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What you need to know about climate change
These books and podcasts amplify the voices of policy experts, scientists, and environmentalists, all of whom make the case for a green revolution.
Published on April 11, 2024
Curated ByEmma Contreras Grant
Emma is an Everand editorial curator whose favorite genres include, but are not limited to, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery, and the occasional celebrity memoir. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, toddler, and two dogs.
Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
Katharine HayhoeSometimes the smallest actions can have the greatest impact. That’s what Hayhoe, a world-renowned climate scientist, posits in her strategic guide to working with, not against, climate change skeptics and naysayers. Weaving together faith and science, she provides scripts and advice to help readers find shared values that can then lead to positive changes for both the environment and our community relations.
Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America
Thomas L. FriedmanFriedman’s incisive analysis of Middle Eastern petropolitics and American oil addiction is just as relevant today as when it came out in 2008. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist makes a compelling case for Western countries to pursue energy independence and find alternative energy sources that won’t pollute the planet or people’s moral duties.
Communicating Climate Change
By combining his marketing background with a passion for environmental conservation, show host Dickon Bonvik-Stone has created an accessible podcast that empowers listeners to take action on global warming. He interviews guests with a range of backgrounds, from frontline activists to nonprofit leaders to scientists, all of whom share helpful tips and tools to fight misinformation and effectively communicate the consequences of climate change.
The Big Fix: Seven Practical Steps to Save Our Planet
Hal Harvey“But what can ordinary people do to fight climate change?” is a question Harvey, an executive of a climate policy firm, hears all too often. However, he recognizes it’s a fair question, one that he addresses head-on in “The Big Fix.” He details the exact steps people from all walks of life can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, influence local governments to take action, and make more sustainable consumption choices.
The End of the River
Simon WinchesterWinchester brings alive the dramatic history of America’s most storied, symbolic, and lawless river: The Mississippi. The acclaimed author takes readers on a journey back through dangerous attempts to control the mighty waters, and asks if, as climate change threats rise, it would be safer to let nature take its course.
Rare Earth
A journalist and physicist unite to provide a weekly dose of hope for the planet’s future. Each episode of this BBC podcast highlights a different environmental issue with a guest expert who shares various solutions. Hear some of the most fascinating and practical ideas for how to keep the earth safe and inhabitable for generations to come.
The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth's Past Mass Extinctions
Peter BrannenEveryone knows about the tragic end of the dinosaurs, but what happened in the other four mass extinctions? Brannen walks through Earth’s history of death and destruction, pointing out parallels between carbon dioxide releases then and now. It’s a warning for what apocalyptic ends could befall us, and a beacon of hope that we can still stop the destruction of life as we know it.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Elizabeth KolbertAn incredibly accessible and informative look at the current mass extinction of species caused by human innovation. Kolbert leaps through thousands of years of history and travels the world in this Pulitzer Prize winner.
The Climate Question
“What on earth can we do about climate change?” is the simple, yet pressing, question asked by this BBC podcast. Each episode dives into a very particular question — some everyday wonderings, like “Can recycling help fight climate change?”, and others seemingly inspired by science fiction, like “Can we engineer rain to help solve climate change?” The answers are informative and somewhat surprising.
The Atlas of Disappearing Places: Our Coasts and Oceans in the Climate Crisis
Christina ConklinThis atlas provides a bleak glimpse into the reality of climate change and its effects on the planet — and serves as an urgent wake-up call for what will continue to happen unless we take drastic action immediately. Journey to 20 different places that are facing serious repercussions of climate change, from melting glaciers in Antarctica to rising sea levels in the Cook Islands.
Outrage + Optimism: The Climate Podcast
As the name suggests, this podcast toes the perfect line between outrage and optimism to provide hope for positive change. Hosted by Christiana Figueres, one of the key negotiators for the 2015 Paris Agreement, this show features experts who reassure us that it’s not too late to prevent a climate apocalypse.
