Books
"Six Degrees - Our future on a hotter planet" by Mark Lynas, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
If you are having a bad day, read "Six Degrees" and it will get a whole lot worse. Mark Lynas gives us the hard truth about what each degree increase in temperature will mean in a way that none of the main-stream politicians seem to have the guts to tell us. Each chapter turns up the heat by one degree, so the nightmare gets worse as you progress, until the methane hydrates are bursting out of the oceans and we have runaway global warming that could wipe out life on Earth.
As you progress, before you know it we have lost the whole of the Amazon and both the polar ice-caps, Bangladesh and low-lying coasts are swamped, and billions are displaced and starving. Oh, and we will have made millions of other species extinct. And don't forget we are already committed to a one degree warming.
Mark digested hundreds of scientific reports in reseaching his account, and succeeds in making his subject easy to understand, if rather scary. It will certainly make you think twice about getting in the car, and it will hopefully put you off ever flying again. I thoroughly enjoyed Mark's other book, "High Tide", and this is just as good, and brought right up to date. Highly recommended.
"How to Live Off-Grid" by Nick Rosen, published by Bantam, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This book is not for everyone, since living "off-grid", without mains water or electricity, is likely to be a minority pursuit unless we see the widespread breakdown of society some are predicting. However being independent of the capitalist system is the ultimate step for radicals like Nick Rosen. Nick is a maverick ecologist who started his career studying the power of global corporations before founding one of the first internet companies in 1995. His first experience of off-grid living was when he bought a cottage half-way up a mountatin, and he has since spent years living in squats, so he know his subject well, although he now has a "proper" house!
To research this book, Nick set off round Britain, with his partener and baby, in a camper van to meet a fascinating range of people living the life off-grid, and it makes an entertaining and off-beat read. On his journey Nick meets a wide spectrum of people living without mains supplies, from millionaire with purpose-built eco homes that have top of the range renewable energy devices, to people living in benders in the woods.
Nick's journey is related in an entertaining and quirky style that reveals some of the problems and solutions associated with tuning out of mainstream society, from battles with planners to composting toilets! His travels include a stay at the Big Green Gathering where he bumps into some of the new friends he has made.
If you are inspired to try to go off-grid yourself there is goldmine of practical advice and information. As Nick explains, it can be hard work, but very rewarding. As an increasing number people consider downshifting going off-grid may become a trend. If you have ever yearned to escape the rat race this could be the book for you.
"The Self-Sufficientish Bible - an eco-living guide for the 21st century" by Andy and Dave Hamilton, reviewed by Fiona Richmond, published by Hodder and Stoughton in hardback.
If you are planning to use this book to go self-sufficient you will need a job in the City first, as it comes with a £30 price tag. Having said that, it does what it says on the tin, and if you are looking for an encyclopedia of information about going green, then this could be what you need. Andy and Dave are 33-year old twins who live in Bristol, and run a website Self-sufficientish.com. They are intensely practical and have not completely abandoned mainstream society, yet show how by growing some of your own food and adapting your lifestyle, you can save money while making your self less dependent on the state and the global marketplace.There are tips on making plant pots out of newspaper, office equipment from old trousers, recipes for chutney, nettle beer and dandelion wine, along with advice on insulation, bicycle maintenance, ethical banking and alternative energy. The book is beautifully illustrated and split into sections on the home, the garden, food and lifestyles, a veritable mine of information.. The twins are living proof that you can have a great lifestyle without wrecking the planet, and are an example that this guide will help us follow. It's difficult to justify spending this much on a book, but it make a great source of reference for your local environment group or library.
"The stinking story of rubbish" by Katie Daynes, published at £4.99 by Usborne, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is a great little book about the history and science behind rubbish, that will appeal to young readers aged around 6-11, with some wonderful illustrations by Uwe Mayer. It covers everything from how rubbish first became an issue in the Middle Ages, to the problems waste disposal is causing the modern world, with some interesting facts and figures, and makes a good introduction to the subject and wider environmental issues.
