Explore some of our favorite environmental books, films, podcasts, and more curated from Department of the Environment staff and our network of partner organizations.
What we’re reading
Stimulate your mind and spark new ideas for environmental action.
Books
Offered as E-Books by San Francisco Public Library:
Environmental E-Book List (San Francisco Public Library)
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming (Hawken)
Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You Have (Schlossberg)
Available elsewhere:
Seeing Green: The Use and Abuse of American Environmental Images (Dunaway)
Swerve: Environmentalism, Feminism, and Resistance (Akers)
What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City (Hanna-Attisha)
Sicker, Fatter, Poorer (Trasande)
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis (Johnson and Wilkinson)
Articles & Blogs
Harnessing the Power of Collective Action (SF Environment, Debbie Raphael)
Take Action: Act on Plastic Pollution (Earthday.org)
How Big Oil is Using Toxic Chemicals as a Lifeline - and How We Can Stop It (Earthjustice)
Five Reasons Why Climate Change and Toxic Chemicals are Connected (Healthy Building Network)
Growing Gardeners (Garden for the Environment)
Off the Beaten Path Walks for Every District in San Francisco (Walk SF)
Why Caring about Climate Change Means Caring about Chemicals of Concern (GreenBiz)
The Drawdown Review - Climate Solutions for a New Decade (Project Drawdown)
What we’re watching
See something from a new light. From inspirational to eye-opening, here’s what’s grabbed our attention.
Films & Documentaries
Who Killed the Electric Car? (Paine)
Kiss the Ground (Tickell)
Gather (Rawal)
Artifishal (Patagonia)
Videos & TED Talks
Check out the SF Environment YouTube playlist for a curated list of TED Talks, documentaries, and event replays.
Talking Sustainable Food with Dolores Huerta & Alice Waters (City Arts & Lectures)
Feedback Loops (Climate Emergency)
Power Trip: The Story of Energy (PBS)
Why are the arts essential in addressing climate change? (Ben Twist)
Lexicon of Sustainability (PBS)
Arts and Peformance
Dear Future Generations: Sorry (Prince Ea)
We Can Be More (Solli Raphael)
Appalachian Spring (Aaron Copland)
6th Symphony 'Pastoral' (Beethoven)
Earth Songs (Ludivico Enaudi)
Climate Stories Project (Various)
The Hut Project (Jill Sigman)
Ice Cycle (Jody Sterling)
What we’re listening to
Turn up the volume and tune into these thought-provoking podcasts.
Podcasts
Bioneers - Access to in-depth interviews with leading social and scientific innovators.
Talking Headways (Streetsblog) - The latest happenings at the intersection of sustainable transportation, urban planning, and economic development.
NPR’s Environment Podcast (NPR) - Breaking news on the environment, climate change, pollution, and endangered species.
Bill Nye Science Rules Podcast - Bill Nye takes on your science questions.
Seeing White (Scene on Radio) - Where did the notion of "whiteness" come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for?
A Matter of Degrees (Stokes and Wilkinson) - This show is for climate-curious people who know climate change is a problem, but are trying to figure out how to tackle it.
Energy Exchange (Columbia University) - In-depth conversations with the world’s top energy and climate leaders.
Podship Earth (Blumenfeld) - Takes on a wide range of environmental topics with a focus on how we can make a difference.
Environment and Equity
Racial inequities worsen as the impacts of climate change continue to unfold. While climate change impacts everyone, low income residents and Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) communities are hit the hardest and have the least amount of resources to adapt. Building capacity in every community means recognizing the connections between racism and the environment and striving for inclusive and equitable community engagement in decision-making.
Read Up on the Links Between Racism and the Environment (NY Times)
