Category: Reviews

Power Up is a very readable introduction to all parts of the energy transition – how it’s generated, how it’s moved to where it’s needed, and how we consume it.  How we generate electricity sustainably is arguably the easy part of the decarbonisation challenge. The first section of the book features a chapter each on fossil…

Possible is a nuts and bolts guide to the technologies that could help the world reach net zero emissions by 2050.  Researched and written by veteran energy specialist Chris Goodall of Carbon Commentary, Possible surveys the state of the art across all the main areas for decarbonisation. The scope of the energy transition is so vast that there’s…

The Lie of the Land is a provocative manifesto for sustainable land management, digging deep into the economics and politics of what can be a very emotive topic.  Campaigner and writer Guy Shrubsole offers a well-researched guide to farming practices, land ownership and hundreds of years of history, and comes up with some challenging proposals for…

Can a commitment to honesty help resolve the climate crisis? A Climate of Truth is the latest volume from sustainability researcher and consultant Mike Berners-Lee, author of popular books on climate science including How Bad are Bananas? and There is No Planet B. Here, he goes beyond climate to address the wider polycrisis. This is an increasingly common…

Is it worth getting Certified Carbon Literate? It’s always nice to add another hallmark to the handle, and I’m glad to say that I am now officially Certified Carbon Literate. The Carbon Literacy Project is a not-for-profit initiative which aims to improve people’s understanding of the climate crisis and support meaningful action. In their words, carbon…

How can businesses make a positive contribution to society, beyond the short-term financial benefits for shareholders and staff? Net Positive is a glowingly-reviewed book by former Unilever CEO Paul Polman and writer/consultant Andrew Winston which explores why businesses should seek to do good – and why that’s good for business. They define net positive as…