Hope in Hell. A decade to confront the climate emergency, reviewed

By Simon Cocking, review of Hope in Hell, A decade to confront the climate emergency. By Jonathon Porritt, available from Simon and Schuster here.

Climate change is the defining issue of our time – we know, beyond reasonable doubt, what that science now tells us. Just as climate change is accelerating, so too must we – summoning up a greater sense of urgency, courage and shared endeavour than humankind has ever seen before. 
 
The Age of Climate Change is an age of superlatives: most extreme this, biggest that, most costly ever. The impacts worsen every year, played out in people’s backyards and communities, and more and more people around the world now realise this is going to be a massive challenge for the rest of their lives. In Hope in Hell, Porritt confronts that dilemma head on.

He believes we have time to do what needs to be done, but only if we move now – and move together. In this ultimately optimistic book, he explores all these reasons to be hopeful: new technology; the power of innovation; the mobilisation of young people – and a sense of intergenerational solidarity as older generations come to understand their own obligation to secure a safer world for their children and grandchildren. 

Hope in Hell. A decade to confront the climate emergency, reviewed

This is a tough, but necessary book to read. The author, Jonathon Porritt, has a long pedigree in the environmental sector, for trying to raise awareness and implement actual, effective environmental changes to counter the challenges of climate change. At the same time he is acutely aware of how little has been achieved over the last twenty to thirty years since the science highlighted how real and pressing are the issues of global warming that we are facing. Much like covid-19, you may wish to avoid and ignore this issue, but that won’t make it better nor go away.

Porritt is aware of the challenges faced, and does aim to offer a realistic and no bullshit approach to the problems we are facing. He objectively looks at a lot of the current issues that need to be resolved, and gives a fair and reasoned analysis of the various potential solutions, from worst case, to maybe ok, to positive scenarios. He is aware of the range of views out there, ie we are all f@@ked, to we can still pull this one around.

Thankfully he does feel we have passed the point of not return, but it will probably be a close run thing, and only if we can sort our issues out really soon. Current and previous climate change deniers have done a lot of damage and we are suffering as a consequence now.

This might not be the happiest book to want to read, but it is written in an intelligent, positive, and hopeful way. If we manage to destroy our own home and the planet we live on, we can have no one else to blame. As we all care for where we live, even if we don’t realise it, this is an important, valuable and necessary book to read. We owe it to our kids, grandchildren and ourselves to take all necessary actions now, before it is too late. If we do then there might just be a hope in hell …

About the author

Jonathon Porritt, Co-Founder of Forum for the Future, is an eminent writer, broadcaster and campaigner on sustainable development. Established in 1996, Forum for the Future is now the UK’s leading sustainable development charity, with 70 staff and over 100 partner organisations, including some of the world’s leading companies. 

In addition, Jonathon is President of Population Matters, President of The Conservation Volunteers and a Director of Collectively (an online platform celebrating sustainable innovation). He was formerly Director of Friends of the Earth (1984-90), co-chair of the Green Party (1980-83), of which he is still a member, a Trustee of World Wildlife Fund UK (1991-2005) and between 2000-2009 he was Chair of the UK Sustainable Development Commission, providing high-level advice to Government Ministers.

Jonathon was installed as the Chancellor of Keele University in February 2012 and he received a CBE in January 2000 for services to environmental protection.

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