Energize Acton

Biosphere Book Club - July Title: Here Comes the Sun
2026-07-29 18:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Address shared upon registration, Strawberry Hill Rd, Acton, MA
Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization
By Bill McKibben

“No one has done more to raise the alarm about climate change or to address the problem than Bill McKibben. In Here Comes the Sun, he shows that we all have the technologies we need to move forward. If any book could make a thinking person hopeful about the future, this is it.”
― Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
“Compelling… A paean to the emerging dominance of renewable energy.”
― Kirkus Reviews

If you are a clean energy advocate in the U.S., it is easy to feel discouraged in the present moment. The current administration has been extraordinarily successful in undermining forward progress on renewable energy. The powers-that-be seem determined to squeeze every last penny of profit from fossil fuels, no matter the costs to our economy, our health, or our climate.
And yet one of the country’s major voices in the fight to address climate warming, Bill McKibben, sees reasons to be hopeful. In much of the rest of the world, the adoption of solar power is surging ahead. From China to Pakistan to Egypt, solar projects are generating significant energy. This year, one very small country—Vatican City—will be the first country to more entirely off fossil fuels. When Bill McKibben was at the Vatican to mark the 10th anniversary of St. Francis’s encyclical on climate change, Laudato ‘Si (On Care for Our Common Home), McKibben quipped “Let’s henceforth concentrate on energy from Heaven, not from Hell.”
In Here Comes the Sun, will we find inspiration from the rest of the world? Can we find ways, both at the grassroots and institutional levels, to recover the solar momentum for this country? Please join the July edition of the Biosphere Book Club and share your thoughts on Bill McKibben’s latest book. As with every Book Club choice, it is great if you can read the book, but it is not required. The host will prepare a brief outline of the text with key quotes and discussion points constructed in such a way that all can participate.
For the July session, facilitator Karen invites you to an in-person picnic version of the Biosphere Book Club. Come enjoy cool beverages and summer bounty to spark our brain power. We will start at 6:00pm to facilitate both eating and reflecting. The address will be sent when you register. We plan to be outdoors if the weather cooperates.
Register HERE.
