Five Essential Reads on Plastic, Power and Pollution

If you enjoyed Beth Gardiner’s feature about big oil’s bet on plastics, here are more books curated by Scientific American

By Brianne Kane edited by Jeanna Bryner

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The fossil-fuel industry is pivoting to plastics: massive companies are launching new refineries and other industrial plants to make plastic from petrochemicals. Science journalist Beth Gardiner follows this story in our December issue, where you’ll meet the communities being harmed and the companies spending billions of dollars to control the future of plastic.

To complement that read, here are a few books that you can dive into and explore the wild world of waste management, the chemistry of plastics and more examples of corporate espionage and drama.

Plastic Inc.: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil’s Biggest Bet
by Beth Gardiner
Avery, February 2026

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Beth Gardiner’s new book about big oil’s bet on plastic’s future is coming out in February 2026. She discusses the history that led us here and the big money spent to convince us not to recycle, reduce our carbon footprint or worry about single-use plastic.

They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals
by Mariah Blake
Crown, May 2025

In this fascinating book, investigative reporter Mariah Blake gives readers an account of the big businesses that are trying to hide the dangers of “forever chemicals” and the tricks they’ve used to keep the toxins off the public’s radar.

Waste Wars: The Wild Afterlife of Your Trash
by Alexander Clapp
Little, Brown and Company, February 2025

Take a wild ride around the globe as journalist Alexander Clapp shows you how plastic gets smashed, melted or lost at sea in an attempt to get garbage out of sight as soon as possible, no matter the cost.

Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World
by Katharine Hayhoe
Atria/One Signal Publishers, September 2021

Atmospheric scientist Katharine Hayhoe delivers an optimistic view of our planet’s future in this book, which climate scientist and author Kate Marvel applauds for its directness and optimism in the September 2021 issue of Scientific American.

Citizen Coke: The Making of Coca-Cola Capitalism
by Bartow J. Elmore
W. W. Norton, December 2016

If you’re looking for a dramatic story of conspiracy and espionage, plenty more drama unfolds in this book by historian Bartow J. Elmore, who examines how a certain soda manufacturer has affected the environment, our wallets and our day-to-day purchasing decisions.

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