Our world is rapidly changing. Reports on progressing climate change statistics inundate our news and social media outlets every day. Experts suggest “sustainability swaps” in our routines - at even the smallest scale - in an effort to combat global warming at the individual level. 

Climate change is a man-made crisis, and we'll need man-made solutions in order to fix it.

While these practices are of course important, what we most critically need are environmental laws in place to enforce corporate changes at a larger scale. And it needs to happen now - if not yesterday. 

In the words of Bill Gates: 

Climate change is one of the most urgent issues of our generation.

But how do we make that happen? Is it too late? How can we better understand the complex science around what the environmental landscape currently looks like? 

We’ve compiled a list of our must-read, favorite books on climate change, environmental economics, and sustainability -written by famous scientists, thought leaders, and activists at the top of their field - to help answer these essential questions.

The Sixth Extinction - Elizabeth Kolbert

On Uptime

The Sixth Extinction summarizes how human activity has contributed to the mass extinction of species, pinpointing pivotal ways to mitigate our biggest environmental problems. 

As soon as humans started using signs and symbols to represent the natural world, they pushed beyond the limits of that world.

There have been five previous mass extinctions throughout history. Today, there may be a human-induced catastrophe waiting to happen, and this threat is just as destructive to the Earth’s biosphere. 

Kolbert’s book begs the question: is there still something to be done? Can we stop – or, at least, mitigate – the effects of what we’ve ‘accomplished’ before it’s too late?

In short, the answer is yes. But the window in which we can do so is rapidly closing.

There is No Planet B - Mike Berners-Lee

On Uptime

Berners-Lee’s book is a collection of striking facts that all point to the same conclusion: that the preservation of the Earth’s precarious natural balance is the prerequisite of our own survival. 

Respect the world including all its lifeforms, not just as servants to humanity but perhaps because they – all lifeforms – have some inherent value in their own right. Respect the truth for its own sake, even if it’s inconvenient.

There is No Planet B focuses on how both macro processes, such as industrial greenhouse gas emissions causing air pollution, and micro processes, such as personal diet and travel, affect the environment. The book’s main message is clear: Earth is all we have.

On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal - Naomi Klein

On Uptime

Journalist and environmental justice campaigner Naomi Klein makes the case for a Green New Deal in this collection of articles, essays, and speeches, which look beyond the U.S. to envisage a plan for global climate action. 

What is the Green New Deal?

There has been various versions of the Green New Deal over the years, The Green New Deal calls for greater policy changes from federal government on tackling greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels, as well as the creation of high-paying jobs in clean energy industries. The Green New Deal has also been helped by a grassroots outfit called the Sunrise Movement, which organized that much-talked-about protest at Sen. Dianne Feinstein's office in February 2019.

The Green New Deal puts all of us on an emergency footing: as scary as that would be for some, the catharsis and relief for many others, particularly young people, would be a potent source of energy.

Just as the original New Deal responded to the Great Depression with massive investment and an overhaul of our social and economic system, the Green New Deal is a large-scale response to an even larger crisis. In this book, Klein highlights the Green New Deal’s potential to create millions of jobs globally and lift up communities in need, while regenerating our planet. 

Motivated to make a change? As we explore here, it's never too late to become an environmental activist. And that doesn't mean making big changes, either: even the smallest changes to your lifestyle can make an impact, even if that means having one less chicken, pork, or beef-based meal a week and trying out some meat-free alternatives like tofu or seitan instead.

For more lessons on how our planet works - from understanding the weather to activism from model, actress, and climate campaigner Lily Cole, check out our selection of book, documentary, and course summaries on Uptime.

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