Things You Can Do: How to Fight Climate Change and Reduce Waste

by Eduardo García, Sara Boccaccini Meadows (Illustrator)

Learn what you can do right now to reduce your carbon footprint with this inspiring, accessible, stunningly illustrated book based on Eduardo Garcia's popular New York Times column.

Award-winning climate journalist Eduardo Garcia offers a deeply researched and user-friendly guide to the things we can do every day to fight climate change. Based on his popular New York Times column "One Thing You Can Do," this fully illustrated book proposes simple solutions for an overwhelming problem. No lectures here - just accessible and inspiring ideas to slash emissions and waste in our daily lives, with over 350 explanatory illustrations by talented painter Sara Boccaccini Meadows.


In each chapter, Garcia digs into the issue, explaining how everyday choices lead to carbon emissions, then delivers a wealth of 'Things You Can Do' to make a positive impact, such as:


- Eat a climate-friendly diet and reduce food waste
- Save energy at home
- Adopt zero-waste practices


Printed on environmentally-friendly paper and delivering a decisive hit of knowledge with every turn of the page, Things You Can Do is the book for people who want to know more - and do more - to save the planet.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Environment, Nature, Climate Change, Self Help, How To

256 pages, Paperback

Published April 19, 2022

Reviews

[Quirkyreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I was in my late teens we had 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth. This book expands on that theme even more.

It has trips and tricks that anyone can do. But mostly this book is food for thought. Before going public with your views on climate change and reducing waste, evaluate your own habits.

COVID got all of us to use more items that we didn’t typically use, but had to for keeping healthy. And I am guilty, because of health issues, of using more single use plastics. I do try to find ways to reuse, repurpose, and recycle those items. If you do have to get a plastic bag try and reuse it as much as possible or find an organization that will take the bags and make “plarn”.

We all have to share. Do what you can to help make up for people who can’t or are unable to.

[Nadja · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly, my Balkan mother would have explained this better to you without fat-shaming and making you feel guilty about certain things.

[Jenny Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to climate change for beginner that's full of pretty illustrations and resources.

[Kathy McC · Rating 4 out of 5]

A significant number of great ideas covering every aspect of climate change. I liked the format of the pages and the development of the ideas. Garcia also provides levels of action- example: I will, in all likelihood, never become a vegetarian, but I can eat less meat.
A recommended read.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great info and wonderful illustrations. Fabulous way to reinforce what you are (hopefully!) already doing and inspire you to do more! I loved the one page profiles of innovative environmentalists. This book is perfect for kids!

[Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting too much new here since I'm already pretty familiar with ways to reduce my environmental impact, but this is a great book for explaining why these changes need to be made and giving the reader many ideas about changes that can be made, especially those new to making changes. The book offers varying levels of impact we can have. For example, how we can learn our impact in our food choices or how we can save on energy use. While I'm already vegan and try to buy organic and with the least amount of packaging, I do draw the line at living pet free. Yes, the pet food industry creates a lot of waste, but adopting animals in need of homes (rather than from breeders or pet stores) and buying foods with recyclable packaging is a great option. I'm currently trying a car free lifestyle so I refuse to feel bad about giving my formerly homeless pets a good home. We all have lines we won't cross. This book will give you lots of other options though for learning your impact on the environment.

Thank you Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Tina Milledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

The beauty of this book is that not only is it informative but it’s easy to read, beautifully illustrated and suits a wide audience. Even as a adult in my 50s I discovered there’s more I can do to help our planet. A younger audience would enjoy and take important messages and facts from the book too. Perfect! I very much enjoyed reading snd reviewing it for NetGalley.

[Madeline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some of the advice was presented in a problematic way (e.g. go pet free, don’t shop at grocery stores, eat less). Most of the content didn’t feel particularly new—a lot of it was information and advice that I’ve seen elsewhere—but it was nice that it was all presented in one illustrated book. The book describes governments and corporations as hopeless cases that we can’t rely on for change, but could have included more ways for people to demand change from these entities, instead of framing most of the issues as individual/household problems. The way this is broken down into short, illustrated sections could make it an attractive intro book for people starting to learn how to live more sustainably.

