I’ve never read Jonathan Safran Foer’s work before, but as a vegetarian, I have been told about his book Eating Animals many, many times. After reading Fast Food Nation, however, I felt like I’d had enough on the subject (I’m already a vegetarian, I don’t need all the horrific details of how factory chickens and beef cattle are treated in my head, thank you very much!). But with this new book, I figured it was time to give him a try.
In his newest book, Foer takes on the topic of climate change and ties it in with our eating habits. The two are inextricably linked, and while there are much larger human activities affecting climate change, the decision about how and what to eat is one that most people feel is within their control – something they can actually do something about.
What I liked about this book is that Foer manages to work a lot of important information into his memoir-based narrative without it feeling dry or overwhelming. He also engages in some frank self-criticism and is honest about the ways in which he doesn’t always manage to live up to what he knows is necessary in order to maintain our health and the health of our planet. He talks not only about the science and medical info, but also the psychological aspect of what we eat and why, and how hard it can be to give up those empty calories and animal-based foods.
This isn’t a long book, and it’s relatively light for the topic it covers. I did find it meandered in places and repeated in others. Not every chapter packed an equal punch, and some of it, if I’m honest, I didn’t fully take in because I got a bit bored (I was listening to this one on audiobook). I’m glad I read it, but I don’t think it’s going to be my go-to book on either ethical eating or climate change. That said, it is a good place to start. It won’t take long to read, and it won’t overwhelm you. If you’re concerned about the planet but having a hard time making necessary changes to your lifestyle and feeling really guilty about it, you’ll recognize your own struggles on the page. Definitely a good quick read on the topic, and one that is very relevant to those of us who recently experienced smoke or wildfires on the west coast of North America!
Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change truly believe it? If we did, surely we would be roused to act on what we know. Will future generations distinguish between those who didn’t believe in the science of global warming and those who said they accepted the science but failed to change their lives in response?
In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer explores the central global dilemma of our time in a surprising, deeply personal, and urgent new way. The task of saving the planet will involve a great reckoning with ourselves—with our all-too-human reluctance to sacrifice immediate comfort for the sake of the future. We have, he reveals, turned our planet into a farm for growing animal products, and the consequences are catastrophic. Only collective action will save our home and way of life. And it all starts with what we eat—and don’t eat—for breakfast. – Goodreads
Book Title: We Are the Weather
Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
Series: No
Edition: Hardback/Audio
Published By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Audible
Released: September 7, 2019
Genre: Non-Fiction, Climate, Environment
Pages: 288
Date Read: July 16-17, 2020
Rating: 7/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.73/5 (7,728 ratings)