"Weather and Climate Change" published at £9.99 by Usborne, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
Usborne are well-known for the quality of their educational books, and this one is no exception. It tackles the very topical issue of climate change, while putting it in the context of weather patterns generally. It is written with internet links on every page, so that readers can explore the topic in greater depth if they have access to a computer, and comes with some sensible advice for parents about supervised access to the internet. It is suitable for children between the ages of around 9-13, and tackles some difficult science in an accessible way, without being patronising. The layout of the pages is excellent and there are some beautiful photos.
"See Inside Panet Earth" by Katie Daynes and Peter Allen, published at £8.99 by Usborne, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
For a younger age group, maybe 4-8 year olds, this is a hardback lift the flap book, that is a basic introduction to our planet and some of the issues. It will appeal to children who are not yet ready to sit down to read full length books yet and enjoy something a bit more interactive. 20 pence from every copy sold goes to Friends of the Earth. It is a good starting point to encourage greater awareness of the world, and some of the big issues, without getting too involved in the technical issues and rather scary science!
"The Transition Handbook - From oil dependency to local resilience"by Rob Hopkins, published by Green Books, reviewed by John Pearce
This is one of the most important books ever published. I have read dozens of books on environmental issues. Probably the best on climate change are George Monbiot's "Heat" and Mark Lynas' "High Tide". On economic issues possibly Richard Douthwaite's "The Growth Illusion". These books explain the problems brilliantly. Rob Hopkin's genius is that he has seen the connection between the two issues that will have the biggest impact on life on earth, namely climate change and peak oil, and not only highlighted the imminent crisis like numerous other authors, but had the knowledge and vision to produce and communicate a solution. The solution is the re-localising of our lives until we lead not zero carbon lives but actually fix more carbon than we produce, supported by permaculture, building resilient communies with some hope of weathering the gathering storms of climate change and the energy crisis. The transition towns concept is spreading like wildfire, and rightly so.
Read "The Transition Handbook" and you will not only understand climate change and peak oil, due to the clear, well-referenced explanations, but you will have a guide giving the survival instructions needed to salvage some hope for the future. The book is packed with inspiring quotations, shocking revelations, facts and figures, the 12 steps for becoming a transition town and how the transition idea was conceived in Kinsale and developed in the first transition town, Totnes, that has started a movement.
"The Upside of Down - catastrophe, creativity, and the renewal of civilisation" by Thomas Homer-Dixon, published by Souvenir Press, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
Any book which has 100 pages of references, that's right 100, is never going to be described as accessible! Homer-Dixon is the Director of the Trudeau Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, and has written an erudite and perceptive analysis of how our western civilisation is teetering on the brink of catastrophe due to the twin threats of climate change and peak oil, and the simmering social tensions caused by population growth and an increasing gap between rich and poor. He draws a parallel between the decline of the Roman empire and the impending crisis of America, the world superpower, and his analysis of Rome's decline as being due to entropy and failing energy flows is inspired. America faces the same decline as its EROI (energy return on investment) dives. The world also faces a rapid descent, and Homer-Dixon argues the case for building resilience and reducing the inter-connectedness of the global economy that can bring the whole system down like a pack of cards. We have seen this during the recent financial turmoil in the stock markets, where the failure of one bank causes a domino effect, and drags a whole economy down with it.
"The Upside of Down" is a good book for serious students of environmental issues, but I have a number of problems with it that prevent an unconditional recommendation. To have so many references is a form of academic snobbery, and Homer-Dixon is inclined to use elaborate language, when what the world needs is someone who can communicate with the masses. It matters far more what millions of people do than a few academics who may be persuaded by his arguments. My other problem is that Homer-Dixon clearly has had a life-time addiction to flying, describing trips to Italy, Lebanon, and doubtless numerous conferences around the world. This lifestyle has an enormous carbon footprint which means that he is part of the very problem he wants us to act on. We need people who practice what they preach. "The Upside of Down" is however perceptive and scholarly, despite its flaws.
