What do you think?
Rate this book
The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone
“What can I do, personally, about the climate crisis? [Readers] often ask us a version of this question....[Roop] says that civic engagement is one of the most effective ways for individuals to make a difference and to avoid feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis....Ask yourself, what are you passionate about? Using this passion may motivate you to help shape the future of your community.”
— The New York Times Climate Forward newsletter
This must-have book shows us WHY we need to take action now to combat climate change and then, critically, HOW, through easy-to-understand language and fascinating infographics that offer each of us varied and doable solutions to the overwhelming challenges facing our planet.
As more focus is put on climate science, there is a need for each of us to learn how we can change our habits in our home, communities, and government to save our planet. Enter The Climate Action Handbook .
A visually stunning guide, it does what no other climate change book manages to it's approachable, digestible, and offers the average person ideas, options, and a roadmap for action. It also offers hope —often overlooked in climate change conversations. Climate actions can create near-instantaneous improvements in air quality and can offer ways to address societal inequities, green our communities, save money, and build local economies. Stunning and creative infographics help anyone easily grasp the many challenges facing our planet, as well as how every action—be it on the individual, local, or government level—matters.
From food and fashion choices, rethinking travel, greening up our homes and gardens, to civic engagement and championing community climate planning, Dr. Heidi Roop shares 100 wide-ranging ways that readers from all walks of life can help move the needle in the right direction.
Actions
• Cutting down on food waste
• Reducing your driving speed
• Voting in every election
• Using the cold-water cycle on your washing machine
• Supporting healthy soils in your gardens and community green spaces
• Engaging in local climate action planning
• Preparing an emergency kit for your home
• Deleting unused emails and online accounts
• Swapping out milk for nondairy alternatives like oat milk
• Opting for slower shipping whenever possible
• Regularly maintaining and clean your heating and cooling systems
• Engaging in climate conversations at work and at home
And many more!
Return to this invaluable resource again and again to discover a roadmap for action and much-needed hope. What will your climate journey look like?
— The New York Times Climate Forward newsletter
This must-have book shows us WHY we need to take action now to combat climate change and then, critically, HOW, through easy-to-understand language and fascinating infographics that offer each of us varied and doable solutions to the overwhelming challenges facing our planet.
As more focus is put on climate science, there is a need for each of us to learn how we can change our habits in our home, communities, and government to save our planet. Enter The Climate Action Handbook .
A visually stunning guide, it does what no other climate change book manages to it's approachable, digestible, and offers the average person ideas, options, and a roadmap for action. It also offers hope —often overlooked in climate change conversations. Climate actions can create near-instantaneous improvements in air quality and can offer ways to address societal inequities, green our communities, save money, and build local economies. Stunning and creative infographics help anyone easily grasp the many challenges facing our planet, as well as how every action—be it on the individual, local, or government level—matters.
From food and fashion choices, rethinking travel, greening up our homes and gardens, to civic engagement and championing community climate planning, Dr. Heidi Roop shares 100 wide-ranging ways that readers from all walks of life can help move the needle in the right direction.
Actions
• Cutting down on food waste
• Reducing your driving speed
• Voting in every election
• Using the cold-water cycle on your washing machine
• Supporting healthy soils in your gardens and community green spaces
• Engaging in local climate action planning
• Preparing an emergency kit for your home
• Deleting unused emails and online accounts
• Swapping out milk for nondairy alternatives like oat milk
• Opting for slower shipping whenever possible
• Regularly maintaining and clean your heating and cooling systems
• Engaging in climate conversations at work and at home
And many more!
Return to this invaluable resource again and again to discover a roadmap for action and much-needed hope. What will your climate journey look like?
272 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2023
35 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 11, 2023
There is so much information online about what you should do or not do about climate. It's confusing for everyone, let alone someone who just wants to the right thing but still live their life. Heidi Roop has done a big service for them and everyone else with this book. The 100 things are a good range from practical every day things to bigger, longer term changes in your life. But all are well researched and spot on. The format of the book is really accessible, 1 page of text and one infographic per solution. I've already used this book for a class on climate change I am teaching to retired people in a continuing ed program. Perfect for this group.
I get asked a lot by people and students "What can I do?". Now I can hand them this book. And if they want more depth, point them to Project Drawdown.
I get asked a lot by people and students "What can I do?". Now I can hand them this book. And if they want more depth, point them to Project Drawdown.
June 29, 2023
Taken as a whole, this book really is for everyone. If I could do 4.5 stars I would. Some individual actions will not be for everyone, there were a fair number that required more money than I expect to have for the foreseeable future. However, despite being fairly good about speaking out and making mindful lifestyle choices. I did see a few I had not considered, such as replacing my vintage 1983 refrigerator. I am glad I purchased a used copy so I can leave encourage other family members to read it. Normally I am all about borrowing from the library, but there is a long wait list for this one.
Read
July 5, 2023Great ideas for accessible everyday individual climate action.
December 17, 2023
Are you overwhelmed by the stats on climate change? Looking for how you can contribute to fighting climate change? Not sure where to start? START HERE.
This book distills down the science of climate change into a super short chapter, and spends the rest of the book detailing how every one of us can take action on climate. Focused on the everyday person, the writing and graphics are understandable, simple, and helpful. I work on climate action as part of my job so i read a lot on this topic, and this is honestly the best entry point into making choices that will reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to building a safer world for future generations.
The antidote to anxiety is problem solving; this book is a problem solving primer with steps all of us can take TODAY.
This book distills down the science of climate change into a super short chapter, and spends the rest of the book detailing how every one of us can take action on climate. Focused on the everyday person, the writing and graphics are understandable, simple, and helpful. I work on climate action as part of my job so i read a lot on this topic, and this is honestly the best entry point into making choices that will reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to building a safer world for future generations.
The antidote to anxiety is problem solving; this book is a problem solving primer with steps all of us can take TODAY.
August 13, 2024
It's important to note that when I rate a book on Goodreads, I'm rating my experience with that book, not the book itself.
And for me, this book probably came too late in my climate education journey. It was nice to have a list of 100 things we should be doing, but I was hoping for, I think, a little bit more of a framework for climate action and a little bit less for a checklist. I also didn't think the 'visual' aspect of this book added much beyond the text.
If you are not sure what you should do to help with the climate crisis, this book has 100 great ideas, some of which are actually actionable and some less so (like the last one - express gratitude). They are targeted more at what we can do as individuals, which is good, because it sometimes feels like as individuals, we are powerless, but the truth is, it's going to be the combined efforts of all that help. We all have to do our part.
My biggest hindrance with this book was that I knew most of the items in this book already from my other readings. A blog post identifying the few I didn't know would have helped me as much as this book. But even with that, presenting 100 tips the way this book does tends to put them all on equal footing, and some of these tips are much lower-impact than others. If I am trying to prioritize between actions, I wish there was more information about what to focus on first, but my prioritization will come from other sources.
All that said, this is a great list of things to do, and we can't all do all of them - finding the ones you can do and starting to do them is the ultimate path forward here, and this book enables that easier than other climate books I have read. For that reason, if you are starting your journey on how to help more with the climate crisis, this book is a great starting point to quickly pick up some actionable things you can do.
And for me, this book probably came too late in my climate education journey. It was nice to have a list of 100 things we should be doing, but I was hoping for, I think, a little bit more of a framework for climate action and a little bit less for a checklist. I also didn't think the 'visual' aspect of this book added much beyond the text.
If you are not sure what you should do to help with the climate crisis, this book has 100 great ideas, some of which are actually actionable and some less so (like the last one - express gratitude). They are targeted more at what we can do as individuals, which is good, because it sometimes feels like as individuals, we are powerless, but the truth is, it's going to be the combined efforts of all that help. We all have to do our part.
My biggest hindrance with this book was that I knew most of the items in this book already from my other readings. A blog post identifying the few I didn't know would have helped me as much as this book. But even with that, presenting 100 tips the way this book does tends to put them all on equal footing, and some of these tips are much lower-impact than others. If I am trying to prioritize between actions, I wish there was more information about what to focus on first, but my prioritization will come from other sources.
All that said, this is a great list of things to do, and we can't all do all of them - finding the ones you can do and starting to do them is the ultimate path forward here, and this book enables that easier than other climate books I have read. For that reason, if you are starting your journey on how to help more with the climate crisis, this book is a great starting point to quickly pick up some actionable things you can do.
June 6, 2023
Keynote speaker at the 2023 MN Gathering Partners Conference
My notes on the book
p 36: The key finding was that many of us generally underestimate energy use and savings, but many of us also tend to focus on lower-impact "curtailment" activities, like turning off the lights and driving less, compared to activities that increase energy efficiency, like installing more energy efficient appliances which tend to result in comparatively higher emission reductions.
p 49: The MPCA reported in 2021 that 75 percent of the energy consumed by Minnesotans was powered by coal, with only 1 percent from wind power. But many of the state's utility customers can buy green power to help support and accelerate the transition to clean energy for as little as $1.50 per month. In 2020, for an average MN home, it cost $6-$14 per month to have 100 percent of its electricity come from green energy sources.
My notes on the book
p 36: The key finding was that many of us generally underestimate energy use and savings, but many of us also tend to focus on lower-impact "curtailment" activities, like turning off the lights and driving less, compared to activities that increase energy efficiency, like installing more energy efficient appliances which tend to result in comparatively higher emission reductions.
p 49: The MPCA reported in 2021 that 75 percent of the energy consumed by Minnesotans was powered by coal, with only 1 percent from wind power. But many of the state's utility customers can buy green power to help support and accelerate the transition to clean energy for as little as $1.50 per month. In 2020, for an average MN home, it cost $6-$14 per month to have 100 percent of its electricity come from green energy sources.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2024
This is a perfect read for me- and for you too! Very well researched action items presented in a very concise and easy to read format. Each action item is described on a page and has an excellent graphic associated. Many of the items are things I do but some good reminders on more things to do.
-keep a trash log
-purchase a hand crank radio
-support Trees Forever in CR after derecho
-think eco friendly accommodations when traveling
-install low flow faucet
- have climate conversations
-learn about the Portland EcoRoof program
-keep doing meal kits! Yay
-jybe app to find restaurants with less waste
-buy and drink oat milk
-consume chocolate responsibly
-buy fewer clothes and make them last longer
-prepare a go-bag
Conduct plastic audit at home
- divestmentdatabase.org
This is the list of things I commit to doing but when you read the book you may choose different action items
-keep a trash log
-purchase a hand crank radio
-support Trees Forever in CR after derecho
-think eco friendly accommodations when traveling
-install low flow faucet
- have climate conversations
-learn about the Portland EcoRoof program
-keep doing meal kits! Yay
-jybe app to find restaurants with less waste
-buy and drink oat milk
-consume chocolate responsibly
-buy fewer clothes and make them last longer
-prepare a go-bag
Conduct plastic audit at home
- divestmentdatabase.org
This is the list of things I commit to doing but when you read the book you may choose different action items
May 18, 2025
Well this book is pretty informative, almost basic as far as the things going on in the environment & what can be done about it on the personal level. Some things will shock you if you're new to the movement. Because it's easy enough to understand, that means you can definitely make changes that won't break the bank, that will hopefully make you feel like you're making a difference. Most of the recommendations aren't new but it's nice to have a handy guide so you can make the most out of it. Definitely share w/ the climate deniers or those clueless about the reality of the climate crisis we're in. Goos stuff worth sharing w/ others so they can be enlightened.
June 29, 2024
The author spoke at my neighborhood library and she is a local Minnesota author so I thought that I would pick this up. It was a easy to read guide to tangible steps, some of them small and some larger and involving financial investment, that individuals can take to have a positive impact on the climate. For people who are already fairly knowledgeable about climate change, there isn't a ton of new information but trying to calm the despair and breaking the problem down to bite sized actionable tasks is helpful.
August 9, 2023
Read this as a part of a work book club! Very simple read, and the author provides so many resources for the reader to empower themselves and take action in the ways they can!
October 10, 2023
Everyone should read this book!!! So important!!!!
October 24, 2023
“Don’t discount climate anxiety” is one of this book's 100 recommendations. Taking on some of the other 99 might help reduce that anxiety. At least you’d know you were trying.
December 1, 2023
i appreciate how optimistic the author sounded, although i don't feel that way. and i appreciated the puns, kudos to the author
December 29, 2023
Good stats, good breakdown.
January 8, 2024
Great practical, data-driven insights and tips that keep the focus on what we CAN do about climate change - a lot - and how to contribute to solutions locally and globally.
September 25, 2024
A must read. Easy stuff to do. Gives me a little hope.
May 19, 2023
As a doctor, Heidi Roop did a great job translating the extremely complex, larger-than-life climate crisis into very readable bites for general readers who may not be familiar with this issue academically or professionally to have a better grasp of where we're at now. Those who engage with this issue on an everyday life basis will find it a head-clearing reminder, too!
The visuals did help make the narrative more engaging.
The visuals did help make the narrative more engaging.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews