Clearing the Air A Hopeful Guide to Solving Climate Change - in 50 Questions and Answers

New

By: Hannah Ritchie(Author)

224 pages

Publisher: Chatto & Windus

Click to have a closer look

ISBN: 9781784745745 Hardback Sep 2025 Not in stock: Usually dispatched within 5 days
£20.00
#266652

Price: £20.00

About this book Customer reviews Biography Recommended titles

Images Additional images

About this book

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 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.

Customer Reviews

Review this book

Biography

Dr Hannah Ritchie is Senior Researcher in the Programme for Global Development at the University of Oxford. She is also Deputy Editor at the highly influential online publication Our World in Data and has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Statistical Society. Her research appears regularly in the New York Times, Economist, Financial Times, BBC, WIRED and New Scientist. In 2022, Ritchie was named Scotland's Youth Climate Champion and New Scientist called her 'The woman who gave COVID-19 data to the world'. In 2024, she was selected by Prospect magazine as one of their 'Top 25 Thinkers'.

New

By: Hannah Ritchie(Author)

224 pages

Publisher: Chatto & Windus

Media reviews

"Rebuts 50 arguments against green technology with lively pragmatism and authority [...] refreshingly pragmatic and undoomy"
– Steven Poole, Guardian

"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, Gates Notes

"Highly readable [...] From nuclear energy to plant-based burgers, it gives brisk, smart insights into the big climate questions"
– Pilita Clark, Financial Times, Best Books of 2025

"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, New Scientist

"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"
– Scotsman

"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

"Thank goodness for Hannah Ritchie and her clear, data-led optimism. An essential myth-busting primer on climate actions for everyone navigating the blizzard of confusing opinions and misinformation around the defining issue of our time"
– Gaia Vince, author of Nomad Century