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The Case for Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis
A call for the Left and Right -- the business community and environmentalists, bankers and activists -- to join together, reclaim capitalism, and force profits to align with the planet
A warming climate and a general distrust of Wall Street has opened a new cultural divide: anti-market critics from Naomi Klein to the Pope target capitalism itself as a root cause of climate change, while neoconservatives who diminish the climate threat are in favor of market fundamentalism.
Rand argues that both sides in this emerging cultural war are ill-equipped to provide solutions to the climate crisis, and each is remarkably na�ve in their view of capitalism. On one hand, we cannot possibly transition off fossil fuels without the financial might and entrepreneurial talent market forces alone can unlock. On the other, without radical changes to the way markets operate, capitalism will take us right off the climate cliff.
Rejecting the old Left/Right ideologies, Rand develops a more pragmatic view capable of delivering practical solutions to this critical problem. A renewed capitalism harnessed to the task is the only way we might replace fossil fuels fast enough to mitigate severe climate risk. If we leave our dogma at the door, Rand argues, we might just build an economy that survives the century.
A warming climate and a general distrust of Wall Street has opened a new cultural divide: anti-market critics from Naomi Klein to the Pope target capitalism itself as a root cause of climate change, while neoconservatives who diminish the climate threat are in favor of market fundamentalism.
Rand argues that both sides in this emerging cultural war are ill-equipped to provide solutions to the climate crisis, and each is remarkably na�ve in their view of capitalism. On one hand, we cannot possibly transition off fossil fuels without the financial might and entrepreneurial talent market forces alone can unlock. On the other, without radical changes to the way markets operate, capitalism will take us right off the climate cliff.
Rejecting the old Left/Right ideologies, Rand develops a more pragmatic view capable of delivering practical solutions to this critical problem. A renewed capitalism harnessed to the task is the only way we might replace fossil fuels fast enough to mitigate severe climate risk. If we leave our dogma at the door, Rand argues, we might just build an economy that survives the century.
270 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2020
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August 29, 2020
The Case for Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis, by Canadian hedge-fund manager Tom Rand, is a book chronicling the centrist perspective on how to combat climate change. Rand is dismissive of any neoconservative or "far left" ideology, whether it be laissez-farie conservatives or anti-capitalist leftists. This book instead explores a centrists perspective on the most successful routes to combat climate change and ensure human survival on planet Earth. Rand is no alarmist, but notes with severity that business as usual will cause human civilization to buckle or collapse. He advocates that something needs to be done, and immediately, to tackle this global issue. As for climate change deniers, he calls them loony libertarians and has no time for them - they should have no say in the debate. Rand is sympathetic but also critical to some of the far-left or alternative perspectives to climate change and capitalism, and particularly targets Naomi Klein and Pope Francis - two key players in anti-capitalist environmental discourse. While there environmental discourse is critically important, Rand thinks their solutions are not realistic.
Rand argues for Capitalism as the main driving force behind humans combating climate change and reducing our impact to the 1.5 degrees Celsius sweet spot - even though Rand does not think that we will be able to get there. In stead, Rand projects 2-3 degrees Celsius as the probable outcome regardless of which tools we choose to combat climate change. Rand is optimistic about technology, but does not believe in techno-optimism itself; technology will solve some problems for sure, but regulatory changes are the most important. This is where Rand's viewpoint is interesting; he argues that market driven solutions are key not because they will be the most successful, but because they are the most plausible to be able to implement. Capitalism is the current global system of commerce and all societies, from the democratic world, to autocratic Russia, to Communist China, to the poorest places on Earth, all engage with Capitalism as the main form of economic interaction. Changing this is possible and may even be desirable, but could take decades if not more than a century. This is not enough time for humans to remain within the boundaries of safe average temperatures. Therefore, the solutions we need reside within the systems we have right now. Massive social unrest would follow in many countries if the system of economic-social interaction was changed, and this would delay any climate initiatives to the back-burner as humans focus on the immediate issues of political stability and the like. To tackle climate change, global solutions are needed, and these will probably come from existing systems of finance and economic thought - venture capital, government investment and regulation, tax policy and the like, all with the aim of influencing the market to reduce its carbon impact and adopt clean technology for energy creation.
