Hurricane Lizards and Plastic Squid: The Fraught and Fascinating Biology of Climate Change
- Downloads：9729
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-11-15 03:19:35
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Thor Hanson
- ISBN：1541672399
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Barbara Kemp
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This was a fairly short book about how animals are dealing with climate change。 The author mentions four ways: they move， adapt， evolve， or take refuge。 Or they die。 He mentioned some lizards in the Caribbean who evolved to have stronger toes for holding on during strong winds after going through two category 5 hurricanes in a single season。 I gave the book only four stars because he spent too much time on paleontology for my taste。
Colin
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A fascinating look at the biology of climate change - how plants and animals have adapted or failed to do so， and continue to do so。 From the timing of biological processes （on a warming planet， plants flower earlier， but some pollinators， like ground-nesting bees， remain dormant as it takes their homes comparatively longer to warm up） to migrations and movement （some creatures have their range restricted and shrinking due to changing climate， others have their range extended and are becoming in A fascinating look at the biology of climate change - how plants and animals have adapted or failed to do so， and continue to do so。 From the timing of biological processes （on a warming planet， plants flower earlier， but some pollinators， like ground-nesting bees， remain dormant as it takes their homes comparatively longer to warm up） to migrations and movement （some creatures have their range restricted and shrinking due to changing climate， others have their range extended and are becoming invasive）， this book really brings home that 25-85% of all known species are being forced to adapt or die （so at the best-case-scenario， we're still looking at a quarter of all life on Earth） 。 。 。 very much worth reading！ 。。。more
Tanya
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Really enjoyable fast read about how nature is reacting to climate change。 I learned a lot and have some future areas to learn more about。However， from the title I expected more in depth discussion of some of the animals and how it offers us glimpses of what might be coming。Still， I really enjoyed this book and I think it is a good introduction to this topic。 Highly readable and written for anyone， not just those with a specialized background， it offers hope for the future。
Roxanna López
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4。2 stars。Great book！ My only complain， it was somewhat repetitive in some parts。 Otherwise， I highly recommend it！
Jailynn
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Interesting book over effects of climate change and great connections to even the smallest bits that can be affected without being preachy but felt a little dragging towards the end。 I also don't understand having to have s quote before every chapter。 Liked hearing about the variety of plants and animals and scientists。 Interesting book over effects of climate change and great connections to even the smallest bits that can be affected without being preachy but felt a little dragging towards the end。 I also don't understand having to have s quote before every chapter。 Liked hearing about the variety of plants and animals and scientists。 。。。more
Turtleman
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A fairly easy read about species adaptations to climate change。 Some interesting factoids: 1） When given the chance， Grizzly Bears will eat ripe elderberries rather than salmon。 Why？ Salmon have a higher protein content then the bears prefer and elderberries offer more calories。 The bears usually eat salmon during the spawning run because the elderberries aren't ripe then。 Climate change is now changing this。 2） Anolis lizards on Caribbean islands with more hurricanes tend to have larger toe pads A fairly easy read about species adaptations to climate change。 Some interesting factoids: 1） When given the chance， Grizzly Bears will eat ripe elderberries rather than salmon。 Why？ Salmon have a higher protein content then the bears prefer and elderberries offer more calories。 The bears usually eat salmon during the spawning run because the elderberries aren't ripe then。 Climate change is now changing this。 2） Anolis lizards on Caribbean islands with more hurricanes tend to have larger toe pads than lizards on other islands。 Why？ Larger toe pads increase the chances of being able to cling to trees during hurricanes and survive to breed after the storm。 Smaller toepads = blown away and not surviving to pass on those small toepad genes。 。。。more
Shrike58
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Equal parts natural history， memoir， and advocacy， I have to admit that I found this book rather slight; though the title is a great sales pitch！ That said， it is well-written enough that I would consider reading something else by Hanson。
Ariel
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Interesting catalog of the ways that creatures adapt to a changing climate。 Full of compelling stories and anecdotes。 This was not a gloom and doom read， rather I found a thread of positivity here: it may not be the same， but something else lovely may emerge。
Barbara
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Not something I felt any aha moments in but it was well written and I enjoyed both obscure science history and nature factoids
Perri