"The Rough Guide to Climate Change" by Robert Henson, 2nd Edition, Rough Guides
An updated version of the Rough Guide, that now includes the latest alarming news of the melting of Arctic sea ice, the retreat of glaciers, and developments since the Kyoto Treaty. In the usual Rough Guide format, the book is easy reading but at the same time informative, and broken down into sections on the science of global warming, the debate, and possible solutions.
"Organic Places to Stay in the UK" (second edition) by Linda Moss, published by Green Books, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
As people become more aware of the awful consequences of air travel for the global climate, holidays in the UK are going to become more popular, and if you are looking to do your bit by taking a local break, this is a brilliant book to choose your location from. If you have ever yearned to live in yurt, travel the lanes in a gypsy caravan, or just want a great guest-house serving wholesome, organic produce, look no further. A huge amount of research has gone into producing the updated second edition of this book, that includes a photo of every location.
“High Tide – News from a Warming World” by Mark Lynas, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
If this book doesn’t get you out of your car nothing will. Mark, like me a former protestor against the Newbury Bypass, visits places around the world, which are in the front-line of climate change. He starts the story at home in England, visiting flooded towns in 2000, floods which were repeated in 2007.
In the chapter “Baked Alaska”, we experience the collapsing homes and crumbling coastline, affected by the melting permafrost, in a region where a whole way of life is threatened.
Then on to the low-lying island of Tuvalu in the Pacific, where rising seas have already rendered some islands uninhabitable, while others are suffering the affect of salinisation of water supplies. Residents are already planning evacuation to New Zealand. The numbers involved are relatively small, compared to the millions of people in Bangladesh who are already doomed to lose their homes as sea levels rise.
In China Mark saw at first hand the choking dust storms which are the result of a drying landscape and spreading deserts. Then on to the hurricane season in America, shortly before Hurricane Katrina swamped New Orleans. The whirlwind tour continues to Peru, where Mark follows in the footsteps of his geologist father, and sees the extraordinary retreat of the glaciers within the space of a generation. He compares photos his father took with the present day, to find that whole mountain faces of ice have vanished in a few decades, taking home new photos which cause great sadness to his father. In the process of reaching the glaciers Mark nearly died of altitude sickness through failing to acclimatise. Finally he takes us to the climate talks at the Hague and Bonn, where the Kyoto Treaty was hammered out among near despair from environmentalists, and the shameful blocking tactics and disengagement of the Americans.
“High Tide” is a really excellent book which brings home the reality of how climate change is going to displace billions of people due to rising seas and the loss of glacial melt-water on which they depend. It is told in an engaging style and at a breath-taking pace that makes you feel that you are on an adventure of discovery with the writer. Mark clocked up a huge carbon footprint in air-miles in writing this book, but at least he has put his insight to good purpose, unlike the millions of trips for pure hedonism. Judging by the lack of action and volume of traffic and air-travel, our fate may already be sealed. If more people read Mark’s book, they might not be quite so quick to jump in their car for every little journey, or so quick to proclaim their “right” to a foreign holiday every year.
"Losing My Virginity - The Autobiography" by Richard Branson, published by Virgin Books, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is not really a green book, but Virgin is such a big company that it matters, and Richard Branson seems to have had something of a conversion to green thinking late in life. His story of a rise from riches to fabulous riches makes a fascinating read, and it is incredible how one man can be so successful in so many fields, when most people struggle to make one business work. Branson is a child of the sixties, who takes a team approach to business, and is relatively enlightened towards his staff. I found the bits about his boating and ballooning exploits less interesting, as they seem self-indulgent, and irresponsible risk-taking for a man with children. What is remarkable, is that although Branson shows a good insight into climate change and environmental issues, there is a complete disconnect in his personal life-style. He is endlessly flying off at every holiday to his Necker Island with his family, and must have the carbon footprint of a giant. He does not practice what he preaches in his personal lifestyle, and is currently pursuing his dream of space travel, in itself enormously polluting. Some of his ideas are bordering on the ridiculous, such as the mining of the moon for helium to use as fuel on Earth. More laudable is Branson's establishment of wildlife reserves and HIV victim support work in Africa, and his efforts to set up a group of respected global elders, to act as peacemakers in times of conflict. A remarkable man - if only he could realise the need to look at his own lifestyle, and the damage caused by his airline.
