Description

A Bill Gates, Financial Times, Sunday Times BOOK OF THE YEAR

‘Pragmatic and undoomy’ GUARDIAN
‘Essential reading’ RUTGER BREGMAN
‘Read this book — now’ MARK LYNAS

We can’t afford to delay climate action, but with all the shouting and disagreement it’s hard to know where to turn. In her new book, bestselling environmental star Hannah Ritchie answers 50 key climate questions once and for all, clearing the air so we can get on and fix things.

Q: Aren’t our efforts pointless if China’s emissions keep growing? A: Experts believe China’s emissions
could peak within the next few years.

Q: Surely we don’t have enough land for everyone to go plant-based? A: If this happened we’d actually free up land currently used to produce animal feed.

Q: Isn’t nuclear power dangerous? A: Nuclear power is in fact far safer than fossil fuels.

Q: Isn’t it already too late? A: Every tenth of a degree matters. There’s no point at which it’s too late.

Now fully updated for paperback

‘An antidote to the bewildering and contradictory arguments with which we are bombarded… A breath of fresh air’ Sunday Times, Books of the Year
‘This highly readable book has all the facts you need’ Financial Times, Books of the Year

Publisher Review

This pacey book is an antidote to the bewildering and contradictory arguments with which we are bombarded about climate change and net zero… A breath of fresh air * Sunday Times, *Books of the Year* * If you have ever wondered if we can afford solar power, or if electric cars are really green, or whether heat pumps actually work, this highly readable book has all the facts you need — Pilita Clark * Financial Times *Best Books of 2025* * If you want clear facts about the pros and cons of tackling climate change, this is the book for you. If you are a prime minister leading the country on climate action, and needing all the arguments to refute opposers, this is also the book for you — Anthony Albanese * Guardian * Rebuts 50 arguments against green technology with lively pragmatism and authority… refreshingly pragmatic and undoomy — Steven Poole * Guardian * One of the clearest explanations of the climate challenge I’ve read… She’s realistic about the risks but grounded in data that shows real progress… a hopeful, fact-driven overview of where climate solutions stand — BILL GATES * Gates Notes * Ritchie’s now trademark optimism shines through… the effect is powerful: you come away feeling informed and hopeful… in a world of fake news and political spin, this book is a breath of fresh air — Madeleine Cuff * New Scientist * This is a book built out of short, simple sentences. And these short, simple sentences have a power. Reassuringly, they make it feel as if there is a clear, logical pathway to dealing with the climate crisis * Scotsman * If there were a Nobel Prize for clear thinking, Hannah Ritchie would have my vote. She doesn’t just cut through the noise – she vaporizes it. With a scientist’s rigor and a storyteller’s grace, she shows us what the data actually says about the biggest challenges of our time. Her work is essential reading for anyone who still believes facts can change minds and optimism can change the world — RUTGER BREGMAN, author of Utopia for Realists and Humankind The best thing you can do for the climate is to read this book — now — MARK LYNAS, author of Six Degrees This book is such a pleasure. Each question snaps another piece of the jigsaw puzzle satisfyingly into place, presenting a big picture that is vivid, accurate and hopeful. I learned so much — TIM HARFORD, author of How To Make The World Add Up