The imperative to stop burning fossil fuels and a proliferation of new tech gadgets like cell phones and smart everything has businesses and governments scrambling to procure the metals that make the magic happen. Mining, refining and even recycling these components comes with a heavy environmental cost. Can we realistically switch from fossil fuels to green energy if obtaining the raw materials cause environmental destruction, political instability and a great deal of human suffering? Vince Beiser traveled all over the world to document the real cost of the new economy.

It's dawning on a growing number of people that the lack of any sort of rational and effective response to the climate crisis is bringing us toward a Thelma and Louise ending for industrial civilization. The hope for a soft landing fades with every year. In his book Franken Politics George Tsakraklides looks at how we arrived at this point and honestly examines life in the era of global capital.

As we scramble to create a more sustainable version of our civilization much of the focus has been on technology. But electric cars and reusable containers will only take us so far. From mountaintop removal to factory farms our relationship with the non-human world has been one of unabashed exploitation. If we’re to regain some sort of equilibrium we need to reset the way we view our place on the planet. In their book Naturekind: Language, Culture and Power Beyond the Human Melissa Leach and James Fairhead explore how we can establish a richer and more nuanced relationship with other beings.