"The Rough Guide to Ethical Shopping" by Duncan Clark, published by Rough Guides, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is an excellent little guide, though not a new book, having been published in 2004, that covers a wide range of types of shopping, and has a powerful and insightful introduction, which even raises the real issue, which is that we should consume less, not just shop ethically. Quite a radical book, which I would recommend.
"Shades of Green - A (mostly) practical A-Z for the Reluctant Environmentalist" by Paul Waddington, published by Eden Project Books/Transworld, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is a quirky guide, written in an accessible, humourous and punchy style, that looks at all aspects of our lives, and the choices we all make about how green to be. It shows that being green is not black and white, and there are different shades of green, from deep green to Jeremy Clarkson. "Shades of Green" dispels a number of myths, for example about biofuels being good for the environment, and candles being better than electric lights. A bit superficial and facetious at time, this book would however make a good gift for a sceptical friend who is new to green issues.
"In Praise of Slow - How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed" by Carl Honoré, published by Orion Books, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
First published in 2004, this is the Bible of the Slow Movement, an impassioned plea for us all to SLOW DOWN, to save our health, our communities and our planet. It starts with a quote from Gandhi:
"There is more to life than increasing its speed". How come one man produced so many great quotes?!. Honoré is a Canadian writer whose Eureka moment came when he realised the absurdity of buying a book of One-Minute Bedtime stories for his two-year old so that he could get back to work faster. He then begins to rage against the cult of speed, against turbo-capitalism, against the "hurry-up" culture. He looks at many aspects of the hurry virus that most of have caught, and makes a convincing case that a lot of our problems relate to trying to pack too much into our lives. Honoré looks at Slow Food, Slow Cities, slow thinking, slow exercise, slow medicine, slow sex, slow work, slow leisure, and slow education, and concludes that in most aspects of our lives slow is beautiful, and the solution to many of our problems. We need a better balance, and to discover "tempo guisto", the right speed. In the words of Carlo Petrini, the Italian who started the Slow Food movement that began with a campaign against McDonald's: "What we are fighting for it the right to determine our own tempo." There are strong links between the Slow Movement that is now growing, and downshifting and transition towns. "In Praise of Slow" is highly recommended.
“Heat – How to Stop the Planet Burning” by George Monbiot, published by Penguin and reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is not a new book, having been published in 2006, but is such an important one that we thought it vital to include a review. George Monbiot is a leading environmentalist who writes for “The Guardian”, and is author of a number of previous books including “The Age of Consent”. Based on enjoyment of his previous books, I had high expectations of “Heat”, and was not disappointed.
Monbiot sets out to consider how we might change our lives in order to save the world from catastrophic climate change. The book is described as a manifesto for action and a thought experiment.
“Heat” starts off with the standard examination of the science of global warming, which will be old hat to many readers, but nevertheless a useful reminder of the facts and figures that spell our doom if we do not change our ways. Our present orgy of consumption and destruction is likened to a Faustian pact, in which we are selling our souls for a few years of unparalleled luxury living at the expense of destroying the ecosystem on which we depend.
