Climate Change Book Club
September 2025 Book Club
The climate crisis affects us all, but does not affect all of us equally. In an era of growing inequality some will suffer far more than others. We see it in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and in the people of Cancer Alley poisoned by pollution. Marginalized communities have historically been redlined into dangerous areas that make them vulnerable to all the threats of a rapidly changing climate.
In her beautifully written, deeply researched book on Charleston, author Susan Crawford describes the evolution of this historic American city, its importance in the slave trade and the growth of slavery in America, and how it was shaped by the Jim Crow era. She then masterfully ties this to the threat of sea level rise, and how these past, and present, injustices place one of the oldest African-American communities in the bullseye for the effects of climate change. If you care about environmental justice this book is a must read.
"All true climate-change stories are about the abuse of power. Knowing this, Susan Crawford makes a plea for climate justice in Charleston, her sweeping case study of the South Carolina city. Crawford’s book stands apart from its predecessors because of its sustained focus on one threatened city. Charleston is a fascinating and haunted locale, and Crawford is gifted at sketching its grossness and grace."
-- The New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice
Susan P. Crawford is an American professor. She is the John A. Reilly Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. She served as President Barack Obama's Special Assistant for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy (2009) and is a columnist for WIRED. She is a former board member of ICANN, the founder of OneWebDay, and a legal scholar. Her research focuses on telecommunications and information law.