The Climate Book (2023) is a collection of essays regarding climate change that were commissioned and compiled by environmental activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg has been a vocal and powerful activist since she was a child; she has spoken to the European Parliament and at UN climate summits, and she is the founder of the Greta Thunberg Foundation and the Fridays for Future movement. The Climate Book presents the facts of climate change, including information about how climate functions, how the climate is changing, and how the changing climate is impacting the world. The authors also address what humanity has done in the fight against climate change, and they suggest numerous steps humans can take to slow the development of climate change and prevent a crisis.

This guide uses the Kindle version of The Climate Book published by Penguin Books in 2023.

Summary

Greta Thunberg opens the essay collection by stressing the gravity of climate change and the importance of joining the fight to create global sustainability. Even before industrialization, expanding human populations had a negative impact on the environment, an impact that the Industrial Revolution exacerbated. Humans began burning fossil fuels at increasingly higher rates, disrupting the natural carbon cycle and influencing the climate. Excess carbon in the atmosphere traps heat from radiating into space, warming the Earth. Elements of Earth’s life-sustaining systems have tipping points, which are rapidly approaching. Once these points are passed, there is no reversing the damage, and many will trigger feedback loops that exacerbate the issues. For example, less ice coverage results in more heat absorption, which results in less ice coverage. Thunberg claims that humans have failed to act on climate change for a number of reasons but predominantly because the fossil fuel industry worked to sow disinformation and public confusion. This politicized the discussion on climate change, causing social division and inaction. However, scientists believe there is still time to prevent a major climate crisis, but to do so would require immediate and drastic social change.

In Part 2, scientists from a variety of fields identify ways in which climate change has begun changing the world. Temperatures are rising, the ocean is acidifying, weather patterns are changing, and the water cycle is being amplified, resulting in extreme weather events like droughts and severe storms. Light-colored aerosols and microplastics, in some circumstances, have a cooling effect, but they are pollutants and cause environmental stress and human health issues. Human activity and climate change impact environmental regions that currently act as carbon sinks, such as forests and permafrost, and these may become additional sources of carbon. Along with identifying tipping point thresholds, the authors also argue that it is not too late to prevent some of the worst effects of climate change. If humans stop their emissions and work to reestablish and protect natural areas, they may be able to slow global warming.

Part 3 examines the physical and social consequences humans face because of climate change. Humans face health risks like air pollution, poor nutrition, increased diseases, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They face physical challenges, including extreme weather and diminishing resources. Social issues will also be exacerbated with progressing climate change and there may be competition over depleted resources and increased temperatures. Some will be forced to migrate, which may cause immigration-based tension or conflicts. The authors collectively target the inequality that colonialism and capitalism have fostered, and they argue that global ethics needs to be a main element in the plans to limit and navigate the implications of climate change.

Contrary to its title, “What We’ve Done About It,” the authors of Part 4 assert that little has been done to mitigate climate change. Humanity is not fully aware of the climate crisis, in part because leaders have prioritized economic development and in part because of disinformation and a lack of media coverage. Climate change mitigation is obstructed by fossil fuel dependence and by false promises of future clean energy and carbon-removal methods. Personal and systemic changes to agriculture, industry, travel, waste management, and consumption are necessary to prevent a climate crisis, and such changes should be led and funded by the wealthy Global North, which has consistently exploited the Global South. The final section examines what humanity needs to do to effectively mitigate climate change. The authors propose multiple lifestyle changes, like adopting plant-based diets, as well as systemic changes. Along with lifestyle and systemic changes, the authors stress the importance of changing how the world views nature and of taking a holistic approach that not only addresses climate change but also combats global inequality and makes reparations for colonialism. Thunberg closes the text with a call to action to join in the fight and to speak honestly about climate change.