The second chapter focuses on the denial industry, the individuals and companies who have set out to prevent any action to mitigate the effects of our present lifestyles. Amazingly they still exist. One only has to follow some of the correspondence in “The Daily Mail” to realise that the debate over global warming is alive and well in some quarters. What came as something of a shock however was the evidence of astonishing links that Monbiot presents between the tobacco and oil industry. We all know about the evil actions of the tobacco industry in trying to deny the link between smoking and cancer, the lengthy court actions, and strategies to undermine the science. Less well known is the link between the tobacco industry and Big Oil. Philip Morris Tobacco and Esso have both funded the same organisations that have set out to obfuscate scientific evidence and deny the cancer link with tobacco, and the proof of anthropogenic global warming,
This is an extraordinarily well-researched book, particularly as Monbiot became a father around the time he completed it, and must have had other matters on his mind!. It is packed with statistics and references, yet it is written in an accessible style that will appeal to a wide range of readers.
The chapter “Our Leaky Homes” was written before the Government announced its extraordinarily ambitious target that all homes should be zero-carbon by 2016. The challenge that Monbiot highlights is that of the remainder of the housing stock, much of it that cannot be properly insulated without huge expense, and the two million homes which cannot be insulated properly at all due to poor design.
In the chapter “Keeping the Lights On” Monbiot is optimistic about our chances of moving to cleaner power sources, providing the problems of carbon burial and storage can be overcome. Quite a big proviso.
Renewable energy and micro-generation are then considered in a very realistic analysis. Monbiot is sceptical about the claims for small-scale wind turbines and solar panels and has a wise warning: don’t always trust someone who is trying to sell you something! For example the payback time on solar panels is 25-30 years, which is about the same as their working life. Renewable energy, particularly large-scale wind farms offer much promise, but there will always have to be other sources of power unless we learn to live lives consuming much less energy when the wind stops blowing, or devise new ways of storing power for calm days.
In the chapter “A New Transport System” Monbiot comes up with the novel proposal of coach-based transport hubs located at motorway junctions. Out of his many brilliant ideas, I found this the least convincing chapter. People are so wedded to their cars, I suspect many would prefer to see the planet fry before they will use public transport. More promising was the suggestion that there is much scope for limiting carbon emission if we return to having groceries delivered from central warehouses, ordered by phone or the internet, as is already starting to happen, rather than us all piling into our cars to do the weekly shop.
Monbiot concludes that in almost every aspect of our lives, given sufficient motivation and ingenuity, we can adapt and survive. Except for one area. Flying. We either stop flying or we perish:
“If we attempt to stabilise carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere at 550 parts per million (which roughly corresponds to the government target), and aviation continues to grow as the government envisages, by 2050 it would account for 50% of our carbon emissions.”
Similar short shrift is given to the procrastination and prevarication of Government:
“….government policy is not contained within the reports and reviews it commissions; government policy is the reports and reviews.”
“Heat” is one of the most important books on environmental issues in recent years, and deserves the widest possible audience.
Monbiot concludes:
“For the campaign against climate change is an odd one. Unlike almost all the public protests which have preceded it, it is a campaign not for abundance but for austerity. It is a campaign not for more freedom but for less. Strangest of all, it is a campaign not just against other people, but also against ourselves.”
"Green Up! An A-Z of environmentally friendly home improvements" by Will Anderson, published by Green Books at £7.95, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is an accessible pocket guide to how to turn your home green, written by an expert eco-builder who writes a column for "The Independent". The book is comprehensive, covering insulation, rainwater harvesting, wind turbines, solar panels, choice of appliances, heat pumps, lighting, air conditioning, furniture, showers, wood burners, and much more. The level of the guide is pitched at those new to green issues, and is recommended to anyone seeking an introduction to how to go green. Since most carbon emissions come from our homes, this is an excellent place to start.
"The Big Earth Book" by James Bruges, published by Sawdays Publishing at £25, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is an impressive coffee-table type book which has been endorsed by Jonathon Porritt: "Time is running out. Don't despair. Do get angry. Do get active. And do buy The Big Earth Book to get all that in perspective."
