5 climate change books to read in National Reading Month

March is National Reading Month! And what better way is there to learn about the environment than through books? Storytelling — whether it’s fiction or nonfiction — can expand or even change the way we think.

Environmental issues can be extremely complex, but focusing on a niche can make understanding easier. That being said, here are five nonfiction climate change books that take a closer look at specific topics.

The Story of Stuff: How Our Obsession with Stuff is Trashing the Planet, Our Communities, and our Health—and a Vision for Change is all about overconsumption. Leonard takes a closer look at the items we use in our everyday lives and where they come from.

If you want a closer look at the production process and how it affects both people and the planet, then The Story of Stuff might be something you’d like. After reading the book, this video is perfect for sharing what you’ve learned with others.

Braiding Sweetgrass is an incredibly popular book with over 80,000 reviews on Goodreads. The author combines her knowledge of forest biology and her Potawatomi heritage with her love of the environment. By embracing both the “tools of science” and indigenous values, she is able to explain the relationship between humans and nature.

It’s important that we feel connected to the Earth and that we understand that connection — learning how to work with the world instead of against it is an important aspect of fighting climate change.

In The Intersectional Environmentalist: How to Dismantle Systems of Oppression to Protect People + Planet, Thomas examines how privilege, racism, and environmentalism all overlap. Addressing the climate crisis means acknowledging and uplifting everyone's voices and experiences — this book is a call to action.

Similar to the concept of environmental justice, Thomas argues that fighting for the planet also means fighting for equal rights and that the two are not separate battles. Described as “an essential read,” The Intersectional Environmentalist will help you establish a deeper understanding of the environmental movement.

Fresh Banana Leaves: Healing Indigenous Landscapes Through Indigenous Science explores the problems with Western conservation and how there are better solutions out there. Hernandez, an indigenous environmental scientist, uses case studies, historical overviews, and lived experiences to show how native practices can help recover the Earth.

If you liked or have already read Braiding Sweetgrass, you might enjoy this book too.

On some level, most people probably realize that overconsumption is bad for the planet. But what’s harder to wrap our minds around, is the idea that the problem runs much deeper than that.

In This Changes Everything, Klein takes a hard look at our economic system and its role in destroying the planet. She explores the idea that we can build something better than capitalism, something that doesn’t put our environment on the back burner.

If you want to learn more about what you can do to help, you can check out her book How to Change Everything. In this version, Klein helps empower readers and explains how to take action.