Here Comes the Sun

A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization

By: Bill McKibben

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

From the acclaimed environmentalist, a call to harness solar power and rewrite our scientific, economic, and political future.

Every eighteen hours, the world puts up a nuclear power plant's–worth of solar panels. At the same time, combustion continues to melt our poles, poison our bodies, and drive our global inequality. And it is no longer necessary: For the first time in 700,000 years, we know how to catch the sun’s rays and convert them into energy.

In Here Comes the Sun, world-renowned author Bill McKibben tells the story of our sudden spike in power from the sun and wind. McKibben traces the arrival of plentiful, inexpensive solar energy, which, if it accelerates, gives us a chance not just to limit climate change’s damage, but to reorder the world on saner and more humane grounds. Getting there means overcoming obstacles like Big Oil, but McKibben sees a chance for a new civilization: one that looks up to the sun, every day, as the star that fuels our world.

©2025 Bill McKibben (P)2025 Highbridge Audio

This book offers an important update on how incredibly affordable solar and wind energy has become. Read it...take action.

As an architect and planner, I thought I knew a lot about solar. Now I realize I was not up to speed on what's changed in just the past couple of years.

Enthusiastic yet important

McKibben demonstrates that we can indeed solve the worsening of the climate crisis through the use of solar power.

For those who don’t know all the essential details, a necessary listen. For those of us who do, a necessary encouragement.

Such a great book

I’ve become a little bit obsessed with this book.

You’ve probably heard that the cost of solar energy is plummeting, making it not only cost competitive with fossil fuels, but in many cases actually cheaper.

Over the course of two hundred pages, McKibben plays out what that means. This turn towards solar energy will reshape the world’s politics, economy, and climate, probably for the better.

It’s probably the most optimistic book about the future that I have read in years. Well read by Patrick Lawlor.

Common Sense Guide to avoidance of calamity

For anyone experiencing long term depression over the future of our planet, our species, our livelihoods... This book is the common sense path forward. It is doable, there is hope, and it's not even that hard. This book provides the knowledge and strategy. We The People need to power a groundswell and get this done. Read the book. Share the message. Contact your elected leaders. Now is the time.

Essential reading

Charts a path forward that’s actually doable. The most optimistic book about climate change I’ve encountered.