Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again

Solomon's book "Solvable" argues that solutions to yesterday's environmental problems reveal today's path forward. She gained international fame for her expedition to Antarctica in 1986, which helped heal the damaged ozone layer. She connects this career-defining triumph to the inside stories of other past environmental victories and offers practical solutions for healing the planet. The path to success begins when an environmental problem becomes both personal and perceptible to the general public, and effective change takes place in tandem with consumer pressure.

Format: Hardback
Length: 312 pages
Publication date: 11 June 2024
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

A compelling and pragmatic argument: Solutions to yesterdays environmental problems reveal todays path forward. Susan Solomon, an atmospheric scientist and award-winning author, argues that we have solved planet-threatening problems before and can do it again. Solomon gained international fame as the leader of an expedition to Antarctica in 1986, making discoveries that were key to healing the damaged ozone layer. She saw a path from scientific and public awareness to political engagement, international agreement, industry involvement, and effective action. Solomon connects this career-defining triumph to the inside stories of other past environmental victories, such as ozone depletion, smog, pesticides, and lead, to extract the essential elements of what makes change possible. The path to success begins when an environmental problem becomes both personal and perceptible to the general public. Lawmakers, diplomats, industries, and international agencies respond to popular momentum, and effective change takes place in tandem with consumer pressure when legislation and regulation yield practical solutions. Healing the planet is a long game won not by fear and panic but by the union of public, political, and regulatory pressure. Solvable is a book for anyone who has ever despaired about the climate crisis. As Solomon reminds us, doom and gloom get us nowhere, and idealism will only take us so far. The heroes in these stories range from angry mothers to gang members turned social activists, to upset Long Island birdwatchers to iconoclastic scientists (often women) to brilliant legislative craftsmen. Solomons authoritative point of view is an inspiration, a reality check, a road map, and a much-needed dose of realism.

Weight: 468g
Dimension: 222 x 148 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226827933