The main tools Rand argues for are as follows. First, the mentality of corporate leaders needs to change to ensure they invest in green initiatives. This would come from regulatory change such as carbon pricing and tax policy, the most conservative forms of change. Green technology and reducing carbon need to have incentives to ensure those who are skeptical remain in the picture, because many of those people only care about a good investment. The rest, those who truly believe climate change is not an issue and actively seek to disrupt it, can be coerced through tax regulations. Carbon pricing should remain revenue neutral (instead of revenue positive) for the government, to ensure right wing parties cannot gain support for its removal. It's easy to target a tax change that increases government revenues if a party is anti-government, but harder if those tax changes offset other taxes. Second, Rand argues for increased capital for R&D, both from venture capitalists and government investors. Rand believes in picking winners, and opening up more funds for green investments, including the creation of green bonds, banks specifically set up for green initiatives, and the like. Quoting Milton Friedman, he argues that governments need to step in to address market externalities such as pollution, and therefore have the right and are responsible to address issues of pollution and climate change. Third, Rand looks at intergovernmental relations. Canada has issues in terms of the way provinces and the federal government interact - similar issues exist in all localities globally. To reduce time wasting over intergovernmental haggling and power politics, agreements need to be built around the issue of climate change that smooths out the regulatory pathway to making changes and building solid policy and solutions. This is a complex topic, but is crucial to combat climate change - look at the issues surrounding Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his scrapping of the carbon tax in this province - a hugely costly mistake for him as this was a revenue generating initiative that economists stated would increase revenues and reduce taxes for Ontario citizens, and all for political reasons. These sort of short term decisions should not be possible, as they damage all citizens in a locality, and indeed globally, for petty short term political gains.
This was a fascinating book. Rand believes we need to be on a war footing to tackle climate change, and therefore make use of the systems we have to combat this issue. Rand has no time for Utopian schemes and ignorant libertarians - time is of the essence and these considerations are too costly. I enjoyed this book immensely, even if not quite agreeing with his ideological standpoint. I believe capitalism and unfettered growth go hand in hand, and to change one, we must change the other. Even so, this is nuanced and intelligent argument for Capitalism to be a major part of combating climate change, and it is persuasive, well argued, and interesting. A good bit of discourse, and not to be missed if one wants to read up on markets and the environment, and how they interact.
Rand argues for Capitalism as the main driving force behind humans combating climate change and reducing our impact to the 1.5 degrees Celsius sweet spot - even though Rand does not think that we will be able to get there. In stead, Rand projects 2-3 degrees Celsius as the probable outcome regardless of which tools we choose to combat climate change. Rand is optimistic about technology, but does not believe in techno-optimism itself; technology will solve some problems for sure, but regulatory changes are the most important. This is where Rand's viewpoint is interesting; he argues that market driven solutions are key not because they will be the most successful, but because they are the most plausible to be able to implement. Capitalism is the current global system of commerce and all societies, from the democratic world, to autocratic Russia, to Communist China, to the poorest places on Earth, all engage with Capitalism as the main form of economic interaction. Changing this is possible and may even be desirable, but could take decades if not more than a century. This is not enough time for humans to remain within the boundaries of safe average temperatures. Therefore, the solutions we need reside within the systems we have right now. Massive social unrest would follow in many countries if the system of economic-social interaction was changed, and this would delay any climate initiatives to the back-burner as humans focus on the immediate issues of political stability and the like. To tackle climate change, global solutions are needed, and these will probably come from existing systems of finance and economic thought - venture capital, government investment and regulation, tax policy and the like, all with the aim of influencing the market to reduce its carbon impact and adopt clean technology for energy creation.
