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The clock is ticking for the environment, but these must-read titles will empower you with the knowledge you need to act
Today is Earth Day 2022 – which means the current climate crisis is under the spotlight as we strive to cut net zero greenhouse emissions down to zero. So where are we now?
Well, here we are – over two years into the pandemic. No one wants to be the bearer of more bad news, but while we were at home, the climate emergency did not stop. In fact, we now know that the fall in carbon emissions is likely to have had very little effect on overall climate goals.
Instead, during the “Great Pause”, we witnessed the second hottest year on record, apocalyptic wildfires spread throughout Australia and California, hurricanes hit Central America and the Gulf Coast, and the volume of Arctic sea ice reached a record low. Biodiversity is still in freefall, deforestation is on the rise, and we aren’t anywhere near close enough to meeting the modest carbon targets of the Paris Agreement.
But enough is enough. Progress doesn’t come from focusing on the problems – it comes from awareness that leads to solutions.
And recently, we’ve had plenty of those too. From innovation in renewable energy, to promises to ban the sale of diesel and petrol cars by 2030, to a surge of spending to protect natural ecosystems – could it be that we’re making tracks to turn this around?
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The only way to know is to arm yourself and self-educate. Because with pressure comes greenwashing, and this year you’re going to be hearing from plenty of companies and politicians who claim to have ecological wellbeing at heart.
We’ve rounded up our eight favourite books to help widen your perspective and deepen your knowledge of where we are now, and where we need to go to fix the climate crisis.
While we should cover all bases and get a holistic understanding of the science, economics and social change needed to avoid climate catastrophe– if we don’t reframe the relationship we have with the natural world – will we ever really fix this?
Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is our number one choice for bringing the reader back to the root cause of climate change – the notion that humans and nature are two seperate things. Go ahead and pore through the pages, see if it doesn’t make you crave a sustainable future where biodiversity begins to rise, everyone has access to clean water, and we grow food in a way that repairs ecosystems and strengthens communities.
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For more top reads, look to our review of the best books to help you live more sustainably