What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action

Activist and actor Fonda (Prime Time) offers an informative guide to getting involved in the fight against climate change. Contending that “it’s too late for moderation,” Fonda credits Naomi Klein’s book On Fire and Greta Thunberg’s activism with inspiring her to move to Washington, D.C., in October 2019 and partner with Greenpeace to launch Fire Drill Fridays, a series of weekly demonstrations in support of the Green New Deal, the end of new fossil fuel extractions, and the phasing out of existing fossil fuels for clean, renewable energy sources. The protests, which resulted in Fonda being arrested four times, also included “teach-ins” on the climate crisis. The book quotes extensively from those speeches and panel discussions, addressing how climate change affects oceans, forests, jobs, food, and health, and offering guidance on actions individuals can take, such as campaigning to have politicians sign a #NoFossilFuelMoney pledge. Fonda recaps messages delivered by fellow celebrities including Lily Tomlin (“hugging trees isn’t enough today”), environmentalist Bill McKibben, and indigenous leaders such as Ta’Sina Sapa Win Smith, who spoke about protests against the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines. Enriched by photographs from the demonstrations and colorful charts and graphs, this is a useful and appealing primer on environmental activism. (Sept.)