These Books Are(n't) Harmful

But they do question climate change science and activism

Photo by USGS on Unsplash

By J. A. Kelly

These Books Are(n’t) Harmful is a series of reading lists featuring unorthodox perspectives on controversial topics. Future lists include topics such as mens’ rights, human nature, history, race, and medicine. Today, we visit the idea that climate science has been settled, inspired by a recent piece on this substack.

But first, a response to a thought-provoking conversation in the comments of the first book list containing books critiquing the trans movement and trans activism. The title for this series was chosen deliberately, after much careful consideration and thought. These books are not intrinsically or inherently harmful in a literal sense i.e. full of harm. Rather, they present ideas that might run against those commonly spread and accepted. The word “harmful” was chosen on purpose, due to the current discourse within libraries and the publishing industry surrounding removing, censoring, editing, or warning of information deemed harmful. Collection development, cataloging, weeding, and programming policies which consider “harm” to be a factor are not in sync with traditional library values. Anyone can find something objectionable in nearly any book. Anyone can misinterpret a book or commit reprehensible actions. That does not make the book harmful. 

Naming a book racist, sexist, homophobic - and thus the readers who engage with the books by proxy - is counter to the mission of viewpoint diversity. It is okay for people to read the same books and come to different conclusions. It is okay for people to hold different opinions. Discomfort isn’t harm. Confronting differing perspectives isn’t harm. Disagreement doesn’t make someone some kind of -ist or -phobe. Let us, as impartial guides to information, avoid this type of labeling. 

Now, on to the list. 

Apocalypse Never: Why Environmental Alarmism Hurts Us All by Michael Shellenberger

5 editions in 793 libraries

A Moment on the Earth: The Coming Age of Environmental Optimism by Gregg Easterbrook

9 editions in 1,201 libraries

The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World by Bjørn Lomborg

25 editions in 2,774 libraries

The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels by Alex Epstein

9 editions in 583 libraries

False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet by Bjørn Lomborg

4 editions in 607 libraries

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If you don’t see these titles in your local library, many collections policies offer the ability for patrons to suggest purchases to add to the collection. Interlibrary Loan is another great option. Many weeding policies evaluate circulation and ILL stats, so if you would like to continue seeing these titles in your library, please check them out. The OCLC WorldCat numbers were obtained on the date of publication.

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