At first it was a book I borrowed from someone at church. I had every intention to read it, only not really because it was something I pushed from my conscious mind often. I expressed to my spouse my guilt over borrowing this book from someone and just having it sit there for so long. Not long after, they got a copy for a student to use for a school project. Then they gave it to me. So I swapped my borrowed hard copy for a paperback and returned the hard copy. Now my guilt was lifted and I could comfortably ignore the book without issue.
But then this past week, I decided to read some books with tough substance. I've been chatting with a friend about In Broad Daylight, which is about Ken McElroy and how he terrorized NW Missouri for decades until the town finally did something about it. Here in a few days I'm going to be chatting with another friend about Delay, Deny, Defend and how screwed up the health insurance industry is (though honestly the entire insurance industry). So in the face of that, this book didn't seem so daunting. So I drew up a bath and read part 1 of it.
The book in question is The Climate Book by Greta Thunberg.
I've put if off because the cynic in me believes that we're screwed and it won't get better. What's the point in reading a book about this issue? I know enough to know that we're screwed. I knew that if I started reading this book, I'd be reading from scientists things like "tipping elements might trigger each other and unleash a domino-like chain reaction" and "the fossil fuel industry spread disinformation about climate change to prevent action" (Fuck you very much for that, ExxonMobil).
Basically, I knew that it would upset me and I'd either feel guilty or apathetic. But it's bigger than me, you know? If I read this book, then I'm more knowledgeable about the subject. Then I can actually talk about the issue. That's something all of us should do, talk about the issue. Because it's a big fucking issue, and honestly by not reading the book I was being apathetic anyway.
So tonight I read all about how climate works (part 1). This coming week and into the new year, I plan to read about how our planet is changing (part 2), and how it affects us (part 3). Fortunately the book isn't all gloom and doom, I think. The fifth and final part of the book is about "what we must do now," which I look forward to reading about once I get through 280 more pages of scientists, professors, journalists, and directors telling me all about how humanity historically has and actively still is screwing it all up.
by Gamma_The_Guardian