A New Book on Climate Change Has Some Surprisingly Good News
Not the End of the World, by Hannah Ritchie, wants everyone to calm down.
The largest solar plant in Bangladesh occupies a 350-acre site.
Photographer: NurPhoto/NurPhotoThe way things are going, electric cars and other climate tech are likely to become only better, cheaper and more popular. Actions taken by governments, companies, communities and individuals will continue to lessen the worst-case climate disaster scenarios.
The way things are going is also the subject of an affable, intelligent new book, Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet ($30, Little Brown Spark) by Hannah Ritchie, which kicks off 2024 with a reality check for anyone intimidated by global environmental burdens. Specifically, the book is designed to help those who see apocalypse everywhere (“doomers” for short) to appreciate overlooked, brightening elements of environmental progress. Cleverly framed and narrated in Ritchie’s contagiously upbeat voice, the book will help its audience dismiss unduly upsetting narratives, even as duly upsetting material remains in ample supply.