REVIEW: Like the pandemic, climate action is urgent

Climate Aotearoa: What’s happening and what we can do about it, edited by Helen Clark. Auckland: Allen & Unwin, 2021. 327 pages. ISBN 9781988547633 WHEN the publication of Climate Aotearoa was heralded by Radio New Zealand in April 2021 it was featured along with a striking image and a quote from the collection editor, former prime minister Helen Clark. The illustration by Vinay Ranchhod was a dazzling red lobster in a boiling pot. 'I would liken [the challenge of climate change] to being the lobster in the pot and the pot starts to heat, and by the time it’s realised it’s being cooked, it’s too late to change. Its fate is sealed. 'That’s in essence the message: you’ve got time to act, the window is closing. And if you don’t, you’re going to get over those tipping points from which there’s no return.' (‘Time for action’, 2021)