Bokanbefaling av "Mitt klimaregnskap"

Boka “Mitt klimaregnskap” av Anja Bakken Riise er for alle oss som noen gang har lurt på hvor mye vi kan gjøre for klimaet ved å kutte våre egne utslipp.

“Mitt klimaregnskap” er svært detaljert og gir deg innblikk i hvordan alt fra valg du tar om mat, transport og bolig påvirker ditt personlige CO2-utslipp. Dette burde ligge på 2,5 tonn CO2 per person, hvis vi skal nå målene i Parisavtalen. I dag ligger det norske gjennomsnittet på 11 tonn CO2 per person, noe som åpenbart ikke er bærekraftig. Spesielt kapittelet om klær engasjerte meg veldig, siden dette er noe jeg har brukt mye tid på.

Likevel er jeg glad Bakken Riise stiller spørsmålet “hvem skal ta ansvar for mitt klimaregnskap?”. Dette fører oss rett til kjernen i det hun selv også konkluderer med etter å ha målt sine egne CO2 utslipp i et halv år. Selv om hun tar alle de rette valgene og lever tilnærmet eksemplarisk så kan hun ikke nå grensen på maks 2,5 topp CO2 fordi de offentlige utslippene som går inn i regnestykket er så høye. Her kommer vi tilbake til den fiktive diskusjonen der individet blir satt opp mot stater og store bedrifter. Du som enkeltperson har ikke det samme ansvaret som for eksempel et oljeselskap eller en stat. Bakken Riise konkluderer også med at vi enkeltindivider kan ikke få ned CO2 utslippene våre alene, vi trenger at de folkevalgte politikerne våre tilrettelegger så de gode valgene for klimaet også blir de lette valgene.

Bokens siste kapittel kommer også med en rekke konkrete tiltak som er så konkrete og så enkle å gjennomføre, at alle på Stortinget burde få hvert sitt eksemplar av denne boka så de kan følge opp tiltakene. Alternativt som boka foreslår selv, at flere skal lese samme kopi. Uansett er det handling som må til for å gjøre det lettere å leve mer i tråd med ønske om å ta bærekraftige valg.

Dette er også en fin påminnelse, når man vurderer om det er en ren asketisk livsstil som er det eneste du kan gjøre for klimaet, så kan du også melde deg inn i en miljøorganisasjon. Da vil du oppleve å ikke stå like alene bak klimaforslagene dine.

Bilde av boka “Mitt klimaregnskap”

Bokanbefaling av "Verden på vippepunktet"

Dette er boka for deg som føler du må ha mer fakta for å kunne delta i klimadebatten. “Verden på vippepunktet” av Dag O. Hessen gir deg nettopp det. Hvis du av en eller annen grunn ikke følte at du hadde grunnlag for å uttale deg, eller at du ikke hadde det store bilde, så får du det av denne boka. Som en klimaformidler synes jeg åpenbart det er topp med bøker som kan åpne opp debatten for flere.

Inndelingen i kapitler hjelper også til for å forstå de ulike krisene, som naturkrisen i kapittelet “naturtap”. Hessen er kanskje best når han går i debatt med seg selv og setter ulike synspunkter opp mot hverandre. I kapittelet “trollmenn og profeter” fikk jeg et gjensyn med de to retningene som begge ønsker å løse klimakrisen der den ene sier vekst- og konsumkritikk og den andre er svært teknologioptimistisk. Denne typen historisk kontekst for å forstå hvorfor vi er der vi er i dag, tenker jeg er helt nødvendig for å forstå hvorfor politikerne vi velger sier det de sier.

Er dette en dommedagsbok? Jeg vil ikke si det. Men det er en bok som gir oss mer innsikt i hvor det haster mest å sette i gang tiltak. Noen bøker jeg leser er sånne jeg tenker at alle burde ha lest. Denne boken skulle jeg hvertfall ønske at alle på Stortinget hadde lest, og ideelt sett at den ble oversatt til engelsk så den nådde enda lenger.

Verden på vippepunktet

Klimaboka

Nytt år, mye nytt bra klimalesestoff! Jeg kommer nok til å bruke lang tid på denne.

