"Going green is easy and profitable." That's the common refrain from sustainability gurus. In reality, though, many green-leaning businesses, families, and governments are fiddling with the small stuff while the planet burns. Why? Because implementing sustainability is brutally difficult.

If we're going to cut CO2 emissions 80 percent by midcentury, it will take more than a recycling program and some hemp shopping bags. We'll only solve our problems if we're realistic about the challenge of climate change. In this witty book, a sustainable business foot soldier with over a decade's worth of experience illuminates the path.