[Martha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very user-friendly guide to reducing one's carbon footprint - filled with illustrations and explanations of the many factors that contribute to global warming and climate change. More importantly, the author points to many relatively simple lifestyle changes anyone can make to reduce waste and help protect our planet.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of things mentioned in this book are tips that most people are already aware of and trying to practice. Such as using a reusable water bottle instead of drinking from plastic bottles, try to avoid straws and single-use plastics, etc. A few things I intend to try at home are placing something large in the toilet tank to make the toilet more water efficient. It's an old idea, but I've never done it before. I have lots of tiny (3 outlet) electric cords that I will use as a buffer between the coffee maker and outlet, or the convection oven and outlet, or the microwave and outlet. I've heard of these electricity vampires before but never really gave them much thought. I think I'll try biodegradable sponges in the kitchen and biodegradable dishwashing bar soap. I've already bought a bar of shampoo soap, but I'm not courageous enough to try it out yet. What if it makes my hair fall out? I saw that HBO documentary "Not So Pretty." Sigh..... It's so hard to be good.....

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book doesn't pull any punches about how dire the climate crisis is, and how far-reaching the effects are. It can be a little dispiriting to read, though the authors try to keep a neutral and sometimes hopeful tone. The information is well-presented and well-researched and the focus is on what an average consumer can do to help minimize their footprint. Most of the suggestions felt at least potentially do-able and they covered a range from simple and easy things to somewhat substantial (but impactful) lifestyle shifts. There is a lot of good information here, though it might best be absorbed a section at a time, instead of tackling the whole book in one go. This is very readable and very worthwhile!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Eduardo García for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I greatly enjoyed reading this book! It was really informative and gave tons of helpful tips that I will definitely be taking away and putting into practice. I loved the illustrations that went along with the book. The illustrations were cute, well done, and helped in understanding certain topics better through the use of seeing it visually. I would highly recommend this book for those wanting to know how they can personally change their lives and actions in order to help prevent climate change and to lower their emissions into our plant Earth. We only have one planet. There is no planet b so we should take care of our home.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are tons of books out there about climate change, but most books are like empty blabla for me.
This one is a mine of super simple and concrete ideas on what you can do at home, in your personal life.
Each chapter explains how things work, what the situation is in different countries, and then goes into giving you ideas on how to help.
A book is very clear and encouraging.
And the illustrations by Sara Boccaccini Meadows, in their naif style , are gorgeous and totally fit the book.
A must if you also want to help.

Read through quickly in June 2022

[La Crescent Public Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many in our community are reading Flight Behavior for our regional read, part of Climate Change and the Driftless Region. As a companion read for anyone looking to do more within their own home or circle of influence, check out Things You Can Do: How to Fight Climate Change and Reduce Waste!

Easily digestible and illustrated, this nonfiction book offers a vast array of options and info about improving environmental and ecological practices big and small. Learn about eco travel, home waste, shopping tips, composting, carbon emissions, and more! It's a fun and fantastic dive into understanding our carbon footprint and resources and getting some ideas about changes we can make and their direct impact.

~Jess

[Riska Purnama · Rating 5 out of 5]

I personally would say that this is another book of 'Climate Changes for Dummies'. With simple explanations supported by beautiful illustrations (which I really love besided the hard paper used for this book), the terms related to climate issue are quite easy to understand. It also can be a guide book for us to start give the contribution with small action that we can do to fight or to slow down climate change.

[Aline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please read this book!

It has lots of practical advice on how to live more sustainably rather than just saying that humans are all doomed. It has pretty illustrations and is a super quick read!

Of course we as individuals can only do so much, but if we all work towards changing our way of consumption then we can fight climate change AND change the system!:) (or at least try to do that!)

Also fuck fossil fuel companies.