Bekymringen for klima hos unge har visstnok gått ned ifølge en ny undersøkelse, men realiteten er der fremdeles. En levelig klode er grunnlaget vårt for alt det fine vi kan få til sammen som mennesker. Jeg håper derfor for 2023 at vi legger bort tanken om at klima- og naturkrisen er separate problemer, men heller inkluderer dem i alt arbeide vi gjør.

Det er mange innganger til å bli engasjert i klima og miljøspørsmål. Ut fra en rask oversikt ser denne boka ut til å tilby mange! Jeg vil derfor anbefale den til alle som ønsker nye perspektiv på klimaspørsmål.

Godt nytt miljø og klimavennlig år.

Bokanbefaling av "Varm is"

Ole Mathismoen har skrevet en liten perle av en bok om det spennende temaet is og da spesielt is som smelter på grunn av klimaendringene. Med “Varm is” klarer Mathismoen i sin alltid rolige og pedagogiske stil å formidle svært komplekse systemer i naturen og det skiftende klimaet på en enkel og oversiktlig måte.

Boken er bygget opp på en sånn måte at du ikke trenger forkunnskaper for å kunne sette deg inn i stoffet. På elegant vis knytter Mathismoen det han kaller iskrisen til de to store krisene vi allerede kjenner til - klimakrisen og naturkrisen. På denne måten blir alt fra tining av permafrosten til forgrønning av Arktis sett i en større kontekst.

Personlig har jeg vært spesielt interessert i Arktis og de dramatiske endringene som skjer der allerede før jeg skrev masteren min om det. Jeg håper virkelig denne boken blir lest av mange, så flere får øyene opp for hva som allerede skjer, og hva som kan skje. Spesielt kapittelet som omhandler hvor mye havet vil stige er svært skummelt. På side 99 i boka skriver Mathismoen: “Panelets (IPCC) konklusjoner om havnivået er svært dramatiske. Fordi smeltingen vil fortsette i hundreår og tusenår også om vi skulle klare store utslippskutt, tar de med hvilke svar scenarioene gir: Stopper vi oppvarmingen på 1,5 grader, vil havnivåstigningen bli begrenset til mellom to og tre meter de neste 2000 årene, og til mellom to og seks meter hvis vi klarer togradersmålet. Skulle det ryke, vil havet om et par tusen år stå mellom 19 og 22 meter over dagens nivå”. Og det er ikke bare i det lange perspektivet at ting blir skummelt. Mathismoen forteller om ulike vippepunkt der issmelting og effektene av det vil bli umulige for oss å gjøre noe med.

Det er nødvendig å vite om hvordan hvite polområder beskytter klimaet og hvordan isen her spiller en større rolle i reguleringen av klodens klima. Jeg føler dette er en bok som burde leses av alle, men spesielt politikere og andre med makt til å reversere oljepolitikken som føres i dag. Boken burde også oversettes til engelsk, for å nå flere.

For meg er Mathismoen et litterært forbilde i klimaformidlingens navn og her har han skrevet en sånn bok som du ikke vil skal ta slutt. Anbefales på det varmeste.

Review of Bonnie Wrights "Go Gently"

Climate activist and actress, Bonnie Wright, most known for her role as Ginny Weasley in the Harry Potter universe, has written a book that sets out to be “Actionable steps to nurture yourself and the planet”.

The book has a logical build up, from the “Go learn” chapter, where Wright highlights several aspects concerning the global climate movement, to chapters as “Go see” where the focus is more inwards to your own habits and lifestyle choices. Bonnie Wright writes that she has herself been involved with climate and social issues the past decade, and the book invites us intimately along her own journey, as she also has changed habits and practises at home in order to align with her values. I think the book is at its best when she writes in long form, in stead of the many short factual boxes. Wright also holds space for other voices in her book, which gives us many interesting perspectives, ranging from indigenous voices to members of the queer community.

Book cover of “Go gently” by Bonnie Wright

The following chapters, “Go organise”, “Go shop” and “Go cook” is exactly what they sets out to be - ways in which to incorporate our values as climate concerned humans in our daily activities. The chapters “Go keep” and “Go make” is very much centred around activities you can do at home. Bonnie Wright writes that she found that when she started to incorporate more of her values, like her passion for the ocean, by trying to reduce single use plastic in her own everyday life, it made her feel more aligned with her values.

In the last two chapters, I felt that the book was the most unique of the climate books I have read so far - “Go enjoy” which is about exercises to cultivate joy and connect with the planet and the last chapter “Go beyond”, which was the main reason why I bought the book - about finding your place in the climate movement. This last chapter offers several questions to reflect on. Bonnie Wrights main thought here is that there is not one right way to act when you are concerned and want to do something for the climate. There are luckily several, and as she highlights that different aspects of the book will hopefully spark some interest for you as a reader.

I think this book is a good introduction for someone who would like to find their place within the climate movement, or re-find it. And as Bonnie Wright says - remember to “go gently” on yourself while doing so. <3

Bokanbefaling av «Klimaopprøret»

Bokanbefaling av «Klimaopprøret» av Gaute Eiterjord. Denne boka er en skatt av et vitnesbyrd om at det faktisk nytter å bry seg! Med gode og treffsikre argumenter fra innsiden av norske klima og miljødebatt skrive Gaute godt om både det momentet klima og miljøbevegelsen nå har, og også om hvilke hindre vi må komme forbi for å nå enda lengre og bredere.

Boken gir, spesielt unge mennesker, men også andre som tar på seg samfunnsoppdraget å gå inn i debatter med klimaskeptikere, solide retningslinjer å støtte seg på. Åpenhet, tålmodighet og saklig debatt er noen av mange gode verdiger som fremmes her. Denne burde leses av mange.

Tusenvis av unge hadde allerede skjønt at det hastet da vi fortsatt kunne samles før pandemien.

Til høsten skal vi stemme inn en ny regjering og en ny kurs for Norge for de neste fire årene. Hvis alle med stemmerett, og alle de unge som enda ikke har det, men som bruker stemmen sin til å kjempe for klimaet leser denne boken og bidrar til å få frem budskapet - da kan vi gå en mye grønnere fremtid i møte 💚🤗🌎

Klimaopprøret av Gaute Eiterjord (Aschehoug)

Anbefaling av "Jordnært"

“Jordnært - Enkle tips til en mer miljøvennlig hverdag” er boken til søstrene Anette og Susanne Bastviken, som står bak bloggen og podcastet Radical Broccoli.

Først og fremst; jeg har elsket å lese denne boken! Den er både en kjempefin innføring i en grønnere livsstil og mer miljøvennlig og bærekraftig hverdag for de som akkurat har begynt sin grønne reise, men også kjempeinspirerende om du har vært på denne reisen en stund. Forfatterne deler også sine reiser for å bli grønnere, og det store funnet deres er kanskje det at de valgene som er gode for oss, også er de som er gode for planeten vår.

Boken er inndelt etter alle de kategoriene som vi som enkeltindivider kan påvirke vårt eget liv, som; mat, plastforbruket vårt, hjemmene våre, hygiene og velværeprodukter, klærene våre og transport.

Søstrene er vitenskapsbaserte og alle påstander i boken har vitenskapelige kilder, fra blant annet forskning på mat som Eat Lancet rapporten, til ulike miljøorganisasjoner. Søstrene er også plantebaserte, og oppskriftene i boken er også basert på dette. Selv om boken er solid bygget på fakta er den likevel lettlest, og veldig hyggelig, totalt uten å være fordømmende. Filosofien deres er at det er bedre at mange millioner mennesker tar mange gode valg for miljøet, enn at noen få mennesker er perfekte og gjør alt riktig.

Et spennende prosjekt søstrene deler med oss er hvordan det gikk da de skulle leve en måned uten plast. Mange så kanskje dette på Planet Plast på NRK i fjor. Etter å ha prøvd mitt lignende prosjekt med å ha shoppestopp på klær i et helt år vet jeg at kreativiteten og nytenkningen sånne prosjekter gir fører mange nye og bedre løsninger med seg.

Jeg kan på det varmeste anbefale denne boken til både mine grønne venner, og alle som er nysgjerrige og kunne tenke seg å bli grønnere.

Book recommendation De best intensjoner - Oljelandet i klimakampen

De beste intensjoner - Oljelandet i klimakampen by Anne Karin Sæther, or "The Best of intentions - The oil country in the climate battle" is one of the best books I've read this year. It got great reviews when it came out in 2017, and is still a must read for anyone who wishes to understand the ultimate paradox that is how the Norwegian oil industry and climate legislation has been in bed together since day one. 

