Elizabeth Kolbert has spent decades chronicling the accelerating climate crisis, combining history, science, and on-the-ground reporting into compelling narratives that both educate and warn. A self-avowed environmentalist, Elizabeth is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and longtime staff writer for The New Yorker.
Elizabeth famously sounded alarm bells on global warming back in 2005 with her three-part series in The New Yorker, “The Climate of Man,” which went on to win the 2006 National Magazine Award for Public Interest.
She continued to issue warnings about our changing climate through her books. Elizabeth’s groundbreaking The Sixth Extinction lays out the mass extinction currently underway because of human activity. She’s written other impactful works, like Field Notes From a Catastrophe and Under a White Sky, which further explore the environmental challenges we face. Her most recent book, H Is for Hope, takes readers through 26 essays—one for each letter of the alphabet—that explore the past, present, and uncertain future of climate change.
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Elizabeth admits she feels pretty bleak about where things are headed. She’s advocating for a shift from hope to courage in addressing the overwhelming challenges ahead. Here she answers some climate questions.
Why did you choose to write about the climate?
On one level, it’s a long, complicated story. On another it’s pretty simple. Journalists are attracted to the big story, and this is one of the biggest there is, or ever has been.
Who are your favorite climate writers?
There are so many people doing great reporting and writing on climate change these days—too many to name!
Which climate activist do you most admire?
Truly I admire everyone putting themselves out there for the climate. I guess if I had to name one person, it would be Bill McKibben, who has been at the forefront of climate activism for a long time now. [McKibben has written more than a dozen books about climate change and the environment since 1989, co-founded 350.org, the first global grassroots climate campaign, and founded Third Act, which organizes people over 60 years old for action on climate and justice.]
What are your greatest climate fears for the future?
Complete breakdown of both ecological and social systems.
What does hope for the future mean to you?
I think hope is a word to be avoided these days. And I say this as someone who wrote a book called H Is for Hope. To quote the climate scientist Kate Marvel [who teaches Dynamics of Climate Variability and Change at Columbia University’s Earth Institute, among other day jobs], “We need courage, not hope, to face climate change.”
What is your climate motto?
I can’t say I really have a motto. The best I can do is: We’ve been warned.
Which TV show or film, past or present, best captures climate issues today?
One of my favorite movies of all times is Dr. Strangelove [the 1960s political satire about Cold War fears of nuclear conflict]. It’s obviously not about climate change, but I think it captures the insanity of the way we approach existential problems.
What do you hope readers will take away from your writing?
Ah, hope again! To paraphrase the great Jim Hansen, I hope they’re paying attention!
From her early warnings to her most recent calls for courage, Elizabeth has been a consistent and powerful voice in shaping how we understand and confront this unfolding catastrophe. Her writing not only informs but also urges action—encouraging readers to face the stark realities of climate change with clear eyes and steady resolve. As we grapple with the uncertain future ahead, Elizabeth reminds us that while hope may feel elusive, courage is what we need most to navigate the path forward.
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