Losing Earth

Losing Earth: A Recent History
First edition
AuthorNathaniel Rich
LanguageEnglish
GenreNon-fiction
PublisherMCD/Farrar
Publication date
April 9, 2019
Publication placeUnited States
Pages224
ISBN978-0-374-19133-7

Losing Earth: A Recent History (published as Losing Earth: The Decade We Could Have Stopped Climate Change in the UK and Commonwealth markets) is a 2019 book written by Nathaniel Rich.[1] The book is about the existence of scientific evidence for climate change for decades while it was politically denied, and the eventual damage that will occur as a result.[2][3][4] It focuses on the years 1979 to 1989 and US-based scientists, activists, and policymakers including James Hansen, Rafe Pomerance, and Jule Gregory Charney.[5][6]

The story was first published as the August 5, 2018, issue of The New York Times Magazine and later expanded.[7][5] After the article was published, it was announced that the story was in development to be converted into a docuseries that will be distributed on Apple TV+.[8] In January 2026, a feature film based on the book was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics with Tom McCarthy to direct. Production is set to begin in February 2026.[9]

Responses

Initial version of text

Environmentalists including May Boeve criticized the narrative for promoting climate doom and focusing on a small group that they argue is not representative of the broader climate movement.[10] Leah Stokes and others have questioned Rich's framing of who is to blame for the climate crisis; Rich did not emphasize the culpability of the fossil fuel industry or of politicians.[5][10][11]

Expanded version of text

In Bookforum, Roy Scranton wrote that "the book is substantially the same as the article" and pointed out its lack of citations.[12] The book received a starred review in Booklist, where it was called "a must-read handbook for everyone concerned about our planet’s future."[13] A review in NPR likened it to "a Greek tragedy."[14] In Nature, Barbara Kiser called it "An eloquent science history, and an urgent eleventh-hour call to save what can be saved."[15]

Losing Earth was published in more than a dozen languages and was named a finalist for the 2020 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Gross, Terry (April 8, 2019). "'Losing Earth' Explores How Oil Industry Played Politics With The Planet's Fate". NPR. Retrieved January 30, 2026.
  2. ^ Lanchester, John (April 12, 2019). "Two New Books Dramatically Capture the Climate Change Crisis". The New York Times Book Review. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  3. ^ "Losing Earth: A Climate History". Kirkus Reviews. January 13, 2019. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  4. ^ Frank, Adam (March 25, 2019). "New Climate Books Stress We Are Already Far Down The Road To A Different Earth". National Public Radio. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "A conversation with Nathaniel Rich on "Losing Earth," human inertia and storytelling as "a moral act"". Nieman Foundation. August 11, 2021. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  6. ^ Brand, Yu (April 16, 2019). "Nathaniel Rich's 'Losing Earth' grapples with climate change". Datebook | San Francisco Arts & Entertainment Guide. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Rich, Nathaniel (August 1, 2018). "Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (August 21, 2018). "Apple Lands TV Rights To Nathaniel Rich's 'Losing Earth' Climate Change Article For Series Produced By Anonymous Content". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 21, 2018.
  9. ^ Grobar, Matt (January 16, 2026). "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Climate Change Conference Movie From Tom McCarthy". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 16, 2026.
  10. ^ a b "Readers Respond to the 8.5.18 Issue". The New York Times. August 16, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Meyer, Robinson (August 1, 2018). "The Problem With The New York Times' Big Story on Climate Change". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  12. ^ "Wonk Quixote". www.bookforum.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  13. ^ Losing Earth: A Recent History, by By Nathaniel Rich. | Booklist Online.
  14. ^ Frank, Adam (March 25, 2019). "New Climate Books Stress We Are Already Far Down The Road To A Different Earth". NPR. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  15. ^ Kiser, Barbara (2019). "The climate revolution that almost was, the science of magic, and sleep disorders examined: Books in brief". Nature. 568 (7750): 31. Bibcode:2019Natur.568...31K. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-01036-6.
  16. ^ "Frans de Waal's "Mama's Last Hug" Receives the 2020 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award - E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation". March 11, 2020.
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