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Saving Us: A Climate Scientist's Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
“A must-read if we’re serious about enacting positive change from the ground up, in communities, and through human connections and human emotions.” —Margaret Atwood, Twitter
United Nations Champion of the Earth, climate scientist, and evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe changes the debate on how we can save our future.
Called “one of the nation's most effective communicators on climate change” by The New York Times, Katharine Hayhoe knows how to navigate all sides of the conversation on our changing planet. A Canadian climate scientist living in Texas, she negotiates distrust of data, indifference to imminent threats, and resistance to proposed solutions with ease. Over the past fifteen years, Hayhoe has found that the most important thing we can do to address climate change is talk about it—and she wants to teach you how.
In Saving Us, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. This is not another doomsday narrative about a planet on fire. It is a multilayered look at science, faith, and human psychology, from an icon in her field—recently named chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
Drawing on interdisciplinary research and personal stories, Hayhoe shows that small conversations can have astonishing results. Saving Us leaves us with the tools to open a dialogue with loved ones about how we all can play a role in pushing forward for change.
United Nations Champion of the Earth, climate scientist, and evangelical Christian Katharine Hayhoe changes the debate on how we can save our future.
Called “one of the nation's most effective communicators on climate change” by The New York Times, Katharine Hayhoe knows how to navigate all sides of the conversation on our changing planet. A Canadian climate scientist living in Texas, she negotiates distrust of data, indifference to imminent threats, and resistance to proposed solutions with ease. Over the past fifteen years, Hayhoe has found that the most important thing we can do to address climate change is talk about it—and she wants to teach you how.
In Saving Us, Hayhoe argues that when it comes to changing hearts and minds, facts are only one part of the equation. We need to find shared values in order to connect our unique identities to collective action. This is not another doomsday narrative about a planet on fire. It is a multilayered look at science, faith, and human psychology, from an icon in her field—recently named chief scientist at The Nature Conservancy.
Drawing on interdisciplinary research and personal stories, Hayhoe shows that small conversations can have astonishing results. Saving Us leaves us with the tools to open a dialogue with loved ones about how we all can play a role in pushing forward for change.
308 pages, Hardcover
First published September 21, 2021
544 people are currently reading
6916 people want to read
About the author
Katharine Hayhoe
10 books119 followersKatharine Hayhoe is a climate scientist who studies what climate change means for us here and now, in the places where we live and ways that matter to us, and how our choices will determine our future.
She is the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a distinguished professor at Texas Tech University, and serves as climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance. Katharine hosts and produces the PBS Digital Series, Global Weirding, and has received a number of recognitions, from making the TIME 100 list to being named United Nations Champion of the Earth in Science and Innovation.
As a world-class climate scientist and a Christian, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe may defy some stereotypes about the politics of religion and science. But defying stereotypes invites inquiry, which can lead to communication, even learning. It creates opportunity for thinking deeply about, and aligning, what we value and what we do. Climate change is a huge issue, and it’s one where our engagement is critical. That’s why her work is so fascinating: in part because it’s about climate change--but even more, because it's about us.
She is the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy and a distinguished professor at Texas Tech University, and serves as climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance. Katharine hosts and produces the PBS Digital Series, Global Weirding, and has received a number of recognitions, from making the TIME 100 list to being named United Nations Champion of the Earth in Science and Innovation.
As a world-class climate scientist and a Christian, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe may defy some stereotypes about the politics of religion and science. But defying stereotypes invites inquiry, which can lead to communication, even learning. It creates opportunity for thinking deeply about, and aligning, what we value and what we do. Climate change is a huge issue, and it’s one where our engagement is critical. That’s why her work is so fascinating: in part because it’s about climate change--but even more, because it's about us.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 468 reviews
July 30, 2021
This book is essential. It's deceptively simple - so clear and breezy that you really have to focus to notice how much knowledge and work goes into this kind of artful climate communication. A lot of nonfiction authors spend time telling you they're smart, but a real genius communicator makes you feel like they're having a real one-on-one conversation with you. So this book is a breath of fresh air AND has interesting psychological studies AND there are anecdotes that I can't get out of my head.
August 4, 2022
Before this was a book, there was a Ted Talk that can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BvcT...
The author of this book, Katerine Hayhoe is an climate scientist that lives and works in Texas. She's authored a lot of peer-reviewed articles, and has worked on many reports dealing with climate, but she isn't an ivory tower scientist because she has also done a lot of work in communicating science to the public for example through the web series Global Weirding that can be found on youtube. (For those that are interested it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/GlobalWeird...)
Even though she has a lot of knowledge about climate change, this book isn't strictly speaking about that. It goes into the climate science, the evidence for why this is really happening, what can be done, and what is being done. But most of the time is spent on the subject of talking about climate change, and she has done a lot of that. What she is trying to show with this is how to talk about this divisive, but important subject, and to show that she uses her own experience, and evidence from research into the subject.
I found this fascinating read, and I'm going to read it again soon. Some of this was rather surprising, like the fact that according to one research there aren't actually two groups of people, those that accept the science, and climate deniers. It often feels like there are only two, and I suppose that is because it makes the distinction of us vs. them so much easier. But like in most things, it's not that simple. According to this study there are actually six groups of people that range from The Alarmed (who think are convinced climate change is real and serious,) and to the other side where there are The Dismissive (who reject the idea of human caused climate change). It is a spectrum.
What I found most interesting about this is that only 7% of the people that fall into the group of The Dismissive, but that group seems to be rather stable, not getting larger, but not getting smaller either. Of course, here is one of the problem with this book. It is aimed at people in the USA. This research was done in the USA, and most of the book centres around that country. It would have been interesting to see what the numbers are for this spectrum in other countries. Even despite minor things like that, I think this book is a very good starting point to try to figure out how to talk about this important issue. We do need to talk about it, simply because this "problem" really won't go away by ignoring it.
Anyway, back to the book. It is a well written book. Katherine Hayhoe is a good writer, and she can do something that not all scientist are able to do, which is to communicate the science, they know so well, in a simple enough terms for the general public. This book isn't the only proof for that, her Climate Weirding series is another. Still, just to be clear, in this book she doesn't shy away from the fact that we are on a dangerous path. She just talks more about the things that are being done, and what can be done, rather then the things that should have been done already. It is not a book about regret, but rather about solutions.
I think that is more sensible approach, because we are here. We can't go back to the 80's or 90's when we should have started to change course, so we have to deal with the situation as it is now. And that means talking about this stuff, probably even to the Dismissive because despite the fact that they are unlikely to change their stance, it can still have some benefits, and she shows examples of that. Yeah, I'm definitely reading this again, or actually listen to it. I listened to the audiobook that the author read quite well actually.
The author of this book, Katerine Hayhoe is an climate scientist that lives and works in Texas. She's authored a lot of peer-reviewed articles, and has worked on many reports dealing with climate, but she isn't an ivory tower scientist because she has also done a lot of work in communicating science to the public for example through the web series Global Weirding that can be found on youtube. (For those that are interested it can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/c/GlobalWeird...)
Even though she has a lot of knowledge about climate change, this book isn't strictly speaking about that. It goes into the climate science, the evidence for why this is really happening, what can be done, and what is being done. But most of the time is spent on the subject of talking about climate change, and she has done a lot of that. What she is trying to show with this is how to talk about this divisive, but important subject, and to show that she uses her own experience, and evidence from research into the subject.
I found this fascinating read, and I'm going to read it again soon. Some of this was rather surprising, like the fact that according to one research there aren't actually two groups of people, those that accept the science, and climate deniers. It often feels like there are only two, and I suppose that is because it makes the distinction of us vs. them so much easier. But like in most things, it's not that simple. According to this study there are actually six groups of people that range from The Alarmed (who think are convinced climate change is real and serious,) and to the other side where there are The Dismissive (who reject the idea of human caused climate change). It is a spectrum.
What I found most interesting about this is that only 7% of the people that fall into the group of The Dismissive, but that group seems to be rather stable, not getting larger, but not getting smaller either. Of course, here is one of the problem with this book. It is aimed at people in the USA. This research was done in the USA, and most of the book centres around that country. It would have been interesting to see what the numbers are for this spectrum in other countries. Even despite minor things like that, I think this book is a very good starting point to try to figure out how to talk about this important issue. We do need to talk about it, simply because this "problem" really won't go away by ignoring it.
Anyway, back to the book. It is a well written book. Katherine Hayhoe is a good writer, and she can do something that not all scientist are able to do, which is to communicate the science, they know so well, in a simple enough terms for the general public. This book isn't the only proof for that, her Climate Weirding series is another. Still, just to be clear, in this book she doesn't shy away from the fact that we are on a dangerous path. She just talks more about the things that are being done, and what can be done, rather then the things that should have been done already. It is not a book about regret, but rather about solutions.
I think that is more sensible approach, because we are here. We can't go back to the 80's or 90's when we should have started to change course, so we have to deal with the situation as it is now. And that means talking about this stuff, probably even to the Dismissive because despite the fact that they are unlikely to change their stance, it can still have some benefits, and she shows examples of that. Yeah, I'm definitely reading this again, or actually listen to it. I listened to the audiobook that the author read quite well actually.
October 4, 2021
Buy it
(OK, buy more than one copy - you'll want to share it);
read it; think about; share it
(see above, the extra copy/copies will come in handy); but, most of all,
talk about it
.
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that this is necessarily the first book I'd recommend on climate change (or the climate crisis) ... I tend to recommend The Uninhabitable Earth or The Story of More or All We Can Save, but I can also see how it might be an effective and accessible place to start. So ... if it's all new to you, go for it.
If you're not familiar with Hayhoe's work and efforts and TED Talk and worldview, she begins from the premise (and accepts as a given) that: "climate change is real, humans are responsible, the impacts are serious, and the time to act is now." If you disagree with any of that, you're probably not the primary intended audience. Hayhoe is primarily writing for folks who have already reached that point - folks who are, say, alarmed (or at very least concerned) - as they struggle to communicate (or convert? or persuade? or reason?) with the deniers/dismissives, the doubters, the disengaged, and the cautious.
Why bother trying to refute science deniers who spew zombie arguments? Well, Hayhoe believes that fewer than ten percent can't be persuaded ... and I find that pretty encouraging, but, also ... we need all hands on deck to change behavior, convince government leadership to stop kicking the can down the street, and prepare for the accelerating crisis (and attempt to mitigate the damage already done so that our kids and their kids can live and prosper on this planet ... because, as they say, there is no Plan(et) B) .
Hayhoe is a strong voice on communicating the threats and necessary responses on climate change in large part because ... yes, sure, she's a scientist ... but she not only walks the walk, she talks the talk - it's what she does. The book is peppered with anecdotes and examples and stories and (while that isn't always my cup of tea) that makes sense given the content and the message.
Is the book depressing, frustrating, exasperating, maddening ... yes, yes, ... and more. And, as books (literature? leisure reading? self help?) go, I could criticize and nit pick until the cows come home. But that's not the point. The topic ... the effort ... nay, the conversation itself - see, it's important, and the book offers an informed, experienced, and potentially powerful perspective.
Just remember, as you read it ... and afterwards ... be sure to talk about it (with anyone who will listen ... or, for that matter ... folks who won't).
Just to be clear, I'm not suggesting that this is necessarily the first book I'd recommend on climate change (or the climate crisis) ... I tend to recommend The Uninhabitable Earth or The Story of More or All We Can Save, but I can also see how it might be an effective and accessible place to start. So ... if it's all new to you, go for it.
If you're not familiar with Hayhoe's work and efforts and TED Talk and worldview, she begins from the premise (and accepts as a given) that: "climate change is real, humans are responsible, the impacts are serious, and the time to act is now." If you disagree with any of that, you're probably not the primary intended audience. Hayhoe is primarily writing for folks who have already reached that point - folks who are, say, alarmed (or at very least concerned) - as they struggle to communicate (or convert? or persuade? or reason?) with the deniers/dismissives, the doubters, the disengaged, and the cautious.
Why bother trying to refute science deniers who spew zombie arguments? Well, Hayhoe believes that fewer than ten percent can't be persuaded ... and I find that pretty encouraging, but, also ... we need all hands on deck to change behavior, convince government leadership to stop kicking the can down the street, and prepare for the accelerating crisis (and attempt to mitigate the damage already done so that our kids and their kids can live and prosper on this planet ... because, as they say, there is no Plan(et) B) .
Hayhoe is a strong voice on communicating the threats and necessary responses on climate change in large part because ... yes, sure, she's a scientist ... but she not only walks the walk, she talks the talk - it's what she does. The book is peppered with anecdotes and examples and stories and (while that isn't always my cup of tea) that makes sense given the content and the message.
Is the book depressing, frustrating, exasperating, maddening ... yes, yes, ... and more. And, as books (literature? leisure reading? self help?) go, I could criticize and nit pick until the cows come home. But that's not the point. The topic ... the effort ... nay, the conversation itself - see, it's important, and the book offers an informed, experienced, and potentially powerful perspective.
Just remember, as you read it ... and afterwards ... be sure to talk about it (with anyone who will listen ... or, for that matter ... folks who won't).
September 21, 2021
Since Katharine Hayhoe and I have never met, she doesn't realize she's my new best friend.
I teach influence and persuasion at Yale and am passionate about the climate, so I have SO MANY discussions about this topic and I've been wishing there was a book I could recommend. So I've been eagerly awaiting this one for months. And this is it.
It's different from any other book I've read. On persuasion, or climate change, or science, or anything really. And that's a good thing. It's deeply personal and human, making its own best case for the argument that that's how you yourself can be most persuasive too.
I'm not a person of faith myself, but I'm deeply inspired by how Hayhoe weaves faith and science together. As a scientist, it makes sense. Our beliefs depend on our values as much as on facts... or perhaps even more.
I teach influence and persuasion at Yale and am passionate about the climate, so I have SO MANY discussions about this topic and I've been wishing there was a book I could recommend. So I've been eagerly awaiting this one for months. And this is it.
It's different from any other book I've read. On persuasion, or climate change, or science, or anything really. And that's a good thing. It's deeply personal and human, making its own best case for the argument that that's how you yourself can be most persuasive too.
I'm not a person of faith myself, but I'm deeply inspired by how Hayhoe weaves faith and science together. As a scientist, it makes sense. Our beliefs depend on our values as much as on facts... or perhaps even more.
August 5, 2021
Katharine Hayhoe’s Saving Us does a brilliant job unpacking the complex, urgent, and divisive realities surrounding the climate crisis, while simultaneously leaving the reader hopeful and positive for the future. This book is a must read for everyone. Climate educators, mobilizers, scientists, and activists will find lots of examples for how to build bridges in climate conversations. Those new to the climate conversation will find a positive and constructive tone around a topic too often shrouded in arguments. And even individuals who are dismissive of climate science are likely to appreciate Dr. Hayhoe’s humble, honest, and non-partisan approach to the topic.
Saving Us breaks down the uncomfortable awkwardness around climate conversations in a way that sheds light on what we can accomplish together, rather than focusing on what drives us apart. The book not only explains why deep divisions exist over climate change, but it also provides an extensive toolkit of ideas, strategies, and real life examples for how to engage in positive and production conversations on the topic. Solving this crisis requires that we move beyond tribalism to find solutions we can all get excited about. Hayhoe’s positive, intentional, and respectful approach to accomplishing this is exactly what the climate movement needs to hear and what our society needs.
Overall, I found the book to be not only informative, but uplifting and extremely useful. As an academic and a professional in climate communication I’ve gleaned numerous new ideas from this book which I intend to use in my own personal and professional communication. I particularly appreciate the countless stories Dr. Hayhoe shares in the book about how she has been able to find common ground with those who might seem to be coming from opposing perspectives. Who knew you could send a climate scientist into a high level meeting of fossil fuel executives and have a positive and productive conversation?!
