The world is facing a climate and ecological emergency. Catastrophic weather events, rising sea levels, rampant destruction of natural habitats and the mass extinction of wildlife are no longer future possibilities: they are happening around the world now. But the torrent of (often terrifying) facts, statistics and forecasts can be overwhelming - even without the noise made by those who still insist on denying and obfuscating the science. Here, then, are some of the best guides to the Climate and Ecological Emergency.

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ARTICLES

IPCC report: ‘now or never’ if world is to stave off climate disaster, The Guardian. (April 4, 2022)

Greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025, say climate scientists in what is in effect their final warning

BOOKS

There's No Planet B, Mike Berners-Lee (2019)
There is No Planet B maps it out in an accessible and entertaining way, filled with astonishing facts and analysis. For the first time you’ll find big-picture perspective on the environmental and economic challenges of the day laid out in one place, and traced through to the underlying roots – questions of how we live and think. This book will shock you, surprise you – and then make you laugh.

FILM AND DOCUMENTARIES

Climate Change - The Facts (April 2019)

After one of the hottest years on record, Sir David Attenborough looks at the science of climate change and potential solutions to this global threat. Interviews with some of the world’s leading climate scientists explore recent extreme weather conditions such as unprecedented storms and catastrophic wildfires. They also reveal what dangerous levels of climate change could mean for both human populations and the natural world in the future
 

PODCASTS

Costing the Earth (BBCR4)
Costing the Earth is a factual programme on BBC Radio 4 about the environment, while exploring fresh ideas from the sharpest minds working towards a cleaner, greener planet.
 

Outrage and Optimism with Christiana Figueres
Hosted by Christiana Figueres, Tom Rivett-Carnac and Paul Dickinson, Outrage and Optimism is probably one of the strongest, most comprehensive podcasts on climate and ecological breakdown around - as well as being one of the easiest to listen to. Architect of the Paris Agreement, Figueres is a bold inspiring voice. Guests have included Greta Thunberg, Al Gore and Mary Robinson and those working at the frontline of climate mitigation.
 

RESOURCES

Climate Change Tracker.
Track climate change, global warming and greenhouse gas emissions with IPCC AR6 consistent, updated indicators of human-induced global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and the remaining global carbon budget. Indicators of global change for policy makers. At our last reading, on September 23rd, 2023, human-induced warming stands at 1.14 degrees centigrade and, at our current trajectory, we are likely to pass 1.5 in 2034. We will exhaust the remaining carbon budget by 2025.

Climate Change: Solutions: 4-week Course by Futurelearn
Explore potential solutions to climate change and how they relate to the SDGs in Futurelearn.
 

Emergency on Planet Earth by Dr Emily Grossman
Fact checked and reviewed by a wide range of experts from within XR Scientists and outside, Emergency on Planet Earth by Dr Emily Grossman tells the truth about what’s happening, why and what we can do about it. Last updated September 2020, the guide is accessible and rigorous.
 

Sector by sector: where do global greenhouse gas emissions come from? Our World in Data (September, 2020)
Globally, we emit around 50 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases each year. Where do these emissions come from? Our World in Data breaks it down, sector-by-sector.