All of the back and forth in the media these days on various subjects that have become uber-political can be confusing. If you aren’t sure how much the whole climate change conversation actually matters, allow us to suggest you do some deep reading to form a solid opinion on the subject. Here, five books we think environmental activist (and Oscar winner) Leonardo DiCaprio would be overjoyed to know you’re adding to your winter reading list.
Do It For Leo
The Sixth Extinction
This Pulitzer Prize winner traces the history of extinctions while providing deeply researched evidence of the fact that we're in the midst of an accelerated, man-made extinction event. We love The Sixth Extinction for its unemotional yet somehow compulsively readable presentation of the facts.
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
, $11
This Changes Everything
In this book, author Naomi Klein argues that our consumerist culture is carbon heavy by nature, and that in order to save the planet, we must change the fundamental setup of our current society. She writes, "Any attempt to rise to the climate challenge will be fruitless unless it is understood as part of a much broader battle of worldviews. Our economic system and our planetary system are now at war."
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate,
$13
Climate Change: What Everyone Needs To Know
Joseph Romm argues that ordinary citizens need to become educated about climate change, not just to help reverse its effects, but to better prepare for what's to come. The book is written in Q&A format, which makes it easy to digest, and it's a good starting place for anyone looking to increase her working knowledge of the subject.
Climate Change: What Everyone Needs to Know,
$10
Green Giants
This book delves deep into nine companies, each worth more than $1 billion, that prioritize sustainability and still see profit. You may be surprised by some of the names on the list, and it can be an especially persuasive read for those who own or run businesses as inspiration for their own corporate policies.
Green Giants: How Smart Companies Turn Sustainability into Billion-Dollar Businesses
, $24
Heaven And Earth
In the interest of balance, we think it's important to know what educated detractors of climate-change theory have to say on the subject. This 2009 tome is one place to start—we'd also recommend The Skeptical Environmentalist. With these books as well as the others on this list, we suggest you do some background research into the responses scientists have had in order to further inform your opinion of what's presented.
Heaven and Earth: Global Warming, the Missing Science
, $16