The main tools Rand argues for are as follows. First, the mentality of corporate leaders needs to change to ensure they invest in green initiatives. This would come from regulatory change such as carbon pricing and tax policy, the most conservative forms of change. Green technology and reducing carbon need to have incentives to ensure those who are skeptical remain in the picture, because many of those people only care about a good investment. The rest, those who truly believe climate change is not an issue and actively seek to disrupt it, can be coerced through tax regulations. Carbon pricing should remain revenue neutral (instead of revenue positive) for the government, to ensure right wing parties cannot gain support for its removal. It's easy to target a tax change that increases government revenues if a party is anti-government, but harder if those tax changes offset other taxes. Second, Rand argues for increased capital for R&D, both from venture capitalists and government investors. Rand believes in picking winners, and opening up more funds for green investments, including the creation of green bonds, banks specifically set up for green initiatives, and the like. Quoting Milton Friedman, he argues that governments need to step in to address market externalities such as pollution, and therefore have the right and are responsible to address issues of pollution and climate change. Third, Rand looks at intergovernmental relations. Canada has issues in terms of the way provinces and the federal government interact - similar issues exist in all localities globally. To reduce time wasting over intergovernmental haggling and power politics, agreements need to be built around the issue of climate change that smooths out the regulatory pathway to making changes and building solid policy and solutions. This is a complex topic, but is crucial to combat climate change - look at the issues surrounding Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his scrapping of the carbon tax in this province - a hugely costly mistake for him as this was a revenue generating initiative that economists stated would increase revenues and reduce taxes for Ontario citizens, and all for political reasons. These sort of short term decisions should not be possible, as they damage all citizens in a locality, and indeed globally, for petty short term political gains.
This was a fascinating book. Rand believes we need to be on a war footing to tackle climate change, and therefore make use of the systems we have to combat this issue. Rand has no time for Utopian schemes and ignorant libertarians - time is of the essence and these considerations are too costly. I enjoyed this book immensely, even if not quite agreeing with his ideological standpoint. I believe capitalism and unfettered growth go hand in hand, and to change one, we must change the other. Even so, this is nuanced and intelligent argument for Capitalism to be a major part of combating climate change, and it is persuasive, well argued, and interesting. A good bit of discourse, and not to be missed if one wants to read up on markets and the environment, and how they interact.
December 17, 2020
It was good, but pretty dry.
Was hoping for a more interesting read.
2.8/5
Was hoping for a more interesting read.
2.8/5
January 19, 2021
Not to say that it is bad, but I did not enjoy reading this book. And there is a very simple reason for that: it is not written for a reader like me – someone who is already convinced in the seriousness of climate change, who is familiar with the issue to some extent, and who is rather critical of capitalism as is.
This book is, in my humble opinion, intended for a right-wing audience who may be skeptical about how real or important climate change is and is certain in the virtue of the free market. For such a reader it offers indeed a convincing case for why we should take environmental degradation and climate change seriously and why we should encourage both policy-makers and the private sectors to take decisive action to counteract them. Perhaps this book would also not be a bad place to start for someone not too familiar with the issue of climate change, as it offers an introduction to the topic and the main players within it.
Personally, I appreciated the mapping of the current landscape of environmental (and anti-environmental) work that is being undertaken worldwide, as well as the impacts of various political processes on said work. I also do not disagree with the main argument being made: that the urgency of climate change requires that we focus on preventing a climate catastrophe over pausing to rethink our entire economic system first. I also found the proposals for how to reform the WTO quite interesting and probably something I would like to explore further in future. However, “the case for climate capitalism”, if not limited in time until decisive action to limit climate change is taken, feels more like a right-wing appeasement rather than an actual case for any kind of capitalism in the long run. The book both acknowledges many flaws of capitalism and rightly points at flaws in current “mainstream” anti-capitalist thought; however, it reconciles these by proposing a capitalism that is not capitalist, one reliant on government interventions, protectionist measures, and private sector restraint. Not that I am opposed to these proposals personally but to call them capitalism in whatever repackaged form does not seem convincing at all. Further, despite the interesting discussion of the potential impact of new technologies on slowing down or even reversing climate change and the importance of policy to advance said technologies into the mainstream, I was disappointed by the heavy emphasis on carbon taxing – something that is far from accepted as the most successful strategy in restricting climate change in development academia.
