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This list of must-read books on environmental racism, climate change, and sustainability is a compilation of both my favorites and the ones on my current reading list.
I hope these inspire you (as they do for me) to take action in the ways that work best for you!
Quick Note: I included links to each of these books. However, if you’re able to, I highly recommend checking your local bookstore or library for these as well! You can also find a list of black-owned bookstores here.
Environmental Racism
by Harriet A. Washington
In A Terrible Thing to Waste, Harriet Washington tells us how environmental hazards quickly turn into serious health consequences — particularly when it comes to intelligence and IQ. Unfortunately, these risks disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups and communities of color. Washington reveals the worst offenders of industrial pollution and offers insights on where to go from here.
by Dorceta Taylor
Dorceta Taylor is an environmental sociologist whose work is focused on environmental justice and racism. Her book, Toxic Communities, delves into the inordinate impact of pollution on poor and predominantly minority communities. Taylor explains how lack of regulation, zoning methods, and racially-motivated decisions contribute to the problem.
by Carl A. Zimring
In Clean and White, Zimring explores the destructive history of how “whiteness” became subconsciously connected to “purity” and “cleanliness.” This ultimately fueled the already-burning fire of racism in America and contributed to serious environmental inequities that are still prevalent today.
Ingrid Waldron’s book, There’s Something in the Water, examines the impacts of long-standing environmental racism, using Nova Scotia as a case example. She explains how white colonialism and other compounding factors such as social inequity perpetuates environmental racism against black and indigenous communities.
Our Overall Environmental Footprint
by Hope Jahren
In The Story of More, scientist Hope Jahren takes us through a brief and compelling history of the human inventions and activities that brought us to the current (and ongoing) climate crisis. She also highlights science-backed tools we have at our disposal to reverse the harm we’ve caused thus far.
by Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, Heather Anne Swanson, Elaine Gan, Nils Bubandt
This book is a collection of essays written by scientists, artists, and writers alike. Each essay provides creative ideas or “arts of living” aimed to help us survive and overcome human-related damage to the planet.
by Diane Ackerman
The Human Age makes clear that humans have permanently altered the world we live in. From modern medicine to collecting the DNA of diminishing species, very little has been left untouched by human intervention. While this may sound bleak, Ackerman provides hope for the future by highlighting a few positive steps we’ve taken to work alongside nature, rather than against it.
Pulitzer prize-winning author, Elizabeth Kolbert details the current state and serious consequences of the next mass extinction. However, unlike the other five that have happened throughout history, the sixth and potentially largest wave is happening at the hands of humans! Her book details the latest research on this and “compels us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.”
by David Wallace-Wells
If you’ve never been anxious about the consequences of climate change, this book might just change that. In The Uninhabitable Earth, David Wallace-Wells explains what he calls “the elements of chaos” that are in store for us if we don’t act quickly. These include mass death, extreme hunger, economic collapse, and more (is that you, 2020?). It’s clear that his intention is to scare anyone who reads it into rethinking our current policies, business strategies, and lifestyles in general.
by Greta Thunberg
If you decide to read The Uninhabitable Earth, this book would be a great follow-up to lift your spirits. Greta Thunberg is living proof that anyone (no matter how small) can play a role in creating a better future. This book is a collection of her awe-inspring speeches that she’s presented across the globe.
Do you have any favorite reads on environmental justice, sustainability, or climate change? Please share in the comments!