Most importantly, this book has left me more hopeful for the future, more knowledgeable about climate communication, and more empowered to make a positive impact on a problem that we can solve together. In Saving Us, Hayhoe shows herself to not only be a top-notch scientist, but an artful communicator as well. The book is enjoyable, easy to read, and well worth the time.
Saving Us breaks down the uncomfortable awkwardness around climate conversations in a way that sheds light on what we can accomplish together, rather than focusing on what drives us apart. The book not only explains why deep divisions exist over climate change, but it also provides an extensive toolkit of ideas, strategies, and real life examples for how to engage in positive and production conversations on the topic. Solving this crisis requires that we move beyond tribalism to find solutions we can all get excited about. Hayhoe’s positive, intentional, and respectful approach to accomplishing this is exactly what the climate movement needs to hear and what our society needs.
Overall, I found the book to be not only informative, but uplifting and extremely useful. As an academic and a professional in climate communication I’ve gleaned numerous new ideas from this book which I intend to use in my own personal and professional communication. I particularly appreciate the countless stories Dr. Hayhoe shares in the book about how she has been able to find common ground with those who might seem to be coming from opposing perspectives. Who knew you could send a climate scientist into a high level meeting of fossil fuel executives and have a positive and productive conversation?!
Most importantly, this book has left me more hopeful for the future, more knowledgeable about climate communication, and more empowered to make a positive impact on a problem that we can solve together. In Saving Us, Hayhoe shows herself to not only be a top-notch scientist, but an artful communicator as well. The book is enjoyable, easy to read, and well worth the time.
April 25, 2024
من ترشيحات مارغريت آتوود
أول وأهم شيء: التغير المناخي مشكلة حقيقية. لا يشغل بال معظمنا، لكنه على ما يبدو سيكون كل ما يشغل عقولنا بعد فترة أقصر مما نتخيل.
هذا الكتاب ضروري للجميع ولنا نحن بشكل خاص. ظروفنا الاقتصادية السيئة ستضاعف أضرار التغير المناخي الكارثية أصلا. هو بالنسبة إلينا شيء ضبابي عند نقطة غير محددة في المستقبل. شيء سيحدث لأحفادنا أو لأحفاد أحفادنا، وسيجعل الجو أكثر حرارة درجتين ربما. ليس شيئا يهدد وجودنا مثلا. ليس شيئا سيتسبب في أزمة لجوء عالمية -كما يتنبأ العلماء-. وهذا ما فاجئني؛ لم أكن أعلم أن الأمر جدي إلى هذا الحد.
الجيد أن له حلولا، ويمكننا أن نسيطر عليه، أو هذا ما آمل. لكننا علينا أولا أن نتحدث عنه.
الكتاب يركز على كيف ننشر الوعي بالتغير المناخي وكيف نتحاور مع من ينكرونه. وهنا نقطة تميزه. من البداية تؤكد الكاتبة على لا جدوى إغراق الناس بالحقائق والأرقام. بل تأخذ أسلوبا آخر، أسلوبا يقوم على احترام الجميع والتعاطف معهم. على أن نسمعهم. وأن نحاول أن نفهم دوافع رفضهم ونساعدهم. وتتوسع في هذا مع إعطائنا الكثير من الأمثلة.
أسلوب الكتاب جميل وسهل القراءة. ومنحني الأمل في إمكانية حل المشاكل التي تبدو مستعصية. ليس فقط في مسألة التغير المناخي، بل في أكثر من مجال في حياتي. مثلا، خفف من توتري تجاه منكري الإبادة الجماعية في غزة ومنكري الظلم الذي يتعرض له الفلسطينيون بشكل عام وأعطاني أفكارا لكيف يمكن أن أتعامل معهم.
أرشحه بشدة.
أول وأهم شيء: التغير المناخي مشكلة حقيقية. لا يشغل بال معظمنا، لكنه على ما يبدو سيكون كل ما يشغل عقولنا بعد فترة أقصر مما نتخيل.
هذا الكتاب ضروري للجميع ولنا نحن بشكل خاص. ظروفنا الاقتصادية السيئة ستضاعف أضرار التغير المناخي الكارثية أصلا. هو بالنسبة إلينا شيء ضبابي عند نقطة غير محددة في المستقبل. شيء سيحدث لأحفادنا أو لأحفاد أحفادنا، وسيجعل الجو أكثر حرارة درجتين ربما. ليس شيئا يهدد وجودنا مثلا. ليس شيئا سيتسبب في أزمة لجوء عالمية -كما يتنبأ العلماء-. وهذا ما فاجئني؛ لم أكن أعلم أن الأمر جدي إلى هذا الحد.
الجيد أن له حلولا، ويمكننا أن نسيطر عليه، أو هذا ما آمل. لكننا علينا أولا أن نتحدث عنه.
الكتاب يركز على كيف ننشر الوعي بالتغير المناخي وكيف نتحاور مع من ينكرونه. وهنا نقطة تميزه. من البداية تؤكد الكاتبة على لا جدوى إغراق الناس بالحقائق والأرقام. بل تأخذ أسلوبا آخر، أسلوبا يقوم على احترام الجميع والتعاطف معهم. على أن نسمعهم. وأن نحاول أن نفهم دوافع رفضهم ونساعدهم. وتتوسع في هذا مع إعطائنا الكثير من الأمثلة.
أسلوب الكتاب جميل وسهل القراءة. ومنحني الأمل في إمكانية حل المشاكل التي تبدو مستعصية. ليس فقط في مسألة التغير المناخي، بل في أكثر من مجال في حياتي. مثلا، خفف من توتري تجاه منكري الإبادة الجماعية في غزة ومنكري الظلم الذي يتعرض له الفلسطينيون بشكل عام وأعطاني أفكارا لكيف يمكن أن أتعامل معهم.
أرشحه بشدة.
Read
July 4, 2024Junior year I had a class in the UTC, one of the most decrepit and forgotten buildings in all of UT. The class focused on the sociological theories in relation to environmental health and on a poster in one of these forgotten hallways was an ad for a presentation/talk by Katherine Hayhoe. Did I go to the talk? No. But at some point that year I watched her TED talk on YouTube (cried?) and then ordered this book. After a couple different attempts I’ve finally finished.
It’s a bit dense at times, and then repetitive and simplistic at others. So basically I’ve had mixed feelings on the writing, but she’s a scientist first not a writer so I forgive. Occasionally I’ve wondered if I’m the only person in the world who has read it and if I’m the specific target audience. The book essentially tackles how to have conversations about climate change with people who don’t believe climate change is real. Katherine is a Canadian Christian Climate Scientist who works at Texas Tech in Lubbock. I actually can’t believe all of those different descriptors define a singular human, but I think they all fit together to give her one of the most understanding, diverse, and inquisitive perspectives on the topic and its solutions.
It’s a bit dense at times, and then repetitive and simplistic at others. So basically I’ve had mixed feelings on the writing, but she’s a scientist first not a writer so I forgive. Occasionally I’ve wondered if I’m the only person in the world who has read it and if I’m the specific target audience. The book essentially tackles how to have conversations about climate change with people who don’t believe climate change is real. Katherine is a Canadian Christian Climate Scientist who works at Texas Tech in Lubbock. I actually can’t believe all of those different descriptors define a singular human, but I think they all fit together to give her one of the most understanding, diverse, and inquisitive perspectives on the topic and its solutions.
April 4, 2025
23 March 2025: Review coming soon!!!! Also this book was way easier to finish when I realized a bunch of the pages in the back are notes and citations 😂
3 Apr 2025: [i promise i wrote this like last week]
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been bringing up the fact that I was reading a book about climate change to several conversations with friends, because I was excited about what I was learning. Here are the typical responses I received:
“How can we ever hope to reason with people who don’t believe in science?”
“What more do you need to know than that we’re all royally fucked?”
“That sounds like a depressing read.”
These were comments from friends who I know care about the impact of climate change, just as I do, but it speaks to a hopelessness that many of us resign ourselves to, and that’s why I think Katharine’s book is such an essential read.