The book gives you the historical background since we first found oil in 1969 at Ekofisk, and how the newly established Oil Office compiled "the ten oil commandments" that would govern Norwegian oil and climate policies in the years to come. It was decided that the oil should be extracted at a "moderate" estimate. This meant that Norway had given itself a limit to how much oil that should be extracted each year, based on the precautionary measures that we did not know how it would go. Later in the book, it is revealed that this "moderate" estimate were in fact higher than what the earliest oil pioners could ever imagine that Norway would extract of oil, but the principle of a moderate oil extractive pace was established to stay. 

Then, we are presented with how Norway led the way as the climate leading nation, with the worlds first environmental minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland. In 1987 she presented the report "Our common future" in the UN's climate assembly, where she recognised the impact oil extractions would have on our climate. As one of the first nations, Norway presented its first climate law, which was to "stabilise" the CO2 emissions during the 1990s or latest in the year 2000. 

However, in the Norwegian Parliament and oil industry, it was recognised how this climate law would hinder the oil industry. This is when the idea of climate quotas was first invented. It became  crucial for Norway's new and growing industry, that gave Norway so much wealth, to not be strangled by climate legislation. Therefore, in the next UN assembly, the then statistician Jens Stoltenberg, presented for the environmental ministers the idea that emission cuts could be made outside ones own country. It was in Norway's interest that you could pay other countries a quota, in stead of reducing emissions in your own country. 

In the next UN assembly, where Norway was part of negotiating forward a climate agreement, our new politics on CO2 emissions made us unpopular. Norway was criticised for caring more about national interests, than the climate, and that our protectionism was delaying the work with the climate agreement. 

These are the events the Norwegian oil adventure was based upon. "The best intentions" then goes on and present some of the arguments the Norwegian oil industry has used to defend its further use of more oil extraction in a time when we know how closely linked the oil industry is to climate change and rising CO2 emissions. The myths of "the worlds cleanest oil" and "Norwegian oil to the worlds poor" are dissected and revealed. Further, the book talks about Statoils role in Norway, and how this has affected the Parliament and our politicians. It also discusses modern oil debates, as the Lofoten area.  

This book is for anyone who wishes to understand how and why Norways biggest industry has played such a huge role in our modern history and policy making. It is also for anyone who is interested in Norwegian politics, international climate politics or just wishes to read a really well written book. 

Eco friendly reading recommendations!

Happy Sunday fellow eco concsiously minded. 

Today, I want to recommend some environmental literature that is still on my to-read list, that I think is worth reading: 

1st book out is "The Nature Fix" written by Florence Williams. From the recommendation at Amazon: "The Nature Fix demonstrates that our connection to nature is much more important to our cognition than we think and that even small amounts of exposure to the living world can improve our creativity and enhance our mood. In prose that is incisive, witty, and urgent, Williams shows how time in nature is not a luxury but is in fact essential to our humanity. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas―and the answers they yield―are more urgent than ever."

2nd book out is "Earth in Human Hands" by David Grinspoon. From Amazon: "For the first time in Earth's history, our planet is experiencing a confluence of rapidly accelerating changes prompted by one species: humans. Climate change is only the most visible of the modifications we've made--up until this point, inadvertently--to the planet. And our current behavior threatens not only our own future but that of countless other creatures. By comparing Earth's story to those of other planets, astrobiologist David Grinspoon shows what a strange and novel development it is for a species to evolve to build machines, and ultimately, global societies with world-shaping influence."

I also have two recommendations of books that I have almost finished, but not written a review of yet, which is: 

"Silent Sprint revisited" by Conor Mark Jameson - (from Amazon) "American scientist and author Rachel Carson is said to have sparked the modern day environmental movement with the publication of Silent Spring in 1962. She made vivid the prospect of life without birdsong. But has her warning been heeded? Fifty years on, Conor Mark Jameson reflects on the growth of environmentalism since Silent Spring was published. His revealing and engaging tale plots milestone events in conservation, popular culture and political history in the British Isles and beyond, tracing a path through the half century since 'zero hour', 1962. Around this he weaves his own observations and touching personal experiences, seeking to answer the question: what happened to the birds, and birdsong, and why does it matter?" 

And my fourth book recommendations is one of those books that even thought you've finished it, you've never really finished with it - it is "The Ecology of Wisdom" by Arne Næss. From Amazon: "These writings, full of Naess’s characteristic enthusiasm, wit, and spiritual fascination with nature, provide a look into the remarkable philosophical underpinnings of his own social and ecological activism, as well as an inspiration for all those looking to follow in his footsteps. This is an essential anthology from one of modern environmentalism’s most important and relevant voices."

I hope these books can be an inspiration for furthering your environmental journey, and if you have any books on the topic that you can recommend, feel free to write them in the comments below. 

What we think about when we try not to think about global warming

Environmental book recommendation of ‘Det vi tenker på når vi prøver å ikke tenke på global oppvarming’ (What we think about when we try not to think about global warming) by Per Espen Stoknes

I must begin with saying that I am happy that this book recommendation can not do justice to reading the book yourself - and that’s a really good thing! Because this is actually, as the book says on the back 'The most important book of the year!'.

The author of the book, Per Espen Stoknes, is both a psychologist and economist, and in this book he presents us with the five key psychological mechanisms that prevents us from acting on climate change. Luckily, he also provides us with new strategies about how we should talk about climate change, and also how detrimental some of the communication around climate change can be. 

There are three main parts of the book: ‘Thinking’, ‘Doing’ and ‘Being’. In ‘Thinking’, the book starts of by thoroughly describing why there are climate deniers and sceptics to climate science. The key findings in this chapter, and also why there are psychological barriers towards climate action is summed up in: 

1. 1.Distance - the climate cause feels distant to us, ‘it doesn't concern me, yet’. 
2. 2.Doomsday - with impending doom soon on your hands, it’s easy to feel defeated. 
3. 3.Dissonance - when we know that the use of fossil fuels amplifies climate change, but we continue to drive our petrol based cars, it can create a dissonance that is uncomfortable to handle. This dissonance is relieved by starting to doubt or trivialise the facts (that our lifestyle created the problem) 
4. 4.Denial - when we deny the facts, we use it as a tactic to protect ourselves from fear or guilt. By denying climate change altogether, it is easier to lift yourself to the same level as those ‘preaching’ climate facts to you, and rather ridicule them, as a mean of self defence. 
5. 5.Identity - we look for information that confirms our personal and political values and beliefs, and when the political side you identifies with either express that they believe or do not believe in climate change, it is easier for you to let your cultural identity belief be mirrored, than opposing this. 

However - there are good ways to combat these identified traits to why some denies climate change, and these tactics are described in part 2 - ‘Doing’. The main message here stars of with: Turn the barriers upside down - 

1. Find a way to make climate change feel close, human, personal and urgent (the opposite from distance). 
2. Use supportive framing that does not evoke negative emotions (doomsday). 
3. Create opportunities for a simple and visible climate action (reduces dissonance) 
4. Avoid emotions as fear, guilt, and the need for self protection (reduces the need for denial) 
5. Reduce the cultural and political polarising of climate change (to reduce the need to protect your identity) 

From a climate communication perspective, which is my daytime job, this information is golden! Knowing how to not create a ‘them and us’ worldview is vital information when the goal is for climate science to be globally accepted. 

The two main remaining aspect of this first strategy also includes: 

1. Stick to the positive strategies - whatever we communicate about the climate - the message should be inspiring, sympathetic, and stimulate to togetherness. A solution works so much better when people actually wants it, rather than having it implemented by guilt or fear of repercussions. 
2. Act as a global citizen, not as a individual - we get further when we act towards societal change, rather than as separate individuals. That being said, we do need those individual acts, as recycling, but it’s when more people join in that a movement is created. 