But then again, this is not intended as a contribution to the academic discussion of climate change and most effective strategies to prevent it; this is intended to sell as many copies as possible and possibly (hopefully!) change the minds of a few non-believers with the right to vote, both with their ballots and with their dollars.
This book is, in my humble opinion, intended for a right-wing audience who may be skeptical about how real or important climate change is and is certain in the virtue of the free market. For such a reader it offers indeed a convincing case for why we should take environmental degradation and climate change seriously and why we should encourage both policy-makers and the private sectors to take decisive action to counteract them. Perhaps this book would also not be a bad place to start for someone not too familiar with the issue of climate change, as it offers an introduction to the topic and the main players within it.
Personally, I appreciated the mapping of the current landscape of environmental (and anti-environmental) work that is being undertaken worldwide, as well as the impacts of various political processes on said work. I also do not disagree with the main argument being made: that the urgency of climate change requires that we focus on preventing a climate catastrophe over pausing to rethink our entire economic system first. I also found the proposals for how to reform the WTO quite interesting and probably something I would like to explore further in future. However, “the case for climate capitalism”, if not limited in time until decisive action to limit climate change is taken, feels more like a right-wing appeasement rather than an actual case for any kind of capitalism in the long run. The book both acknowledges many flaws of capitalism and rightly points at flaws in current “mainstream” anti-capitalist thought; however, it reconciles these by proposing a capitalism that is not capitalist, one reliant on government interventions, protectionist measures, and private sector restraint. Not that I am opposed to these proposals personally but to call them capitalism in whatever repackaged form does not seem convincing at all. Further, despite the interesting discussion of the potential impact of new technologies on slowing down or even reversing climate change and the importance of policy to advance said technologies into the mainstream, I was disappointed by the heavy emphasis on carbon taxing – something that is far from accepted as the most successful strategy in restricting climate change in development academia.
But then again, this is not intended as a contribution to the academic discussion of climate change and most effective strategies to prevent it; this is intended to sell as many copies as possible and possibly (hopefully!) change the minds of a few non-believers with the right to vote, both with their ballots and with their dollars.
October 23, 2019
This is one perspective, and I'm not smart enough or well-enough informed to argue with it. The info is well presented and clear and there's a lot to digest. It seems like the author has realistic and reasonable ideas, although I'm sure some will find flaws. Unfortunately, I'm pretty confident things won't turn out as predicted here (because predict the future), but I'd still recommended this. Readers are bound to learn some things along the way. This is such a vital topic, this book should be one of the books those interested in the topic should read.
I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!
I really appreciate the NetGalley advanced copy for review!!
August 18, 2022
Eye opening.
March 2, 2020
***I was granted an ARC of this via Netgalley from the publisher.***
Climate change is going to be a real problem in the future, and we have to find solutions for it now or face the consequence of inaction in the future. The book, The Case of Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for the Climate Crisis written by Tom Rand presents one way that we can reach a solution. His view is that a purely ideological political solution will take too long or be impossible to meet the challenges of climate change. Instead, a more centrist solution is needed where capitalism is revolutionized to meet the climate threat head-on. Using market forces and some government intervention we can move to a place where our economies put a premium on reducing carbon emission. Some solutions include carbon pricing, flex-reg, a green bank, green bonds structured in a way that the cost of losses to the government is low, providing investors with climate change risk assessment or their investment, linking corporate bonuses to carbon emissions reduction and much more. The author doesn’t paint a rosy picture where these changes will be easy or won’t fly in the faces of peoples held beliefs. But with climate change such a pressing issue and the current measures lackluster, can we afford the alternative of not being radical enough? (the changes proposed aren’t actually all that radical but to some, they maybe) The author does a good job of convincing the reader the answer is a resounding no.
Rating: 4/5 stars. Would recommend to a friend.
