History of Climate Science and Action
Learn about the history of climate science, as well as the history of activism to protect our planet. This list includes historical books sharing initial discoveries about the atmosphere; key government documents that have shaped global policies; and stories of the impact of collective environmental action.
Get started with these carefully selected books from the UBC Library. If you would like to find more resources on this topic look for more tips at the bottom of this page. For more help, go to Ask Us or visit a UBC Library branch.
The Future of Nature: Documents of Global Change
Editor(s): Libby Robin, Sverker Sorlin, Paul Warde
Publication Year: 2013
A collection of primary source materials grouped together by theme with commentary by experts in each field. Search for individual articles using Summon to find the primary source material.
Worlds in the Making: The Evolution of the Universe
Author(s): Svante Arrhenius ; tr. by Dr. H. Borns
Publication Year: 1908
In 1896 Arrhenius proposed the first climate model that demonstrated the effect of increasing and decreasing CO2 levels on the atmosphere and global temperatures. He identified the burning of fossil fuels as a contributor to CO2 in the atmosphere.
Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis
Author(s): Alice Bell
Publication Year: 2021
This extensive history of climate science opens with a description of the work of Eunice Newton Foote, who first warned about the potential atmospheric effects of CO2. She was also a women’s rights activist – learn more about her here.
Making Climate Change History: Primary Sources from Global Warming’s Past
Author(s): Joshua Howe
Publication Year: 2017
Selected primary documents from the 19th and 20th centuries on scientific and political aspects of climate change. Search for individual articles using Summon to find the primary source material.
Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972
Author(s): United Nations
Publication Year: 1973
This conference, also known as the First Earth Summit, was the United Nations’ first gathering dedicated to the environment. The proceedings are also available online here.
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer: Final Act
Author(s): United Nations
Publication Year: 1987
The Montreal Protocol is a resounding environmental success story. It was the first treaty ratified by all 197 UN member states, and the ozone hole has shrunk considerably. Also available online here.
Climate Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment
Author(s): IPCC
Publication Year: 1990
The first report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UN’s body focused on the science of our changing climate. Also available online here.
Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do it Again
Author(s): Susan Solomon
Publication Year: 2024
Dr Solomon tells the story of previous serious environmental problems that have been successfully tackled, including smog, lead, and pesticides. She shows how these previous efforts can inform climate action.
Islands’ Spirit Rising: Reclaiming the Forests of Haida Gwaii
Author(s): Louise Takeda
Publication Year: 1995
This book documents the history of Indigenous forest defense on Haida Gwaii in the 1970s, and connects these successful efforts to later activism in Clayoquot Sound. For more on “the War for the Woods,” see this recent Nature of Things episode.
Georges River Blues: Swamps, Mangroves and Resident Action, 1945-1980
Author(s): Heather Goodall
Publication Year: 2022
Part of the World Forest History series. The focus is on the Georges River in Australia. The book outlines how residents took action to restore areas around this river that had been heavily industrialized.
The Making of the Northwest Forest Plan: The Wild Science of Saving Old Growth Ecosystems
Author(s): Norman K. Johnson et al.
Publication Year: 2023
From the publisher’s site: “The Timber Wars consumed the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s and early 1990s and led political leaders to ask scientists for a solution. The Northwest Forest Plan was the result.”
Silent Spring
Author(s): Rachel Carson
Publication Year: 1962
Carson’s bestselling book that warned of the environmental damage that would occur with continued pesticide use, particularly DDT, without regulation.
Not on My Watch: How a Renegade Whale Biologist took on Governments and Industry to Save Wild Salmon.
Author(s): Alex Morton
Publication Year: 2021
Alexandra Morton’s concern about the effect of fish farms on wild salmon dates back to the 1990s. In this books, Morton tells the story of the fight to save B.C.’s wild salmon.
The Sea Around Us
Author(s): Rachel Carson
Publication Year: 1951
In the Sea Around Us Rachel Carson, writing in 1951, outlines a history of the ocean and considers how the ocean impacts weather and climate. It was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year.