8 Powerful Climate Change Books From 2022

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“Avoiding climate breakdown will require cathedral thinking. We must lay the foundation while we may not know exactly how to build the ceiling.”

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Climate change is the number one issue facing our planet and the ecosystems it houses. Man-made shifts in temperature and weather patterns on the back of increased greenhouse gases are already having a profound impact on the planet. Still, it is the uncertain future it presents for future generations that is really driving the push for change. Join us here at What We Reading as we run you through 8 powerful climate change books from 2022. 

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The Climate Book – Great Thurnberg

The most influential activist of her era, Greta Thurberg produces one of the best climate change books from 2022 in Times, Financial Times, Observer and Nature Book of the Year, The Climate Book. 

In The Climate Book, Thurnberg explores how science-backed endeavours can help secure a safe future for our planet. Along with her own personal accounts, she calls upon the expertise of geophysicists, oceanographers, meteorologists, historians and indigenous leaders to explain how much of our planet has been kept in the dark and, crucially, why there is plenty of room for hope on the horizon. 

Regenesis – George Monbiot

Our eating habits have become increasingly damaging to the planet, with aggressive farming methods leading to increased pests and the destruction of habitats around the world. 

Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet is The James Cropper Wainwright nominee looking at the new methods people are trailblazing to promote more sustainable ways of growing and sharing the food on our plates. Focusing on the sciences behind soil ecology, it is an invaluable resource for understanding the impact our eating has, and how modern technologies can lead to more affordable food and a healthier planet. 

The Big Fix: Seven Practical Steps to Save Our Planet – Hal Harvey And Justin Gillis

Energy policy advisor Hal Harvey and New York Times contributor Justin Gillis’ The Big Fix is a guide on how to think big about combatting climate change. 

One of the most practical climate change books from 2022, The Big Fix comes with seven big examples everyone can use to help reduce greenhouse emissions, all of which come with real-life stories of them in effect. Pragmatic and inspiring, The Big Fix is the perfect guide for everyday people to change their perspective on how much of an impact they can have on saving our planet. 

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Supercharge Me: Net Zero Faster – Eric Lonergan And Corinne Sawers

Reducing CO2 emissions is one of the biggest targets set by companies and countries aimed at tackling climate change, however, the ‘hows’ behind how this is achieved remains more contentious. 

In Supercharge Me, author Eric Lonergan presents a realistic picture of how the global economy can reach net zero without huge tax bills or a complete upending of society. By using real-world examples founded on positive incentives and logical regulations, Lonergan presents a picture that is uplifting and jargon-free. 

Nomad Century – Gaia Vince

The Guardian and BBC journalist Gaia Vince takes readers through the most critical crisis they have ever heard of in the Nomad Century. From wild forest fires to shifting coastlines, climate change is causing huge destruction that most people are aware of.

What they might not be so aware of, however, is the huge human migration that is on the cards in the wake of all these disasters. Vince explores how billions could end up being displaced, and how human migration in the wake of climate change will affect our food, politics and wider society. 

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The Treeline – Ben Rawlence

Over the last fifty years, the trees in the Boreal Forest have been on a continuous shift northwards. In The Treeline The Last Forest and the Future of Life on Earth, author Ben Rawlence takes readers across this magical setting and teams up with scientists and local residents to explore how each of the trees in this forest provides gifts we all make use of. 

Touted as potentially the last forest on Earth if climate change continues at its present rate, The Treeline is one of the awe-inspiring climate change books from 2022. 

The Insect Crisis – Oliver Milman

When it comes to the effects climate change has on our planet, the insect kingdom is not where most of our minds instinctively go. But, in Oliver Milman’s The Insect Crisis, the grim reality of what life would look like without these little critters is laid bare for readers to see. 

With three out of every four species on the planet being a type of insect, Milman masterfully explores how these tiny kingdoms are being confronted by new challenges in the wake of climate change, and the potentially devastating effects that could have in turn for the wider world.

Still Hopeful – Maude Barlow

One of the most renowned Canadian activists, Still Hopeful: Lessons from a Lifetime of Activism is the powerful 2022 work from Maude Barlow. In it, she recounts some of her most defining tales from her active years. 

The book details how long the road to change can be, and why the secret behind activism is always about building momentum and finding like-minded people, not necessarily relying on an end result immediately. It is a timely work that increasingly feels relevant in these times.

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Check out our interview with environmentalist author RR Rowley

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