Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming

McKenzie Funk spent six years traveling the world to document how businesses and entrepreneurs are capitalizing on climate change. From Israeli snowmakers to Dutch seawall developers to Wall Street traders betting on water rights, he tracks those who see profit potential in a warming planet. The book follows the money through three main categories: the melt, the drought, and the deluge. Funk introduces readers to corporations buying up African farmland, engineers working on schemes to re-shape the earth's climate, and military strategists planning for climate-driven conflicts. Private firefighting companies, insurance firms, agriculture conglomerates, and national governments emerge as key players in this investigation of climate change opportunism. The reporting spans multiple continents and economic sectors to reveal the scope of this new market. This work raises questions about adaptation versus mitigation and illustrates how market forces may shape humanity's response to environmental crisis. The focus on profiteers rather than victims offers an unconventional entry point into the climate change narrative.

Readers found the book engaging due to its focus on entrepreneurs and companies positioning themselves to profit from climate change, rather than debating climate science itself. Many appreciated the global scope and investigative journalism approach, following stories from Greenland to India. Readers liked: - Clear, narrative writing style - First-hand reporting and interviews - Focus on financial opportunities rather than environmental debate - Diverse range of examples and case studies Readers disliked: - Lack of proposed solutions - Some stories felt disconnected - Limited coverage of environmental justice issues - Wanted more analysis of policy implications Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (90+ ratings) Common review quote: "Eye-opening look at how businesses are already adapting to and profiting from climate change, for better or worse." Kirkus Reviews noted the book "illuminates the intersection of big money and climate change without preaching."

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🌍 Author McKenzie Funk spent six years traveling across four continents to research this book, following entrepreneurs who sought to profit from climate change. 💧 The book reveals how some companies are buying water rights in drought-prone regions, while others are acquiring farmland in places predicted to become more fertile due to climate shifts. 🏗️ Dutch engineering firms featured in the book have turned climate adaptation into a major export, selling their flood-prevention expertise to vulnerable coastal cities worldwide. ❄️ Greenland, portrayed in the book as a climate change "winner," stands to gain access to vast mineral deposits as its ice sheets melt, leading to intense international competition for mining rights. 🔥 Israeli firefighting companies discussed in the book have created a booming business by selling their expertise and equipment to regions experiencing increased wildfire risks due to global warming.