I recently finished reading Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert and it was amazing. The book is a wee bit outdated, first published in 2004, I believe, but Kolbert does a fabulous job of explaining the implications of global warming in layman’s terms.
Kolbert writes about melting glaciers, changes in cultures, and species that are going extinct. She talks about the politics surrounding climate change and the "business as usual" mentality that prevents any real changes in the amount of carbon emissions we are spewing out. She talks about places that have made change... and how little of a difference it makes until the entire world follows suit. She talks about technological fixes that many people are assuming, or at least really hoping, will save us, and the adaptations that will need to start happening very soon if they don't.
I have the revised and updated edition, so there are a few more chapters tacked onto the end which are really just essays that Kobert had already published, but it does give some updates and make the book slightly more relevant.
Either way, I loved this book. It does such a great job of explaining the basics of climate change in a simple and captivating way, and it touches on all aspects of the issue. And as much as the book emphasizes the importance of our current climate situation, it doesn't feel completely doom-and-gloom. This is a perfect book for folks who want to learn about change in a bit more detail, but don't want to be bogged down with scientific jargon and data.
Sounds like an important book we should all read. Personally, I don't understand why so many people don't believe that climate change is a real problem and why it has become such a political football. We all need to take the responsibility of caring for our planet home far more seriously. Thanks for the review.
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