An intersectional primer for saving the place-based perspectives and community-led tools for fighting climate change—for readers of The Intersectional Environmentalist and All We Can Save
Climate justice and resilience strategist Kylie Flanagan invites us to see and act beyond status-quo solutions, Big Tech promises, and everything we’re usually told about how to save the planet. Centering the voices of Native Rights activists, queer liberation ecologists, youth climate-justice organizers, Latinx wilderness activists, and others on the front lines, Climate Resilience urges us toward a vision of climate care that invests in place-based, community-led projects focused
Each section offers practical blueprints for engaging with different aspects of climate-change action through mutual aid, seed-saving, community-owned energy, community safety plans, and more, and it includes a range of ideas for readers to apply these strategies in their own communities.
Wonderful collection of essays on various climate problems. The voices of the activists, scientists and other amazing people really shine through in this book. Most essays end with some inspiration for the reader, like journaling prompts or ideas to research on your own. The essays are well written and just the right length to read with a cup of tea. Very inspiring!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC to read.
In order to truly understand the problem we are facing with climate change it is so important to unravel the intersections of the social and political dynamics at play in our society. Climate Resilience by Kylie Flanagan provides readers with a well-rounded collection of essays from diverse voices that provides a fully comprehensive picture of both root causes of the issue and possible solutions.
There are essays that fall into the following categories: Relationship Repair; Ecological Restoration; Economic Regeneration; Collective Care; Community Adaptation; Cultural Strategy; and People Power.
While this is a solution-focused and humanity driven text, this book is also very clear about the future that we are facing if changes are not made today. We are facing a future where extreme weather will increasingly become harsher, natural disasters will happen more frequently, people and communities will continue to be displaced, and basic necessities like food and drinkable water will become more unpredictable.
I learned so much reading these thirty-nine short essays and appreciate the range of voices provided including but not limited to community activists, ecologists, educators, artists, community leaders, earth workers, and farmers. If you are looking for a book that will impart a comprehensive understanding of root causes for our climate crisis and also provide you with concrete solutions and action-oriented steps we can take both personally and collectively, you should read this book. In a capitalistic society that is money-driven it is going to take a full return to centering our humanity to heal this world. This book is a great starting point for that inner and communal conversation.
Thank you to the author and publisher for the e-arc copy!
4 stars. ‘Climate Resilience’ is a really amazing piece of work that transcends the conventional climate change solutions that proliferate globally. By spotlighting the perspectives of various individuals, Flanagan propels us beyond the ordinary, advocating fr place-based, community-driven approaches. The book offers practical blueprints fr climate action, frm mutual aid to community-owned energy, showcasing the diverse voices of community leaders, activists, scientists, ecologists, academics, mothers and grandmothers, urban planners, and others on the front lines. Each section provides not only insights into climate challenges but also occasionally ends w inspiring prompts fr readers, making it a wonderful collection of essays on tackling the climate crisis. The emphasis on diverse perspectives and actionable strategies truly made this book fr me, and I’m assuming fr all of us who are eager to make a difference in our community’s fight against climate change.
This was therapeutic and inspiring. Anyone who has circled around climate change/environmentalism and social justice communities will definitely see themselves and find hope in these stories. A definite salve for climate-angst to combat the often insane techbro 'solutions' that offer more egocentric self-aggrandizing than is ever practical.
This is a gem, recommended for all people who want to be up to date and inspired with the current work done to fight climate change and support communities along the way.
This is the result of interviews conducted by Kylie Flanagan with women and non-binary people that work in some role connected to climate resilience, be it a scientist or a community organizer. Short pieces, highlighting who is that person, their career, motivation and results. I really enjoyed going through the stories of all these people, they are strong, passionate and kind and actually succeed to get things done, to push policies and apply pressure on governments and companies. Which in turn results in a hopeful book, since so much of the climate discussion is quite depressing and demotivating (with good reason nonetheless, not much progress done on a global level). This switched perspective, focusing not so much on global initiatives, diplomatic discussions and tech solutions, but on the power of a community, on the importance of organizing and teaching each other, trying to diminish the harm and empower people with the right tools. It is a resource of very inspiring people, I will for sure follow what they'll do next, what projects they will promote.
