Yoram Bauman is something of a favorite around SunBreak HQ. He’s a PhD environmental economist and calls himself “the world’s first and only stand-up economist.” MvB wrote highly of Bauman’s “Cartoon Introduction” books on microeconomics and macroeconomics.
Back in 2012, MvB wrote, “The part of the book he got the most pushback on, from other economists, was the chapter on climate change (“The End of Planet Earth?”), but as an environmental economist, Bauman wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by.” It shouldn’t be a terrible surprise that Bauman expanded that chapter into an entire book for The Cartoon Introduction to Climate Change (Island Press).
Back with illustrator Grady Klein, Bauman uses his expertise to make the polarizing subject accessible for a layperson. It’s accessible and engaging, and often very funny. Reading it, I found that I understood the politics of climate change far more than the actual science. Yet, Bauman provides a good crash course on environmental science and makes a strong case for why this is such an important issue. A good example is this excerpt from book, the full contents of chapter two (A Brief History of Planet Earth).
The illustrations from Klein and text from Bauman present an important issue in such an accessible manner that it should be applauded. It also deserves much credit for pro-actively engaging climate critics in a manner that isn’t condescending, no matter how deserved condescension may be. It’s also surprisingly optimistic. As one of the book’s taglines goes, “Climate change is no laughing matter—but maybe it should be.”
{Yoram Bauman talks at Town Hall tonight, 7:30pm, $5 tickets.}
