Climate Stewardship: Taking Collective Action to Protect California

by Adina Merenlender

As climate disruption intensifies the world over, Californians are finding solutions across a diversity of communities and landscapes.
 
Though climate change is a global existential threat, we cannot wait for nation-states to solve the problem when there are actions we can take now to protect our own communities. In Climate Taking Collective Action to Protect California , readers are invited on a journey to discover that all life is interconnected and shaped by climate and to learn how communities can help tackle climate change. 
 
Climate Stewardship shares stories from everyday people and shows how their actions enhance the resilience of communities and ecosystems across ten distinct bioregions. Climate science that justifies these actions is woven throughout, making it easy to learn about Earth's complex systems. The authors interpret and communicate these stories in a way that is enjoyable, inspiring, and even amusing.
 
California is uniquely positioned to develop and implement novel solutions to widespread climate challenges, owing to the state's remarkable biogeographic diversity and robust public science programs. Produced in collaboration with the UC California Naturalist Program, Climate Stewardship focuses on regenerative approaches to energy, agriculture, and land and water use across forested, agricultural, and urban landscapes. The authors' hopeful and encouraging tone aims to help readers develop a sense that they, too, can act now to make meaningful change in their communities.

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment

296 pages, Paperback

Published September 7, 2021

Reviews

[laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book’s wide but pointed scope of climate-related topics exemplifies why I want to know everything about every sector interacting with climate change (which is all of them). not new info but if someone wanted to try and understand a lil bit more of the what and why of these intersections, this is a good place to start

[Olivia tukman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely worth reading if you are interested in Climate Stewardship and even more so if you live in California. This book focuses on small, community-led activism that is effective and inspirational. The book zooms in on many places in CA all focused on different types of stewardship. It also definitely focused on Indigenous People's views and knowledge which was probably my favorite thing about this book. It started off focusing in on the Pepperwood Preserve and fire management, including fuel reduction and control burning and managing forests. It touched on regenerative agriculture in the Central Valley at Full Belly Farm and on Olive Orchards in San Diego County. It touched on snow albedo (reflectivity) and how that correlates to how fast snow melts in the mountains. There was more information on the desert including Joshua Tree and it's dwindling tree population as well as a lot of the animals still existing in the Mojave desert compared to years ago. Then it focused on the Pacific Coast of California abalone(there are 7 Native Species to CA!) and the overabundance of sea urchins and and the degradation of kelp as well as the Sunflower Sea Star. I am sure to be missing more that this wonderful book includes. I hope that everyone reads it! It definitely made me want to get out into my community to help our beautiful, crucial local ecosystem.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent overview of local California advocates making waves in their own communities to mitigate and reverse climate degradation.

[Tami Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important and hopeful book. I recommend it for any Californian.

[Julien Luebbers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for UC Climate Stewards course. Lots of good stories in here about doing THINGS that are cool.

[Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Purchased at City Lights! Dry writing at times but a great look at community-led climate activism across CA. Best sections were on farming/the harvest, desert ecology, and (as usual) Los Angeles.