This Changes Everything Book Summary - This Changes Everything Book explained in key points

This Changes Everything summary

Name: This Changes Everything
Author: Naomi Klein

Naomi Klein

Capitalism vs the Climate

Table of Contents

This Changes Everything
Summary of 11 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 11

What's in it for me? Learn about what's happening to your planet.

Climate change may completely destroy the world as we know it. If we keep polluting the earth at our current rates, we could face massive social, economic and ecological disaster.

So why are we doing this? Why do industries and corporations continue to pollute, even though the scientific community agrees that such behavior is destructive? And how can certain politicians and people deny that climate change is happening, when the evidence for it is so clear?

In these blinks, you'll hear how the activities of certain groups, particularly the fossil fuel industry, are causing global temperatures to rise, and why such groups aren’t interested in changing their methods. You'll also learn about the movements that are working to curb climate change, and what you can do to help.

In the following blinks, you'll also discover:

why efforts by the United Nations to fight climate change have been less than helpful;
how a volcanic eruption sparked an idea to combat an increase in global temperatures; and

why a powerful, global movement for renewable energy started in a small English town.

Greed and extractivism push people to make profits, even if it means destroying the environment.

The fight against climate change has been ongoing, with mixed results. If we continue to pollute the earth at our current rate, we could face the real possibility of environmental and social collapse.

Back in 1990, global leaders in an attempt to curb climate change agreed to a goal of limiting global temperatures to an increase of 2 degrees Celsius. The most effective way to make this happen would be to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

The practices of the fossil fuel industry endanger both people and wildlife.

Fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are the main energy source in the world today. We burn such fuels to generate electricity as well as keep ourselves warm in cold weather.

Yet fossil fuels are quite dangerous, and they've been shown to directly interfere with our health.

Right-wing critics of climate change are working to protect their interests, not the earth’s.

Do you believe climate change exists? If so, you agree with a consensus of the scientific community.

Shockingly, you may also be in the minority in society at large.

International trade agreements often carry more influence than do climate agreements.

In 1945, the United Nations was formed to foster global cooperation. One of its many tasks is drafting international agreements.

One type of agreement is a trade agreement, which stipulates general rules governing international trade. In 1994, The World Trade Organization (WTO), which works to liberalize international markets, was founded by such an agreement.

Loopholes in well-meaning environmental programs encourage companies to cheat and pollute.

In addition to climate agreements, the United Nations also develops programs to help curb harmful emissions. These programs however have had mixed success.

The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) was created in tandem with the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The goal of both was to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions, also known as “greenhouse gases.”

While some billionaires acknowledge climate change, they're doing little to prevent it.

While many of the world’s billionaires certainly have the means to help fight climate change, the actions of the few who show some interest have still been lacking.

In 2007, Warren Buffett, the owner of investment company Berkshire Hathaway, said that climate change is serious and that preparing ourselves for such an event is important.

Wanted: Strong governments to fine fossil fuel producers and to support renewable energy.

Many countries have laws against littering. If you throw trash on the street and a police officer catches you in the act, you have to pay a fine.

We need to use this same principle to fight climate change. Strong governments should make fossil fuel companies pay for the pollution they cause.

Blockadia is a growing global movement that fights extractivism all over the world.

Have you ever heard about a movement called Blockadia?

Blockadia is international activism geared to curb the power and influence of multinational corporations involved in fossil fuel extraction. It is a loose affiliation of people who not only want to stop extractivism, but also are seeking a better way forward.

Sell your stocks in fossil fuel companies, and act locally to make the switch to renewables.

Do you hold stock in fossil fuel companies? You might think about divesting yourself of those shares.

Major public institutions too are beginning to sell their interests in fossil fuels companies, in response to activist pressures.

To keep climate change at bay, we need a mass social movement and direct action on a global scale.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.”

We should all heed this warning with regard to the pollution of our planet.

Want to see all full key ideas from This Changes Everything?

Key ideas in This Changes Everything

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

What is This Changes Everything about?

This Changes Everything addresses one of the most pressing issues today: climate change. The book outlines exactly how we’re harming the planet and why we’ve thus far failed to stem our destructive behavior. Author and activist Naomi Klein also points out how some early movements are meaningfully fighting climate change and what more needs to be done to prevent global disaster.