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I'm a huge Hanson fan， but have to admit I was a bit reluctant to read another depressing book aboutclimate change。 I should have had more faith。 Hanson acknowledges climate change challenges， andrefers to other books to learn more about it， but this book focuses more on how plants and animals areadapting NOW to the changes they face。"When faced with a climate challenge， species don't simply give up- they do all they can to adjust。 Somesucceed and some fail， and taking the time to learn why give I'm a huge Hanson fan， but have to admit I was a bit reluctant to read another depressing book aboutclimate change。 I should have had more faith。 Hanson acknowledges climate change challenges， andrefers to other books to learn more about it， but this book focuses more on how plants and animals areadapting NOW to the changes they face。"When faced with a climate challenge， species don't simply give up- they do all they can to adjust。 Somesucceed and some fail， and taking the time to learn why give us new insights into our own reactions。"We live in an incredibly complex world interacting and evolving in real time。 It's heartening to know weare learning more about how factors such as resilience/rigidity， migration / less mobility andspecialist/generalist modify eco-systems。Climate change is a justifiably dark subject， but I was glad to read something that gave me some hope。 。。。more
Nicole
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3。5 Stars。。。interesting first account stories relating to nature's response to climate change but no more exciting than a bit of bird watching。。。fun for some， but a yawn for otherzzz。。。 nonetheless well written。 3。5 Stars。。。interesting first account stories relating to nature's response to climate change but no more exciting than a bit of bird watching。。。fun for some， but a yawn for otherzzz。。。 nonetheless well written。 。。。more
Erin Langager
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This book is a fascinating look into how species are responding to climate change。 Hanson makes great use of legitimate scientific studies， but presents the information in findings with a story telling quality which makes them easy to understand and unforgettable。
Allen Tang
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The title is a bit misleading but I learned a lot about how nature is already adapting to changing climate。 Some species may thrive while others won't last。 I wonder if humans will be one of them The title is a bit misleading but I learned a lot about how nature is already adapting to changing climate。 Some species may thrive while others won't last。 I wonder if humans will be one of them 。。。more
Carman Chew
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Idk what I was expecting。 Maybe something more exploratory or funny？ Maybe it was the narration， but this fell flat for me， just another "boohoo climate change， do something humans" book。 Idk what I was expecting。 Maybe something more exploratory or funny？ Maybe it was the narration， but this fell flat for me， just another "boohoo climate change， do something humans" book。 。。。more
Larry Perez
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"I’m a sucker for intriguing titles， and this one certainly caught my eye。"Read my full review here: https://noonatthepark。substack。com/p/。。。#ThorHanson #ClimateChange #Wildlife #Animals #Migrate #Adapt or #Perish "I’m a sucker for intriguing titles， and this one certainly caught my eye。"Read my full review here: https://noonatthepark。substack。com/p/。。。#ThorHanson #ClimateChange #Wildlife #Animals #Migrate #Adapt or #Perish 。。。more
Jared
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Thor Hanson has written a delightful exploration of how climate change is impacting the natural world。 He highlights his own experiences， research and that of many others throughout the book is demonstrating his points。 The book is not technical and the research is explain as a narrative that keeps the reader engaged。 The chapters are not dense， but filled with good information told in an engaging way。 The title of the book reflects the research that he later highlights about lizards adapting to Thor Hanson has written a delightful exploration of how climate change is impacting the natural world。 He highlights his own experiences， research and that of many others throughout the book is demonstrating his points。 The book is not technical and the research is explain as a narrative that keeps the reader engaged。 The chapters are not dense， but filled with good information told in an engaging way。 The title of the book reflects the research that he later highlights about lizards adapting to hurricanes in the Caribbean and the squids that shift their diet and habitat due to their generalized nature （plasticity）。 This book is NOT an expose on climate change politics or the causes of climate change。 Rather the author focuses on how life is responding to climate change。 It is an accessible book for anyone and may spark some good discussions on how we are dealing with climate change。 。。。more
Lois Kailhofer
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An in depth but somewhat hopeful look at climate change。
Jill Fontenault
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Engaging and thought-provoking！ This book made me long for a return to my environmental biology days。 It was fascinating to take a look at species behavior and adaptation in this way and I learned a ton。 Every person living in the modern era should give this book a read， if only to come to a deeper appreciation of the amazing natural world around us and what it's capable of。 Engaging and thought-provoking！ This book made me long for a return to my environmental biology days。 It was fascinating to take a look at species behavior and adaptation in this way and I learned a ton。 Every person living in the modern era should give this book a read， if only to come to a deeper appreciation of the amazing natural world around us and what it's capable of。 。。。more
