I Want a Better Catastrophe

Reeling from a crisis of hope, lifelong activist Andrew Boyd seeks out today's leading climate thinkers, from collapse-psychologist Jamey Hecht to Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer. 'If it's the end of the world, now what?' he asks, as he steers us through our climate angst in search of a 'better catastrophe'.

An existential manual for tragic optimists, can-do pessimists, and compassionate doomers

With global warming projected to rocket past the 1.5°C limit, lifelong activist Andrew Boyd is thrown into a crisis of hope, and off on a quest to learn how to live with the "impossible news" of our climate doom.

He searches out eight of today's leading climate thinkers — from activist Tim DeChristopher to collapse-psychologist Jamey Hecht, grassroots strategist adrienne maree brown, eco-philosopher Joana Macy, and Indigenous botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer — asking them: 'Is it really the end of the world? and if so, now what?'

With gallows humour and a broken heart, Boyd steers readers through their climate angst as he walks his own. Boyd's journey takes him from storm-battered coastlines to pipeline blockades and 'hopelessness workshops'. Along the way, he maps out our existential options, and tackles some familiar dilemmas: 'Should I bring kids into such a world?' 'Can I lose hope when others can't afford to?' and 'Why the fuck am I recycling?'

He finds answers that will surprise, inspire, and maybe even make you laugh. Drawing on wisdom traditions Eastern, Western, and Indigenous, Boyd crafts an insightful and irreverent guide for achieving a 'better catastrophe'.

This is vital reading for everyone navigating climate anxiety and grief as our world hurtles towards an unthinkable crisis.