The climate is changing fast. The real question, according to author and systems thinker David L. Hawk, is whether we are changing at all. In his bold new book, The Climate is Changing, Can Humans?. Hawk argues that the real emergency isn’t just in our skies and oceans, but in our habits, our culture, and our willingness to truly transform.
Originally titled The Climate is Changing, Will Humans?, the book took on a sharper edge after a simple suggestion from Nancy, an assistant to Vice President Kamala Harris, who proposed changing “Will” to “Can.” That single word turned the title from a prediction into a challenge. Instead of assuming humanity will act, Hawk asks a more unsettling question:
Are we even capable of the change we keep promising?
In this deeply thought-provoking work, Hawk steps away from dry statistics and partisan arguments and focuses on the human factor. He explores how everyday behaviors, community dynamics, fear, denial, and comfort all shape our collective response to the climate crisis. Rather than treating climate change as someone else’s problem to solve, Hawk places responsibility squarely where it belongs: in the choices ordinary people make together.
The cover of The Climate is Changing, Can Humans? carries its own quiet message. Inspired by R.E.M.’s iconic “Everybody Hurts” video, it echoes the famous scene where drivers, stuck in endless traffic, step out of their cars and begin to walk forward. For Hawk, that image is a perfect symbol of our moment. We can sit in the metaphorical traffic jam, waiting for a miracle, or we can open the door, step out, and start moving in a new direction together.
Inside, Hawk connects personal decisions to planetary outcomes without moralizing. He shows how small shifts, when multiplied across communities, can add up to real change, and how our greatest untapped “technology” is still human cooperation. Honest, accessible, and quietly urgent, the book offers readers a way to think about climate that feels both realistic and hopeful.
“We already know what is happening to the climate,” Hawk says.
“The real question is whether we, as humans, are willing to grow up fast enough to meet it.”
In keeping with that spirit of responsibility, Hawk has made a significant commitment: he is donating 100% of his author royalties from this book to charity.
All royalties from The Climate is Changing, Can Humans? will go directly to two organizations working to change lives in tangible, long-term ways:
St. Joseph’s Indian School, based in Chamberlain, South Dakota, has supported Native American children and families for more than 90 years through education, housing, and holistic care. Readers can learn more or send support directly at www.stjo.org or by mail at:
St. Joseph’s Indian School
PO Box 326
Chamberlain, SD 57326
Children International is a global nonprofit working to end child poverty through healthcare, education, mentoring, and family support. Information on sponsorships and programs is available at www.children.org. They can also be reached at:
Children International
Phone: 1-800-888-3089
Email: children@children.org
For Hawk, this decision isn’t a marketing hook. It’s part of the message. A book about responsibility, compassion, and future generations, he says, should do more than raise awareness; it should help change real lives right now. Readers moved by the book’s themes are encouraged to support these organizations directly as well.
The Climate is Changing, Can Humans? is not just another climate book. It is a clear-eyed, heartfelt invitation to step out of passivity and into shared action. For readers who are tired of doom on one side and empty slogans on the other, Hawk offers something rare: a challenging, honest, and genuinely hopeful call to become the kind of humans this moment demands.
“The Climate is Changing, Can Humans?”
By David L. Hawk
Kindle | $4.99
Paperback | $20.99
Hardback | $26.99
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other online book retailers
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