Who should read This Changes Everything?

Anyone afraid about climate change and wanting to take action
Anyone interested in how politics and the economy clash with environmental goals
Anyone curious about the latest word on environmental activism

About the Author

Naomi Klein is a climate activist and writer of international bestsellers The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism and No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. She's also on the board of directors of 350.org, an organization that aims to build a grassroots movement to address climate change.

Categories with This Changes Everything

Nature & the Environment Politics

Book summaries like This Changes Everything

Thinking in Bets

Annie Duke

Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts

21.2 min

4.4

We Can Do Hard Things

Glennon Doyle

Answers to Life's 20 Questions

A Straightforward 8-Week Protocol for Learning Focus

19 min

4.1

Challenging Coaching

John Blakey and Ian Day

Going Beyond Traditional Coaching to Face the FACTS

22 min

4.3

How To Destroy America in Three Easy Steps

Ben Shapiro

An account of the political forces threatening to tear America in two

The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout

20.3 min

4.1

Four Hundred Souls

Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain

A COMMUNITY HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICA, 1619–2019

The Indispensable Chomsky

17.7 min

4.4

Collaborating with the Enemy

Adam Kahane

How to Work with People You Don't Agree with or Like or Trust

17.4 min

4.3

Lead from the Outside

Stacey Abrams

How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change

Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level

17.2 min

4.1

How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids

Carla Naumburg

A Practical Guide to Becoming a Calmer, Happier Parent

Disaster capitalism's rise and what it means for you

On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness

12.8 min

3.9

The Geography of Bliss

Eric Weiner

One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World

The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy

23.1 min

3.9

Bedtime Biography: Black Spartacus

Sudhir Hazareesingh

The Epic Life of Toussant L'Ouverture

Ditch Doubt, Find Your Voice, and Impact the World

Why Brains Learn Better Than Any Machine . . . for Now

The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst

The Inner Path to Wealth

28.1 min

4.5

We Were Eight Years in Power

A Radical New Way to Negotiate

16.8 min

4.1

The Genius of Empathy

Judith Orloff

Practical Skills to Heal Your Sensitive Self, Your Relationships, and the World

The intimate, powerful, and inspiring memoir by the former First Lady of the United States

A Philosophical Tale About the Failures of Government Coercion

20.4 min

3.7

Talking to My Daughter About the Economy

Yanis Varoufakis

A Brief History of Capitalism

Living Large in a Smaller Place

The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos

20.4 min

4.4

Relational Intelligence

Dharius Daniels

The People Skills You Need for the Life of Purpose You Want

17.7 min

3.5

The Science of Leadership

Jeffrey Hull

Nine Ways to Expand Your Impact

How to Make Good Ideas Great and Great Ideas Scale

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People

16.3 min

4.4

Great by Choice

Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen

Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All

Negotiating Disagreement Without Giving Up Or Giving in

17.9 min

4.3

The Intelligence Trap

David Robson

Why Smart People Make Dumb Mistakes

The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening

15.7 min

4.0

Warren Buffett's Ground Rules

Jeremy C. Miller

Words of Wisdom from the Partnership Letters of the World’s Greatest Investor

15.9 min

4.2

Angrynomics

Eric Lonergan and Mark Blyth

How we can rearrange our economies to produce more equality and less anger

The 12 Levers of Success

21.7 min

4.6

The Happy Kid Handbook

Katie Hurley

How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World

14.9 min

4.1

The All-or-Nothing Marriage

Eli J. Finkel

How the Best Marriages Work

An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making

7 Ways to Give of Yourself for Everyone's Gain

10 Timeless Lessons for Picking Tech Stocks

19.2 min

4.2

The Financial Diet

Chelsea Fagan and Lauren Ver Hage

A Total Beginner’s Guide to Getting Good with Money

Think Boundlessly, Work Purposefully, Live Passionately

14.7 min

3.9

This Time Is Different

Carmen M. Reinhart

Eight Centuries of Financial Folly

19.2 min

4.5

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Zora Neale Hurston

13 min

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.

Start your free trial