5 books to inspire climate and environmental action

Despite all the media reports and political hype, climate change and ‘ecological breakdown’ can all still seem a bit abstract and unreal. These global issues are so vast and seemingly distant that it can be hard to comprehend.

We hear that climate change is now happening more clearly than ever before: the world is approaching a succession of tipping points and time is running short; we're facing 'insect Armageddon.' But what does this mean for us and what can we individuals really do about it? And what is a tipping point anyway?

I've been reading quite a lot around this subject over the last six months (and trying to implement the thinking) so thought I’d share my top picks – if you have any thoughts, feedback or your own recommendations I’d love to hear them.

I’m also a keen podcast listener, so I’ll put together another blog in the next couple of weeks (suggestions welcome!):

1.    Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac – The Future We Choose- Surviving the Climate Crisis (and checkout the podcast – Outrage and Optimism)

Figueres and Rivett-Carnac (chief architects of the Paris agreement) outline a pragmatic, inclusive and non-judgmental approach to a radical transformation.

Short and accessible, they outline how the cooperation of Paris came about and how this, rather than blame and division will effect change. They offer clear, practical guidance on what we can do, from personal carbon calculators to engaging with climate politics challenges.

A challenge that really stuck with me is to take up the conversation about climate change with someone (or several people) who are less engaged – to find out why, to share your knowledge and to enthuse further action.  I’ve been trying to do this myself, and have generally found people keen to talk and hungry for clear solutions.  

2.    Greta Thunberg – No-one is too small to make a difference

We have a choice between global meltdown and transforming our society, but we continually fail to act decisively. As Greta points out this is a stark choice, so why do we all think it is so complicated?

By painting things very clearly in black and white, Greta holds a mirror to our communal apathy.

3.    David Wallace-Wells – The Uninhabitable Earth

1.5 or 2 degree temperature changes can seem like quite small numbers. 2050 can feel a long way away but seems, slightly weirdly, to provide an end point for social discussion of our climate.

This belies the science and creates some confusion – something that this book is intent to clear up. This book is not for the faint hearted, but it is a message that we need to hear.

Even a 1.5 degree temperature rise could have massive consequences for global food production, migration, disease and natural disasters. Most of our coral reefs will die out. And unless we radically change course, we are currently on a pathway to 3 degrees global temperature rise by 2100.

A 3 degree temperature change would start to spiral global forces beyond our capacity to influence: melting permafrost unlocks methane gases and wild fires rage; the world’s major coastal cities are inundated. If emissions continue to rise things could get worse.

4.    Isabella Tree - Wilding

This made me want to give up my urban development career and become an ecologist.

This is a truly inspirational response to restoration of our lost ecosystems and biodiversity. On the Knepp Estate in West Sussex they sold their dairy equipment and allowed nature to return. Their successes have been unparalleled in modern UK conservation, providing new insights on multiple fronts and establishing nationally important colonies of species from turtle doves to purple emperor butterflies.

Unfortunately I don't own a landed estate in Sussex but I'm trying allow more room for wild flowers in my postage stamp in East London - and taking much more interest in the plants and animals around us.

5.    Benedict MacDonald – Rebirding - Rewilding Britain and its Birds

Bird populations in the UK have plummeted by 60% since the 1960s through a combination of industrialised farming and habitat removal. Many remnant populations are now at unsustainable levels, their UK extinction just a matter of time. Piecemeal conservation initiatives and pocket parks just don’t cut it.

MacDonald outlines a vision for a different view of nature in Britain based on landscape wide ecological restoration.

By rewilding areas of the Scottish highlands and the Somerset levels, by planting native trees in our managed forests, reducing deer populations and containing sheep farming, we could create wilderness areas in the UK far larger than Yellowstone park. Alongside this we need to combat our penchant for 'ecological tidiness,' letting plants, grass meadows and hedgerows grow a little more wild.

With clear vision and lots of research, MacDonald shows how we could restore the habitats to support stable populations of some of our most loved British birds and bring back a sense of natural abundance that we have somehow come to assume only has a place in other countries.