I myself have often felt overwhelmed by the fact that the human race is actively accelerating the destruction of our own society by continuing systems that continue to warm the only planet we have to live on. That’s why when my friend Catherine recommended this book to me, saying it does a great job of empowering the reader to feel like they can actually make a difference, it didn’t take much convincing for me to pick up Saving Us. I was desperate for something to make me feel hopeful.
Katharine Hayhoe divides her book into nicely digestible sections that progress logically. Flipping through the table of contents should give you a basic idea of the topics in order, but basically she discusses:
1. Psychology of humans (how our ideologies become polarized and why we fear talking about or taking action against climate change)
2. Science and examples of why climate change is real, how humans are causing it, and how it affects every aspect of our lives
3. Ways to find shared values with others, live aligned to our own values, and what can be done on systemic and individual levels for change
Not only is this book educational from a scientific perspective, it also gives the reader insight into why they might be feeling stuck when trying to bring climate change discussions to their own lives. In particular, I quite identified with Katharine’s thoughts on where our fear comes from, our response to that fear, why we fear solutions, and the guilt/shame complexes we find ourselves entrapped in. This kind of paralysis often leads us as individuals to not taking any action at all. After all, climate change is a huge systemic issue. But that’s the beauty of this book. It lays out reasons why it is still important as individuals to live aligned with our own values and how ultimately, talking about climate change is the most effective thing we can do to start that positive butterfly effect. Even as individuals, becoming educated and involved on a more local scale within our own communities is still a significant way to be impactful.
All in all, I think anyone who is concerned about climate change should read this book. It’s not that long, and it empowers the reader to make a difference, while presenting information about a lot of the work that is already being done around the world and technology being developed toward a more sustainable future. Hang in there, friends. This planet, our home, is worth fighting for, and the power is in our hands to save it.
P. S. I know this review is already really long haha, but I wanted to also say that I feel like this book is like a better version of I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman. Monica tried to put a book together about having curious conversations, but ultimately, I think she was trying to package advice that was more about maintaining positive relationships with people who disagree with you in a book that promised a bit more about solving systemic issues. In the end, she kind of hand-waved away those systemic issues by focusing on the individual, but what I really like about Katharine’s book is that she recognizes the sacle of these systemic issues while still finding ways to empower the individual. yay!
3 Apr 2025: [i promise i wrote this like last week]
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been bringing up the fact that I was reading a book about climate change to several conversations with friends, because I was excited about what I was learning. Here are the typical responses I received:
“How can we ever hope to reason with people who don’t believe in science?”
“What more do you need to know than that we’re all royally fucked?”
“That sounds like a depressing read.”
These were comments from friends who I know care about the impact of climate change, just as I do, but it speaks to a hopelessness that many of us resign ourselves to, and that’s why I think Katharine’s book is such an essential read.
I myself have often felt overwhelmed by the fact that the human race is actively accelerating the destruction of our own society by continuing systems that continue to warm the only planet we have to live on. That’s why when my friend Catherine recommended this book to me, saying it does a great job of empowering the reader to feel like they can actually make a difference, it didn’t take much convincing for me to pick up Saving Us. I was desperate for something to make me feel hopeful.
Katharine Hayhoe divides her book into nicely digestible sections that progress logically. Flipping through the table of contents should give you a basic idea of the topics in order, but basically she discusses:
1. Psychology of humans (how our ideologies become polarized and why we fear talking about or taking action against climate change)
2. Science and examples of why climate change is real, how humans are causing it, and how it affects every aspect of our lives
3. Ways to find shared values with others, live aligned to our own values, and what can be done on systemic and individual levels for change
Not only is this book educational from a scientific perspective, it also gives the reader insight into why they might be feeling stuck when trying to bring climate change discussions to their own lives. In particular, I quite identified with Katharine’s thoughts on where our fear comes from, our response to that fear, why we fear solutions, and the guilt/shame complexes we find ourselves entrapped in. This kind of paralysis often leads us as individuals to not taking any action at all. After all, climate change is a huge systemic issue. But that’s the beauty of this book. It lays out reasons why it is still important as individuals to live aligned with our own values and how ultimately, talking about climate change is the most effective thing we can do to start that positive butterfly effect. Even as individuals, becoming educated and involved on a more local scale within our own communities is still a significant way to be impactful.
All in all, I think anyone who is concerned about climate change should read this book. It’s not that long, and it empowers the reader to make a difference, while presenting information about a lot of the work that is already being done around the world and technology being developed toward a more sustainable future. Hang in there, friends. This planet, our home, is worth fighting for, and the power is in our hands to save it.
P. S. I know this review is already really long haha, but I wanted to also say that I feel like this book is like a better version of I Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman. Monica tried to put a book together about having curious conversations, but ultimately, I think she was trying to package advice that was more about maintaining positive relationships with people who disagree with you in a book that promised a bit more about solving systemic issues. In the end, she kind of hand-waved away those systemic issues by focusing on the individual, but what I really like about Katharine’s book is that she recognizes the sacle of these systemic issues while still finding ways to empower the individual. yay!
June 10, 2022
Ok, talk about a helpful book! If you don’t know what to think about climate, are concerned, or even worried about it this book is for you! Dr. Hayhoe tells engaging stories about her different conversations about climate change. She explains how to have productive conversations about this polarizing topic. Her main thesis: find a shared value, hobby, or interest between you and the person and connect it to climate change. My theory is this methodology can be applied to other topics as well! So if you are looking for some quality advice on how to have productive conversations about hard topics this is a good read. If you want to borrow my copy you can! You can also watch her TED talk right now!! Its called “the most important thing you can do to fight climate change: talk about it”. Also I WOULD LOVE to have a conversation about climate change with you anytime, just let me know (or i might ask you whoops)!! Thanks for reading :)
October 7, 2021
Audiobook: The bad; very USA centric, I am British, living in the Philippines and was left feeling irrelevant. I skipped through most of the first three chapters due to the religious content and cringed a few other times. The good; very valuable and interesting statistics, excellent common sense advice, nice references and relevant stories, great narration. The author is a wonderful communicator.
October 22, 2024
Something about this didn't quite sit right with me. It had a strange juxtaposition of Christian motivation and universal appeal, nuanced approach and the utter lack thereof, specific examples and broad principles. I could never really figure out who the intended audience was.
October 3, 2025
This is another great climate change book (2 for 2 this year!, the other being Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World), focusing on how to talk about climate change in order to empower yourself and others to make a difference.
I love how Katharine Hayhoe constantly stresses how much we all have in common: how we need to bridge gaps by appealing to shared values instead of trying to overwhelm people with facts (and moral pressure). It's a message sorely needed in this age -- for this topic and for so many other polarizing topics today.
Some things I found interesting, in no particular order:
- Knowledge deficit model--the idea that people disagree with you because they lack all the facts--does not work for polarized topics. Instead, people dig in more when confronted with facts that contradict their identity or worldview. Ergo, "blinding them with science" really doesn't work. (Molly's personal note: liberals are not immune to this! I found so many of Hayhoe's points relevant to issues outside of climate change, including this one, because it helps me to identify my own blind spots as well.)
- We often reason our way into believing something that we want to believe. We ask ourselves "can we believe this" if we want to believe it, but "must we believe it" if we don't. And the smarter you are, the better you are at reasoning your way into any opinion you want to hold. That is why you can have smart people on all sides of every issue.
- If you want to motivate people to act on climate change, just scaring them isn't going to work. People need to know what to do when they're scared. Otherwise, they just shut down. You need to give them personal efficacy: things they can do that they feel really do make a difference.
- I loved the lengthy section on what is already being done (the millions of people already rolling the boulder up the hill). As per the point above, we need to feel like we can make a difference to act, and seeing people who are making a difference can give us that sense of efficacy.
- Her conclusion to the whole book was that hope is a practice to cultivate, not an emotion to feel. We cultivate hope by acting, instead of waiting to feel hope to act.
I love how Katharine Hayhoe constantly stresses how much we all have in common: how we need to bridge gaps by appealing to shared values instead of trying to overwhelm people with facts (and moral pressure). It's a message sorely needed in this age -- for this topic and for so many other polarizing topics today.