Paula
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M。A。D。 Move。 Adapt。 Or Die。
Miriam James
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Thor Hanson has such a delightful way of writing - it’s easy to get to grips with even if you’re not very sciencey and it’s personable。 You get a sense of his personality and of the people he talks to and get to know something about them。 This was a really interesting take on climate change and how it’s literally changing creatures， as well as how they need to change to deal with the climate impact。 It gives you some hope for the future but also reminds you how important it is to try and save th Thor Hanson has such a delightful way of writing - it’s easy to get to grips with even if you’re not very sciencey and it’s personable。 You get a sense of his personality and of the people he talks to and get to know something about them。 This was a really interesting take on climate change and how it’s literally changing creatures， as well as how they need to change to deal with the climate impact。 It gives you some hope for the future but also reminds you how important it is to try and save the planet。 。。。more
Peter Tillman
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Good book。 I took notes。 OK， a fair bit of this is Global Warming: We're Doomed！ stuff。 But Hanson is an honest scientist， even if he's drunk a little too much of the Doom Kool-Aid。 Such as， Great Britain was scraped pretty much down to bedrock during the great Ice Ages （now， there's serious Climate Change！）。 But the oak forests recovered surprisingly quickly after the ice melted。 How come？A: Birds！ Just 50 jays carried off over 150，000 acorns in just one season， storing them for the winter。 Obv Good book。 I took notes。 OK， a fair bit of this is Global Warming: We're Doomed！ stuff。 But Hanson is an honest scientist， even if he's drunk a little too much of the Doom Kool-Aid。 Such as， Great Britain was scraped pretty much down to bedrock during the great Ice Ages （now， there's serious Climate Change！）。 But the oak forests recovered surprisingly quickly after the ice melted。 How come？A: Birds！ Just 50 jays carried off over 150，000 acorns in just one season， storing them for the winter。 Obviously， they don't find them all， and the birds are the oaks reproductive partners。 Left unanswered is where the first generation of birds found acorns to bury after the Ice retreated。。。 Details， details。The titular Plastic Squid are Humboldt Squid in the Sea of Cortez， which used to support a good-sized fishery before the water warmed。 After， they grew much smaller -- but plasticity is one of the best coping-mechanisms for species facing environmental change。 Climate change （or any environmental change） favors generalists。 Such as humans。I have lots more notes， but I think I'll cut to the wrapup。 Hanson writes well， reports interesting stuff （those Hurricane Lizards are a hoot！） -- but he does seem to be always looking for the downside。 What about upsides？ Such as， increased CO2 in the atmosphere is significantly increasing plant growth worldwide （as measured by NASA from satellite monitors）。 Negative feedback？ And surely the warming trends are good for northern countries？ It's a complicated story， and a lot of the things that are being tried now （windmills and solar electricity） seem likely to be doing more harm than good。 But I expect humans to muddle through， as we always have。I did enjoy the book， even if I don't agree with all of his arguments。 But he plays fair （mostly）。 The book is well-written and blessedly short， and low on cant。 Cautiously recommended。 3。5 stars， rounded up。NY Times review: https://www。nytimes。com/2021/09/29/bo。。。 Gloomy but well-written。 。。。more
Josh
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This is all about how animals and plants are adapting to climate change， and it is truly "fascinating。"I like that it doesn't delve into why the climate is changing。 This book just shows you the science of how biology is affected by climate change。 How is it adapting， or not？ Super super interesting。Recommended for optimistic specialists in their refugia。 This is all about how animals and plants are adapting to climate change， and it is truly "fascinating。"I like that it doesn't delve into why the climate is changing。 This book just shows you the science of how biology is affected by climate change。 How is it adapting， or not？ Super super interesting。Recommended for optimistic specialists in their refugia。 。。。more
Laronda Blessing
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Thor Hanson's HURRICANE LIZARDS AND PLASTIC SQUID: THE FRAUGHT AND FASCINATING BIOLOGY OF CLIMATE CHANGE is absolutely fascinating。 Hanson takes us through how various species all over the world， from starfish and trees to lizards and backyard birds， are adapting to climate change。 Some adapt， some die out， some move， and Hanson interviews countless experts to explain the hows and whys involved。 The book is extremely engaging--it's packed full of research findings but in a very readable and ente Thor Hanson's HURRICANE LIZARDS AND PLASTIC SQUID: THE FRAUGHT AND FASCINATING BIOLOGY OF CLIMATE CHANGE is absolutely fascinating。 Hanson takes us through how various species all over the world， from starfish and trees to lizards and backyard birds， are adapting to climate change。 Some adapt， some die out， some move， and Hanson interviews countless experts to explain the hows and whys involved。 The book is extremely engaging--it's packed full of research findings but in a very readable and entertaining format。 It's one of those books where I ended up reading probably a third of it aloud to various family members， because I just had to share the fascinating information I had just learned。 I wholeheartedly recommend it。 。。。more