Climate change is going to be a real problem in the future, and we have to find solutions for it now or face the consequence of inaction in the future. The book, The Case of Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for the Climate Crisis written by Tom Rand presents one way that we can reach a solution. His view is that a purely ideological political solution will take too long or be impossible to meet the challenges of climate change. Instead, a more centrist solution is needed where capitalism is revolutionized to meet the climate threat head-on. Using market forces and some government intervention we can move to a place where our economies put a premium on reducing carbon emission. Some solutions include carbon pricing, flex-reg, a green bank, green bonds structured in a way that the cost of losses to the government is low, providing investors with climate change risk assessment or their investment, linking corporate bonuses to carbon emissions reduction and much more. The author doesn’t paint a rosy picture where these changes will be easy or won’t fly in the faces of peoples held beliefs. But with climate change such a pressing issue and the current measures lackluster, can we afford the alternative of not being radical enough? (the changes proposed aren’t actually all that radical but to some, they maybe) The author does a good job of convincing the reader the answer is a resounding no.
Rating: 4/5 stars. Would recommend to a friend.
March 6, 2024
Tom Rand proposes what he calls a centric approach to mitigating the climate disruption ahead, based on finding the appropriate balance between public intervention and free-market economics. The book will not please everyone but I believe that it is very useful to most people interested in systemic solutions to the climate crisis. While I don't find all proposals mentioned in the book to be convincing, I do agree with Rand's statement that we won't be able to disrupt the whole system in one go and therefore must start by using already existing mechanisms. Such enormous improvements to the current state can be achieved by that alone. If Rand is to be believed, Canada is still fighting neoliberal extremism in the big corporations. In northern Europe, many of the proposals in the book should be far easier to implement.
A few disclaimers are warranted for this book. It contains quite some economic jargon, making it less digestible to the average person, especially if simultaneously on the left side of the political spectrum. It assumes quite a lot of neoclassical economic doctrine to be obvious, making it less digestible to the average European, where Rand's centric approach (in their own view) would fit firmly to the right side of the spectrum. It is also surprisingly Canada-centric which may feel alienating to some, while others (like myself) might find it simply educative.
A few disclaimers are warranted for this book. It contains quite some economic jargon, making it less digestible to the average person, especially if simultaneously on the left side of the political spectrum. It assumes quite a lot of neoclassical economic doctrine to be obvious, making it less digestible to the average European, where Rand's centric approach (in their own view) would fit firmly to the right side of the spectrum. It is also surprisingly Canada-centric which may feel alienating to some, while others (like myself) might find it simply educative.
April 22, 2022
This book has a slow beginning and goes off the rails a bit at the end. There are fascinating theories and ideas in between. I’m also pleased to report it’s a bit dated and progress has been made in the two years since it was originally published. Which is not to say ‘mission accomplished,’ but that things are less bleak than they were.
There are lots of fascinating ideas, innovations, and theories in here. Some brilliant discussions of how to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings. There is also a couple bizarre interpretations of climate science and climate projections, especially towards the end. Overall, the good outweighs the bad.
If you consider capitalism the scourge of the Earth and the greatest evil set forth of humanity, you will probably hate this book. But, as Rand points out, capitalism is the system we currently live in and it is unlikely to be destroyed and replaced in our lifetimes. So why not use it to prevent a worsening climate crisis?
There are lots of fascinating ideas, innovations, and theories in here. Some brilliant discussions of how to increase energy efficiency in commercial buildings. There is also a couple bizarre interpretations of climate science and climate projections, especially towards the end. Overall, the good outweighs the bad.
If you consider capitalism the scourge of the Earth and the greatest evil set forth of humanity, you will probably hate this book. But, as Rand points out, capitalism is the system we currently live in and it is unlikely to be destroyed and replaced in our lifetimes. So why not use it to prevent a worsening climate crisis?
April 22, 2020
‘The Case for Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis,’ hits the mark dead centre. Wow! I could not so much as quibble with any of the author's many conclusions or ideas.
