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A Climate Change Reading List
Posted by Elisa on September 25, 2020
Does thinking about climate change make you feel helpless and overwhelmed? You are not alone. Battle those feelings by learning the facts, and importantly, possible approaches and solutions. The titles below are some of the most recent books on climate change in our collection. The links will take you to our catalogue, where you can place a hold on the print book, or see which titles are available in digital formats through OverDrive.
How to talk to your kids about climate change: turning angst into action by Harriet Shugarman (2020) Tools and strategies for parents to explain the climate emergency to their children, maintain hope in the face of crisis, and galvanize positive action by encouraging today's children to follow their passions in pursuit of a livable world.
The case for climate capitalism : economic solutions for a planet in crisis by Tom Rand (2020) The left and right -- the business community and environmentalists, bankers and activists -- must together reclaim capitalism and force profits to align with the planet. Rand argues that both sides in this emerging cultural war are ill-equipped to provide solutions to the climate crisis, and each is remarkably naïve in their view of capitalism. On one hand, we cannot possibly transition off fossil fuels without the financial might and entrepreneurial talent market forces alone can unlock. On the other, without radical changes to the way markets operate, capitalism will take us right off the climate cliff. Rejecting the old left/right ideologies, Rand develops a more pragmatic view capable of delivering practical solutions to this critical problem.
What can I do?: my path from climate despair to action by Jane Fonda (2020) In her new book, Fonda weaves her deeply personal journey as an activist alongside interviews with leading climate scientists, and discussions of specific issues, such as water, migration, and human rights, to emphasize what is at stake. Most significantly, Fonda provides concrete solutions, and things the average person can do to combat the climate crisis in their community.
The future Earth : a radical vision for what's possible in the age of warming by Eric Holthaus (2020) Eric Holthaus offers a radical vision of our future, specifically how to reverse the short- and long-term effects of climate change over the next three decades. Anchored by world-class reporting, interviews with futurists, climatologists, biologists, economists, and climate change activists, it shows what the world could look like if we implemented radical solutions on the scale of the crises we face.
Can we save the planet? : a primer for the 21st century by Alice Bell (2020) The effects of global warming are being felt around the world through climate change, and images of our rivers and oceans choking with plastic have provoked an instinctive horrified reaction. In response, governments, corporations and individuals are beginning to change their policies and behaviour - but is it too little, too late? Is it possible to reverse the damage we have done to the planet, or have we reached the point where we are only able to manage the problems and devastation caused? This engaging and incisive volume offers insightful analysis of a range of key issues including deforestation, global warming and single use plastics, while evaluating whether - and how - it may just be possible to mend our planet.
The citizen's guide to climate success : overcoming myths that hinder progress by Mark Kenneth Jaccard (2020) Sometimes solving climate change seems impossibly complex, and it is hard to know what changes we all can and should make to help. This book offers hope. Drawing on the latest research, Mark Jaccard shows us how to recognize the absolutely essential actions (decarbonizing electricity and transport) and policies (regulations that phase out coal plants and gasoline vehicles, carbon tariffs). Rather than feeling paralyzed and pursuing ineffective efforts, we can all make a few key changes in our lifestyles to reduce emissions, to contribute to the urgently needed affordable energy transition in developed and developing countries. More importantly, Jaccard shows how to distinguish climate-sincere from insincere politicians and increase the chance of electing and sustaining these leaders in power. In combining the personal and the political, The Citizen's Guide to Climate Success offers a clear and simple strategic path to solving the greatest problem of our times.
Planet Earth : finding balance on the Blue Marble with environmental science activities for kids by Kathleen M. Reilly (2019) Introduces middle grade readers to all the parts of the natural world, including the oceans, the atmosphere, the earth, and everything in between. In this book, kids master ecology basics, such as the food web and animal habitats, while also learning about environmental issues such as wind and solar power, endangered species, climate change, and more. Stories about new innovations in fields such as recycling, agriculture, and energy production galvanize readers to turn their creative thinking skills to their own inventions.
The uninhabitable earth : life after warming by David Wallace-Wells (2019). “The Uninhabitable Earth is the most terrifying book I have ever read. Its subject is climate change, and its method is scientific, but its mode is Old Testament. The book is a meticulously documented, white-knuckled tour through the cascading catastrophes that will soon engulf our warming planet.”—Farhad Manjoo, The New York Times
Our house is on fire : Greta Thunberg's call to save the planet by Jeanette Winter (2019) A picture books for children that tells the story of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenage climate activist who has sparked a worldwide student movement and is demanding action from world leaders who refuse to address climate change.
DK Climate Change by Maryam Sharif-Draper (2020) This books for children examines the worldwide climate change crisis, covering such topics as humankind's effect on climate, key figures in climate activism, and what readers can do to prevent further damaging changes.
Rising seas: flooding, climate change and our new world by Keltie Thomas (2018) Gives youth an eye-popping view of what the Earth might look like under the rising and falling water levels of climate change. Photographs juxtapose the present-day with that same area's projected future. The shocking images will help them understand the urgency for action. Key issues in today's news will be better understood, such as the 2015 Paris Protocol in which the world agreed to limit temperature increases to 2 degrees Celsius (ideally 1.5 degree).
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2020 Longlist
Posted by Elisa on September 15, 2020
Start reading! The winner will be announced on November 9th.
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Jump the queue and read these great eBooks right now!
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The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Posted by Ashley on March 17, 2020
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Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Posted by Emma on October 30, 2019
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Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 by checking out some films from the library.
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