Hannah Ritchie’s new book on net zero is a breath of fresh air

Air purification
Hannah Ritchie, Chatto & Windus (UK); MIT Press (USA, forthcoming March 3, 2026)

A few weeks ago I was having dinner with friends and the conversation turned – as it does when a climate journalist, a campaigner and two civil servants sit around the table – to the topic renewable energy.

As you may have guessed, I was dining with some pretty knowledgeable people, well aware of the dangers of climate change and the urgent need to transition to purer forms of power. But still, the question was asked to me: what if we still need gas in our energy networks as a backup fuel? A country like the UK cannot rely on the wind alone. solar and batteries in the cloudy and dark winter months, right?

At times like these, the data scientist Hannah Ritchie new book, Cleaning up the air: a hopeful guide to tackling climate change in 50 questions and answersGreat. Thanks to my well-reviewed copy, I was able to take friends on a quick tour of some storage options that can help power the grid when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining. Pumped hydropower, geothermal energy and hydrogen “Everyone has a role to play,” I told them.

Richie's previous book. Not the end of the worldwas a crash course in solving the planet's environmental problems. Air purification strikes the same optimistic tone, but is more of a “how to” guide, providing data-driven answers to any questions you may have about the path to pure zero.

The queries are grouped by topic, from fossil fuels and renewable energy to electric vehicles and home heating. Reading it, you can't help but feel that this is Ritchie's response to the ongoing stream of ill-informed—and often downright misleading—media reports and political statements about the transition to net-zero energy, the kind that tell people that electric cars will run out of highways, heat pumps won't work in cold weather, and that there isn't enough available land for solar power in the world.

Air purification pushes it away disinformation harnessing the power of scientific research and qualitative data. For example, one of the questions Ritchie answers concerns whether wind farms kill birds, a favorite line of attack of US President Donald Trump. Answer: Yes, wind turbines do kill some birds, but that number is dwarfed by the annual death toll of cats, buildings, cars and pesticides.

Nevertheless, wind turbines pose a real threat to some bats, migratory birds and birds of prey. But Ritchie is quick to point out that there are measures we can take to reduce the risk, such as changing the location of wind farms, painting turbines black and turning off the blades during periods of low wind. It's the kind of nuance you won't hear in a newspaper headline or a political joke, but it's important to understanding the benefits and risks of our transition to clean energy.

Each question and answer sequence follows the same format, making it easy to read, but it veers towards formulaicity when read in one sitting. Air purification works best as a sort of reference guide to keep on hand when climate skeptic uncle appears at, say, Christmas dinner.

Richie's now trademark optimism shines throughout the film. She makes clear that for almost every aspect of the net-zero emissions transition, we have real decarbonization options, without shying away from the issues or wishful thinking. The effect is powerful: you leave feeling informed and hopeful, confident that humanity can get out of the climate crisis. In a world of fake news and political machinations, this book is a breath of fresh air.