Build Back Better: Climate Justice and the Future

What do we want to keep, and how do we make sure we keep it?

What is no longer working, or has never really worked?

We’ve put together a series of book lists on the theme of ‘building back better’. The global pandemic has been a time of fear, anxiety, and sadness. But for many, there have been moments of joy and reflection. Whether it’s finding new ways to occupy ourselves or showing kindness within our community, there might be something that we want to keep from this period of lockdown and bring into the new world. These lists will each focus on a particular theme; we hope you enjoy them.

I’m making a guest appearance amongst Sam’s Building Back Better lists to highlight some of the books which dare to look at those really fundamental changes. If there’s something the pandemic has brought home to me, it’s that the COVID19 health crisis, the climate and ecological crises and the political polarisation we’re seeing are all inextricably connected. The people most vulnerable to the pandemic are also those who are being hit first and hardest by climate collapse. Those who will suffer the most are also those who did the least to cause the crisis, be it today’s youth, the poor, or inhabitants of the global south. We simply cannot address the climate crisis in any meaningful way without also looking honestly at social justice.

These books explore such connections, and begin to imagine a just future. Keep an eye on the list as new titles continue to appear.