LET'S FIX THIS

Clarke offers a compendium of commonsense measures that individuals can take to mitigate the climate crisis

This two-part book outlines concrete ways to effect environmental change. The first section focuses on taking action at the system-wide level, including all levels of government, corporations, employers, and labor organizations; the author also discusses making financial decisions about donating and investing, respecting Indigenous knowledge, public transit, population growth, economic inequality, climate reparations, and the effective use of social media. The second part of the book details actions that can be taken on an individual level. This section includes information not often mentioned in discussions of environmentally friendly practices, like pet ownership, celebrations and life events, and home renovations. In addition to enumerating actionable items, Clarke debunks myths about electric vehicles and succinctly explains the basics of complicated subjects such as current and future alternative energy source possibilities. The material on Indigenous knowledge is important for any reader to understand, but the specifics addressed here may be more familiar to Canadian readers. Acknowledging that the myriad prescriptions for lessening our environmental footprints can be overwhelming, the author reasonably suggests setting a calendar reminder to revisit the book regularly because “making your home and life more sustainable is a process.” Whether laying out strategies for swaying elected officials or explaining how to implement home composting, Clarke’s expertise as a writer shows in her ability to boil a complex idea down to its essence. Her positivity in the face of a worldwide crisis is similar to the tone of Figueres and Rivett-Carnac’s The Future We Choose (2020) and Hayhoe’s Saving Us (2021). (The author emphasizes that “we all must start moving everything we do to at least less bad right now while en route to those solutions that are sustainable or even regenerative.”) Readers will find this book helpful as both a how-to resource and an overview of the current state of actions taken to alleviate climate change.

A clearly written, thoughtful book that will motivate readers to combat climate change.