I have to say that I am rather sceptical that everyone buying a book is going to save the Earth, but there is no denying this book covers most of the main issues of environmental crisis in an admirable way that will raise awareness. There are lots of local examples and case studies which make for an interesting read, and the book tackles issues outside the narrow focus of environmentalism, like population, capitalism and the arms race. But there is still a nagging doubt about this type of book actually changing anything, especially when the author reveals in passing that he makes an annual trip to India, while exhorting us to reduce our carbon emissions. Not one to rush out and buy, especially with that price tag, but an excellent one to borrow from your library and to raise awareness.
"Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" Nicky Scott, published by Green Books at £4.95
This is a handy pocket guide aimed at people who are new to environmental issues, arranged alphabetically, and packed with ideas for recycling.. It is good to see an emphasis on reducing, and there are lots of ideas for saving money as well as going greeen.
"Cycling to Work - a beginner's guide" - Rory McMullan published by Green Books at £4.95
A great pocket guide for anyone thinking of getting on their bike and doing their bit to save the planet. Packed with information on equipment, safety and maintenance.
The Global Warming Survival Kit - the must-have guide to overcoming extreme weather, power cuts and other climate change disaster" Brian Clegg, published by Transworld at £9.99.
Oh no, it's the end of the world. Hold on while I consult page 34. If our predicament were not so serious this book would be comical. If there is a 5 metre sea level rise, make sure you don't live in London. Joking aside, this book is a mine of information on surviving all sorts of natural disasters, or losing mains power or water.
"The Final Call" by Leo Hickman, published by Transworld/Eden Books reviewed by Fiona Archer
This is a really excellent critique of the travel industry. Hickman takes us from ski resort to Caribbean cruise, from the forests of Costa Rica to Benidorm, from the beaches of Kerala to backpacking in Thailand, to documents the environmental damage inflicted by tourism. The book includes analysis of so-called eco-tourism to determine whether travel can ever benefit the environment. If you are interested in the tourist industry this book is highly recommended, being easy to read, while being very thorough and searching in the questions it asks. Is our week in the sun costing the Earth?
"Cycling to Work" by Rory McMullan, published by Green Books, reviewed by Fiona Archer
A handy pocket guide with all you need to know if you are thinking about starting to commute by bike. Packed with useful information it will help you get fit, save money, and go green.
"Cold Comfort" by Susannah Waters published by Transworld, reviewed by Fiona Archer
One of many new books introducing environmental themes, "Cold Comfort" is the story of how some native Inuit young people in Alaska rebel against changes wrought by modern lifestyles and Big Oil to defend the Earth from global warming. The heroine is Tammy who is obsessed with concern about how mankind is changing the climate, and how she forms a relationship with her cousin George who is alarmed about how the modern world is changing Inuit culture for the worse. There are incongruities in Tammy's character such as how someone who cares so much about the world's health can be a chain smoker. The book touches on the effect of modern life on native people, and how climate change is already affecting people living on the front line, with their houses tilting, as the permafrost melts. The book contains references to incest and child abuse that make it unsuitable for younger readers. A good book but not a great one.
"Empty Plates Tomorrow"by Patricia Dodd Racher is published in paperback by Trafford and costs £9.95 from bookshops or online from Amazon.co.uk.
HUMANITY in the rich West faces a potentially catastrophic famine in the 21st century, according to a Carmarthenshire author.
Patricia Dodd Racher warns in her newly-published book ‘Empty Plates’ that a lethal cocktail of climactic change, multi-national corporate power, fuel shortages and government inaction herald the end of the cheap food era.
The future for our descendants is grim and yet in our complacency we are failing to put systems and plans into effect in preparation for the coming calamity.
We are also failing to educate our children into the skills they will soon need, leaving them unprepared to meet the challenges of the grave new world we are bequeathing to them.
Her apocalyptic vision follows a year-long study into key environmental pointers and the big players in the field of food production, including the oil, transport and agro chemical/seed industries.
Pat, a geographer and former farming journalist, from Porthyrhyd, Llanwrda, said: "I wrote this book because the prospect of food shortages has not received enough attention.
"Most of us know the connection between climate change and fossil fuel use but few realise how dependant farming is on oil.
