I confess to temporary aversion to climate change books, just because I’ve consumed so many over the past two years. But “The Big Fix: Seven Practical Steps to Save Our Planet” could not be ignored. A collaboration between an energy policy wonk and a NYT climate change reporter, the book is a clear-eyed and persuasively written callout to “make the transition from green consumer to green citizen,” to politically campaign at all levels of government for climate crisis action. After a riveting introduction to the issue that is as clear as a bell, the authors tackle the complete gamut of decarbonization imperatives the world faces, from elimination of fossil fuels and electrification to urban planning, manufacturing/building standards, R&D, and eating less meat. Buttressed by inspirational real-life case studies, many of which I had never read about before, a wide-ranging blueprint for immediate action is set out. For anyone seeking policy clarity (albeit from mostly an American perspective) or questing for purpose, The Big Fix is a ready treasure.
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Like you, I’ve read so much that uses northern hemisphere research and studies to present a case, that I’m leaving new accounts on the shelf. Are you aware of works that include good coverage of the southern oceans and Antarctica specifically?
There was a largish report covering Australia, etc., fairly recently; it washed past me. The latest IPCC report is full of scientists trying to elucidate the climate issues in different regions. Perhaps like you, though, I tend to skim such reports without REALLY understanding them. I need narrative, in the hands of an accomplished author, to get stuff to sink in. The only book-length treatment I’ve read recently that is more Australia-focused is Joelle Gergis’s Humanity’s Moment, which is chock-full of well-written science. But even that, if I remember rightly, talks of Australia and its environs (she’s Australian) in terms of observing the outworkings of climate change, but most of her explanatory science discussion is global. So no, I’m afraid I can’t offer anything all that helpful.