Good things, they say, often come in threes. That is certainly the case with this triptych of new offerings released this spring to inform and inspire climate activists, especially young adult readers.
In The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone, Heidi A. Roop offers just that. The book is easy to read and entertaining, and offers eminently practical tips, tricks, and ideas for readers who are new to climate activism and looking for an entry point in their own lives.
"The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone" by Heidi A. Roop Sasquatch Books, 272 pages Publication date: March 21, 2023
The book, broken down into informative sections—“Starting and Sustaining Your Climate Action Journey,” “Travel and Work,” “Shopping and Consumer Choices,” and “Actions Around the Home,” among others—lays out plans and techniques that anyone can and should adopt, but with the caveat that no one is expected to do all of these things all at once.
“The realities of climate change,” she explains, “can be daunting, emotional, and even terrifying.”
The main action she recommends to readers: “Continue your climate solutions journey with an eye toward gratitude and celebration of success, no matter how big or small.”
Among the book’s most useful tools are the clear and impactful infographics displayed next to each of the 100 action items. Illustrated by Joshua M. Powell, a graphic designer who created a beautiful illustrated guide to the Pacific Crest Trail, it reminded me at first glance of the amazing data visualizations originally created by W.E.B. Du Bois for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, France.
As Du Bois wrote in 1898, “It is not one problem, but rather a plexus of social problems, some new, some old, some simple, some complex.”
Roop’s text and Powell’s graphics make clear that there is not one “magic bullet” solution to today’s climate crisis, but an entire series of actions; some are small and can be done every day by individuals, while others are much larger and require action by corporations and governments, often on a global scale.
“This book intentionally doesn’t use a hierarchy or quantification of what actions are ‘best,’ ” Roop writes in the preface. “My hope is that something in the pages that follow will empower you to evaluate, engage, and act.”
Another book that seeks to empower budding young climate activists is Climate Champions: 15 Women Fighting for Your Future by Rachel Sarah. This is a comfortable and inspiring read that offers short biographies of fifteen women on the front lines of climate activism.
"Climate Champions: 15 Women Fighting for Your Future" by Rachel Sarah Chicago Review Press, 224 pages Publication date: March 14, 2023
Each entry also has links for more information, including the websites, Twitter handles, and Instagram pages of many of the women. The book has eight pages of additional resources, detailing lists of organizations, podcasts, and recommended readings.
The collection is divided into three sections—“Challenge the System,” “Hold Fast to Science,” and “Take a Stand for Justice”—that group the women by their paths of climate activism. Those featured are Black, Native American, Asian American, South Asian, New Zealander, Canadian, Colombian, and white American, and they come from countries or regions affected by climate change in a variety of ways.
They are scientists, media activists, outdoor enthusiasts, gender activists, and more, but they are united in the decision to take action rather than allow the planet they live on and love to be destroyed.
You likely will not have heard of many of the fifteen people profiled in these pages, yet their stories of quiet, determined activism are an inspiration.
The final volume in this trio is a very specific and personal story of one activist. Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir by Brianna Craft is the memoir of a journey from a difficult and dangerous childhood to a prominent academic career and a key role in helping to shape a global view of climate negotiations based on a model of equity.
"Everything That Rises: A Climate Change Memoir" by Brianna Craft Chicago Review Press/Lawrence Hill Books, 288 pages Publication date: April 4, 2023
Craft begins the book with a prologue describing her youth in a small community in western Washington State, but quickly jumps forward to 2011 and a graduate school opportunity to work with a climate adviser at the United Nations.
Her assignment took her to Durban, South Africa, for the COP17 (Conference of Parties) and opened her eyes to whole new ways of seeing the role of global climate action and the impacts of climate solutions on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs).
“I didn’t hear this kind of thing spoken plainly in America,” she writes.
The book alternates between her experiences at United Nations conferences and her home life in the United States, showing how each of them has shaped her character, her attitudes, and her commitment to climate justice.
“Climate change was such an unjust mess,” she bemoans from a hotel room during one of the meetings. “The people I worked for [LDCs] had polluted the least, suffered the most, and lacked the resources to deal with the consequences of the crisis.”
The story mostly concludes with the passing of the 2015 Paris Accords, believed at the time to be a triumph. But, as Craft notes in the epilogue, it was not the end of the story.
“The climate crisis is impacting every person you love,” she writes. “Every. Single. One. We must all act if we are going to stop it.”
This short sentiment wraps up the message of all three books. As I remember thinking on the twentieth anniversary of Earth Day in 1990, the slogan we must adopt is “Think Globally, Act Now!” Hopefully, these new books will inspire and inform that action.