A SHORT, HOPEFUL GUIDE TO CLIMATE CHANGE

This accessible volume describes how humans have altered the world and its climate.

The book takes a historical look at “the acts of brilliance and absurdity” that have impacted the existential challenge posed by climate change. Writing in a conversational and engaging style, Irish author McGann provides answers to how the tipping point has been reached on land, air, and sea. Through memorable analogies (“If the Earth was an apple, all the life that ever existed on it would have lived within that single layer of skin around the outside”), each chapter boils down the issues to their essences. Topics covered include the human demand for fossil fuels, extreme weather, devastating agricultural practices, plastic waste, and climate justice. There are sections that address political power struggles over water, oil, and gas that are ripped straight from the headlines. Throughout there is clear compassion for all the nonhuman species on this planet and the ways human activities threaten all life on Earth. Although the title is filled with hope, the author addresses the anxiety produced by this crisis and recommends skipping a particularly negative chapter if readers find things too distressing. The topic is certainly bleak, but hope comes from the fact that the Earth can heal itself, if only humans just get out of the way. An endnote refers readers to the publisher’s website for sources and further reading.

A good choice for those wanting to understand and tackle climate change.