Ministry for the Future - Heatwaves, Super-Storms, and Cutting-Edge Climate Tech!

The Ministry for the Future is a novel by Kim Stanley Robinson that delves into the urgent issue of climate change. Set in the near future, the story follows the establishment of a UN agency, the Ministry for the Future, whose mission is to advocate for the rights of future generations. The novel is told through multiple perspectives, including those of Mary Murphy, the head of the Ministry, and Frank May, an American aid worker who survives a devastating heat wave in India. The book explores various innovative solutions to climate change, such as the introduction of a new currency called 'carboni' to incentivize decarbonization, and it presents a hopeful yet realistic vision of how humanity might cooperate to mitigate the effects of climate change. The narrative includes a mix of fictional eyewitness accounts, non-fiction descriptions, and diverse writing styles, reflecting the complexity and urgency of the climate crisis.

Mariana Mazzucato's "The Value of Everything" challenges conventional economic thinking by questioning how we measure value and who benefits from it. She argues that the current system undervalues public goods and services, leading to underinvestment in crucial areas. Mazzucato advocates for a more inclusive approach to value creation, recognizing the contributions of both the public and private sectors. The book explores the role of innovation and the importance of considering the social and environmental impacts of economic activity. It calls for a fundamental shift in how we understand and measure value, moving beyond a narrow focus on market prices.