After almost all chapters the reader has a call for action, with things they can do on topics like seed keeping, soil health, mutual aid, participatory budgeting & so on. I loved the diversity of tools offered in this book, there is something for everybody here and in each tool, there is a split based on the skills, time, money that you might have. I got some new ideas of things I could do and continued my research outside of this book. I will also use this book as a reference, to reread the resilience tools or a specific story/project detail.
Also I really enjoyed the multitude of Indigenous voices, they have a lot of knowledge that could be used to counteract the climate change effects and spark change.
This is a solid 4 stars, maybe even a 4.5 stars, important topic, practical book, excellent choices of voices.
Thank you, North Atlantic Books and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I learned so much from this book and I feel so inspired to work more on climate activism, this book both inspired me and gave me some good places to think about how I can work more in this space and what impact I can have. I loved the diversity of the background and the authors for each essay. I loved the background of each author before their essays, the content warning was a nice touch before the essay themselves, and I enjoyed reading each essay. It was fantastic to see the breadth of work and resilience that is happening related to climate activism. I also loved the callouts in some of the sections that talk about actions that you (the reader) can do in different areas. Overall, a great book and a wonderful call to action.
The format of this book is very different from what I've seen before, and for the better! Each essay is pretty short and the book is separated into sections based on what each person does for climate justice, and each section has a few "what can you do" pages. I would enjoy for the essays to be longer and to delve deeper, but still very good.
I really enjoyed learning about all of the different ways to help the planet. I also liked the very varied POVs and learning about things that I didn't realize were an issue. Thank you for this opportunity to learn from so many voices and to learn about the variety of options to help climate change and our communities
A truly outstanding addition to the ever-expanding repository of climate literature.
From wildfires in Greece and Canada, to flooding in India and Sudan, heatwaves across much of Asia, North America and Europe and record-breaking ocean temperatures, headlines globally throughout 2023 have been dominated by events caused or exacerbated by the climate crisis.
The grandiose promises made by world leaders and the long-awaited revolutionary technologies have so far failed to slow the worst effects of climate change, and communites around the world have continued to face the brunt of its impacts. Eco-anxiety is at an all time high, and any progress has been slow and hard won.
In Climate Resilience, Flanagan reframes the narrative through a series of essays based on the author's conversations with activists, ecologists, educators, farmers, entrepreneurs, community leaders, artists and researchers working within movements which seek to not only resist the spiraling climate crisis and adapt to changing conditions, but to center equity, compassion and justice while doing so.
By moving from the often daunting big picture to the critical work happening on the frontlines of the climate crisis, Flanagan manages to create a sense of hope, through the resilience of communities who have often been marginalized and left to cope with the worst of the climate crisis and the resultant social upheaval.
The author acknowledges that the book is centered on the US experience and does not consider the myriad ways in which the Global South, who are most affected by the climate crisis, and the advocacy there, although I was thrilled to read about Janelle St John, who grew up in rural Trinidad and Tobago and now stewards an urban farming project in Englewood.
Nevertheless, the scope that it does cover is impressive, including disaster resilience, food and water security and social and environmental justice.
Several chapters also contain journal prompts and actions for persons interested in taking action, although these are US based many of the lessons can be adapted to other countries as well or provide inspiration for action.
The stories center Indigenous and Black communities, as well as the LQBTQ+ and disabled communities, lending a voice to those who are frequently left out or minimized in the mainstream narratives.
After reading this book, it is one of my dearest hopes to see similar works based on other parts of the world, as knowledge sharing remains invaluable in building a global, resilient community. Truly an excellent read.
Thank you to Netgalley and North Atlantic Books for this review copy.
Climate Resilience is an excellent read if you're looking to learn more about the ways the minority climate leaders are out doing the work to slow down the negative effects of climate change. The author was very purposeful about the people she chose to write essays, making sure every single contributor was a woman, non-binary, or gender-expansive, and came from communities of underrepresented groups.
This was a very informative read with actionable items at the end of most chapters. What I liked about the extreme amount of care and thought that went into this book was how the author addressed action in the introduction of this book. She recognized that combating climate change can feel very overwhelming and like what one person does on their own may not feel like that big of a difference, and so she challenged readers instead to assess the topics that really ignited passion as we read and to chase those issues. Rather than trying to change everything we do in order to combat climate change, pick one area that we really feel strongly about and follow the advice and action items in that chapter.