Some things I found interesting, in no particular order:
- Knowledge deficit model--the idea that people disagree with you because they lack all the facts--does not work for polarized topics. Instead, people dig in more when confronted with facts that contradict their identity or worldview. Ergo, "blinding them with science" really doesn't work. (Molly's personal note: liberals are not immune to this! I found so many of Hayhoe's points relevant to issues outside of climate change, including this one, because it helps me to identify my own blind spots as well.)
- We often reason our way into believing something that we want to believe. We ask ourselves "can we believe this" if we want to believe it, but "must we believe it" if we don't. And the smarter you are, the better you are at reasoning your way into any opinion you want to hold. That is why you can have smart people on all sides of every issue.
- If you want to motivate people to act on climate change, just scaring them isn't going to work. People need to know what to do when they're scared. Otherwise, they just shut down. You need to give them personal efficacy: things they can do that they feel really do make a difference.
- I loved the lengthy section on what is already being done (the millions of people already rolling the boulder up the hill). As per the point above, we need to feel like we can make a difference to act, and seeing people who are making a difference can give us that sense of efficacy.
- Her conclusion to the whole book was that hope is a practice to cultivate, not an emotion to feel. We cultivate hope by acting, instead of waiting to feel hope to act.
May 12, 2023
This was an easily accessible book on climate change that was written in a way that is engaging and not overly reliant on climate science. The smaller subchapters made it easy to understand. Surprisingly the author is a climate scientist and evangelical Christian which made for an interesting perspective (but maybe too many Bible quotes for my taste). My one major gripe was that the book never took an environmental justice lens or considered the just transition framework. Too many of the identified solutions were market based and only partially addressed that as an issue.
October 3, 2022
I guarantee I will be using parts of this book like a script. The concept she shared that led to my own aha moment was: most people don’t really doubt the science, but they fear the solutions will interfere with their way of life. Liiiiiike shiiiit once again we have a crisis of ego getting in the way of progress! But for me, this means we should be facilitating more solution brainstorm sessions with leaders rather than being prescriptive.
April 4, 2025
Great introduction for anyone concerned about climate change (i.e., the vast majority of people, believe it or not), but unsure what to do or how to talk to people about it. I did skim a lot of it because we covered a good amount in the Terra.do Learning for Action program. Please reach out to me if you’re interested in learning about it or if you want to talk about how you can make an impact!
February 27, 2022
Summary: A discussion of both the urgent challenge of climate change, and the difference we can make in both action and conversations.
I thought this book was going to be one more argument for why we need to address climate change. And it certainly offers good fact-based evidence for why this is so, why it is urgent, and what the impacts on life on the planet, human, animals, and plants will be. But while Katharine Hayhoe believes there are consequences that we should be afraid of, this is not an appeal from fear or guilt or an exercise in shaming. Instead, Katharine Hayhoe’s hopeful appeal in this book is rooted in what she loves and we love and care for. She writes hopefully of the steps being taken by individuals, churches, businesses, towns, schools and governments that are making a difference
She begins by the problem so many have faced–the deep divisions around climate that arose since this issue was politicized (it wasn’t always). It’s just hard to talk with those with whom we disagree. Hayhoe proposes that there are actually six and not two camps. Only seven percent are in what she calls the dismissive group. She believes that it is possible to find ways to collaborate with the other 93 percent. Much of it, she believes is connecting what we care about with what someone else cares about. She writes about connecting with conservative Rotarians around their Four Way Test, around West Texas farmers around concerns about water, with conservative Christians around their shared love of creation and the truths of the Bible. While facts are important at certain points, recognizing the mental dispositions of others and how counter-productive approaches based on fear and guilt, is vital.
She explores why we often fear solutions and takes on the big issues of carbon and energy and what can be done. While fossil fuels certainly contribute to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, she recognizes how energy dependent our lives are and the role these sources play as we transition. At the same time it is important to speed our transition, and provide reliable and renewable electricity throughout the world.
Hayhoe concludes by discussing the ways we matter. I see in my neighborhood her example how residential solar contagiously spreads as one neighbor gets solar and others see it, talk about it, and follow. She believes talking about it, connecting what we care about with what others care about is important, and coaches us how to do that without the alienating arguments. Finally, she addresses the matter of hope and how we find and sustain it.
This book was a breath of fresh air. Amid so many dire accounts of what is happening with the climate, this book is neither despairing or tendentious. Hayhoe doesn’t want to discourage us or divide us but to find ways for us to work together on what we care about, no matter our disagreements about science or policy. She is not pollyannish–she observes that scientists’ intolerance for error means they have been more conservative in their projections than what is happening (i.e. things have happened even more quickly than they projected). But she has seen so much of what can be done, and that it leads to better outcomes for us and the planet. She has realized that when it comes to “saving us,” there is only us. We have no planet B which means its time to end our fighting and care together for our common home.
I thought this book was going to be one more argument for why we need to address climate change. And it certainly offers good fact-based evidence for why this is so, why it is urgent, and what the impacts on life on the planet, human, animals, and plants will be. But while Katharine Hayhoe believes there are consequences that we should be afraid of, this is not an appeal from fear or guilt or an exercise in shaming. Instead, Katharine Hayhoe’s hopeful appeal in this book is rooted in what she loves and we love and care for. She writes hopefully of the steps being taken by individuals, churches, businesses, towns, schools and governments that are making a difference
She begins by the problem so many have faced–the deep divisions around climate that arose since this issue was politicized (it wasn’t always). It’s just hard to talk with those with whom we disagree. Hayhoe proposes that there are actually six and not two camps. Only seven percent are in what she calls the dismissive group. She believes that it is possible to find ways to collaborate with the other 93 percent. Much of it, she believes is connecting what we care about with what someone else cares about. She writes about connecting with conservative Rotarians around their Four Way Test, around West Texas farmers around concerns about water, with conservative Christians around their shared love of creation and the truths of the Bible. While facts are important at certain points, recognizing the mental dispositions of others and how counter-productive approaches based on fear and guilt, is vital.
She explores why we often fear solutions and takes on the big issues of carbon and energy and what can be done. While fossil fuels certainly contribute to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, she recognizes how energy dependent our lives are and the role these sources play as we transition. At the same time it is important to speed our transition, and provide reliable and renewable electricity throughout the world.
Hayhoe concludes by discussing the ways we matter. I see in my neighborhood her example how residential solar contagiously spreads as one neighbor gets solar and others see it, talk about it, and follow. She believes talking about it, connecting what we care about with what others care about is important, and coaches us how to do that without the alienating arguments. Finally, she addresses the matter of hope and how we find and sustain it.
This book was a breath of fresh air. Amid so many dire accounts of what is happening with the climate, this book is neither despairing or tendentious. Hayhoe doesn’t want to discourage us or divide us but to find ways for us to work together on what we care about, no matter our disagreements about science or policy. She is not pollyannish–she observes that scientists’ intolerance for error means they have been more conservative in their projections than what is happening (i.e. things have happened even more quickly than they projected). But she has seen so much of what can be done, and that it leads to better outcomes for us and the planet. She has realized that when it comes to “saving us,” there is only us. We have no planet B which means its time to end our fighting and care together for our common home.
July 17, 2022
If you’re anything like me, you are concerned about climate change but don’t know where or how to begin to do anything that makes a difference. In this book, leading climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe acknowledges the magnitude of the challenge, but puts forward a strong message of hope as she shares many positive developments that are already underway. She argues that one of the most important things that we as normal people can do is engage others in conversation about climate change.
Whoever you’re talking to is already the perfect person to care and act in response to climate change: they just might not have realized why, or known what to do about it. Climate change affects almost everything I care about: our kids’ future, where we live and how it is impacted by severe weather, the food we eat, the air we breathe and how clean or dirty it is, the economy, national security, justice, equity … and the future of civilization as we know it. As we talk with one another we can find areas of common interest impacted by climate change and inspire and excite each other with real-life, practical and viable solutions.