[luiza carteri · Rating 4 out of 5]

great book for anyone who wants to know more about what’s truly happening and want to help (even just a slightly bit). very illustrative, easy to read and helpful. it’s just not a 5-star book because you don’t feel really guilty about your actions - but you should.

[Lori Kresse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read with beautiful artwork that clearly illustrates not just the serious problem of climate change but how to do our part to fight it. Great for readers of all ages.

[Stacy]

Provides a quick reference and basic overview, with substantiating information. This would work well for beginners.

[Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I think many of us face overwhelm with global problems like climate change, not sure where to start or what we can even do to make an impact - this book aims to provide sensible advice for the average consumer on what they can do at an individual level to feel better about our choices in light of the climate crisis.

I have a few problems with it, unfortunately. As one of those climate-conscious people, I was hoping for some novel ideas that I haven't heard before. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing much new here. I was already feeling a bit put off and then I read these two sentences: "Many of us should eat less. Worldwide, 2 billion adults are overweight or obese, and most of them are in industrialized countries." Ouch. With those 2 sentences, the author has successfully shamed & alienated a large part of the population, without regard for our humanity. I completely lost interest in their opinions after these 2 sentences.

I can at least agree with the author about one thing - affordable, local, accessible, fresh, in-season food is important.

Overall, I don't think it's a *bad* book, but the author lost me halfway through with the fatshaming & I am not seeing any new ideas or concepts to make up for it. It's the same thing we've all heard before - buy local, buy fresh, cut down on trash, etc. Some of these things are also only accessible in certain areas of the country.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The presentation of this book is pleasing. A good solid hardback book awash with original illustrations. I found it hugely disappointing because it didn't live up to the title. A small percentage of the book offered practical ideas but I would say there was nothing new here at all. The book was published simultaneously in the UK and the US but as a UK citizen it was far to US centric. I'm not referring to US spellings but all the references were to US lifestyles. I certainly don't know any one in the UK who has air conditioning in their home. I had to laugh at the section entitled " .......ensure that your barbecue is climate-friendly" which was illustrated with a huge outdoor mobile cooker. Not my idea of eco friendly. I'm aware that publishing a UK version would be additional expense but I can't see this appealing to many UK readers.

[Heidi Gass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book! Quick read, lots of good ideas that are easily implementable.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a short and succinct book about actual things you can do to help climate change. I am so bummed out on this topic in general that I wanted to see if this book would give me a little hope on the topic. I really liked the profiles of people making a difference because this is the stuff that doesn't really get talked about in the news. And it was good to see what you can do and how even the little things can make a big difference if we are all thinking about it and making better choices.

[Allison S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an easy to read guide on what first world consumers can do to help the environment. It has lots of engaging graphics and explains (at a high level) the science behind climate change / environmental destruction. Overall, an impactful and useful book. However, it did leave me feeling overwhelmed with the situation and guilty about our first world lifestyles…

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads and I am soo glad I did. It’s absolutely beautiful. The art is stunning. It’s just a gorgeous book.

It’s also easy to understand and actionable! A million ideas a person can do every day. Simple to read & great for discussion. Really perfect for any age. They accidentally sent me two, so I gifted a teenage neighbor- he absolutely LOVES it. Thank you!!

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is BEAUTIFULLY illustrated but that was the only thing I liked about it. The suggestions were either easy things that I already do or very big while life changes (ie everyone become a vegan) that aren’t practical for most people. It did spark an interesting discussion with my family about ethical meat consumption though so I guess that is a benefit!

[Amy F · Rating 5 out of 5]

This an awesome book for readers of all ages. Full of great tips and knowledge not normally found in regular recycling info. Since every locale has different rules, anyway, it's nice to read something more universal.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple yet thorough explanations for adults and kids alike. Good to keep on dining table and start conversations around how to do the small things that matter in a big way.

[Helen Geng · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tone-deaf, badly written.

Not all US-centric.

Attractive illustrations by Sara Boccaccini Meadows.

Read June 2022

Not recommended by me.

NYPL book

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another new twist on how to combat climate change by reducing, reusing and abstaining.

Nice Illustrations.