environmental books, climate change books

Must-Read Books about the Environment

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One positive that has come out of my quarantining experience is the amount of reading I’ve been able to get done. I used to be a bookworm as a kid, but then somewhere along the way I stopped “having time” to read outside of school.

I’m sure you can relate. Sometimes after a long day of work or school, our vision of relaxation includes mind-numbing TV shows (Love is Blind, anyone?) rather than stimulating novels and non-fiction books.

I figured that NOW, while many of us are #boredinthehouse, is the best time for us to challenge ourselves to pick up a book and READ.

This is also a great time to deep dive into a subject area or passion that really interests you. There is an abundance of resources out there with SO much information; you just have to take the first step!

I wanted to share some amazing must-read books about the environment that you should definitely check out. These books are ALL second-hand and sold on an amazing platform called BetterWorldBooks.com. Better World Books donates a used book to a literacy-promoting agency for every book you purchase AND gives you the choice of carbon-neutral shipping!

(That being said, this article contains affiliate links- meaning that if you make a purchase through these links, I may get a small commission from that purchase. This helps support my blog endeavors!)

Environmental Policy Books

If you are interested in policymaking/economics/politics surrounding climate change and all-else sustainability related, these are the books for you!

Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization

Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization

"[Brown's] ability to make a complicated subject accessible to the general reader is remarkable."-Katherine Salant, Washington Post
Making Environmental Policy

Making Environmental Policy

Softcover book. Published by University of California Press (1995)
The Climate Casino: Risk, Uncertainty, and Economics for a Warming World

The Climate Casino: Risk, Uncertainty, and Economics for a Warming World

Climate change is profoundly altering our world in ways that pose major risks to human societies and natural systems. We have entered the Climate Casino and are rolling the global-warming dice, warns economist William Nordhaus. But there is still time to turn around and walk back out of the casino. In this book, the author explains how.

Environmental Justice Books

Environmental justice is a relatively new term in academia and even newer in day-to-day vernacular. The “father of environmental justice”, Robert Bullard, explains the term as “embrac[ing] the principle that all people and communities have a right to equal protection and equal enforcement of environmental laws and regulations” (drrobertbullard.com).

Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis

Soil Not Oil: Environmental Justice in an Age of Climate Crisis

Vandana Shiva calls for moving beyond global fossil fuel dependency towards democracy and social justice.
The Global Fight for Climate Justice: Anticapitalist Responses to Global Warming and Environmental Destruction

The Global Fight for Climate Justice: Anticapitalist Responses to Global Warming and Environmental Destruction

Anticapitalist activists from five continents offer radical answers to the most important questions of the time. In 46 essays on topics ranging from the food crisis to carbon trading to perspectives from indigenous peoples, they make a compelling case that saving the world from climate catastrophe will require much more than tinkering with technology or taxes.
Private Planet: Corporate Plunder and the Fight Back

Private Planet: Corporate Plunder and the Fight Back

Climate scientist and green activist David Cromwell examines how and why the forces of globalization are opposing ecological sustainability, human rights, and social justice, and draws on examples from around the world to show what we can do to reverse the process. He makes the point that centralized state and corporate power is vulnerable to significant grassroots awareness and activism.

My major (Environmental Sociology) has involved a zillion readings, centering around environmental justice, that run the gamut from geographical topic to marginalized group. If you wanna hear more about environmental justice, leave a comment down below or send me an email– I would love to post more about it!

Clean Energy

If you are interested in energy/engineering/new technologies, then these books are for you! Check them out. 

Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy

Apollo's Fire: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy

"Apollo's Fire" is a thoughtful, optimistic book, based on sound facts. No one before has tied together the concepts of economic growth and greenhouse gas reductions with such concrete examples. No one has previously told the real stories of the people who are right now on the front lines of the energy revolution. The co-authors, one a U.S. Congressman who is the primary sponsor of the New Apollo Energy Act, and the other the founder of the Apollo Alliance, have joined their experience, expertise, and passion for a clean energy future to lay out the path to stop global warming and gain energy independence.
The Hydrogen Age: Empowering a Clean-Energy Future

The Hydrogen Age: Empowering a Clean-Energy Future

Hydrogen stands out as the best alternative to traditional polluting fossil fuels for many reasons-it can be produced without pollution, is nontoxic and noncorrosive, and we can never run out of it. It is as safe as or safer than the fuels we currently use and can be made virtually anywhere. "The Hydrogen Age" explains this promising fuel, shows how it can be harnessed to serve virtually all of our energy needs, and reveals why hydrogen is destined to become the clean, safe, renewable fuel of choice for the future. For more information, visit www.theh2age.com.

Environment and Consumption Books

This next section of books relates to textile waste (which y’all know I could talk about for years). If you are into sustainable fashion, you should definitely give these a read!

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion

Cline argues that this rapid cycle of fashion consumption isn't just erasing a sense of style and causing massive harm to the environment and human rights--it's also bad for people's souls. Cline documents her own transformation from fast-fashion addict to conscientious shopper.
Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices

Everyday Justice: The Global Impact of Our Daily Choices

Julie Clawson takes us on a tour of everyday life and shows how our ordinary lifestyle choices have big implications for justice around the world. She unpacks how we get our food and clothing and shows us the surprising costs of consumer waste.
How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time

How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time

Softcover book. Published by Penguin Books (2019)

If y’all have any environmental book recommendations, please let me know! I hope you enjoyed this and HAPPY READING <3

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