The book is an excellent energy and cleantech roadmap for Canada. I have watched Tom Rand debate Ken Green (and others) on CBC TV interviews, and he does well given sound-bites-only-please time constraints. Through this book, Tom Rand gets the time and space to make his thoughtful points across in a cohesive, all-encompassing fashion. Thank you, Tom!
As well as covering the gamut of opinions on how to address climate change, Tom seeks the centrist position, the one where hopefully the majority of Canadians can see themselves supporting, the one that is most likely to suceed.
On this the 50th Earth Day, we need to get behind this books climate capitalism plan and make it happen!
The book is an excellent energy and cleantech roadmap for Canada. I have watched Tom Rand debate Ken Green (and others) on CBC TV interviews, and he does well given sound-bites-only-please time constraints. Through this book, Tom Rand gets the time and space to make his thoughtful points across in a cohesive, all-encompassing fashion. Thank you, Tom!
As well as covering the gamut of opinions on how to address climate change, Tom seeks the centrist position, the one where hopefully the majority of Canadians can see themselves supporting, the one that is most likely to suceed.
On this the 50th Earth Day, we need to get behind this books climate capitalism plan and make it happen!
April 10, 2021
This book starts off with a chapter that sets up Naomi Klein and Pope Francis as a cartoon of the left. As a result, the first chapter is a rant against his version of the left. He seems to want action to address climate change to be an economic project and dismisses any social elements. The truth is that all change - even that which addresses CO2 reductions - is social change. The resistance to climate action is driven by a desire to prevent change.
I will give the author credit that most of the book does a largely respectable job of addressing the mechanics (technical and financial) of reducing CO2 emissions.
It is unfortunate that the author chose to attack those folks addressing the social and political aspects of addressing climate change and want it just to be a technical issue.
In our world, there is no such thing as a purely technical issue.
I will give the author credit that most of the book does a largely respectable job of addressing the mechanics (technical and financial) of reducing CO2 emissions.
It is unfortunate that the author chose to attack those folks addressing the social and political aspects of addressing climate change and want it just to be a technical issue.
In our world, there is no such thing as a purely technical issue.
March 7, 2021
So, I agreed with a lot of what this book wanted to say, so of course I found it very persuasive. Sadly, that almost means that I'm very depressed, because it's so unlikely that what he proposes will be done, so we are all doomed.
On the other hand, he named his son "Rupert" so what does he know? I can only assume he's a bit Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but even Oz would have been a better name.
Rand covers how the scientific case for climate change is pretty much a done deal, so the real question we need to ask is how do we deal with it? And he makes the point that we are now at the desperation stage -- we need to basically do EVERYTHING. And reinventing society is probably not the fastest first step, so let's not ditch capitalism but instead use it.
On the other hand, he named his son "Rupert" so what does he know? I can only assume he's a bit Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but even Oz would have been a better name.
Rand covers how the scientific case for climate change is pretty much a done deal, so the real question we need to ask is how do we deal with it? And he makes the point that we are now at the desperation stage -- we need to basically do EVERYTHING. And reinventing society is probably not the fastest first step, so let's not ditch capitalism but instead use it.
April 26, 2021
Rand does an excellent job of mapping out the current state of affairs, identifying the various tribes and their positions on the problem of climate change. His basic premise is that we need to sacrifice efficiency for effectiveness in the name of expediency, and use every tool at our disposal (carbon tax, regulations, green bonds/banks, public funding for large scale projects) in order to even have a chance of successfully averting a catastrophic disruption to human civilization. I'm on board, but what I wish the book had included was a list of steps for the average person to follow in order bring about the sort of changes we need. Definitely worth the read.
September 10, 2021
Not bad, but feels padded - the general ideas could probably be written in a pamphlet. The general ideas: 1) trying to change an economic system and the climate may be too much at once; 2) the free market has rules and is unnatural, and tweaking these rules (like by pricing negative externalities) would help; 3) pension funds, looking more long-term than most other bankers and investors, might do a great deal to help.
Other than that, the book isn't bad - sometimes feels like the author has axes to grind. Also, very Canadian.
