Book Review: The Joyful Environmentalist

📖 This article is featured in illuminem’s Curated Booklist: the influential books shaping the world sustainability debate. 

Title: The Joyful Environmentalist: How to Practise without Preaching
Author: Isabel Losada
Publisher: Watkins Publishing
Publication: July 2020, Revised & Updated 2nd edition released in April 2025
Sustainability topics: Environmental Sustainability 🌍, Sustainable Lifestyle 🍃

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🗞️ Driving the news: “The Joyful Environmentalist” by Isabel Losada reimagines climate action as a source of personal happiness and empowerment
• Losada mixes activism with humour and storytelling to show that being green can be joyful, not guilt-driven
• The book offers practical, hopeful steps across lifestyle choices—from diet to banking and fashion

🔭 The context: The book responds to the emotional fatigue and anxiety many feel about the climate crisis
• It aims to reframe sustainability as a fulfilling personal journey rather than a burden
• Losada draws on interviews, research, and her own experiences to keep the tone light and accessible

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Shifting the climate narrative from doom to joy could mobilise broader public engagement
• Small individual actions, when approached with joy, can have a ripple effect
• The book encourages mindful, values-driven living in harmony with the planet

⏭️ What's next: Readers are invited to treat sustainability as a daily opportunity for joy and agency
• The book acts as a tool for climate communicators and concerned citizens looking to stay motivated
• It also highlights the power of collective change starting with personal behaviour

💬 One quote: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” — Isabel Losada

📈 One stat: While not data-heavy, the book emphasises the outsized impact of individual actions, like changing banks or switching to a plant-based diet

This review is part of illuminem’s Curated Booklist: the influential books shaping the sustainability debate. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting exclusive insights from the world’s largest network of sustainability thought leaders. Their views expressed do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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