According to a 2017 article in The Guardian, just 100 companies are responsible for 71% of greenhouse gas emissions around the world. It’s a shocking statistic, one that emphasizes an often overlooked fact: Stopping climate change isn’t simply about making greener choices for you and your family. It’s about pushing for reform on a much bigger scale.
So to get a sense of the economic, political, and technological factors that will impact the future of our warming planet, we recommend picking up one of the seven excellent reads below. Yes, they all chronicle major problems—but they also point toward hopeful solutions.
Wasted: How We Squander Time, Money, and Natural Resources—and What We Can Do About It
By Byron Reese and Scott Hoffman
Futurist Byron Reese and entrepreneur Scott Hoffman draw on science, economics, and human behavior to envision what a world with far less waste—or none at all—might look like. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World
By Amanda Little
Vanderbilt University professor Amanda Little dives into the sustainable food revolution to reveal the surprising truth about what we’ll be eating in a hotter and more populous future. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources
By Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
Two acclaimed journalists take the reader into the back alleys of high-powered global trade, showing how capitalism really works and who really profits. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need
By Bill Gates
Bill Gates lays out a practical and accessible plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avert the worst outcomes of the climate crisis. View on Amazon
Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future
By Elizabeth Kolbert
Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Kolbert describes the fascinating—almost unbelievable—advancements that could save Earth from climate catastrophe, like shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere. View on Amazon
A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters
By Andrew H. Knoll
Drawing on his decades of field research, renowned geologist Andrew H. Knoll delivers a rigorous yet accessible biography of Earth, charting our home planet’s epic 4.6 billion-year story. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos
By David Pogue
Emmy-winning science and technology correspondent David Pogue offers a practical and comprehensive guide to surviving what could be the greatest disaster of our time. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
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