One of the features of this book that I found interesting is the author’s faith: she is an evangelical Christian. While the book is certainly targeted to a very broad audience, Hayhoe points out that as a Christian, stewardship of the natural world is a logical outgrowth of the Christian belief that God created the world and declared that it was good. And since climate change disproportionately impacts the poor and marginalized, addressing climate change is an important part of fulfilling Jesus’ command to care for the poor.
I consider this one of the most important books I’ve read recently and highly recommend it to any of my friends.
Whoever you’re talking to is already the perfect person to care and act in response to climate change: they just might not have realized why, or known what to do about it. Climate change affects almost everything I care about: our kids’ future, where we live and how it is impacted by severe weather, the food we eat, the air we breathe and how clean or dirty it is, the economy, national security, justice, equity … and the future of civilization as we know it. As we talk with one another we can find areas of common interest impacted by climate change and inspire and excite each other with real-life, practical and viable solutions.
One of the features of this book that I found interesting is the author’s faith: she is an evangelical Christian. While the book is certainly targeted to a very broad audience, Hayhoe points out that as a Christian, stewardship of the natural world is a logical outgrowth of the Christian belief that God created the world and declared that it was good. And since climate change disproportionately impacts the poor and marginalized, addressing climate change is an important part of fulfilling Jesus’ command to care for the poor.
I consider this one of the most important books I’ve read recently and highly recommend it to any of my friends.
August 21, 2022
I am squarely in the middle on this book. While I do believe the science behind what is happening in the world today (if we can remove the politics behind the science and actually deal with the data) is verifiable, I also think Hayhoe should think about her audience a bit more. I think she is wanting to appeal to a broader base...and if so she (or her editor) should probably change who she quotes as authoritative.
One of the reasons I appreciated Hayhoe, in previous interviews I have listened to, is that she is a Christian and her husband is pastor. She will clearly point out that many of the current ways that are purported to combat climate change run counter to values that most Christians adhere. When socialism, government control, and even abortion are purported as the answers, she says of course Christians can't get behind that...but in the book I don't feel like she gives any other alternatives.
Today there are things we can get behind, like CO2 reclamation technology and current aspects of greener energy, but she doesn't acknowledge others (she gives nuclear power 2 sentences in the entire book). Many environmentalists today have started to change their mind on nuclear power as it is clean and provides much less waste (at least until solar and wind become more viable). And that is another thing, she touts solar and wind as if panels and turbines magically appear with no industrial waste in the manufacturing process. Some of her solutions don't hold up.
I am not saying that solar and wind are bad, I am saying that until our technology reaches a state where it takes less energy to produce them, we are still in the same ball game. As Christians we are called to steward the planet, not rape it. Too often EVERYONE tends to do what they want while expecting others to bear the burden (I am talking about those who go to "green summits" on private jets while telling the rest of the world they need to not do things like that). Elitist attitudes need to stop and we need to realize God gave us the gifts of responsibility and stewardship over this planet.
Lastly, our hope is not in the environment (as Hayhoe kind of comes down to), our hope is in a God who cares for and rescues us from our own stupidity. That doesn't mean we throw our hands up and cease to care for God's creation, but it does mean we have a real and living hope in the midst of disasters.
One of the reasons I appreciated Hayhoe, in previous interviews I have listened to, is that she is a Christian and her husband is pastor. She will clearly point out that many of the current ways that are purported to combat climate change run counter to values that most Christians adhere. When socialism, government control, and even abortion are purported as the answers, she says of course Christians can't get behind that...but in the book I don't feel like she gives any other alternatives.
Today there are things we can get behind, like CO2 reclamation technology and current aspects of greener energy, but she doesn't acknowledge others (she gives nuclear power 2 sentences in the entire book). Many environmentalists today have started to change their mind on nuclear power as it is clean and provides much less waste (at least until solar and wind become more viable). And that is another thing, she touts solar and wind as if panels and turbines magically appear with no industrial waste in the manufacturing process. Some of her solutions don't hold up.
I am not saying that solar and wind are bad, I am saying that until our technology reaches a state where it takes less energy to produce them, we are still in the same ball game. As Christians we are called to steward the planet, not rape it. Too often EVERYONE tends to do what they want while expecting others to bear the burden (I am talking about those who go to "green summits" on private jets while telling the rest of the world they need to not do things like that). Elitist attitudes need to stop and we need to realize God gave us the gifts of responsibility and stewardship over this planet.
Lastly, our hope is not in the environment (as Hayhoe kind of comes down to), our hope is in a God who cares for and rescues us from our own stupidity. That doesn't mean we throw our hands up and cease to care for God's creation, but it does mean we have a real and living hope in the midst of disasters.
October 15, 2021
This was both a hard read and an encouraging read for me. Hayhoe talks about how small conversations in which we find shared values with people can lead to positive change in behaviors that affect the environment. It's easy to be discouraged in the first part of the book as she shares the facts about climate change and how it's getting worse. Couple that with all the stories about people who don't think climate change is real, and I almost didn't make it past the first third of the book, but I'm so glad I kept reading. When I finished the book, I felt like Hayhoe's overall voice was positive, and she shared practical things that I felt are achievable for me to do.
This is a great read for anyone like me who knows multiple people in various circles who either don't believe climate change is real or don't think that it has any effect on them. This is also a good read for Christians who are often engaging in circles where the environment is seen as a taboo or irrelevant topic. As a Christian herself, Hayhoe makes a case for why this is an issue that should matter to Christians.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels helpless when it comes to climate change and wants practical advice and encouragement for engaging with friends and family as well as practical ideas for their own use.
Thank you to Katharine Hayhoe, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!
This is a great read for anyone like me who knows multiple people in various circles who either don't believe climate change is real or don't think that it has any effect on them. This is also a good read for Christians who are often engaging in circles where the environment is seen as a taboo or irrelevant topic. As a Christian herself, Hayhoe makes a case for why this is an issue that should matter to Christians.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels helpless when it comes to climate change and wants practical advice and encouragement for engaging with friends and family as well as practical ideas for their own use.
Thank you to Katharine Hayhoe, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and honestly review this book!
December 7, 2022
I picked this book up after teaching two lessons about climate change in my intro to conservation biology class, and seeing just how gutted and brutalized my students were feeling. I realized that while it was important for them to understand how climate change is a threat multiplier and how it is percolating through virtually every other facet of conservation, it is also important to give them a sense of hope to buoy themselves.
This book does just that, providing clear and well argued evidence in support of anthropogenically derived climate change. Moreover, and more importantly it outlines the reasons why there is hope, and how to open yourself up to that hope. It also suggests that having conversations grounded in personal experiences make a big difference for both parties involved in the chat. Given that I teach in the fall semester and that Thanksgiving and Winter breaks often involve students talking to their families I'm excited to incorporate this book into my class next year. My hope is that instead of having my students leave the class feeling despondent and disempowered, that rather they will have a clear game plan as to how they can help make the world a better place
This book does just that, providing clear and well argued evidence in support of anthropogenically derived climate change. Moreover, and more importantly it outlines the reasons why there is hope, and how to open yourself up to that hope. It also suggests that having conversations grounded in personal experiences make a big difference for both parties involved in the chat. Given that I teach in the fall semester and that Thanksgiving and Winter breaks often involve students talking to their families I'm excited to incorporate this book into my class next year. My hope is that instead of having my students leave the class feeling despondent and disempowered, that rather they will have a clear game plan as to how they can help make the world a better place
February 3, 2022
I assume I am rating this book low not for the expected reasons of climate change denial or even that I disagree with the author entirely. I believe the insight into the importance of reflecting on why I care about climate and realizing that others will not care for the same reasons is important. But I also do not think this books goes far enough in critiquing the causes of climate change or realizes the impossibility that corporations have any part in resilience. A small chapter on the fossil fuel companies decades long cover up of climate science and the m(b?)illions they spenD on misinformation is lost within praise of corporations for taking the most meager steps in "sustainability". It is pretty clear if they didn't take those steps they would not be competitive, and that is all that capitalism can provide. So not my favorite book. I would recommend the Red Deal for anyone thinking about what resistance and resilience to climate change looks like.
