Books expand how we think about, or interact with, the natural world. They provide windows to different perspectives and inspire new ideas or action.
Here are five books that have influenced our understanding of the nature and climate crises, changed how we think, and empowered us to make a difference.
We Will Not Be Saved by Nemonte Nenquimo
In this powerful memoir, Nemonte Nenquimo tells her story of growing up in the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon Rainforest, learning from her elders to respect and live in harmony with the natural world. But, when the cowori (or white people) begin to arrive, bringing with them Christianity, Coca-Cola and oil contracts granting them access to Indigenous lands, the Waorani and their way of life are put under threat. Driven by her experiences, Nenquimo has become one of the most powerful voices in the fight against climate change. In 2019, she led the Waorani community and an alliance of Upper Amazon Indigenous nations in a historical lawsuit against the Ecuadorian government and Big Oil, which protected over a half million acres of primary rainforest.
This inspiring story isn’t just an outcry to protect our planet (although it’ll definitely leave you feeling inspired to take action) - We Will Not Be Saved encapsulates the reader in the world of the rainforest, illustrating the lost connection between humans and nature and the harm this has caused our planet and the Indigenous communities that protect it.
It’s Not That Radical by Mikaela Loach
It’s Not That Radical clearly outlines the United Kingdom’s role in the climate crisis, showing that climate action is necessary to achieve a liveable future. Mikaela Loach details the role of the Western world in exploiting marginalised countries and communities which has accelerated climate breakdown in the affected areas, for example in Jamaica and Pakistan. She makes a clear case for the fact that climate change is based on scientific facts, and the action that the government needs to take is very clear. Prioritising our earth in political decisions is far from the radical left wing idea it is often presented as. Rather than being all doom and gloom, Loach focuses on actionable takeaways to arm the reader with enthusiasm and awareness of their own power in fighting for a greener future.
New Lives, New Landscapes by Nan Fairbrother
Written in 1972 by the land use lecturer Nan Fairbrother, New Lives, New Landscapes may feel too old to be of relevance to today’s nature and climate crises. But, over 50 years later, it remains steadfastly relevant and will continue to be so. Fairbrother explains how human actions directly shape the future of the landscape and environment. She describes how landscapes and the environment are in a constant dynamic state and it is up to us, through planning, policy and action, to ensure that this dynamic heads towards a positive future where the elements that make up a healthy landscape are maintained and enhanced and the damage of industrialisation on the environment are remedied.
Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of the World by Daniel Sherrell
Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of the World is a book about grief, processing climate anxiety, our own vulnerability and how we can go on living and working surrounded by the reality of the climate crisis. Daniel Sherrell, a climate organiser in his early 30s, structures the book as a letter to a future child that he is unsure if he is going to have. This makes for a different type of climate book, one where there are few facts or statistics. In their place we get a personal, emotional, conversational memoir that examines how we think about, and live in, a world on the edge of catastrophe.
Feral by George Monbiot
Published in 2013, just two years after the founding of Rewilding Europe and the term rewilding entered the dictionary, Feral has played a key role in popularising the rewilding movement. Drawing on his own experience exploring the Welsh coastline and mountains, Monbiot examines different rewilding projects across Europe, particularly focusing on the scope for rewilding in the UK. Following a slightly pessimistic yet in-depth exploration into the state of our natural world, the book makes the case for a wilder, richer natural world in which humans too live wilder, more impassioned lives.