Hopeful books about the climate crisis

If the current state of the world is filling you with anxiety, don't just bury your head in the sand. These books all grapple with the realities of climate change, while focusing on actionable solutions. They'll remind you that there is still hope, and we do have the ability to make change for the better.


Together We Can by Claire O'Rourke

Together We Can is an invitation to anyone worried about what climate change means for our future, and a challenge to reconnect with our communities. You can start small and simple, and before you know it, climate action is transformative, empowering and hopeful.

Claire O'Rourke tells the stories of everyday people all around Australia who are already making a difference, and they come from every walk of life: sportspeople, financiers, First Nations people, farmers, scientists and teachers. Our fragmented modern lives have pulled us away from the relationships that nurture and inspire; these stories show how contributing to healing our world enriches our connections with each other, which is what we need to face uncertain times.


How to Talk About Climate Change in a Way That Makes a Difference by Rebecca Huntley

Why is it so hard to talk about climate change?

While scientists double down on the shocking figures, we still find ourselves unable to discuss climate change meaningfully among friends and neighbours – or even to grapple with it ourselves.

This book is about understanding how to have effective conversations with people who feel differently to you. What we need are thousands – millions – of everyday conversations about the climate to enlarge the ranks of the concerned, engage the disengaged and persuade the cautious of the need for action.


The Big Switch: Australia's Electric Future by Saul Griffith

Climate change is a planetary emergency. We have to do something now – but what? Australian visionary Saul Griffith has a plan.

In The Big Switch, Griffith lays out a detailed blueprint – optimistic but feasible – for fighting climate change while creating new jobs and a healthier environment. Griffith explains exactly what it would take to transform our infrastructure, update our grid, and adapt our households. Billionaires may contemplate escaping our worn-out planet on a private rocket ship to Mars, but the rest of us, Griffith says, will stay and fight for the future.


Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie

Feeling anxious, powerless or confused about the future of our planet? This book will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems – by showing how we can solve them.

Packed with the latest research, practical guidance and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you've been told about the environment. It will give you the tools to understand what works, what doesn't and what we urgently need to focus on so we can create a sustainable planet for future generations.

These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let's turn that opportunity into reality.


H is for Hope by Elizabeth Kolbert, illustrated by Wesley Allsbrook

Climate change resists narrative and yet we must see clearly what's happening in our world. Millions of lives are at stake, and upwards of a million species. We must act.

In H is for Hope, Elizabeth Kolbert investigates the history, and future, of climate change from A, for Svante Arrhenius, who created the world's first climate model in 1894, to Z, for Net Zero.


My Efficient Electric Home Handbook by Tim Forcey

My Efficient Electric Home Handbook is an essential first-of-its kind resource for homeowners and renters. It provides tips and strategies on how to convert your home into an efficient, healthy and comfortable space suitable for our all-electric future.

Sharing insights from working with thousands of Australians in their homes, as well as from hands-on experience modifying his own home, Tim Forcey explains best-practice heating and cooling, hot water heat pumps, induction cooktops, draught-proofing, insulation, solar energy and much more.


Cover image for Together We Can

Together We Can

Claire O'Rourke

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