Saving the planet and preventing climate change is pretty big responsibility for the next generation. These books give the facts without scaring young readers, and also offer practical tips to help individually and as a community.
If planting gardens and trees, use no-dig gardening and fruit protection bags (over netting, which can trap birds and wildlife). Create gardens safe for pets and avoid facing indoor foliage to outdoor gardens, to stop birds flying into windows. Also know trees to avoid near horses (yew, oak, sycamore).
Good News, Planet Earth is a book by climate campaigner Sam Bentley as he shares hopeful developments with tons of ways to help reduce pollution, deforestation and climate change. Learn about a tower that harvests water from rain, fog and dew. And find 100 positive action steps we can all take, to make a difference. Find 25 chapters covering ocean-cleanup innovations, composting actions, animal welfare tips and helping public space and transport.
- Oceans
- Land
- Food
- Wildlife
- City
- Energy
- Transportation
Since the ocean is so big, it can sometimes be difficult to regulate those who exploit it. Luckily there are good people out there who are ensuring the bad apples are held accountable for exploiting marine life and destroying their natural habitats. I want to introduce you to some of the activists protecting our oceans, good news about governments that are finally beginning to take action and wins for some our beautiful marine species.
Hawaii has become the first state in the USA to ban shark fishing! We should be excited that more sharks are in the oceans. They place an incredibly important role and without them, ecosystems would fall apart as prey species overpopulate. In 2021, sharks killed 9 people globally. By comparison, 11,000 to 30,000 sharks are killed every hour from industrial fishing.
The United Kingdom has banned all shark finning products. Shark finning is the act of removing fins from sharks, and throwing the rest of the shark back in the ocean, mostly due to demand for shark fin soup.
Sam Bentley is a popular social media climate activist, who loves to create positive content, to inspire others for positive change. He has millions of fans online, and is especially popular on Instagram and Tiktok. He lives in Birmingham.
An Upbeat (funny) Book to Save the Planet
Don’t Panic! We can Save the Planet is an upbeat book by a very funny man who believes that people are tired of freaking out about climate change. Instead, stop being an eco-worrier and become an eco-warrior! This hilarious guide is just what the world is waiting for – you to save the planet!
The book is by a writer who lives off-grid and owns a compost loo. He explains how animal agriculture (cow farts) is wrecking the world due to methane gas and explains what a fossil is, and why ‘earthships’ are the future. He’ll help you understand what climate change is, and what we can do to stop it.
We’re really lucky that we have a magnetic field. This is an invisible barrier that protects us from all sorts of nasty cosmic energy (called radiation) that would otherwise laser-beam trees and make lemons explode.
I have a solar panel on the roof of my tiny home and it just sits there, making silent electricity. Lots of people have solar panels that provide their electricity. And if they produce any extra, it goes into the national grid and they get paid money! Schools have big roofs so this could be a great way to make money, but they might need some persuasion (see page 186 – how to persuade your grown-ups to do something different).
An educating and comforting book for children (and adults) who are worried about a warming planet. Packed with information that will keep readers amused for hours, it’s aimed for children age 7 and up, but people of all ages will find plenty to chuckle about.
The end of the book has a super template to write to your MP. Rob explains that everyone has an elected ‘official-type person who hopefully makes good decisions’. If they don’t, you can fill in the template with things you are worried about to send off. This could include:
- How much tax people should pay
- How big the army should be
- What to do when there is a pandemic
- How much money to give to oil companies!
These people are able to make and change laws. They have the power to close roads and put solar panels on people’s roofs. They can do all sorts!
This book is adorable, the introduction featuring a bear holding up a placard to get involved. And a tiny dung beetle who boasts ‘No poo is too big for my tiny arms not to carry!’ The author promises that this not a book about ‘knitting your own yoghurt’. You get the idea!
James Campbell decided to be a writer when he was 7, and mostly travels around schools telling stories. He lives in an off-grid farm near Essex/Suffolk and is passionate on demystifying the importance of saving the planet for children.
How Climate Change Impacts Polar Bears
Where Can We Go? tells the story of how climate change has impacted one bear family, as together they search for a forever home. The charming whimsical illustrations make for a lovely story but at the same time educate on climate change and migration.
As Papa Bear announces the move as there are no more seals to catch and too few fish in their Arctic home, they set off next morning, in search of promising places. Art by Igor Oleynikov (one of the world’s greatest illustrators and winner of the Hans Christian Anderson award).
