Author(s): Rebecca Solnit (Editor); Thelma Young Lutunatabua (Editor)

Climate Change and Enviromental Politics | Politics

An energizing case for hope about the climate comes from Rebecca Solnit, called "the voice of the resistance" by the New York Times, and climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua, along with a chorus of voices calling on us to rise to the moment. Not Too Late is the book for anyone who is despondent, defeatist, or unsure about climate change and seeking answers.  As the contributors to this volume make clear, the future will be decided by whether we act in the present - and we must act to counter institutional inertia, fossil fuel interests, and political obduracy.  These dispatches from the climate movement around the world feature the voices of organizers like Guam-based lawyer and writer Julian Aguon; climate scientists like Dr. Jacquelyn Gill and Dr. Edward Carr; poets like Marshall Islands activist Kathy Jetnil-Kijner; and longtime organizers like The Tyranny of Oil author Antonia Juhasz. Guided by Rebecca Solnit's typical clear-eyed wisdom, Not Too Late leads listeners from discouragement to possibilities, from climate despair to climate hope.

Review: "Whether you're already heavily involved in the climate movement or a complete newcomer, the essays are an energizing read that will undoubtedly give you hope - the active type, not the passive kind - for the future." -Vogue
"If the endless worrying statistics have you feeling anxious or concerned, Not Too Late will help you to put you a little more at ease. Exactly as it promises on the cover, this book changes the narrative from despair to possibility, giving hope to anyone feeling overwhelmed by climate crisis and what our future may look like." -Harper's
"Absolutely beautiful, absolutely necessary, and absolutely right! Two of our greatest climate voices have rounded up many more realistic and determined colleagues who help us see the path ahead much more clearly!" -Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet and founder of Third Act
"A powerful anthology of dispatches from the front lines of the struggle over the future of the planet, by some of the most important activist voices of our time. That such a collection could be assembled is itself a cause for hope."
-Amitav Ghosh, author of The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis
"An inspiring guidebook for climate activists. A book that provides some brightness, passion, and intelligence in dark times."
-Kirkus Reviews
"The essays in Not Too Late are realistic about what climate change is doing to the planet and humanity while also issuing a hopeful call to action so that people can avoid the worst outcomes." -Foreword Reviews
"Ever-enlightening writer-of-conscience Solnit joined forces with climate activist Thelma Young Lutunatabua in this clarifying and empowering climate anthology. In concert with a remarkable global group of scientists, activists, artists, organizers, and journalists, they redefine the climate movement in a bid to overcome the paralysis of confusion, skepticism, and despair."
-Booklist
"Not Too Late is the exact message we need today. Rebecca Solnit and Thelma Young Lutunatabua have gathered voices from around the world, each living proof that one can understand grim climate science, understand the scale of political obstacles and still know that a better future is not out of reach. It's late, but not too late. Grab this book, read up and let's get to work." -Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA
"Giving up on humanity by giving up on solving the climate crisis is not an option. This book uniquely provides strategic direction on how we can create the future we need, the future we all want. It also gives us the imaginative and emotional prowess to strengthen our courage and creativity along the way." -Don Cheadle, award winning actor, climate activist, and Board member of The Solutions Project
"The future will be decided by a race between two powerful forces - the mounting impacts of climate change, which are becoming more apparent every day, and the accelerating power of climate solutions and climate activists around the world. We can still win this race, although we only have a narrow window of time to do so. But we get no mulligans, no do-overs, and no time to spare. We get only one shot at it. This amazing volume reminds us that we can still win this race - if we come together and try.
Rather than accept defeat on climate change, these authors show us what's possible. They inspire us to imagine a better world - a world where we stop climate change, restore nature, improve human wellbeing, address long-standing problems of equity and justice, and leave our descendants a world we can be proud of. This should be required reading for anyone who cares about the world and its future."
-Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director, Project Drawdown

Author Biography:

REBECCA SOLNIT is the author of more than twenty books, including Orwell's Roses; Hope in the Dark; Men Explain Things to Me; A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster; and A Field Guide to Getting Lost. A longtime climate and human rights activist, she serves on the board of the climate group Oil Change International, and the advisory boards of Dayenu and Third Act.

THELMA YOUNG LUTUNATABUA is a digital storyteller and activist. She is the co-founder of Not Too Late. She currently works at The Solutions Project. Before that she's worked in various roles supporting the global climate movement, as well as other human rights endeavors around the world. She calls Fiji and Texas home.

DAVID SOLNIT (brother of Rebecca Solnit) is an arts organizer, puppeteer, artist, and carpenter.