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Climate Change (WIRED guides): How We Can Get to Carbon Zero

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Man-made global warming is advancing inexorably. Are there ways to halt it?

In this invaluable, one-stop guide Bianca Nogrady analyses the science of climate change and offers a concise overview of the ways in which our carbon emissions might be reduced. She examines the challenges posed by food and energy production and the cutting-edge technologies that could mitigate their polluting effects. She looks at initiatives to create green industry and transport. She explains the economics of emissions trading schemes and the practicalities of geoengineering plans to trap greenhouse gases. And she addresses the fundamental is it possible to safeguard our future before it's too late?

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 25, 2021

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Bianca Nogrady

12 books8 followers

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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for wkdidka alaska.
106 reviews8 followers
January 27, 2022
A piece of pretty detailed information about the current situation of the world and the future it awaits if we as people on this earth continue doing what we do knowing that doing what we do is obviously hurting the world. The book is separated into several parts: talks about what is the problem: Energy use, Transport, Food, Waste; what can be done to solve these problems: Breakthrough technologies, legislations, habits, mindsets; and what awaits us in the future: ocean, earth, deforestation, earth temperature, etc.
As for my personal opinion while reading this book, because I am an engineer and wrote a thesis paper regarding the future of electric vehicles and because I am vegan (90% of the time) I am quite well versed with the idea and the facts of climate change and how transportation, plant-based diets, less waste can make a huge difference in our future. Thankfully, it was very nice to once again read about the new technologies and the changes being brought by so many countries, corporations, organizations. This book is supposed to scare the shit out of me but in contrast, it gave me some hope and told me what to focus on in the future.
Very nice!

But to finish, a quote from the first paragraph and the last paragraph:
A small, four-limbed, bipedal creature has existed for a mere blip in the lifespan of this ball of rock we call Earth has, in little more than a century, managed to nudge the planetary thermostat up by just over 1 degree Celcius.


Can humanity make the necessary changes to avoid more than 1.5 degrees Celcius of global heatng?
Yes.
But will we? Probably not.
Profile Image for Daryl Feehely.
76 reviews7 followers
March 27, 2021
Books about climate change can often be difficult reading when the scale of the task ahead of us comes into view, but not so with this book. Serving as a playbook on how to address each emmissions area, the book delivers solution after solution on how each industry can be augmented, upgraded, or reimagined in order to reduce emmissions.

A fantastic jumping off point for positive action, that reassuringly demonstrates that no one entity or no one technology is the key, but doing as much as possible by as many as possible is the path to success against the greatest challenge our species has faced.
Profile Image for Amal Alwadi.
52 reviews2 followers
November 19, 2022
Clear, straightforward and well written. Not a single information I haven't digested nor understood. The kind of scientific books you wanna read more of as everything couldn't be more comprehensible.

The author was very optimistic throughout her writing that I thought getting net carbon zero is a possibility, and although it is, we as individuals - the 8 billion of us- need to fight through it. But from what can I see, unfortunately no one is willing to give up their luxurious life to save any of it. No one is gonna give up travelling, buying new clothes, eating red meat and many other pleasures for the sake of the environment and that's not me being pessimistic or selfish, it's a societal case that needs lots of awareness, education and action. It's really hurtful to say this but that's the truth.

We need more books like this. It's really very informative and easy to digest.
Profile Image for Steve Worsley.
314 reviews
May 26, 2023
An optimistic, positive read, highlighting the various technological advances that are helping us deal with climate change
Profile Image for Jay Best.
298 reviews4 followers
October 14, 2022
Good summary of real, proactive and practical solutions to solving climate change.

I have written about 3x A4 pages of notes, either for the book, or ideas inspired from reading the book.

If you like this, I also recommend the book Drawdown. I have added a weekly check for copies of this as well as Drawdown to give as gifts. I also will re read with a highlighter and notebook to extract more ideas for implementation.

This audio book is 3 hours and I listened to it via Libby with Overdrive to deliver free library access to digital books.

Listened via Libby at 2x to 3x (3 hour audio).
Profile Image for P..
57 reviews1 follower
April 18, 2024
A well written book especially for readers who want to learn about the subject matter but isn’t well versed on the scientific terms. The book is straightforward and gives an overview of where we are at and what needs to be done. Recommend.
Profile Image for Tabish Khan.
438 reviews31 followers
December 28, 2021
A short and straight talking guide on how we get to carbon zero and a look at the technologies and actions that may get us there.

It's informative and I liked how it didn't pick a side, simply highlighted what's being done to reduce carbon output and what more needs doing. It covers all the main areas we'd expect it to including energy, transport and manufacturing. It's great as an entry level guide on what we need to do next.

While it does make it clear we need to do more, it feels optimistic in showing the reader all the great innovations that have appeared / scaling up and that we just need to keep investing in them.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews