Book Review: Climate Changed by Pablo Ribeiro Dias

Reviewed by Heather McNamara

A down-to-earth and informative guide on how we can all do our part to evade the climate crisis

If you’re seeking the truth on the climate crisis and sustainability, Climate Changed is the resource you’ve been looking for. It’s what you need to know about climate change presented in a simple, accessible, lifestyle-altering way. Pablo Ribeiro Dias offers a detailed explanation of what exactly sustainability is and what we can do, both on an individual and a global level, to help save our planet.

The book is divided into three sections. In the first part, Ribeiro Dias looks at how we arrived at this point. Starting with a detailed treatment of the scientific method and its role in environmental science, he examines the history of the environmental movement, from the Industrial Revolution up to and including our current generation. He looks at the events that led up to the present situation and the activists who have called attention to the threats to our environment, from Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring to today’s Greta Thunberg.

In the second section, Ribeiro Dias digs into the science of climate change and its causes. In addition to covering a range of causes, including greenhouse gas emissions and other human-driven causes, we also look at the consequences—those that impact humans directly and the environment at large. (Spoiler: It’s not just carbon dioxide doing the damage.)

Ribeiro Dias carefully examines the nuances of our everyday choices on an individual level—how we can help, including water conservation, meat consumption, transportation habits—but he also covers systemic changes on the wider level. We look at the technology being developed and why it’s not cause for celebration just yet.

What I like most about this book is its simple, straightforward approach to the science of climate change. It’s clear that Pablo Ribeiro Dias has done extensive research on his subject, and he takes special care to present his findings in an easy-to-read form free of jargon or overly technical terms. No matter where you are in your climate science discovery, you’ll gain something from this book.

Not everyone can do everything he suggests, and Ribeiro Dias acknowledges that. He doesn’t shame anyone for eating meat or driving cars or riding in airplanes. He agrees that change on an individual level is not enough; it will take a combination of individual effort and deep systemic change on a global scale to truly address the crisis.

I’d be surprised if you didn’t walk away with new questions and changes to your own daily lifestyle after reading this book.

There is a hint of astute psychological analysis in this book too. We all know that we need to be doing more to stop climate change, but are we doing it enough? Ribeiro Dias dives deep into the rationalizations we make for why we don’t change our habits, and they all ring true. He doesn’t criticize people for failing to change their habits; instead, he encourages us to think carefully about our choices and gives practical advice on how we can change the way we think about our role in the environment.

With its simple language and friendly tone, Climate Changed is an engaging guide that will help individuals make better choices about their climate-changing lifestyle.

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