The Big Fix, Hal Harvey
The Big Fix, Hal Harvey
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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The Big Fix
Seven Practical Steps to Save our Planet

Author: Hal Harvey, Justin Gillis

Narrator: Sean Patrick Hopkins

Unabridged: 8 hr 18 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 09/20/2022

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

A “smart, honest, and down-to-earth” (Elizabeth Kolbert) citizen’s guide to the seven urgent changes that will really make a difference for our climate.

If you think the only thing you can do to combat climate change is to install a smart thermostat or cook plant-based meat, you’re thinking too small.

In The Big Fix, energy policy advisor Hal Harvey and longtime New York Times reporter Justin Gillis offer a new, hopeful way to engage with one of the greatest problems of our age. Writing in a lively, accessible style, the pair illuminate how the really big decisions that affect our climate get made—whether by the most obscure public utilities commissions or in the lofty halls of state capitols—and reveal how each of us can influence these decisions to deliver change. The pair focus on the seven areas of our political economy where ambitious but practical changes will have the greatest effect: from what kind of power plants to build to how much insulation new houses require to how efficient cars must be before they’re allowed on the road.

Equal parts pragmatic and inspiring—and “full of illustrative stories and compelling evidence” (Al Gore)—The Big Fix provides an action plan for anyone serious about holding our governments accountable and saving our threatened planet.

About Hal Harvey

Hal Harvey is the chief executive of Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan climate policy firm that advises leaders around the world on how to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in engineering from Stanford University.

About Justin Gillis

Justin Gillis is an award-winning journalist with four decades of experience explaining complex issues in simple language for major daily newspapers, including The New York Times, where he was the lead reporter on climate science; The Washington Post; and the Miami Herald. He was recently a fellow at the Harvard University Center for the Environment.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David

The book begins by reminding us that our world is on fire. Our technological progress is powered by an unsustainable combustion of fossil fuels. And the question is how we can sustain progress without endangering our climate. There are possible technological solutions, we are told; so it's not for l......more

Goodreads review by Sunjay

There's a lot of interesting policy ideas here as well as some practical steps. I think this could be a really useful guide for people first getting involved in environmental activism on a local level. It's very much from a white Liberal framework - the authors spend a lot of time talking about "rea......more

Goodreads review by Hannah

I’m really frustrated by the lack of meaningful power and political analysis throughout this, as well as the weird disregard for the broader environmental impacts the power sector has on the planet, regardless of which technology we use. It’s definitely an important wish list, but there’s not enough......more

Goodreads review by Adam

This book was written in September 2022 so it's pretty current. I would highly recommend it as a clear and practical guide to efforts that are being made to reduce carbon emissions today, and what it will take to get to zero emissions in next couple of decades. The authors' analysis is practical, th......more


Quotes

"In recounting stories of ordinary citizens who took on the powers that be, Hopkins's down-to-earth narration style offers listeners concrete suggestions for effecting change."

"In recounting stories of ordinary citizens who took on the powers that be, Hopkins's down-to-earth narration style offers listeners concrete suggestions for effecting change."

“Full of illustrative stories and compelling evidence, The Big Fix outlines an ambitious yet feasible guide for how America can lead the global solution to the climate crisis. Business leaders, activists, and policymakers at all levels will find inspiration from the pragmatic approaches outlined in this book.”
—Al Gore 

“A truly comprehensive—and entirely comprehensible—guide to the things we can and must do to transform our use of energy. This book will be of great use to anyone who wants to participate in the greatest technological revolution in human history.”
—Bill McKibben