January 20, 2022
I would not have sought this book out if I had not heard an interview with the author. A Texan Christian's perspectives on climate change? It turns out she is Canadian by birth and while this work focuses on American culture and regulatory environments, she presents climate change for the global concern that it is. While I don't personally need to learn ways to discuss climate action with skeptics and conservatives, the chapters on this issue were interesting to me for the sociological and psychological explanations of climate denialism. This book is light enough to pick up without much background knowledge and makes the topic approachable for a lay person like myself, but contains enough research and evidence to make it worthwhile even if you have done a significant amount of background reading.
December 28, 2022
I literally cannot recommend this book enough. Perfect for people who are, like me, curious about climate change, unsure of how to discuss it, and wanting to make a difference. I first became interested in climate change because I believe that the earth is a gift from God, and that we have a serious and sacred obligation to care for it. Katharine is also a Christian, and I really appreciated her teaching me the science of climate change while also having an understanding of my values and motivations. I am fairly new to this conversation, and her book left me feeling empowered and motivated to do all I can. Excellent, excellent read. Also, I loved her stories.
October 15, 2024
I sort of speed read this, at least the first half, for inspiration for one of my climate newsletter topics (https://planetdays.substack.com/p/fea...). I’ve known Hayhoe’s work for awhile, given her pretty public stance on improving climate communications.
Her book. Saving Us, is then a formal extension of that topic, set out to find ways that talking about climate change can unite us rather than divide us and get us to a place of “mutual respect, agreement, and understanding.” The book serves as an antidote to all the deniers in your life, while also highlighting the complicated reasons why people may reject basic climate science (politics, tribalism, complacency, fear, etc.)
And along the way, she expands on these theories, while providing grounded examples for how to deal with such obstacles. It may be futile, as she explains when talking about “dismissives,” whose people who angrily reject climate science and have little possibility of changing their opinions. But often times it’s not.
Hayhoe carefully goes through the common arguments against climate science (“zombie arguments” as she calls them) — natural cycles, hte sun, volcanoes, etc. — dismantling them step by step, while also explaining motivated reasoning, cognitive bias, the fear factor, information overlap,d and other reasons why people may feel the way that they do.
She also adds some other common barriers to accepting climate science, such as the guilt complex, the idea that climate change is a faraway threat, that our thoughts on climate science are grounded in our values, and therefore, hard to change without admitting we are somehow bad people.
“Most of the time facts alone are not enough to change people’s minds on an issue shtat touches so profoundly on our identity and morality, that triggers so many of our deepenst hopes and fears.”
And better yet, Kayhoe arms us with the tools to overcomes these barriers, as in the case of moving beyond fear and guilt, it starts with needing to know what’s happeneinn; then neeidng to know we can fix it; then being able to offer clear and legitimate pathways to alleviate our guilt.
The book then morphs into a more traditional climate book in her “threat multiplier” section (and this is where it becomes kind of a bore, mostly because it is repetitive of previous books, mostly because we’ve heard a lot of these impacts over and over again).
To her credit, Hayhoe does try to frame this solutions section through our values — i.e., that education, empowerment, and poverty eradication not only align with a cleaner world but a better one that a lot of us already strive for.
Kayhoe then ends with a solutions section, a little repetitive of other books, but Kayhoe does get back to the cognitive aspects at play here, such as solution aversion, where we reject solutions based on the idea that they are unpleasant, unpalatable, and or rooted in a decrease of quality of life, a worsening economy, and an infringement of our personal rights: “As humans, again, we tend to value things more if we fear they will be taken away.”
She ends with what we can each do better and how we’re the best communicators on behalf of climate change in our lives b/c people value and trust friendships and relationships, more than scientists: “Connecting with people over genuinely shared values reaches directly into our hearts, past the barriers of “them” and “us” that we’ve erected.”
And then she gets back to the root of the book: talking about climate science. “The simple act of having a conversation triggers a true feedback effect.” And better yet, how to talk about climate science.
“Prepare with information on how it matters and what real solutions look like. Decided to do it: make a commitment to have a conversation and carry though. Listen, empathize, and learn from the experience.”
Though perhaps a little too optimistic at times, Saving Us is a good compliment to other books on climate communication, mostly George Marshall’s Don’t Even Think About It, and deserves the time it takes to read this, even if some of the chapters in the middle are repetitive and strays from the main point of the book.
Her book. Saving Us, is then a formal extension of that topic, set out to find ways that talking about climate change can unite us rather than divide us and get us to a place of “mutual respect, agreement, and understanding.” The book serves as an antidote to all the deniers in your life, while also highlighting the complicated reasons why people may reject basic climate science (politics, tribalism, complacency, fear, etc.)
And along the way, she expands on these theories, while providing grounded examples for how to deal with such obstacles. It may be futile, as she explains when talking about “dismissives,” whose people who angrily reject climate science and have little possibility of changing their opinions. But often times it’s not.
Hayhoe carefully goes through the common arguments against climate science (“zombie arguments” as she calls them) — natural cycles, hte sun, volcanoes, etc. — dismantling them step by step, while also explaining motivated reasoning, cognitive bias, the fear factor, information overlap,d and other reasons why people may feel the way that they do.
She also adds some other common barriers to accepting climate science, such as the guilt complex, the idea that climate change is a faraway threat, that our thoughts on climate science are grounded in our values, and therefore, hard to change without admitting we are somehow bad people.
“Most of the time facts alone are not enough to change people’s minds on an issue shtat touches so profoundly on our identity and morality, that triggers so many of our deepenst hopes and fears.”
And better yet, Kayhoe arms us with the tools to overcomes these barriers, as in the case of moving beyond fear and guilt, it starts with needing to know what’s happeneinn; then neeidng to know we can fix it; then being able to offer clear and legitimate pathways to alleviate our guilt.
The book then morphs into a more traditional climate book in her “threat multiplier” section (and this is where it becomes kind of a bore, mostly because it is repetitive of previous books, mostly because we’ve heard a lot of these impacts over and over again).
To her credit, Hayhoe does try to frame this solutions section through our values — i.e., that education, empowerment, and poverty eradication not only align with a cleaner world but a better one that a lot of us already strive for.
Kayhoe then ends with a solutions section, a little repetitive of other books, but Kayhoe does get back to the cognitive aspects at play here, such as solution aversion, where we reject solutions based on the idea that they are unpleasant, unpalatable, and or rooted in a decrease of quality of life, a worsening economy, and an infringement of our personal rights: “As humans, again, we tend to value things more if we fear they will be taken away.”
She ends with what we can each do better and how we’re the best communicators on behalf of climate change in our lives b/c people value and trust friendships and relationships, more than scientists: “Connecting with people over genuinely shared values reaches directly into our hearts, past the barriers of “them” and “us” that we’ve erected.”
And then she gets back to the root of the book: talking about climate science. “The simple act of having a conversation triggers a true feedback effect.” And better yet, how to talk about climate science.
“Prepare with information on how it matters and what real solutions look like. Decided to do it: make a commitment to have a conversation and carry though. Listen, empathize, and learn from the experience.”
Though perhaps a little too optimistic at times, Saving Us is a good compliment to other books on climate communication, mostly George Marshall’s Don’t Even Think About It, and deserves the time it takes to read this, even if some of the chapters in the middle are repetitive and strays from the main point of the book.
November 6, 2022
This is a book about how to convince people to take action on climate change. Perhaps the most important advice comes in the first chapter: there's a specific, small subset of people you shouldn't even bother with. Hayhoe references a research project called
Global Warming's Six Americas
, which routinely surveys Americans to get a more fine-grained sense of our attitudes toward global warming than a simple so-do-ya-think-it's-real?. I've copied this infographic from the project's site:
Hayhoe thinks you can have productive conversations with all of these groups - except the "Dismissives". (Disappointingly, this group has gone up from 7% to 9% since the 2019 data she cites, though I'm not sure that means much for a study with n≈1000.)
She relates a story about one of her uncles who falls into that category. He'd sent her a list of arguments dismissing climate change, and she sent a detailed reply...
