It’s the much-discussed, much-agonised, much-debated topic of the moment. Climate change, and books discussing the science and politics of it all, is hot right now, if you’ll pardon the pun. If you’re looking to brush up on your knowledge, keen to find out ways you can help or eager to explore your solutions-based reading on the topic, we’ve put together a list of some intriguing recent releases for your perusal.

Clearing the Air by Tim Smedley

What happened to the air we breathe? Air pollution – the world’s greatest environmental health risk – contributes to nearly 19,000 deaths a day from associated health risks. So how can we fix it? Tim Smedley, a sustainability journalist, has travelled the world from Delhi to Paris to find an answer. Clearing the Air is packed with insights from both politicians and the everyday people suffering from the affects of air pollution – and their stories show us that air pollution is a problem that can be solved. This much is clear: we all have a part to play.

The Rising Tide by Tom Bamforth

We all have our favourite holiday destinations, and the white-sand beaches and swaying tropical palms of places like Fiji and Vanuatu have called to holiday-makers and tourists for years. But these idyllic locations are in serious danger. Collectively the Pacific nations are one of the most strategically important regions in the world – for military might, for energy security and geopolitical borders. Even more importantly, these nations are at the frontline of climate change, as rising sea levels, salinity, cyclones and pollution put their very existence at stake. With humour and insight, Tom Bamforth presents both an insider’s and an outsider’s view of life in the Pacific, rendered in vivid detail and colour.

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg

Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate change activist who has become famous worldwide, has put together a moving, rousing collection of her most notable speeches in a short, easily digested collection called No One is Too Small to Make a Difference. It’s a profound call to action from a young activist inspiring (Thunberg has earned a Nobel Peace Prize nomination) and remarkable. It is a rallying cry for why we must all wake up and fight to protect the living planet, no matter how powerless we feel. Our future depends upon it.

Choked by Beth Gardiner

Air pollution is clearly a point of focus in the climate change debate – a great companion read to Clearing the Air is Beth Gardiner’s Choked. In Choked, Beth Gardiner travels to air pollution hot-spots around the world to meet the scientists who have transformed our understanding of air pollution, and to trace the commercial pressures and political decisions that have allowed it to remain at life-threatening levels. Gardiner offers real, practical solutions, and her forward-thinking approach, like Smedley’s, is a breath of fresh air, so to speak.

2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration by Damon Gameau

We are all guilty of inaction in the face of climate change; completely overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem. But when Damon Gameau became a father, he knew he couldn’t stand idly by any longer. He decided to do what he does best, and tell a story. And the story became an imagining of what the world could look like in 2040, if we all decided to start doing things differently, right now. 2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration shows us how we can stitch this magnificent vision into everyday life, by illuminating how climate change is at heart a practical problem that can be solved with practical solutions. 2040: A Handbook for the Regeneration cuts through all the social and political discourse around the topic and gets right to the heart of what matters.

Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change by Nathaniel Rich

In 1979, world leaders and scientists had all the knowledge necessary to stop climate change in its tracks. So why didn’t that happen? Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change is author Nathaniel Rich’s groundbreaking account of that failure, providing fascinating insight into what did and did not happen in the 1980s. It is not just an agonizing revelation of historical missed opportunities, but a clear-eyed and eloquent assessment of how we got to now, and what we can and must do before it’s truly too late.

Falter by Bill McKibben

In Falter, world-renowned environmentalist Bill McKibben provides a sobering rallying cry to save not only our planet, but also our humanity. He suggests that climate change, robotics and artificial intelligence may spell the end of humanity as we know it. Unless we act now. The premise may seem grim, but Falter is in fact a rousing, inspiring rallying cry. McKibben is an eminent scientist and writer – his first book, The End of Nature, was one of the first books to alert us to the dangers of global warming. Now, with Falter, he shows us how we can help, and why we should.

Who’s Minding the Farm? In this climate emergency by Patrice Newell

We’re all well aware of how climate change affects our farmers severely, resulting in widespread drought, death of lifestock, not to mention the severe effects on farmers’ mental health. But how can we use agriculture to fight the effects of global warming? Who’s Minding the Farm? In this climate emergency is a vital account of how Australian agriculture can address major issues. Author Patrice Newell, a farmer herself, has travelled the world exploring best practices and organic methods, applying them on her own farm. This book, an exploration of how these practices can be a positive force for change, provides a window into the pains, pleasures and politics of life on the land, and promotes new ways of thinking, no matter where you live.