Clearing the Air

A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change — in 50 Questions and Answers

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Clearing the Air

By: Hannah Ritchie

Narrated by: Hannah Ritchie

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

We can’t afford to delay climate action, but with all the shouting and disagreement it’s hard to know where to turn. In her new book, bestselling environmental star Hannah Ritchie answers 50 key climate questions once and for all, clearing the air so we can get on and fix things.

With so many conflicting headlines out there, it’s tough to sort fact from fiction when it comes to climate change and the solutions we need for a cleaner future.

The first piece of good news is that data scientist Hannah Ritchie is here with the answers and the steps we need to take now. Using simple, clear data, she tackles questions such as, ‘Is it too late?’, ‘Won’t we run out of minerals?’ and ‘Are we too polarised?’. The second piece of good news: the truth is way more hopeful than you might think.

We’re at a critical moment for our planet, and getting the facts straight is step one. But even more crucial is feeling hopeful about what we can do next. The third piece of good news? We already have many of the solutions we need to create a more sustainable planet for future generations.

Clearing the Air is your essential guide whenever you’re feeling lost or overwhelmed about climate change. Dive in, get informed and be part of building a better world for everyone.

'We urgently need Hannah Ritchie' GUARDIAN
'Essential reading' RUTGER BREGMAN
'Read this book -- now' MARK LYNAS

PRAISE FOR NOT THE END OF THE WORLD:

'A book for anyone who finds it difficult to believe in a better future' THE TIMES
'An inspiring data-mine which gives us not only real guidance, but the most necessary ingredient of all: hope' MARGARET ATWOOD
'Unmissable' TIM SPECTOR

© Hannah Ritchie 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Environment

Ethics & Morality

Nature & Ecology

Outdoors & Nature

Philosophy

Science

Solar System

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Critic reviews

This pacey book is an antidote to the bewildering and contradictory arguments with which we are bombarded about climate change and net zero… A breath of fresh air

If you have ever wondered if we can afford solar power, or if electric cars are really green, or whether heat pumps actually work, this highly readable book has all the facts you need (Pilita Clark)

If you want clear facts about the pros and cons of tackling climate change, this is the book for you. If you are a prime minister leading the country on climate action, and needing all the arguments to refute opposers, this is also the book for you (Anthony Albanese)

Rebuts 50 arguments against green technology with lively pragmatism and authority... refreshingly pragmatic and undoomy (Steven Poole)

One of the clearest explanations of the climate challenge I’ve read... She’s realistic about the risks but grounded in data that shows real progress... a hopeful, fact-driven overview of where climate solutions stand (BILL GATES)

Ritchie’s now trademark optimism shines through… the effect is powerful: you come away feeling informed and hopeful… in a world of fake news and political spin, this book is a breath of fresh air (Madeleine Cuff)

This is a book built out of short, simple sentences. And these short, simple sentences have a power. Reassuringly, they make it feel as if there is a clear, logical pathway to dealing with the climate crisis

If there were a Nobel Prize for clear thinking, Hannah Ritchie would have my vote. She doesn’t just cut through the noise — she vaporizes it. With a scientist’s rigor and a storyteller’s grace, she shows us what the data actually says about the biggest challenges of our time. Her work is essential reading for anyone who still believes facts can change minds and optimism can change the world (RUTGER BREGMAN, author of Utopia for Realists and Humankind)

The best thing you can do for the climate is to read this book -- now (MARK LYNAS, author of Six Degrees)

This book is such a pleasure. Each question snaps another piece of the jigsaw puzzle satisfyingly into place, presenting a big picture that is vivid, accurate and hopeful. I learned so much (TIM HARFORD, author of How To Make The World Add Up)

Most relevant

As per her previous book, this does not simply state the problem but (for the vast, vast majority of the issues) gives a series of very credible, thought through possible solutions in a concise manner that allows the book to be well paced but also gives the listener time to mull over the issues. If only all politicians and political pundits were to read this, we might have some better informed debates.