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  • Not the End of the World

  • How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet
  • By: Hannah Ritchie
  • Narrated by: Hannah Ritchie
  • Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (74 ratings)

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Not the End of the World cover art

Not the End of the World

By: Hannah Ritchie
Narrated by: Hannah Ritchie
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Feeling anxious, powerless or confused about the future of our planet? This book will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems -- and how we can solve them

We are bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won't be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, that we should reconsider having children.

But in this bold, radically hopeful book, data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that if we zoom out, a very different picture emerges. The data shows we've made so much progress on these problems, and so fast, that we could be on track to achieve true sustainability for the first time in history.

Packed with the latest research, practical guidance and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you've been told about the environment, from the virtues of eating locally and living in the countryside, to the evils of overpopulation, plastic straws and palm oil. It will give you the tools to understand what works, what doesn't and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.

These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let's turn that opportunity into reality.

©2024 Hannah Ritchie (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

'Truly essential' MARGARET ATWOOD

'Eye-opening and essential' BILL GATES

‘I find it hard to express how much I love this book’ RUTGER BREGMAN

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What listeners say about Not the End of the World

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the optimism and options of the author

Great content that tackles each and every subject in detail. It really is a great companion to whoever is following the stop burning stuff / everything electric YouTube channels. Hope to see Hannah there in an interview some day.

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eye opening taken at face value

I enjoyed this audiobook , and before deep diving into any particular fact checking or references. it was intriguing to listen to how common misconceptions have overtaken the world we live in. whether it be organic vs gmo, plastic or paper straws, ocean plastic levels etc...

I recommend listening for purely the sake of how the statistics can point us in a separate direction to the common acknowledged eco friendly doctrine.

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Refreshing approach to tackling climate change

The information in this book is great, but didn't work for me as an audiobook. The author did an amazing job of putting the research together but a poor job of narrating. This would work better as text than audio.

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Finally some sense in the whole debate

My wife and I started to listen on the long drive down to visit our grandkids. Both of us were completely captivated by Hannas sensible approach to the FACTS about how we as a species are interacting with our planet and environment.

In an age where every headline screams doom and gloom and touts a new clickbait apocalypse every few weeks a confirmation that the nutjobs are nutters and the deniers are deniers. Yes we have made some stupendous blunders but we can fix things.

Hope for our grandchildren which is all any of us really want!

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Unexpected, counter intuitive, knowledgable

I enjoyed this book. Its data driven and extensive. Great for learning what and what not to worry about in this space. What I found most intriguing was how it (unintentionally?) shows just how complex regulating and policy making for the climate is when you need to account for other moral values people hold dear.

As a story it is somewhat dry but delivered best it can be given the subject and its matter.

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Refreshing Evidence Based Pragmatism

Hannah takes on a wide breath of opinion and human behaviour and plots a path to make a meaningful difference without being a zealot. Absolutely stunning

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a great environmental book.

For those of us who have been trying to save the environment for a while may have started our journey with life without hot air.

This is the best pratcal book I have read since that was published.

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A ray of hope in a world of bleak news stories

As someone that finds bleak news disempowering and demoralising this book is a very welcome listen.
There are lots of interesting dives into the statistics behind common public conceptions of the state of various environmental issues. Most notably is a theme of rapid change in a positive direction on all fronts. There’s still lots to improve but a lot of improvement has already happened.
Also interesting are the areas that we think matter a lot but don’t always make much difference and are sometimes counterproductive.

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Well structured and generous with its approach

Incredibly insightful, think I’ll need to buy the book to memorise some of the stats.

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Balancing the doomsdayers & 'click bait' headlines

I think Hannah does a great job of balancing the 'doomsday' prognosis the headlines feed us with with what is actually happening informed by data. This is complex, interconnected & multi layered problem & news snippets just don't cut it but unfortunately inform most of us.

It's well considered, attends to all the typical questions we have, and gives a trajectory with action areas for the world (and us) to focus on to achieve a sustainable future for all. She believes its possible (though not inevitable) and she has the data to point how this could be/is being achieved.

What it's missing (perhaps intentionally) is how close (or breached) each of the topics she covers are to the planetary boundaries/tipping points and the geopolitics to get everyone to agree in an increasingly divided world.

Thank you Hannah, a great & empowering contribution on our path to sustainability.

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