Although coverage of the fires in Southern California has left the ever-shortening news cycle and the front pages of many publications, the fires are still burning. In California, tens of thousands of acres have been decimated by flames. According to American Forests’ Active Wildfire Map, over 130,000 acres of land are actively burning across the U.S.
It is becoming increasingly clear that human-caused climate change has only armed the inferno we currently face in the States with more power. Human activities, from as seemingly minuscule as air conditioning to as big-picture as drilling for oil, are all contributing to climate change. In order to better understand how the planet got to the threshold of uninhabitability but also how to work toward true sustainability, turn to both nonfiction and fiction books.
From a historical standpoint, human beings seem to have been on a path to planetary destruction for several centuries. Author, philosopher and science historian Carolyn Merchant has made this argument. In her book “The Death of Nature,” Merchant points to the Scientific Revolution and the writing of Francis Bacon as reshaping the way humans view nature. For the first time, people began to see the land as a resource to dominate rather than something to live in peace with.
Merchant argues this attitude toward nature led directly to mining, logging and numerous other exploitative industries that still exist today. Her writing is among the first to look at topics relating to ecology and environmentalism through both a historical and a feminist lens. “The Death of Nature” is dense and prioritizes an academic audience, but her thesis is foundational in understanding the centuries of environmental exploitation leading up to the world’s current state of resource consumption.
Nonfiction works by contemporary authors such as Harriet Washington, David Wallace-Wells and Andreas Malm give their readers a perspective focused on today’s issues. Even John Green, one of the most famous names in the world of fiction, has dipped his toes in the pool of nonfiction environmental writing.
Wallace-Wells’ work “The Uninhabitable Planet,” which was originally published as a longform article by New York magazine before being expanded into a book, takes a bleak look at the plethora of ways climate change will impact our ability to survive on Earth. With chapters ranging from food scarcity to violence to heat exposure, Wallace-Wells provides an informative yet terrifying explainer about the dangers of human activity continuing on its current path toward ecological collapse and extinction.
Malm’s provocatively titled “How to Blow Up a Pipeline” takes a call to action approach to understanding the current climate crisis and the state of environmental activism. He argues real change will not happen without violent action like the one described in his title. Although controversial, Malm’s argument is a powerful indictment of wealthy nations and individuals who ultimately are in the driver’s seat of planetary destruction. The book is available as a free PDF online.
Science fiction also provides readers of the genre with insights into both apocalyptic and utopian futures. Sci-fi is not often associated with literary merit; however, the genre contains poignant and topical examinations of environmental issues.
The “Dune” book series, which is the basis for the Academy Award-winning movie series of the same name, has a plot centered around the use of one coveted resource, Melange, and the political, economic, ecological and social implications around it. When people read “Dune,” they are able to connect the way humanity uses resources in the real world to the way it's used in the interplanetary “Dune” universe. The complexity of Frank Herbert’s fictional world mirrors the complexity of our world, and its environmental themes are relevant to our environment.
Other novels present similar themes in different settings. “Afterglow,” a collection of short stories, explores what a utopian Earth could look like with advancements in technology. Relevant now more than ever before, Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Sower” details one woman’s story on a journey across Los Angeles, which is ravaged by climate disaster and social inequality.
There are so many options for readers to engage with information and theories about climate change that go beyond scientific studies. Nonfiction books, fictional novels and literary essays help navigate the current environmental state we as citizens of Earth find ourselves in. Reading is one of the primary ways we can work toward a future where we not only adapt to climate change but minimize the harm it causes.
Jackson McCoy is a sophomore studying journalism and environmental studies at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Jackson know by emailing or tweeting him at jm049122@ohio.edu.
