Jeff Goodell

Jeff Goodell – Life, Work & Impact


Discover the life, writing, and influence of Jeff Goodell, the American non-fiction author and climate journalist. Explore his journey, major works, insights on energy and environment, and memorable quotes.

Introduction

Jeff Goodell is an American author, journalist, and environmental commentator. Known for deeply researched, narrative-driven explorations of climate change, energy systems, and human resilience, Goodell has become a leading voice in public discourse about the planet’s future.

He writes for Rolling Stone and contributes to various publications, and his books—such as The Water Will Come and The Heat Will Kill You First—have drawn wide recognition for blending urgency, storytelling, and science.

Early Life & Education

Goodell was born in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in the Silicon Valley region (Sunnyvale) where his family had lived for generations.

He earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley (1984). MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in New York, graduating in 1990 from Columbia University.

Early in his adult life, he worked in various roles—among them technical writing at Apple, glazier, bartender, blackjack dealer, and more—before settling into journalism.

Journalism & Career Trajectory

Beginnings & Magazine Work

Goodell began his journalism career with 7 Days, a Manhattan weekly, where he covered crime, politics, AIDS, and social stories. The magazine won a National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 1990.

From the mid-1990s onward, he became a contributing editor to Rolling Stone.

His engagement with environmental themes deepened gradually, especially after writing about coal and energy topics in the early 2000s.

Institutional Affiliations & Honors

  • Goodell is a 2020 Guggenheim Fellow in General Nonfiction.

  • He holds fellowship / senior roles with organizations such as the Atlantic Council and New America.

  • His work has been recognized by institutions like the American Meteorological Society, the Sierra Club, and journalism awards for climate reporting.

Major Works & Themes

Goodell’s books often combine on-the-ground reporting, interviews, science, policy, and human stories. Below are some of his notable works and central themes:

BookYearFocus / Contribution
The Cyberthief and the Samurai1996Tells the story of hacker Kevin Mitnick and the culture of cybersecurity. Sunnyvale: The Rise and Fall of a Silicon Valley Family2000A memoir about his upbringing in Silicon Valley and family dynamics. Our Story: 77 Hours That Tested Our Friendship and Our Faith2002Chronicles the rescue of miners trapped in the Quecreek mine (Pennsylvania). Big Coal: The Dirty Secret Behind America’s Energy Future2006Investigates America’s coal industry—its power, environmental cost, and future. How to Cool the Planet: Geoengineering and the Audacious Quest to Fix Earth’s Climate2010Explores proposals to manipulate the Earth’s climate to counteract global warming. The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World2017Examines sea-level rise, threatened coastal cities, and adaptation strategies. The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet2023Focuses on extreme heat, its effects on human health, and the urgency around temperature rise.

Recurring themes in his writing:

  • The human face of climate change: not just data, but stories of people in peril.

  • The paradoxes of technological solutions — e.g. geoengineering — their risks, ethics, and governance challenges.

  • Energy systems’ inertia and the political, economic barriers to transforming fossil-fuel dependence.

  • The danger of extreme heat as a quietly deadly force, often underappreciated relative to floods or storms. The Heat Will Kill You First foregrounds heat especially.

Style & Influence

Goodell’s style tends toward clear, urgent, narrative nonfiction. He blends rigorous reporting, interviews, and scientific insight with accessible prose. His writing is often praised for making complex environmental challenges compelling to general readers.

He also often embeds first-person reporting (“on the ground” accounts) to illustrate impacts and trade-offs in climate change narratives.

Because of his clarity, credibility, and ability to connect policy, science, and human stories, Goodell is often sought for commentary across media platforms (TV, radio, podcasts).

Notable Quotes

Here are several statements and reflections attributed to Goodell (or paraphrased from interviews) that encapsulate his thinking:

  • On The Heat Will Kill You First: he speaks about reframing extreme heat not as a slow threat but a predator:

    “A heat wave… is a predatory event — one that culls out the most vulnerable people.”

  • On climate urgency and naming: Goodell criticizes the term “global warming” as softening perception, and suggests naming heat waves (like storms) to signal their seriousness.

  • In an interview, he describes Heat Will Kill You First as trying to “redefine our understanding of heat and the risks …” when asked for an elevator pitch.

While his public persona is more journalist than aphorist, these lines reflect his mode: to sharpen public perception of climate risks by reframing and clarifying.

Lessons & Ideas from Goodell’s Journey

  1. Storytelling matters
    Data alone is insufficient; Goodell shows that weaving narrative with science helps people grasp urgency and stakes.

  2. Language shapes perception
    His critique of “global warming” vs. “heat waves” highlights how terminology can either blunt or sharpen public understanding.

  3. Don’t shy from trade-offs
    In exploring geoengineering, Goodell doesn’t present simple solutions. He surfaces moral, technical, and governance tensions.

  4. Focus on the invisible dangers
    He brings attention to climate threats that are often underplayed—like extreme heat, invisible stresses, and creeping changes.

  5. Science + journalism + ethics
    His work demonstrates that deep technical understanding and ethical responsibility must go hand in hand in writing about the environment.

Conclusion

Jeff Goodell occupies an important space in contemporary environmental writing: a bridge between science, policy, and public understanding. He does more than warn—he frames, humanizes, and interrogates how societies must respond.

His evolving body of work—from coal to sea-level rise to lethal heat—traces not just the trajectory of climate change, but our evolving awareness of what’s at stake. If you're drawn to understanding how to communicate climate urgency, or how environmental narratives get shaped, Goodell’s work is essential reading.

Articles by the author

Geoengineering - the deliberate, large-scale manipulation of the earth's climate to offset global warming - is a nightmare fix for climate change.

Jeff Goodell

Obama wants to be thought of as the president who freed us from foreign oil. But if he doesn't show some political courage, he may well be remembered as the president who cooked the planet.

Jeff Goodell

Americans don't pay much attention to environmental issues, because they aren't sexy. I mean, cleaning up coal plants and reining in outlaw frackers is hugely important work, but it doesn't get anybody's pulse racing.

Jeff Goodell

Have we failed to slow global warming pollution in part because climate and environmental activists have been too polite and well behaved?

Jeff Goodell

Mark Ruffalo, aka the Incredible Hulk, is the natural gas industry's worst nightmare: a serious, committed activist who is determined to use his star power as a superhero in the hottest movie of the moment to draw attention the environmental and public health risks of fracking.

Jeff Goodell