, and he and I then worked very harmoniously to craft the book, Hot Air. We never had a serious disagreement. There developed a lot of mutual respect, I believe. I used to kid him, though, because I was never sure which hat he was wearing: co-author, academic, or consultant.
“Between his travel schedule and mine, both hectic, email got a strong workout, but it all came together, and we were both well satisfied with the final product.”
The book was released in paperback version in August (2008).