Minding the Climate: How Neuroscience Can Help Solve Our Environmental Crisis by Ann-Christine Duhaime, MD

In Minding the Climate: How Neuroscience Can Help Solve Our Environmental Crisis, Dr. Ann-Christine Duhaime explores the intersection of human behavior, brain science, and environmental sustainability. With a compassionate yet scientifically grounded approach, she examines why our brains—wired for short-term rewards and survival—struggle to prioritize long-term environmental challenges like climate change. Using compelling research and real-world examples, Duhaime offers insights into how we can rewire our thinking to align personal and societal choices with sustainable outcomes. Drawing from her experience as a pediatric neurosurgeon, Duhaime illustrates how our biological predispositions can adapt and evolve through education, incentives, and collective action.

Duhaime’s work resonates with the Wildlands, Woodlands, Farmlands & Communities vision, which emphasizes the importance of preserving interconnected landscapes and collaborating across disciplines, geographies, and objectives. By understanding the cognitive barriers to climate action, as discussed in Minding the Climate, we can better engage communities in proactive conservation efforts that sustain ecosystems and support the well-being of all living creatures, humans included. This synergy highlights the potential of merging neuroscience and grassroots initiatives to create a more sustainable future.

This insightful and thought-provoking book is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand—and transform—our approach to the climate crisis.

I first learned about Dr. Duhaime and her work at the 2024 RCP Network Gathering where she was a keynote speaker.

To learn more or to purchase, visit Harvard University Press.

To purchase, visit IndieBound.

Recommended by Marissa Latshaw