Upstart Climate Book Club: Abundance

Upstart & Crow’s Climate Book Club meets every second month to read and discuss works that illuminate the complexity of our shared ecological present. While some are urgent works of non-fiction, and others are novels or hybrid texts, each book is chosen with care for its ability to open new vantage points, challenge easy answers, and — we hope — fuel our collective fight for a liveable future.

Each meeting will be facilitated by Allison Gacad. Allison (she/her) is a journalist, writer, and filmmaker, based on unceded Coast Salish lands in Vancouver. Her work broadly interrogates the politics and economics of climate solutions.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m., we’ll be discussing by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson — a book with ideas that are rapidly gaining traction within political corridors in Canada and beyond.

Since its release, Abundance has influenced how institutions are thinking about housing, infrastructure, energy and climate action. It advances a vision of progress rooted in scale and efficiency, a future of “more” that can seem appealing in moments of overlapping crises. Yet these proposals come with heavy costs.

As these ideas continue to inform public policy, it’s important to stay informed on where they come from, what assumptions they rest on, whose voices and histories are left out of the conversation, and what’s at stake. This meeting is an invitation to read critically, and to situate Abundance within broader conversations about the uneven costs of growth-driven solutions, climate justice and colonial legacies. 

Please note that attendees are not expected to purchase this book from us, though we have copies on hand. We encourage borrowing a copy from your local library or sharing with a friend. 

More about Upstart & Crow:

Upstart & Crow is a not-for-profit creative studio and literary incubator that champions writers, readers and stories, and the role they play in shaping our lives. We develop original programs, support artists and revel in creative projects focused on literature in translation, climate solutions, poetry, civic dialogue, community and skills building, all with the aim of elevating the role of literature and storytelling in our lives. Find us on Granville Island, Gibsons and online at upstartandcrow.com.

Accessibility:

The main studio of our shop is accessible for folks with mobility aids. There is a washroom on the main floor available for attendees.

Questions: hello[at]upstartandcrow.com.

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