Doug
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Fascinating and entertaining。
Lou Fillari
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I've been entertained。 Animals and fish just doing things。 Doing em right。 Humans could learn a thing or two。Although I'm now thoroughly convinced humanity will indeed shrink by like what 80 percent？ throughout the 22nd century and that's just depressing。Do what you can。 I think I actually might。 Maybe move next to a lake in north central Canada because yo that'll be some nice human-living weather in a century。 I've been entertained。 Animals and fish just doing things。 Doing em right。 Humans could learn a thing or two。Although I'm now thoroughly convinced humanity will indeed shrink by like what 80 percent？ throughout the 22nd century and that's just depressing。Do what you can。 I think I actually might。 Maybe move next to a lake in north central Canada because yo that'll be some nice human-living weather in a century。 。。。more
Michele
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This book didn’t teach me a lot， but it’s a good book for the basics of climate change， what we know， and where we are today。 It’s not an Elizabeth Kolbert level deep dive into climate change， which is what I prefer。 She is by far the best writer on the subject that I’ve encountered。 Why did I pick this book up？ The author was recommended to me， and I saw Ben Goldfarb liked it， so why not。 I also have been reading a lot about climate change。 It makes me feel less hopeless and angry， though somet This book didn’t teach me a lot， but it’s a good book for the basics of climate change， what we know， and where we are today。 It’s not an Elizabeth Kolbert level deep dive into climate change， which is what I prefer。 She is by far the best writer on the subject that I’ve encountered。 Why did I pick this book up？ The author was recommended to me， and I saw Ben Goldfarb liked it， so why not。 I also have been reading a lot about climate change。 It makes me feel less hopeless and angry， though sometimes it adds to the hopelessness and anger。Some quotes that show what the author intended for the book and how he hopes the reader will be inspired to do everything we can， whatever that may be: “This is a book driven by curiosity and told through the stories and discoveries of scientists， an inherently curious group of people。 Though rooted in the climate change crisis， it is not a crisis book…I hope that the many insights I’ve gained in researching and writing this book will be mirrored in the reading of it， and that it sparks a desire to take action as well as interest。”（2%）“As a scientist， I never doubted the urgency of the issue， but I still struggled alongside everyone else to find a meaningful response…the climate problem felt remote at first， alarming but intangible， like a diagnosis in want of a symptom。”（3%）。“…this book delves into what some are calling a distinct new field of study—climate change biology。 Beginning with chapters about how scientists discovered that the climate was changing， and that greenhouse gasses were the culprit， the narrative then follows three questions at the heart of this emerging field: （1） What challenges does climate change create for plants and animals？ （2） How do individuals respond？ and （3） What can the sum of those responses tell us about the future—theirs as well as our own？”（4%）“Understanding biological responses to climate change can help us find our place within it， and it’s my hope that the stories in this book will inspire as well as inform。 Simply put， if bush crickets， bumblebees， and butterflies can learn to modify their behaviors， then it stands to reason that we can too。 Plants and animals have a great deal to tell us about the nature of what comes next， because for many of them， and also for many of us， that world is already here”（4%）。“When asked what a concerned citizen should do to combat climate change， his response was immediate and concise: “Everything you can。” …Nineteenth-century thinker Edward Everett Hale expressed something similar in a verse conceived long before anyone was worried about climate change。 “I cannot do everything， but still I can do something，” he wrote。 “And because I cannot do everything， I will not refuse to do the something that I can do。””（73-74%）。 。。。more
Betsey Stahler
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Amazing book。 I listened to half of it and then a while later read the whole thing from the beginning。 Everyone should read this book to really understand what happens to animals， plants， etc when the climate changes for whatever reason。
Melania 🍒
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3。75|5
Mike
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SensibleA very enjoyable book that addresses climate change from both a scientific and historical perspective。 Much better than other books on climate （Bill Gates' for one） that suggest "solutions" that require as much carbon as the problems。 Understanding the effects of changing climate， and the resulting current and past adaptations and changes， gives a different and sensible perspective on the challenge。 SensibleA very enjoyable book that addresses climate change from both a scientific and historical perspective。 Much better than other books on climate （Bill Gates' for one） that suggest "solutions" that require as much carbon as the problems。 Understanding the effects of changing climate， and the resulting current and past adaptations and changes， gives a different and sensible perspective on the challenge。 。。。more
John
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