Review: Drawdown

I probably never would have picked up Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reduce Global Warming by myself; it was a book club read for my job. The book, edited by Paul Hawken, is a list of the top 100 solutions for not only halting but reversing climate change. The book also has a fantastic webpage for anyone who wants to dig deeper and see more detail on the research behind the book.

And research is the right word it. The book was compiled by a whole host of experts in their fields, listed here. One of the things I really enjoyed was the variety of solutions. Some were expected, such as energy solutions like wind turbines. Others weren't nearly as obviously related to climate change, such as educating women and girls, which clocks in at number 6.

Some of the solutions were just plain interesting, particularly the last set of "coming attractions" discussed at the end. My favorites included the idea of repopulating the mammoth steppe, which discussed the impact of our ancestors hunting larger species to death thousands of years ago on global climate. Enhanced weathering of minerals was also really interesting to me as it suggested increasing erosion.

The top 25 solutions discussed in Drawdown, from Drawdown.org

I also found the coming attractions related to oceans particularly interesting, including ocean farming, marine permaculture, and "a cow walks onto a beach," which discusses the potential for using seaweed and kelp as feed stock for cattle.

The other thing I feel is worth mentioning is that the book is pragmatic; the editor and authors don't shy away from offering imperfect solutions (what they call "regret" solutions), and they don't sugar coat the downsides of the proposed solutions. They weigh the pros and cons in an honest way, which is refreshing and useful, and increases the impact of their message.

Overall interesting, and not entirely what I expected. Worth reading for anyone interested in this area or interested in knowing what they (and their communities) can do to help positively impact the climate.