Book Review: “Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization” by Bill McKibben, published August 19, 2026, 224 pages in book form, review written by RZD March 9, 2026.
I listened to the audio version of this book whilst cross-country skiing at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington, Vermont. I did it over multiple ski trips, as the total audio listening time is 7 hours and 36 minutes. It was narrated by Patrick Lawlor – generally done well.
This is a refreshing take on how to tackle climate issues focused primarily on the case of solar power and solar electric (for charging batteries in electric cars, homes and e-bikes), but at times discussing wind and other renewable or related non-renewable energy technologies. There are a ton of factoids in the book, and many examples of how economics and politics have affected what I will call the “solar journey”. Just one example – the first photovoltaic panel was invented in 1954. Many messages in this book, but here are a couple of my “take homes”.
- As the sun is a worldwide resource for all countries, it has the potential to be one of the most democratized, even potentially “fair”, sources of energy. Around 80% of the countries in the world have little to no major fossil fuel supplies, this reality and the power of capitalism have supported the concentration of wealth by numerous countries, companies and individuals. Yes, a similar concentration of wealth can occur in solar – witness Elon Musk’s position as the richest person on earth, in part due to electric cars (Tesla) and various solar ventures (Solar City). But the big difference is that no one can “monopolize” the sun. That said, the country seeking, and succeeding so far, to dominate the solar industry is China. In a trend documented by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson (reviewed elsewhere on my blog), this is another case where “the USA invents, other countries dominate dissemination” of an innovation. Today China’s dominance lies in the production of solar panels and electric vehicles. Personally this narrative took me back to the early 1980’s when the company I worked for in Burlington, Vermont (Associates in Rural Development, Inc. or ARD) won contracts through USAID to support the development and implementation of photovoltaics and wind energy technology in countries like Lesotho and Botswana in Southern Africa.
- Innovation around solar is happening globally by small, medium and large actors. McKibben describes innovations around “agrosolar” development combining subsistence crops and ruminants – cattle (in Vermont, Kenya, etc.), and, the relatively new trend of “plug in” rooftop solar which is proliferating in Germany on apartment balconies and elsewhere. He documents the dramatic reductions in the price of solar panels. He also documents how the fossil fuel industry, and various governments, have done everything they can to stall renewable energy in general, and the contrasting dynamics of NIMBY (not in my backyard) and YIMBY (yes in my backyard, roadside signs of which you seen in Vermont).
- The unpredictable – will solar allow us to get the negative impacts of global climate change under control or not. He pointedly discusses the role that government at all levels, companies and communities can all play to either support or delay/block renewable energy.
In one of the final sections he kind of only begins a conversation on the role of fire in forested ecosystems, Smokey the Bear campaigns in the USA, and the historic role that indigenous people have played in “managing fire” for their benefit, e.g., clearing underbrush to make hunting easier. This part of his discussion seems a bit misplaced in this book, though it does contribute to a dialectic he provides on how predominantly “white” government and business has expropriated land. Of importance is that tribes in the USA, First Nations and Metis in Canada, or indigenous people elsewhere are rightfully skeptical when solar or wind developers come to them to do a project or make a deal – for time immemorial they have been taken advantage of and even renewable energy can reinforce negative practices and histories. I just think the discussion around fire, indigenous peoples and prescribed fire is a huge topic deserving deeper coverage, some of which can be found in other books I have reviewed. Nice for him to mention fire and indigenous dynamics, but probably the weakest part of the book.
Towards the end of the book he poses ideas for action. Given his own history as both a writer and activist, there are useful reflections here on what will or might work.
Overall, particularly for those interested in learning more about the potential and ongoing dynamics related to climate and renewable energy, this is an important book worth reading or listening to.
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