Book #1: The Fate of Food

Or, what will Thanksgiving in 2050 look like?

Before I started a climate change book club, I set up a Survey Monkey. I wanted to know: a) if anyone was really interested in this idea besides me; b) what their baseline on climate science was; and c) what, specifically, were they interested in learning about.

Here are the results of my very scientific survey.

To answer question a)…

Yes, many people are very interested in reading about climate change. I set up a free Survey Monkey which limits you to 100 responses, and I had to turn it off after the first couple of hours once I realized that up to 117 of you kept filling out the survey! But I’m not really willing to shell out $25 / month for a Survey Monkey paid plan, so those 17 extra responses will remain a forever mystery.

To answer question b)…

Most of us have read a book or two. A handful of articles. Maybe 15% know a little more than that. And hey, we’ve got AOC or Al Gore on board!

To answer question c)…

Three clear winners on this chart:

76% of respondents want to learn about antiracism in climate movements and environmental racism, 72% want to learn about the Green New Deal and policy solutions, and 64% want to learn about climate change’s effects on food and agriculture. Activism and organizing came in at a distant, but critical, fourth place in this race.

Our first book club pick

We’ll come back to the first two topics in future book selections. But for our first pick, we’re starting with our gut.

What we eat is maybe the most immediate and relatable way for many of us to understand the impacts of climate change. That’s why I’ve picked The Fate of Food: What We’ll Eat in a Bigger, Hotter, Smarter World by Amanda Little as our first book club read. Professor Little teaches investigative journalism and science writing at Vanderbilt University and is also the author of Power Trip: The Story of America's Love Affair with Energy.

And here’s the super exciting news – Professor Little will be joining us for our first book club meet-up on October 20 at 6 pm EDT!

What’s next

If you’ve received a couple of book club newsletters from me already, you’ve probably noticed a few changes. I’m trying out Substack instead of Mail Chimp as a way to share our book club info publicly while also keeping our members updated with book picks, meeting times, Zoom links, and musings from me.

Stay in touch between book club meetings by joining our Slack group! Send me an email proving you’re not a robot and I’ll add you.

Everyone is (rightfully) panicked about wildfires and wants to know what they can do RIGHT. NOW. Invite them to our book club!

Until next time, stay safe, stay hydrated, and stay determined.

Jess