Other than that, the book isn't bad - sometimes feels like the author has axes to grind. Also, very Canadian.
January 8, 2022
Hated the intro that bashes Naomi Klein so intensely. Otherwise, i really like the thesis of the book, which I thought was surprisingly middle grounded. The author didn't shy away from criticizing capitalism and proposes in which ways it could still contribute to addressing the climate emergency. As a big believer of 'we need a bit of everything', this was a take on capitalism I can get behind. Would encourage reading alongside other books that propose other solutions that break with capitalism more intensely!
May 13, 2020
This book needs to be read and implemented by everyone. As we all feel helpless in the face of climate disruption, Rand suggests some pragmatic solutions for us to follow. His prose is energetic and his analogies are really helpful. One can easily feel defeated but this book gave me hope. My only criticism is that it is written for a Canadian audience; whereas most of the solutions are global and should be read and applied more broadly.
August 22, 2020
Rand makes a lot of fantastic points in this book, but jeez, is it dry. His book is very pragmatic, which is great when trying to come up with actual solutions to the climate crisis. It doesn't make for an exciting read, though. If you're a centrist or modern Democrat, I think you'd enjoy giving this a read. However, for someone on the left, it's really depressing to read about these small improvements we can make while placating the Dems and Republicans.
March 18, 2021
Started out with a very good survey of where we are now but ultimately was unsatisfying in it's conclusion. In order to make a clear economic argument, there needs to be an effective price on carbon. That really wasn't explored enough. There was an insightful exploration of why the WTO needs to take a leadership role but really didn't explore how to actually make that happen.
August 23, 2020
Utterly brilliant. Rand is logical, pragmatic and centrist in his climate disruption fix-all! A must-read for anyone interested in the environment, sustainability or the ongoing viability of our species. Thank you Tom!
February 21, 2022
This book seemed like it was just a flag bearer for a carbon tax for 200 pages. But the latter half really got into the how and why of a shifting capitalist system. Tom Rand is critical of lots, but presents a pretty coherent path for a different status quo.
Read
December 18, 2023i only read about 40 pages but want to log this since it did make me think about ways i could improve my community from an environmental standpoint. my business school teachers always said businesses are the quickest fix for climate disruption. maybe its true idk but the book seems to agree.
September 28, 2021
Check out our Books in 5 review of The Case For Climate Capitalism!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLPNq...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLPNq...
December 29, 2023
This book presents practical and timely solutions for the climate crisis. Rand prioritizes feasibility, both economically and environmentally.
My ideology aligns most closely with that of Klein’s, as detailed and refuted in this book. I appreciate how fiercely non-ideological this book remains. Rand presents problems and solutions without “picking sides,” which impresses me. The author does so while also being emotionally invested in the climate’s future. As a deeply opinionated environmental scientist, I applaud his presentation in this book.
My background is not in economics, but I feel I have a workable understanding of the topics presented in this book. The author maintains accessibility in that field while also sharing technical knowledge. I would think the environmental information is similarly accessible, but as someone with background in the field, it’s harder for me to judge.
I recommend this book to anyone in position to make decisions regarding these issues, which includes federal representatives, local government leaders, and even homeowners. People with climate anxiety can gather a lot of practical information from this book. Highly recommend.
My ideology aligns most closely with that of Klein’s, as detailed and refuted in this book. I appreciate how fiercely non-ideological this book remains. Rand presents problems and solutions without “picking sides,” which impresses me. The author does so while also being emotionally invested in the climate’s future. As a deeply opinionated environmental scientist, I applaud his presentation in this book.
My background is not in economics, but I feel I have a workable understanding of the topics presented in this book. The author maintains accessibility in that field while also sharing technical knowledge. I would think the environmental information is similarly accessible, but as someone with background in the field, it’s harder for me to judge.
I recommend this book to anyone in position to make decisions regarding these issues, which includes federal representatives, local government leaders, and even homeowners. People with climate anxiety can gather a lot of practical information from this book. Highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews