By Andrew Eil
“The best books on climate change for those who are ready to grapple with this devilishly complex issue”:
Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet, by Gernot Wagner and Martin Weitzman
While this tome serves as a primer for the layperson to understand the causes of climate change, its impacts and what to do about it, its distinguishing feature is its emphasis on risk and uncertainty, two concepts essential for grasping the climate challenge. “Climate change is beset with deep-seated uncertainties on top of deep-seated uncertainties on top of still more deep-seated uncertainties,” Wagner and Weitzman note. The solution? “In the end, it’s risk management – existential risk management. And it comes with an ethical component. Precaution is a prudent stance when uncertainties about catastrophic risks are as dominant as they are here.” This authorial pair explains – perhaps a bit earnestly, but cogently and accessibly – why you don’t board a plane with a 10% chance of crashing and why you buy insurance against catastrophic losses. Such should be our collective response.
Quoted in: “Climate Change Reading List: Books for the Curious & Concerned” by Andrew Eil, Observer (20 September 2023).