Meet the ‘Climate Optimist’: Aakash Ranison's handbook shows a sustainable way of life
‘I’m a Climate Optimist’ by Aakash Ranison takes into account the views of 45 industry experts and over 100 homegrown businesses, including the likes of Nithin Kamath, Ashish Singhal, Shriti Malhotra, and Shradha Sharma, among others.
"We are the first generation to feel the impact of climate change and the last generation that can do something about it." – Barack Obama.
Climate change is no more a thing of the future. It is happening now, this very second.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), it's important to limit the earth’s temperature to rise to 1.5 degree Celsius to prevent a catastrophic impact on human health.
There's increasing discourse on tackling the ever-growing issue of climate change. As per a report by World Wildlife Fund (WWF), the increasing environmental awareness and engagement rates are particularly evident in emerging markets. Further, tweets around biodiversity and nature loss increased globally by 65% from 2016 to 2020, while in India, it soared by 550%.
Much of this climate activism is steered by the younger generation demanding action. One of the biggest proponents of sustainability, who is at the forefront of this revolution, is Aakash Ranison—a social entrepreneur, public speaker, photographer, content creator, and now the author of 'I’m a Climate Optimist: An Easy Guide to Lead a Sustainable Life'.
Aakash Ranison with his new book "I'm a Climate Optimist'
Published by Penguin Random India's Ebury imprint, the book is printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, environment-friendly paper using vegetable ink.
Besides, the author has committed to donating 100% of his earnings to climate charity Greener Earth Foundation to invest in green projects, offsetting carbon from the atmosphere and making it India's first ‘carbon neutral book’.
‘I’m a Climate Optimist’ focuses on simplifying climate change and sustainability so everyone can understand and take action toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) of the United Nations.
YS Life recently caught up with Ranison to understand what went behind the making of this book, how people can achieve sustainability simply by taking baby steps, and more.
Behind the scenes
‘I’m a Climate Optimist’ isn't Ranison's first book. He had previously launched Climate Change: Explained for One and All in 2021, which simplified and explained the concept of climate change for the reader. It never occurred to Ranison that he was writing a book; it was more about putting things together to help people understand the devastating impact of climate change.
Aakash Ranison, author of I'm A Climate Optimist for the launch of his book on World Environment Day at the world's highest village, Komic in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh
This 22-year-old from a UP village is educating rural communities on climate change
While Ranison may have appeared in the public eye not too long ago, he is leading a nomadic and minimalist life for the last eight years—spending his time travelling the length and breadth of the country by walking, cycling, and hitchhiking with his trusty backpack and camera.
However, it was in 2015 that the seeds of eco-consciousness were planted within him. On his first trip to Ladakh for a Snow Leopard Conservation Project, he couldn't fathom but notice how plastic littering could even happen in a beautiful landscape like Ladakh.
However, it wasn't the first time he had encountered a mountain of waste; he had earlier seen such sights in Indore, Aligarh, Haridwar, and Delhi.
"I just couldn't believe my eyes. After this eye-opening incident, I turned conscious and shifted my focus on finding solutions to tackle this issue," he confesses to YS Life. Thus began his journey as a climate activist.
Aakash Ranison in Spiti Valley in 2021 with sacks of plastic waste collected by him from the river
"Between 2017 and 2019, I suffered from serious climate anxiety (distress about climate change and its impact on the landscape and human existence). It took me a long time to get control of my brain. For me, the only way out was to make efforts in finding solutions," he says.
At that same time, Ranison started creating content through videos, posts, and podcasts, educating people on social media on how they can join the conversation and bring about change.
His interest in communication helped him create films, art installations, and other content over the years. The next step was rather natural for Ranison—to collate all the insights he had gathered in a book to offer simple solutions to sustainable living.
Building an eco-conscious community
'I’m a Climate Optimist' is all about guidance on how people can make an effort. Ranison breaks down the products we consume from various industries, including food and beverage, textile and clothing, transportation, tourism and hospitality, technology, beauty and cosmetics, plastic and packaging, and more.
"The chapters are designed in a way to get the readers on the same page, helping them slowly walk through the problem to the solutions. It ends with resources to encourage them to start taking action right then," he explains.
Meanwhile, the book not only captures Ranison's perspective but also takes into account the views of 45 industry experts and over 100 homegrown businesses from various industries.
Aakash Ranison at a remote location in Madhya Pradesh
Some of the prominent names include Piyush Pandey (Ogilvy), Nithin Kamath (), Rahul Mishra (Fashion Designer), Santosh Iyer (Mercedes-Benz), Ashish Singhal (), Samarth Bedi (Forest Essentials), Shriti Malhotra (), Shradha Sharma (YourStory), and many more.
Ranison's idea to bring these influential industry stalwarts on one platform was to showcase their efforts and inspire others to trust sustainability since many people look up to them.
However, the journey had challenges from start to finish. "It took me six months to finish the writing process and then began the editing and printing process. I think the biggest challenge was to research India-specific data. The majority of data on the web focuses on Western countries," he reiterates.
How to use the book
‘I’m a Climate Optimist’ is a simple, jargon-free book. Ranison advises readers to start with the first page—readers do not need prior knowledge to use the book.
"This book starts with basics and takes you to the stage where you can begin building a sustainable lifestyle for yourself," he shares.
Once finished reading the book and charged to lead a sustainable life, readers may face an obstacle—trying to figure out if a product is genuinely sustainable.
"What stands between us and sustainable life is greenwashing—brands that are not really climate conscious but fake it with marketing to mislead users into believing their lies. There's a high chance you are already getting greenwashed by many brands," he concludes.
There is light at the end of every tunnel, and it is possible to follow a sustainable and ecologically-friendly lifestyle. Get hold of the book to embark on this journey today.
Edited by Suman Singh