environment – Climate Thoughts with Brian

Review of ‘Despite It All. A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls.’ by Fred Pearce

‘With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.’ In ‘Despite It All’, Pearce offers us a more hopeful narrative to counter the daily deluge of climate crisis stories from around the world. Pollution of our seas, pollution of our atmosphere, extreme weather, droughts, biodiversity in crisis- it is all…
Read more: Review of ‘Despite It All. A Handbook for Climate Hopefuls.’ by Fred Pearce
Yorkshire Water Bills Rise Again as Customers Pay for Upgrades

The lack of outrage over water companies raising customer bills again, reflects the stranglehold they have on the nation. The annual bill for Yorkshire Water customers is set to rise this April by over 5% for the average household bill. This would mark a rise on the average property from £602 to £636 per year.…
Read more: Yorkshire Water Bills Rise Again as Customers Pay for Upgrades
Woodburners Linked to Highest Air Pollution Exposure in Welsh Children, Study Finds

https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=46552&picture=wood-burning-stove Woodburners identified as trebling the risk of indoor pollution exposure A recent study in the Journal of Environmental Management identified woodburners as the highest source of exposure to air pollution in Welsh primary aged schoolchildren. The study measured exposure to air pollution in the participants’ homes, in their schools, and in their daily commute,…
Read more: Woodburners Linked to Highest Air Pollution Exposure in Welsh Children, Study Finds
Review of ‘Climate Collapse?: Calls to Action from Around the World’, edited by Arkbound Foundation

Voices from around the world speak out on climate solutions that they have experienced, to highlight that the ‘waiting for Superman’ approach is not appropriate when managing climate collapse and that local communities have the power themselves to act in a powerful manner to deliver climate action. ‘Climate Collapse?’ is, at times, blunt, critical and…
Read more: Review of ‘Climate Collapse?: Calls to Action from Around the World’, edited by Arkbound Foundation
Review of ‘The Problem With Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late’ by Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney

Plastic pollution and contamination sadly seems to be so ingrained into our environment that yet another book on the issue appears to be superfluous. That being said, Enck and Mahoney peel back the veneer of company ‘plastic-washing’ and false promises to challenge the dominant and overwhelming narrative from the plastics industry (read fossil-fuel industry) that…
Read more: Review of ‘The Problem With Plastic: How We Can Save Ourselves and Our Planet Before It’s Too Late’ by Judith Enck and Adam Mahoney
Review of ‘The Nature of Pandemics: Why Protecting Biodiversity is Key to Human Survival’ by Jake M. Robinson

Robinson’s latest book, The Nature of Pandemics could not have come at a more timely moment, as hospital admissions of flu patients in the UK rose by 55% in one week owing to a winter ‘super flu’. Robinson explores what lessons have been learned from the Covid-19 global pandemic and warns that a proactive approach…
Read more: Review of ‘The Nature of Pandemics: Why Protecting Biodiversity is Key to Human Survival’ by Jake M. Robinson
Review of ‘Life on a Little- Known Planet’ by Elizabeth Kolbert

Kolbert, the Pulitzer Prize winning author, has gathered for her readers 17 celebratory articles from the last 20 years of her writing career, to highlight and inspire others working for a better climate today and tomorrow. With devastating climate events happening daily around the world, articles on issues from ten years or over, may seem…
Read more: Review of ‘Life on a Little- Known Planet’ by Elizabeth Kolbert
Review of ‘Clearing the Air’ by Hannah Ritchie

‘Climate change- and the energy, materials and food systems that drive it- is a massive but solvable problem.’ It is not often that we find a climate book that is openly honest, factual and optimistic about where we are in ‘one of the biggest challenges that humanity faces’. Ritchie structures this book into a question-…
Read more: Review of ‘Clearing the Air’ by Hannah Ritchie
Review of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ by Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben’s ‘Here Comes The Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization’ is a book which throughout highlights the transformative revolution of solar power and which revels in the ability for countries around the world to see past the short-term interests of the fossil fuel industry- desperately clinging on…
Read more: Review of ‘Here Comes The Sun’ by Bill McKibben
Review of ‘Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet’ by Kate Marvel

Dr Marvel’s ‘Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet’ is a wonderfully balanced book. It offers clear and detailed scientific information, which logically ties all the climate clues together, while at the same being unashamedly and unapologetically a personal account of the range of feelings that the climate crisis brings. Marvel’s writing…
Read more: Review of ‘Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet’ by Kate Marvel

Tag: environment