The Top Environmental Books to Add to Your Reading List

Whether you spend most of your time indoors, or you’d rather get out and enjoy the sunshine, reading is a wonderful way to pass the time. There’s nothing we appreciate more than cozying up to a good book, especially when the focus is on a cause that’s near and dear to our hearts. We’ve compiled a list of the Top Environmental Books that are worth adding to your summer reading list — We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

1. Drawdown by Paul Hawken

Obviously, Drawdown had to come up right at the top of our list. If you haven’t checked it out yet, now is the time to crack open this solutions-oriented book. The word “drawdown” refers to the point in time when greenhouse gases will start decreasing year-to-year, instead of increasing like they are right now. This book is “The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming”, and discusses the top 100 most effective ways to take positive action for the climate.

2. Falter by Bill McKibben

This sobering work draws from McKibben’s experience in building 350.org, the first international movement working to end the age of fossil fuels. “Falter” offers ways out of the trap the negative effects of climate change have imposed on us. “In the book’s last section, McKibben offers his reasons for hope. Foremost among these are solar panels, which are making cheap renewable energy available around the world.”

3. The Overstory by Richard Powers

Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction, Powers’ latest novel has gotten a slew of rave reviews. We think this praise from Bill McKibben sums up exactly why we added “Overstory” to our Top Environmental Book list: “This book is beyond special. Richard Powers manages to turn trees into vivid and engaging characters, something that indigenous people have done for eons but that modern literature has rarely if ever even attempted. It’s not just a completely absorbing, even overwhelming book; it’s a kind of breakthrough in the ways we think about and understand the world around us, at a moment when that is desperately needed.”

4. This Changes Everything by Naomi Klein

Forget everything you think you know about global warming. This wonderful piece is about transforming our economic system to build something radically better. “It’s about changing the world, before the world changes so drastically that no one is safe. Either we leap – or we sink.” And, if you’re a fan of  Naomi, her latest “On Fire“ is another must-read!

5. Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv

“Nature-deficit disorder is not a medical condition; it is a description of the human costs of alienation from nature. This alienation damages children and shapes adults, families, and communities. There are solutions, though, and they’re right in our own backyards.” We love the idea of getting back to nature, and bringing your little ones along for the adventure can benefit them greatly! This is definitely worth a read if you want to learn more about keeping your kids connected to all things green.

Is your weekend fully booked now with all of these great recommendations?

Tag us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter and let us know what other environmental books we should read this summer!

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