Over 250 people participated in the research and writing to prepare Drawdown. The Drawdown project listed about 80 strategies that would begin to reverse the amount of carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere and begin to reverse global warming. The list includes the most obvious like wind and solar energy and others like changing some agricultural practices. One point that would help change warming is educating girls. When girls get education they tend to marry later and have fewer children. Many of the points listed would not just reduce atmospheric carbon but would be far superior economically to the current practices. Reducing food and water waste would keep more greenhouse gasses out of the atmosphere and save millions of dollars as well. Drawdown is not easy reading. There is a chapter for each point, some are more interesting than others and it took a long time to read. Sometimes I could only manage one chapter at a time. I thought reading Drawdown was worth the time and effort. It shows that climate change can be reversed. ( )

Incredible research ranks exactly what we need to do to reverse climate change. Some of it I knew already (the meat industry worldwide is a real killer and we need silvopasture like yesterday) but some was news to me (just dealing with the pollution that comes from refrigerants could really turn this thing around).
Ultimately, however, I was still left feeling hopeless. Because there is not a snowball's chance in hell that the American government is going to try and do even one damn thing on the list. Thanks a lot, baby boomers! You ruined the world and now you get to die first, leaving your grandkids in an apocalyptic hellscape. Way to go, guys. Way to go. ( )

Admittedly, I failed to finish this book. Yet I'm convinced it was filled with a hundred practical recommendations on how man-made climate change impacts could be lessened or reversed in an economical way without forcing us all to change our lifestyles, become vegetarians, or without giving up our motor vehicles, furnaces, or air conditioners.

But as an audiobook user, I was unable to progress through the book at a pace which suited me, being held captive to the pace of the narrator. In the case of this book, I........found....... the .......... pace.......... of .........the..........book........to...........be..........frustratingly.............sloooooooow.

Patience isn't a virtue of mine, and I found myself anxious to get to the next point, and becoming bogged down in the details. The author would present each idea, one at a time, tell you where it ranks compared to other ideas, tell you the total cost of the idea in millions or billions of dollars, tell you the total cost savings of the idea in millions or billions of dollars, explain it, and go on to the next. I'm sure most of the ideas make perfect sense, and can be implemented in a cost saving way, but I'm unsure which governmental body or agency, or business, or organization, will be taking on each challenge to make it happen on a wide enough scale to allow it to make a difference. Perhaps the implementing bodies for his ideas were contained in his final chapters, I just lost patience and never got that far in the book.
( )

The book lists a number of ways we can reduce carbon emmissions and reverse global warming. Very muchnfocused on technical solutions, of which some are not really delivering (increased deforestation in Brazil under Bolsenaro; higher car mileage in cities where companies like Uber are popular). The book also does not talk bout what needs to change in the way we consume (except eatling less meat) and in the current existing social relations. So an interesting list of solutions, but not a lot of depth or broader picture. ( )

Maybe the best title ever. It is what it says - the Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. In it are 100 environmental practices, ranked from 1 to 100 as most impactful. Most take just two pages, include ample descriptions for the noob, and give a summarized breakdown of the numbers. Tons and tons of researchers and contributors worked to make this book and thousands of references, but it's stylized and written to communicate, not overwhelm. In short, it's brilliant, and one of the most hopeful (and needed) projects I know of.

For me, it felt like environmental science 101. Maybe you have, but I hadn't ever heard of Methane Digesters, Grid Flexibility, Silvopasture, or Utility Scale Photovoltics. Each are important for drawing down the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

However, most important were the practical implications of the research. You might, "What can I actually do to reduce global warming?" This book is the "most comprehensive" answer to that question. So, things like adding solar panels, (eventually) trading our gas car for something electric, etc. everyone knows. Now it feels a little more pressing. But in particular, going to a plant based diet was (I believe) #3 or #4 most impactful practices. Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh has said, making the transition to a plant-based diet may be the most effective way an individual can stop climate change. I didn't realize this... and that doesn't even include the other reasons for going vegetarian.

Two others that surprised me were educating girls globally and family planning (#6 & #7), which go together. When we educate girls, we are improving the lives of families. Children are healthier, happier and fewer in number when girls are educated. This is vital!

Drawdown is also a non-profit, who happened to produce this wonderful book. Learn more at drawdown.org.

This is so important and I'm thankful for the work they're doing. ( )