Silent Spring
Rachel CarsonOriginally published as a series in The New Yorker in the 1960s, this classic reveals how harmful pesticides and other chemicals are to land, air, and people. Carson’s eye-opening reporting ultimately launched the modern environmental movement, informing voters and leading to many eco-friendly federal regulations.
On Time and Water
Andri Snær MagnasonMagnason’s meditative nonfiction book is unlike the typical scientific text on climate change. Instead, his work is filled with emotion and heartbreak — a fitting response when we consider the impact of global warming. Most of the reflections in this book are centered on water, including the melting glaciers in Magnason’s native Iceland.
Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right
Arlie Russell HochschildIn an attempt to better understand the far right in the years leading up to Donald Trump’s election, Hochschild spent five years with Tea Party supporters in Louisiana. While there, she learned why Louisianans are so loyal to the oil companies that employ them, but also destroy their health and the entire ecosystem. This book topped many best-of lists and was a finalist for the National Book Award with good reason.
Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming
Naomi OreskesHow did the line between fact and fiction become so hazy? Oreskes and Conway draw parallels between the tobacco industry’s initial response to secondhand smoke and how modern society views science, revealing how climate justice advocates struggle to educate the public on global warming when faced with intentional misinformation from scientists who have financial interests in corporate well-being.
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable
Amitav GhoshGhosh delivers a high-level, academic look at the forces that prevent us from properly grappling with climate change. This short book explains why so few works of fiction address climate change, why people started abandoning conventional wisdom to not live on a coastline, and how imperialism got us into this mess.
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
Naomi KleinOur climate crisis has reached a point where small changes are no longer enough. Instead, we require radical transformation — of our industries, habits, and economic systems. Klein (“On Fire,” “The Shock Doctrine”) argues that America’s capitalistic free market cannot coincide with the green initiatives imperative to Earth’s survival as she reports from locations around the world.
Don't Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Ignore Climate Change
George MarshallThe more scientific evidence supporting climate change presented, the more people seem to resist the facts. Marshall interviews climate change deniers and top psychologists to explain the phenomenon and give you the tools to persuade the skeptics in your life.
Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future
Elizabeth KolbertIn “The Sixth Extinction,” Kolbert opens our eyes to human-caused environmental devastation. Now, she tackles the urgent issue of finding ways to reverse the damage already done. “Under a White Sky” is a thorough investigation of possible solutions born of the very human ingenuity that got us into trouble in the first place.
We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast
Jonathan Safran FoerThe idea of taking action to stop climate change sounds daunting, but a few lifestyle shifts can make a huge difference. In this book, Foer urges readers to consider veganism. The consequences of farming animals for consumption is a major environmental hazard, and something we can change — one meal at a time.
Carbon Capture
Howard J. HerzogIn many ways, fossil fuels have driven the development of complex societies. However, burning these precious resources also contributes to climate change and the destruction of our planet. A promising but overlooked climate change mitigation strategy is carbon capture and storage, currently the only technique that addresses fossil fuels directly. Herzog provides a comprehensive overview of this strategy, explains its various processes, and highlights the potential applications.
Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All
Michael ShellenbergerIn all subjects, it’s important to hear a variety of perspectives. Shellenberger, an award-winning environmentalist, is sounding the alarm over, well, climate alarmism. While he admits that climate change is a problem, he shows that most data points to improvements in recent years: Deaths from climate disasters have been declining for decades, and carbon emissions are also on the decline. Shellenberger is also a big proponent of nuclear energy as a way to a greener planet.
Citizens' Climate Lobby
Tune in to this podcast by the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a grassroots organization dedicated to eco-conscious political reform. Episodes cover everything from Biden’s latest policies to how to communicate with climate change-deniers.
Our Final Warning: Six Degrees of Climate Emergency
Mark LynasWhat happens if we refuse to reform? Lynas addresses the impending fallout of unchecked climate change, from natural disasters to famine. “Our Final Warning” is just that. It’s a terrifying but essential read that offers plenty of motivation to make big changes.