Every day the news is filled with stories of extreme weather that threatens our cities, our health, our futures: tornadoes wiping out whole communities; droughts that ignite catastrophic wildfires; storms flooding roads and destroying infrastructure; rising water levels that jeopardize entire nations; new climate-related diseases that threaten our health. Just as World War II raised an existential threat that united Americans in a common cause, the dangers of climate change are similarly challenging all of our previously held notions of the future—and our only hope, as Tom Steyer sees it, is to unite together to take action in a collective movement akin to a war effort.
Steyer has been on the forefront of the climate war for well over a decade, leveraging his investment expertise, business knowledge, and community-organizing skills to support sustainable climate solutions. In this accessible book—aimed at reaching everyone from Wall Street investors to college students—he explains how capitalism is an effective tool for scaling climate progress, offers his candid take on fossil fuel enablers, and explains why immediate action on the climate front will not only be our key to a healthy and viable future but also an investment in the future of our economy. Steyer tells his own story of coming to understand the urgency of climate action, and, in short, interstitial chapters, he showcases the inspiring work of people on the front lines, whose innovative approaches provide hope for meaningful change. The urgency to act is imperative—and time is running out—and yet Steyer feels confident that we will win this war, precisely because there has never before been a moment more necessary or more rewarding to come together to secure a healthy future for ourselves and the planet.