"Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity" is the first book written by climate scientist James Hansen. It was published by Bloomsbury Press in 2009. The book discusses how global warming poses dangers to people and the ability of Earth to support life.

Themes

In the book, Hansen explains that burning fossil fuels is changing Earth's climate and warns that this could place the planet in great danger. He states that millions of species and humans are at risk. The book's title, Storms of My Grandchildren, refers to the strong and dangerous weather events that may happen in the future if fossil fuels continue to be used as they are now.

Hansen believes that politicians have mostly responded to this problem with "greenwashing," which means making promises that sound helpful but do not truly solve the issue. He argues that we must quickly reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to keep its levels at 350 ppm or lower, to prevent serious environmental harm for future generations. He recommends stopping coal power emissions quickly, improving forest and farming practices, and using a carbon tax that gives money back to people. Hansen supports nuclear energy and does not support cap and trade or geoengineering.

Reception

The book Storms of My Grandchildren has been reviewed in Nature, the Los Angeles Times, Science, and Cosmos. A part of the book was published in The Nation in 2009.

Author

James Hansen worked as a director at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies from 1981 until 2013. He is sometimes called the "father of global warming."

Publishing information

Hansen, J.E. (2009). Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About Climate Change and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity. New York: Bloomsbury Press. ISBN 978-1-60819-200-7. Saved from the original on February 25, 2016.