Based on this, the book presents us with five new strategies to present climate change: 

1. Social - use the power of social networks. The best communicators for an idea is someone you look up to or identify with, be it a cultural influencer or a celebrity. This strategy has been successfully used in AIDS campaigns in South-Africa and anti smoking campaigns in the US. The same logic can be applied in communication climate science. In already established communities as sports clubs, organisations etc - find out who different communities looks up to, and let them be spokespeople to their own communities.  
2. Supportive - use lingual framing that supports the message with positive feelings. Talk about the opportunities to a better life, innovation and job opportunities. Talk about how it promotes better health and wellbeing, how it is better to be prepared and ready for the risk of climate, than staying passive. Talk about it as values for our joint cause. 
3. Simple - make it simple and practical to act climate friendly. Use ‘green nudges’ as means to making the green choice the simplest.
4. Story-based - use the force of stories to create meaning and togetherness. We need the vision of how the green future will look like, therefore - tell better climate stories. Avoid the apocalyptic narrative and rather talk about green growth, happiness and the good life, ecological restoration and nature ethics. Also, when you tell the stories, make them personal, personified and concrete. Give them life and make them extraordinary. Visualise, don’t explain. Make them fun and vibrant with a strong narrative and use of emotions and drama. 
5. Signals - use social indicators that visualise society respons to the climate crisis. Integrate the climate communication with new progress as indicators as towards green growth. 

All in all, this is a very optimistic book, and with fear of that this blog post is going to be too long, I will refrain from covering part 3 ‘Being’. I will just say this, you want to read this book, as it provides you with a lot more visuals and examples than I could cover in this brief overview of what the book contain of ideas. 

While reading it, and after, I have felt a renewed hope in communicating climate science. If Stoknes aim for this book was to spread hope around our joint climate, I will definitely say that he succeeded. 10 out of 10, I can strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in climate, psychology, even economics or communication. 

Thank you for reading this longer than usual blogpost, and remember to talk positively when communicating about the climate. 

The world without us - by Alan Weisman

I started this book without knowing too much about its content, except that it would describe what will happen to our world if we were all to disappear tomorrow. With this seemingly bleak outlook I started reading, and was instantly surprised by, given the premises for the book, how little troublesome it was to read. 

First of all, the language is beautiful. With sentences like:

‘Unless humankind’s Faustian affair with carbon fuels ends up tipping the atmosphere past the point of no return, and runaway global warming transfigures Earth into Venus, at some unknown date glaciers will do so again.’  

Weisman does a good job at describing what will remain after us, mostly underground cities. But with chapters with names like ‘Polymers Are Forever’ and ‘The Petro Patch’ it’s easy to see where we are headed. It is an environmentalist book through and through. Weisman has gone to some great lengths and apparently traveled the world in the attempt to cover all our misdeeds towards the climate. 

What is most distressing however is not that the concrete will break up and New York will once again be a green canopy, but how long after the toxins we have engineered are staying in our environment. One example is PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) that we stopped using in the 70’s due to how animals who came in contact with it started mutating and changing gender. After remains of PCB were dug deep into the earth, that again found it’s way back into the water (spoiler: Everything finds it’s way back into the water), these toxins have now reappeared in the Arctic, where they are found in breastmilk in Innuit women, and in the fat tissues in seals and fish. 

Weisman leaves us with a thought on the choice ahead — if we as a species will bring the rest of Life with us, or tear it down, with a friendly reminder that we can't really do it alone if nature isn't with us. This is, to my belief, perhaps the core of this book, how closely we are linked with nature. 

If you are into in-debt explanations and a more naturalistic approach to climate change, this could well be the book for you. 

This changes everything

I have finally gotten around to read Naomi Kleins 'This Changes Everything" (2014) (yes, I know, a little late to the game) However, even if you read it now, you will still get some really good insights as to where we are currently in the climate discourse.

Klein is a Canadian journalist, author and political activist, and 'This Changes Everything' draws most of its example from the current day US climate policies. The main idea of the book is that its the current economical system, capitalism, that is ruling how we make all other decisions, including those for the climate. If you are either interested in climate, as I sort of assume you are if you've found your way to this blog, but also if you are interested in how economy influence all aspects of society, then this might be the book for you.

One of my most 'aha!' moments when reading the book, was when she discusses how the fossile fuel industry per definition neither can't stop nor won't stop before they have literally searched every inch of our common Earth. This has to do with how it is financed; oil companies gets new investments based on what they estimate that they will be able to produce. So with this cycle, they can never stop searching. Klein gives some devastating examples in the book about small island communities that perished because of this extractive industry. For a more thorough explanation of this and a lot more, I can really recommend this book. It is also a good road map if you have just gotten into the climate debate, but want to get a bit more back history on how the movement came to be.