And then each chapter is an essay by an expert in that area, but an expert whose voice has likely been stifled for the majority of the US's history. This was an ambitious project, but an admirable one that I think a lot of people will find informative and approachable. Thank you to NetGalley and North Atlantic Books for giving me advanced reader access to this title. It publishes August 1, 2023!
A thought-provoking first-hand look into the stories and minds of almost 40 people who have been inspired, compelled, or otherwise driven to face and fight the challenges of climate change, especially at the local level. Each has a unique approach and a different focus, but the one commonality is how they put humans, and a deep concern for their communities, first. Each section is backed by useful questions, meaningful ideas, and helpful prompts for anyone else inspired to join the effort.
You may have read about climate change in many areas - books, journals, magazines, newspapers, blogs - the list is endless. Currently, the solutions on offer are all the same. Are these solutions working?
In Climate Resilience, climate justice and resilience strategist Kylie Flanagan invites us to see and act beyond. Beyond status-quo solutions, Big Tech promises, and everything we’ve been told about saving the planet.
Instead of hearing from the usual voices, the author shares a series of interviews with women, non-binary and gender expansive climate leaders and community members. From native rights activists, queer liberation ecologists, youth climate-justice organizers and many more. People who are actively involved in their communities share their stories with us. They share their experiences and stress the importance on keeping the focus on the individual communities. Moving away a "one size fits all" approach.
Kylie talks about how we have much to learn from small communities who have been living a more climate friendly existence for centuries. She also highlights the role of colonialism, imperialism and militarism in changing our landscapes and weather systems around the world.
I really feel as though the author is trying to get us to understand each other as different people within one human species. The series of interviews show how we can work together to find a path forward in a different way. To restore our relationship with earth and with each other. Each contributor talks about working towards a vision of climate care that invests in place-based, community-led projects. Projects such as ecological restoration, community adaption and people power.
At the end of each interview, the author offers practical advice for engaging with different aspects of climate-change action. Through mutual aid, seed-saving, community-owned energy, community safety plans, and more. It includes a range of ideas to enable readers to apply these strategies in their own communities.
I found it interesting to read about Heather Rosenberg, who has been within the field of sustainable and resilient infrastructure for twenty years. She describes America as a country built upon an ethos of dominating nature. For example, the Los Angeles river project is dominated by concrete, which is out of harmony with nature.
Heather also makes an important statement - that so called natural disasters and social injustices are not two different sets of issues. She explains how despite the threat of natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires and floods, the biggest killer in LA is actually heat. Due to the huge racial and income disparity in this area, and because many are denied proper housing or working conditions, natural disasters and social injustices are in fact just one set of issues.
There are many other contributors to this book I could mention, but I think it's best to read and explore for yourselves. It's a deep and interesting read, but it's definitely for someone with a strong interest and a will to go into detail and look into this issue with determination. It's not a book for a reader who wants a short read or a simple answer.
I really enjoyed reading this book one interview at a time, and whilst I don't live in a community I can take these ideas back to, it's certainly an amazing resource for anyone who wants to do just this.
I was sent a preview copy of this book by NetGalley for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
This essay collection is unlike any others I’ve read. Kylie Flanagan writes beautiful personal introductions of each essayist before passing it over to a conversation between them. The addition of research questions, journal prompts, where to volunteer and how to financially support elevate these essays from informational to educational (and I would say there is a difference between the two). In addition, there is a wide range of issues being looked at, from wildfires to soil health to access to good food and clean water to seed keeping to alternatives to fossil fuel, and many, many more. And just as wide a range of voices speaking about those issues. These essays are by the people working on the ground to mitigate climate disasters and build up resilience into their environments. And the organizations mentioned are by the people as well. Overall, I have learned a lot from this book and have a huge list of organizations and issues I want to continue to learn about. While there’s a lot of topics (39 essays!) packed in here, every part of this collection feels accessible, understandable, and hopeful.
I listened to this book through Libby in Audiobook format. The readers covered a cross section of people and cultures, and though one or two were annoying to my personal taste, it was a positive experience.