This echoes some of my own experiences in discussing controversial topics. The people most interested in picking a fight and bombarding you with their own opinions are often also the least willing to actually bother understanding or interacting with anything you say in response. The good news is that apparently, on the topic of climate change, those people are only about a tenth of the population.
So how should we engage with the other nine-tenths?
Hayhoe gives numerous encouraging examples of getting positive responses from crowds that you would expect to be antagonistic. Emphasizing the local effects of climate change can help - the Texas Water Conservation Authority was receptive to her talk as long as she "never mentioned the touchy words 'climate' and 'change' together". A Rotary Club in Texas became engaged when she explained how climate change connects with the club's stated values. As a Christian, Hayhoe has found that talking about "the biblical mandate for stewardship and care for creation, the connection between climate change and poverty, and the Bible verses that directed [her] concern" resonates with other Christians. Hobbies are also an inroad for conversation; for example, she mentions how climate change affects winter sports and underwater diving.
She also gives important advice on what not to do:
- Don't just try to make people afraid of climate change; always give them ideas about what they can do about it, too.
- Don't get caught up in applying "purity tests" that lead to shaming people for how much they fly or what vehicle they drive.
The book is fundamentally hopeful. Hayhoe depicts the world as moving in the right direction. Renewable energy has become much more widespread than I realized (for example, "[a]lmost 23 percent of the electricity on the Texas grid in 2020 was generated by wind"). Some policy changes have had promising results; she points to Canadian provinces that have implemented carbon pricing, noting that those provinces still "led the country in economic growth". Nevertheless, she says, "we aren't moving fast enough":
Taking action personally and talking about it is important because it can lead to a cascade of other people following your example. To illustrate, Hayhoe discusses some studies on the prevalence of solar panels:
So we shouldn't let ourselves be complacent just because the direct effects of any one person's actions may seem negligible.
(crossposted from https://brokensandals.net/reviews/202...)
Hayhoe thinks you can have productive conversations with all of these groups - except the "Dismissives". (Disappointingly, this group has gone up from 7% to 9% since the 2019 data she cites, though I'm not sure that means much for a study with n≈1000.)
Dismissives can't leave the topic of climate change alone. They're constantly commenting on Facebook posts, talking about it at family dinners, forwarding articles they've found that buttress their point. They may go out of their way to ridicule people who support climate action and environmentally friendly behavior, such as driving fuel-efficient cars, installing solar panels, and adopting plant-based diets. ... Dismissives dominate the comment section of online articles and the op-ed pages of the local newspaper. ...
...when we dream about having a constructive conversation with someone about climate change, often a Dismissive is the first person who comes to mind. Unfortunately, ... [they] are the only ones it's nearly impossible to have a positive conversation with.
She relates a story about one of her uncles who falls into that category. He'd sent her a list of arguments dismissing climate change, and she sent a detailed reply...
I imagined it would take my uncle at least a few days to wade through and consider the resources I'd provided. Instead, he responded almost immediately, dismissing what I'd sent and voicing even more arguments.
This echoes some of my own experiences in discussing controversial topics. The people most interested in picking a fight and bombarding you with their own opinions are often also the least willing to actually bother understanding or interacting with anything you say in response. The good news is that apparently, on the topic of climate change, those people are only about a tenth of the population.
So how should we engage with the other nine-tenths?
Start with something you have in common. Connect it to why climate change matters to us personally—not the human race in its entirety or the Earth itself, but rather us as individuals. Climate change affects nearly everything we already care about.
Hayhoe gives numerous encouraging examples of getting positive responses from crowds that you would expect to be antagonistic. Emphasizing the local effects of climate change can help - the Texas Water Conservation Authority was receptive to her talk as long as she "never mentioned the touchy words 'climate' and 'change' together". A Rotary Club in Texas became engaged when she explained how climate change connects with the club's stated values. As a Christian, Hayhoe has found that talking about "the biblical mandate for stewardship and care for creation, the connection between climate change and poverty, and the Bible verses that directed [her] concern" resonates with other Christians. Hobbies are also an inroad for conversation; for example, she mentions how climate change affects winter sports and underwater diving.
She also gives important advice on what not to do:
- Don't just try to make people afraid of climate change; always give them ideas about what they can do about it, too.
- Don't get caught up in applying "purity tests" that lead to shaming people for how much they fly or what vehicle they drive.
When we can't control those we really want to—in this case, the airline companies and the fossil fuel corporations and the government and, really, the entire system in which we live—we turn our fear on others and use shame to try to control them instead. We might temporarily feel better, but it just makes things worse long-term.
The book is fundamentally hopeful. Hayhoe depicts the world as moving in the right direction. Renewable energy has become much more widespread than I realized (for example, "[a]lmost 23 percent of the electricity on the Texas grid in 2020 was generated by wind"). Some policy changes have had promising results; she points to Canadian provinces that have implemented carbon pricing, noting that those provinces still "led the country in economic growth". Nevertheless, she says, "we aren't moving fast enough":
...according to the Climate Action Tracker, as of 2021 current policies around the world would limit warming to a best-case scenario of just under 3°C, when we need to keep the rise to 1.5°C or at most 2°C to avoid disastrous impacts. Worldwide, replacing coal, oil, and gas is still happening ten times slower than what's needed to meet climate goals.
Taking action personally and talking about it is important because it can lead to a cascade of other people following your example. To illustrate, Hayhoe discusses some studies on the prevalence of solar panels:
Having solar panels on a house near you, where you could see them and talk to a real live person who had them, it turned out, was the biggest predictor of whether you'd get them yourself.
So we shouldn't let ourselves be complacent just because the direct effects of any one person's actions may seem negligible.
(crossposted from https://brokensandals.net/reviews/202...)
July 25, 2024
I will say as someone who suffers from pretty bad climate anxiety, the first half of the book was incredibly hard to get through. Hayhoe writes with a clear academic background and so she spends a lot of time solidifying the validity of climate change before getting to the hope and healing the description promises. This makes sense and in many ways strengthens my own convictions, but it's hard to not feel despair taking that information in, so I did listen on 1.5x speed and skipped a few sections that were causing me too much stress. By the second half of the book, we get into the meat and potatoes of what we are doing and what can be done to address climate change and I left this book brimming with ideas on more ways to take action and re-ignited in my passion for sharing information and resources.
I would 10/10 recommend this book for anyone who is or wants to be an environmentalist.
I would 10/10 recommend this book for anyone who is or wants to be an environmentalist.
December 17, 2022
“The best thing you can do to fight climate change is talk about it.” That can be a pretty scary thing to hear when past conversations about climate change have been negative or unproductive. But Hayhoe does an excellent job of guiding the reader to a place of hopefulness and confidence. She does a wonderful job showing how everyone cares about climate change—it’s often just a matter of figuring out what that looks like.
Too often I veer into head-in-the-sand habits when it comes to discussing climate change with others, but this book has really encouraged me to practice a generous dialogue in the hope that it will result in momentum that matters in the fight for climate justice.
Too often I veer into head-in-the-sand habits when it comes to discussing climate change with others, but this book has really encouraged me to practice a generous dialogue in the hope that it will result in momentum that matters in the fight for climate justice.
November 8, 2025
what an incredible book for science communicators or honestly anyone hoping to have more empathetic, anger-free conversations about divisive topics.
i will absolutely be coming back to this book, especially if i become a professor of environmental science, but even for general tips about how to better engage with strangers about science. Hayhoe is the queen of science communication!! i wish i could be her!!
i will absolutely be coming back to this book, especially if i become a professor of environmental science, but even for general tips about how to better engage with strangers about science. Hayhoe is the queen of science communication!! i wish i could be her!!
July 31, 2023
This was a slow and steady read for me. I would pick it up now and again and easily step back into it again. What stands out for me the most is Hayhoe’s encouragement to keep having conversations about climate change, even when those conversations are extremely challenging.
August 1, 2025
What a hopeful, faith-filled, and expertly researched book. I absolutely loved how the author approached this book in the most user-friendly way and has done the research to know the most effective methods to make lasting change. Such a cool book that should be on everyone’s tbr list!
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