A Future We Can Love: How We Can Reverse the Climate Crisis with the Power of Our Hearts and Minds

by Susan Bauer-Wu

Discover wisdom and guidance to face the climate emergency from the most influential spiritual and environmental leaders of our time, including the Dalai Lama, Greta Thunberg, Jane Goodall, Matthieu Ricard, Joanna Macy, Rebecca Solnit, and Paul Hawken.

When the Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg spoke for the first time in January 2021, millions of people around the world took notice. “It is encouraging to see how you have opened the eyes of the world to the urgency to protect our planet, our only home,” the Dalai Lama wrote to Greta before their meeting.

A Future We Can Love shares the words of these two great figures, generations apart, bringing them into dialogue with dozens of visionary scientists, activists, and spiritual luminaries. These include Jane Goodall, environmentalist Paul Hawken, Buddhist teacher Matthieu Ricard, indigenous scholar and artist Lyla June, environmental activist and Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, and writer, historian, and activist Rebecca Solnit. Through this world-changing conversation, readers embark on a four-part journey toward active hope in the face of the climate crisis: from knowledge of climate science through the capacity for change, to the will that is needed and the actions we can take. The book will help you:

- recognize interdependence as key to our well-being and as a lens for - understanding both the climate crisis and its solutions
- clarify why feedback loops leave us no time to wait on climate action
- comfort your climate anxiety and metabolize grief or burnout into wonderment and useful energy
- develop your own rituals and practices for connecting to Earth and renewing hope
- overcome common obstacles to speaking and acting clearly on behalf of the human and wild communities most affected by the climate crisis

A Future We Can Love inspires each of us to rise to the occasion to ensure a brighter future for generations to come.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Climate Change, Science, Environment, Sustainability, Social Justice

280 pages, Hardcover

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Care · Rating 5 out of 5]

“What I see are ordinary and some not-so-ordinary individuals willing to confront despair, power, and incalculable odds in an attempt to restore some semblance of grace, justice, and beauty to this world. Climate awareness is caring, and caring is our deepest impulse of life.” Beautiful integration of climate activism & spirituality 🩵

[Tyler G. Warne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Future We Can Love by Susan Bauer-Wu demonstrates the need to act now on behalf of nature. She provides examples of people with communal help doing the right thing. The environment is in dire need. And people must act with urgency. Repairing our environment is difficult. She summarizes a conversation between Greta Thunberg and the Dalai Lama. Greta pleas for people to take simple, obvious steps. Susan understands the young people have a voice becoming louder and louder. With the support of The Dalai Lama, everyone can open their hearts to listen, comprehend using their minds, and remedy the problems of devastation. By focusing on the wisdom of a spiritual leader and the vision of a young activist, the conversation offers very useful advice. And reasoning with the people who take the necessary steps to repair damage. Planting trees, protecting wildlife, and improving agriculture amount to a world of difference. Though the conversation centers around two leaders, many other prominent activists and leaders are shown to take action. In one section, the Dalai Lama suggests people need to develop a better relationship with nature and how they use technology. An approach through intention. Being mindful of subjectivity. Greta often questions why people don't take the obvious, right steps. As a result, people are left with the decision to act on behalf of nature or fall victim to the consequences.

Susan Bauer-Wu shares many personal experiences of her own struggles. And her relationships with others affecting the environment. While hoping for a better future, this book offers hope and vision.

Thank you Susan and Shambhala Publications for this advanced reader's copy.

[Mireille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Een wat rommelig boek vond ik en het spirituele is ook niet helemaal mijn ding.
Maar het heeft me wel weer aan het denken gezet over mijn eigen bijdrage aan de klimaattransitie. Minder consumeren, vliegen en vleeseten gaat me al redelijk goed af. Binnenkort aan de zonnepanelen en de warmtepomp.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die Zukunft unseres Planeten sieht im Moment düster aus. Als ich auf dieses Buch stieß, dachte ich über den Titel nach und darüber, wie er eine Botschaft der Hoffnung vermittelt. Das Buch wurde von den Gesprächen zwischen zwei Persönlichkeiten inspiriert, die jeweils ihre eigene Richtung haben, nämlich dem Dalai Lama und Greta Thunberg. Wir stehen in der Tat vor der größten Herausforderung aller Zeiten, da wir alles zu verlieren drohen. Werden wir es schaffen, den Klimawandel umzukehren? Und wie wird die Zukunft aussehen? Alles wichtige Fragen, auf die du in diesem Buch Antworten findest.

Meine Meinung:

Eine Sache ist sicher. Wir können nicht so weitermachen wie bisher und erwarten, dass unser Planet nicht leidet. Ich habe dieses Buch von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite gelesen und dabei festgestellt, dass ein Wandel möglich ist, aber jeder von uns seinen Teil dazu beitragen muss. Das Beste an diesem Buch ist, dass es die Wahrheit über den Klimawandel aufdeckt und konkrete Schritte aufzeigt, die wir unternehmen können, um positive Veränderungen herbeizuführen. Wir alle können etwas tun, um den CO2-Ausstoß zu verringern, aber zuerst müssen wir uns unserer Rolle in diesem Prozess bewusst werden.

Das Buch führt dich durch die Wissenschaft und erinnert dich zum Beispiel daran, warum Bäume so wichtig sind. Es mag dich überraschen, aber wir können nicht so weitermachen wie bisher. Unser Planet hat endliche Ressourcen und eine begrenzte Kapazität, mit der Verschmutzung umzugehen, also müssen wir jetzt handeln, damit eine gesunde Zukunft möglich ist. Ich finde es toll, wie das Buch über die Rolle jedes Einzelnen nachdenkt und auf die Tatsache aufmerksam macht, dass die Veränderung von jedem Einzelnen von uns ausgehen muss. Es mag nicht einfach sein, aber wir müssen für einen grüneren Planeten kämpfen.

Im Inneren des Buches findest du Einsichten von anderen führenden Umweltschützern, darunter Paul Hawken, Matthieu Ricard und Joanna Macy. In allen Gesprächen geht es um das Thema Klimakrise, wobei jede Führungskraft betont, dass wir in der Lage sind, etwas zu verändern. Es wird deutlich, wie sehr wir voneinander abhängig sind und dass wir zusammenarbeiten müssen, um die Gesundheit unseres Planeten wiederherzustellen. Der Teil über die Verbindung mit der Erde hat mir besonders gut gefallen, denn ich glaube, das haben wir tatsächlich vergessen.

Zusammenfassung:

Unser Planet ist unser Zuhause, das einzige, das wir haben. Wenn wir unsere Kinder großziehen, müssen wir an die Zukunft denken, die sie haben werden. Ich denke, Bücher wie dieses bieten wertvolle Ratschläge, was wir als Einzelne, aber auch als Gesellschaft tun können, um dem Klimawandel entgegenzuwirken und die Gesundheit unseres Planeten wiederherzustellen. Eine ausgezeichnete Lektüre, ein tiefgründiger Aufruf zum Handeln, den wir nicht länger ignorieren können. Lasst uns an die zukünftigen Generationen denken und für einen grünen Planeten kämpfen.
 

[eva tomlinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 again. some of it was written sort of strangely which jumped out as i started to get into it. she wrote some extremely long sentences utilizing dashes and parentheses that genuinely made no sense bc there was too much info. she also would have these descriptions of the people she was citing and discussing that were a little out of place. these things stuck out when they happened but weren’t so frequent they ruined the book. i liked the structure of the book. i wish there was more to the first part regarding education about some of the impacts of what humans have done but i did learn about feedback loops and some specific things going on that i didn’t know about. i ended up really liking the second and third sections which were more related to hope, motivation, coping, community, etc. the buddhist ideas tied in were sometimes really useful to think about. it is incredibly motivating to feel that i have ways to try and approach talking about this and bringing awareness. it is also motivating to me to utilize systems thinking, and considering the impact of community. i’m walking away ready to do more, feeling reinvigorated in the fight. we have to try!

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend that everyone read this book. I learned a lot that didn’t previously understand about climate change - feedback loops, tipping points, etc. But, in addition to clarifying the crisis, this book helped me to feel more empowered- and less like there’s nothing I can do to make a difference. A lot of the advice and insight also applies to other social justice issues, many of which overlap with climate justice issues. Even though it was written in 2023, the content of the book seemed relevant in this very moment to me.

[Leah Rampy]

Makes the case for getting involved

If you're not up to date on issues of climate change, this book will provide an understandable grounding in the facts and challenges. I appreciated that the voices of many other environmental experts and advocates are brought into the conversation besides the Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg. I don't see a case for the claim of reversing the climate crisis, but certainly we can and must stop adding to it!

[Lorraine Mercer · Rating 5 out of 5]

climate change

Good to understand trigger points and actions we can do ..plant trees and restore natural environment. Humans enable other life species to survive. Remember the plains and the buffalo

[Marc Mannheimer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some basic science helped me understand aspects of climate change better, but there is nothing advanced or groundbreaking here. It is more an exercise in trying to reframe our future in positive terms.

[Ian Jaffe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of insightful information. I appreciated that practical advice was given with insights of how to take action. I wish there was more from the interview included in the details but I like how the concepts were extended and explained in ways that everyone can understand.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Future We Can Love was a disappointment. I was expecting (perhaps mistakenly) a lot more about the conversation between the Dalai Lama and Greta Thunberg. There was nothing new in this book. I've read it all before.

[Michael Schauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend for those who love our home.

[John Kaufmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out good, but in my mind it lost steam after the first two chapters and either repeated itself or got lost in littler details.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good, thoughtful book about climate change and climate action through the lens of Buddhism. Sometimes dense reading, but with light touches, it inspires me to move forward.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For me, the most important part of this book was learning about the climate feedback loops. I feel like more people need to be talking about this and this is information I would like discuss with family and friends. I enjoyed the more science related information in this book.

Copy won in Goodreads Giveaways; thank you Shambhala for this opportunity! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.