Pros: MASSIVE amount of information from a multitude of viewpoints. Some were redundant, some were a bit weepy or dramatic or mournful or extreme, but as a whole these essays covered a ton of ground.
Cons: Some of the accounts were rather vitrolic., and I could absolutely see some of those 'do better' attitudes turning off and turning away people on the fence about what 'side' to join. Friends and future teammates aren't made by insulting someone who doesn't know any better.
All in all, you don't know what you don't know, and these essays help open the world of social, political, and physical activism a bit more.
Would recommend to anyone who feels alone, scared, and in need of direction due to the current state of the world.
Really great. Like All We Can Save but far more radical. I liked Flanagan's use of "so-called" in front of "United States" and other place names on Turtle Island to denote that this entire continent was stolen. Good organizing stories and organizing strategies are highlighted, particularly relating to mutual aid, cooperative ownership, and inside/outside strategy. I disliked how some of the intros of the 39 folks read like LinkedIn profiles. I also disliked how Flanagan qualified capitalism with the adjective "growth-at-all-costs." Capitalism, by its very nature, means endless growth. So any adjective (e.g., growth-at-all-costs, late-stage, runaway, etc.) is redundant and detracts from the fact that capitalism is killing us all. Overall, this is an incredible read and one of the first books I'd recommend on climate and organizing.
Climate Resilience is a book about the never ending condition of climate change, what we can do about it, and it's many followers. Written by 12 various women authors, this book offers hope and sheds light on a subject that is hard to understand. What is climate change, and more importantly how does it effect us? The book offers insight and understanding from 12 different perspectives, and tells us the great importance of climate change in our daily lives.Well written, this is a book well reccommended for all, especially students of climate change.
This book is a great example of writing for the current American's attention span. Short essays are separated guides for action that relate to the essay. There is a good deal of diversity in topics and approaches that I appreciate. Most of all, it does fulfil the promise of being HOPEFUL. This is great for all generations to read and be inspired to take action. A change of thinking can cause a change in action. Thanks so much for the ARC!
Good read but would have liked to seen more about the Black experience and climate. She also refers to nature as the “more than human world” which I understand the sentiment but feel is a bit out of touch considering the fact that we’re still fighting for Black people to be granted basic human rights everyday. There was a time when Black people were legally counted as less than human and the ramifications of that law still echo in society to this day.
I honestly found this book very humbling. I love that it specifically centres BIPOC and queer voices, but beyond that the quality of the essays is pretty exceptional. I hope many people come to read this book and that it gets the attention it deserves.
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and these are my honest opinions.
Received a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway. An interesting compilation of brief essays/profiles/interviews on a number of climate activists doing awesome work. I really appreciate the interconnected perspectives aiming to keep climate activism inclusive & accessible, and the large number of specific, actionable steps each activist invites readers to take.
Is it possible to give a book more than 5 stars??? LOVED this so so much. Each chapter is a condensed, narrative version of an interview with a different climate activist, all doing a wide range of work and with an immense amount of wisdom and ideas to offer. I was definitely inspired by several of the calls to action. Couldn't recommend this book more highly.
This book helped change my perspective to see what I can help to achieve in my community regarding climate change and community resilience amid a changing world. It was a bit hard to get into but can be really helpful to review on a daily or weekly basis to just shift your perspective to what is possible and what organizers have already started.
Centering climate leadership and action that is rooted in land, community, and care, Climate Resilience: How We Keep Each Other Safe, Care for Our Communities, and Fight Back Against Climate Change by Kylie Flanagan is an invitation for readers to engage thoughtfully in building local climate resilience.
Great book! Loved hearing perspectives of people already affected by climate change and who are doing the work in their local communities. If we want to actually mitigate climate change and reverse what we can then these voices are who will need to lead the fight. Thank you for such a beautiful book!
A completely different perspective on how to approach climate change. systematic greenwashing being practiced by white male dominated corporations and govt organizations is not going to be our salvation
I absolutely love this book. Such a great read and helped me learn so much and really question the things I see around me. Definitely recommend for everyone no matter how your involved in Climate Action!
my march book club read and I really enjoyed the diverse and expansive perspectives on what climate resilience is and how we can achieve it. great discussion on male approaches to the climate crises (efficiency and technology) vs more feminine approaches which center on community care.