increasing temperatures, droughts and wildfires, all among the visible indicators of climate change accepted by scientists, have more than doubled in the last 40 years, according to carbon brief, a scientific research organization of the climate financed by the non-profit European climate foundation. . Over the past decade, we’ve seen this play out around the world: sweltering heat waves in Greenland, persistent droughts in the Southwest, and devastating wildfires in California. The carbon brief found that 68 percent of all extreme weather events in the past 20 years were made “more severe by humans”: The 2017 study culled data from 230 studies to determine how human activities such as burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gasoline and natural fuels). gas) has increased the likelihood of these extreme weather events.
Although the statistics can be discouraging, climate activists argue that all hope is not lost, and that there is still much that people can do. and one of them can be as simple as picking up a book. By understanding the facts about the state of our planet, they argue that more informed decisions can be made about conserving and caring for the earth. “Just when I was out of breath from the enormity of the human impact on our planet, Tom [editor of ‘Biodiversity and Climate Change’] gave me hope that if we all work together now, not later, there is hope,” said Kathleen Rogers. , president of earthday.org, a non-profit organization that campaigns for the protection of the environment. rogers was referencing one of the many books that experts recommended to us as valuable reading for anyone on this earth day and beyond.
You are reading: Best books on climate change
best books on climate change
If you’re interested in learning more about climate change and what you can do as an individual, picking up a book can be a great way to start. To find out which ones are worth reading, we reached out to 12 climate activists for their favorites.
1. “Biodiversity and climate change: transforming the biosphere” edited by Thomas E. lovejoy and lee hannah
rogers recommended this book which documents increasing climate shocks such as ocean acidification and extinction rates around the world. “This book seems more prescient in the age of the global pandemic and the worsening impacts of climate change,” said Rogers, who has worked for more than 20 years as an environmental lawyer fighting for national and international environmental public policy. By analyzing past statistics and summarizing field observations, the book offers solutions for the future.
2. “revolutionary power: an activist guide to energy transformation” by shalanda baker
“I love this book because it looks at how energy systems too often focus on white, Western, male viewpoints, and how energy justice is racial justice,” said the Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr. , president and founder of the hip hop caucus, a non-profit organization that promotes political activism in young adults. Studying Hurricane Maria, author Shalanda Baker found a lower degree of aid directed at black and Latino communities than at white communities. In Ella’s book, Ella Baker offers advice on how to get to a more equitable and just energy system.
3. “All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions to the Climate Crisis” Edited by Ayana Johnson and Katharine K. wilkinson
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Featuring essays and poetry from 60 prominent climate activists, this collection is a favorite of young climate activist Alexandria Villaseñor. “‘All We Can Save’ shows us the power that women have to create the solutions we need to the climate crisis,” said Ella Villaseñor, who founded Earth Uprising International. “The presence of women in the climate movement makes our solutions more inclusive and intersectional, and women do this by putting equity and justice at the center.”
4. “the hungry tide: a novel” by amitav ghosh
The recommendation from Karuna Singh, Asia Regional Director for
earthday.org, highlights the regions of Sundarbans, a climate problem from a lesser-known region that is close to her heart. ghosh’s book studies the sinking marshes in the region as a result of global warming and rising waters. “The beautifully crafted story compels one to look at the nature around them,” she singh explained. “I love this aspect because I firmly believe that prose works are a great way to draw attention to climate-related issues, without being didactic.”
5. “Climate Action Challenge: A Proven Plan to Launch Your Green Initiative in 90 Days” by Joan Gregerson
If you’re looking for an overview of steps to help combat climate change, earthday.org Africa Regional Director Derrick Mugisha said this book is a great way to start. With advice from leading climate activists, the book highlights key solutions, including ways to help solve the biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis at the individual level. “We are not alone in fighting for a clean, healthy and well-protected environment and through simple committed individual actions we can make a big impact,” said mugisha, who was named one of 100 young African conservation leaders. for his defense work. forest biodiversity and the planting of 10,000 trees in the district of mpigi.
6. “Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret” by Catherine Coleman Flowers
Climate Reality Project Durham, NC Chapter Co-Chair Melinda Lada, MD, recommends one of Smithsonian Magazine’s Top Ten Science Books of 2020. “Flowers takes the reader on a deeply personal journey to Lowndes County, Alabama, while revealing an inconceivable reality in 21st-century America: failed septic systems and the accumulation of raw sewage in people’s yards,” Lada explained. . “Her investigative nature and her penchant for social justice leads her to discover the complexity of the sewage nightmare that plagues so many; not just in alabama, but across the country.”
7. “A Climate for Change: Global Warming Data for Faith-Based Decisions” by Katharine Hayhoe and Andrew Farley
“Although it is aimed at evangelical Christians, as a rabbi who has worked for three decades to get Jews and other people of faith actively involved in climate change, I deeply appreciate how this book weaves together science and faith, highlights the dimensions of climate change justice and leaves the reader with a sense of hope and a plan of action,” shared Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Coalition on Environment and Jewish Life. Written by an evangelical climate scientist and her evangelical pastor husband, the couple explains the science behind global warming and how core Christian values should play a bigger role in the climate fight.
8. “on fire: the (burning) case for a green new deal” by naomi klein
For those interested in learning more about the Green New Deal, Church CEO Reverend Ambrose Carroll recommends this book by New York Times bestselling author Naomi Klein. Carroll specifically highlights his chapter on faith: “it helps trace how Western male-centered theological practice, which attempted to replace mother earth with a father god, is now engaging with indigenous cosmologies of a ‘living and sacred earth’.” ‘”. using backtracking. With the Great Barrier Reef, persistent wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, and hurricanes in Puerto Rico as evidence, Klein argues that the climate crisis is not only a profound political challenge, but also a spiritual and cultural one.
9. “new york 2140” by kim stanley robinson
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Focusing on a group of grieving New Yorkers coping with rising sea levels, this novel reimagines New York 100 years from now. Robinson’s utopian novel is a favorite of Dominique Browning, director of Moms Clean Air Force, an organization that focuses on air pollution and chemical toxicity to prioritize children’s health. “The story combines the worst of climate scenarios with the hope that the most difficult times can bring out the best in people, a very relevant message today,” Browning said.
10. “laudato si’: on the care of our common home” by Pope Francis
Pope Francis joins the Church’s moral and social teaching and scientific research to show that human choices are the primary cause of climate change. Climate Action Task Force Chairman David Hales recommends this book because the pope “makes clear that changing our behavior is within our power and therefore our moral responsibility.” At the end of each chapter, the book also includes discussion questions that make it suitable for those interested in individual or group study.
11. “losing the land: the decade we could have stopped climate change” by nathaniel rich
in 1979, usa. the government came very close to taking tough climate action, but ultimately wavered in the face of big business interests. In his book, Rich details this failure and may provide more context for what did and did not happen. by analyzing the past, he offers solutions for the present and how it can benefit our future. “is an important history lesson for activists in the 2020s and reminds us that we cannot trust big corporations or politicians whose pockets are lined to take meaningful action on climate change, to win this battle we need a big public pressure on our leaders,” said Joe Brindle, founder of Teach the Future.
12. “how much do we know about climate change” by the center for science and the environment (out of print)
Licypriya Kangujam, a nine-year-old climate activist, recommends this children’s book because it “provides a lot of information and background knowledge specifically for children about the global climate crisis along with solutions.” As the founder of Children’s Movement, an organization for young climate activists, Kangujam primarily addresses climate change in India, from curbing India’s high pollution levels to requiring schools with climate curricula. she added that the book is perfect for young readers interested in the climate movement because “all the earth stories in this book are specially written for young and curious minds.”
While this option is currently out of stock, there are many other options for kids. Topping the good read list of the best children’s books on climate change is Lug, Dawn of the Ice Age. Written by climate and animal rights activist David Zeltser, the book follows Lug as he attempts to survive a looming climate crisis.
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