THIS BOOK WILL (HELP) COOL THE CLIMATE

A primer on climate change focusing on practical suggestions for personal action.

These 50 short chapters are filled with information as well as advice for those who would like to do something about global warming and climate change. Science writer Thomas directly addresses her readers with short, lively explanations and examples liberally illustrated with Paterson’s grayscale cartoons. An informative “Planet-o-Meter” accompanies each, with helpful symbolic representations of what might be affected, the cost, the difficulty, and the likely impact. Thomas opens with background information on Earth’s temperature, the greenhouse effect, and climate change, as well as how scientists measure these things. She offers arguments to counter climate change deniers. And then she goes on to talk about myriad ways one may reduce one’s carbon footprint and one’s waste. Among her topics are food, equipment and repairs, sharing stuff, rewilding, growing trees, reducing the use of hot water, not flying, not using aerosol sprays, and staying home as well as suggestions for school and public campaigns. One startling chapter heading is “STOP RECYCLING,” but the sentence continues, “unless it’s a last resort! Always focus on reducing and reusing first.” Another surprise may be the suggestion to “pee on the compost pile!” (Urine needs to be sanitized by storing for a month first.) The organization is lively and unexpected—there’s a chapter of definitions in the middle.

For middle-grade readers concerned about climate change, a rich resource.