05/23/2024
By: Kat Taylor

Climate change is deadly serious business. But who knew fighting it could not only save the planet in the short timeframe we have but also be deeply fulfilling? On the thesis that business can drive the greatest societal outcomes and restore climate stability, Tom Steyer (full disclosure, my husband) issues a clarion call through his new book, Cheaper Faster Better. In it, he dimensions the stark and worsening facts of climate peril while charting a realistic course for anyone who desires to contribute greatly to climate solutions. Turns out, we ARE the help we have been waiting for.

Tom not only centers this system-changing work in the lives of the readers, but he also introduces us to a range of climate heroes profiled between chapters who are already doing it. And they are just some of the climate soothsayers. For decades, Tom has been at the forefront of the climate war, leveraging his expertise in investment, business, and community organizing to champion and scale sustainable solutions. This book aims to reach everyone from Wall Street investors to college students to anyone who feels overwhelmed by the challenge.  

Tom shares his insights on how capitalism can drive climate progress. He makes a compelling case for immediate action on climate change, not just as a moral imperative but as a smart investment in the future of our economy. Climate urgency fuels innovation that will migrate more and more business models to more equitable and sustainable economic systems that will not only affect climate but will have a positive impact on global society at large. Plus, Tom is wicked smart and wry, sharing amusing and illuminating anecdotes from throughout his decades of work.  

It wasn’t long ago that Tom was a Presidential candidate, making Climate Change and Justice the cornerstones of his campaign. That experience taught him a great deal about the various ways climate change deniers are impacting Americans. From Iowa to South Carolina and back home to California, the proof was in the very real-life situations he and I witnessed, especially in frontline environmental justice communities. We were always inspired by their leadership as well as the rising entrepreneurs in the climate space. Tom paints a vivid picture of the hope that lies in tapping their efforts, which are full of opportunity and optimism. 

As Tom’s partner in life for four decades, I’ve seen firsthand his signature incisiveness and relentlessness in all things, but especially in this, his ultimate cause. And as he takes us through topics, including investing, organizing, and campaigning, he infuses the book with wisdom and humor, guiding and inspiring each and every “climate person” in the making or already on their way. The stakes are high and the time to act is now, but there is power and joy in overcoming this challenge collectively. 

Tom has always been a team player. His book gives us a roadmap to come together in action. The rewards of doing so are unlimited and euphoric.

Kat Taylor is a Founding Director of TomKat Ranch Educational Foundation, dedicated to inspiring a regenerative food system through ranching best practices, training, educational tours, scientific research, and school food and garden programs. Kat works in service of restoring social justice and environmental well-being to build a more equitable and inclusive world. Cheaper, Faster, Better: How We’ll Win the Climate War will be released on May 28th.