"The situation is already much worse than most of us realise – oil production probably peaked between 2002 and 2004, rather than the predicted 2010 and the growing of bio fuels is helping put up the cost of farmland and making food crops more expensive.
"I hope my book will make people look carefully at the direction in which we are heading and press the government to prepare a proper food security policy rather than simply relying on imported food."
During research for Empty Plates, Pat, a member of Dinefwr Green Group, went to Cuba where, after the collapse of Cuba’s benfactor the Soviet Union, people have already had to deal with a sudden , though partly temporary shortage of oil and gas and the myriad products made from them such as fertilisers and pesticides.
They used bicycles to get around and many urban farms farmed by organic methods to grow crops.
The whole world – perhaps as soon within the next ten years – will have a similar problem after oil begins to run out after reaching an all-important point called ‘peak oil.’
"The fossil energy to make synthetic fertilisers and pesticides and to power farm machinery and freight vehicles will diminish.
"A hotter world will make farming hugely more difficult.
"We will not take anything for granted – not fresh water, not rainfall, not even the land we live on if it is anywhere near sea level, because melting glaciers will pour vast quantities of water into the oceans."
Our cultivatable land supply is small – little more than half an acre for each person on the planet – and it will have to supply biofuels as well as food.
To make enough biofuel for the UK’s car fleet we would need to cover the land equivalent of one-and-a-half UKs!
The book considers the dangers inherent in the reliance by the powerful seed and pesticide companies on marketing a very narrow choice of crop seeds, greatly reducing bio diversity.
And she considers the arguments for and against many suggested solutions to the problem; honours the leading players in the drive to wake up the public; the idiocy of continuing to rely on food imports and the lack of government plans to cope with the situation.
And judging by the spiralling costs of some staple foodstuffs – the situation has already begun.
Empty Plates Tomorrow is published in paperback by Trafford and costs £9.95 from bookshops or online from Amazon.co.uk.
"When the rivers run dry" by Fred Pearce,
published by Transworld/Eden Project Books, reviewed by Fiona Archer
Life must be tough as Fred Pearce. Hot on the heels of his stunning book "The Last Generation", which forecasts climate apocalypse, comes his latest book, a hydrological horror story - life must just be one disaster after another!
In the UK we take fresh drinking water for granted, but the reader becomes aware of what an invaluable resource fresh water is around the rest of the world. Again and again, Pearce gives examples of how rivers are being damned and drawn from in their headwaters, leading to ecological disaster for those who live further downstream. More and more rivers are running dry in their lower reaches. Across the world, ancient reserves of underground are being emptied, and most of them will never naturally refill. by 2025 three billion people will face chronic water shortages. Water is the new oil. As the world's supplies of fresh water dwindles, water is a resource that will be fought over. This is an excellent book that deserves a wide audience.
"What Can I Do?" by Lisa Harrow, published by Eden Project Books/Transworld, reviewed by Fiona Archer
This is a useful little A-Z guide to websites connected to environmental issues that aims to show you how small and simple changes to the way you live can make a difference to the health of the planet. From stopping the junk mail in you post, to finding healthier alternatives to dry cleaning, from buying fair-trade produce and recycling your old mobile phone, to finding local food producers and getting your town to turn rubbish into soil-improving compost, it is all there in one handy book.
"The Last Generation - How Nature will take her revenge for climate change" by Fred Pearce, reviewed by Fiona Archer
This book is billed as "a crystal-clear wake-up call from one of the finest science writers in the world" and lives up to this. Read a review of "The Last Generation".
"The Last Generation by Fred Pearce is published by Eden Project Books rrp £12.99. Save £2.00 and order a copy at the special price of £10.99 (free p&p). Please call Bookpost PLC on 01624 677237 or email your order to bookshop@enterprise.net quoting Eco."
"Deep Jungle" by Fred Pearce, reviewed by Fiona Archer
"Organic Places to Stay in the UK"by Linda Moss, reviewed by Fiona Archer
3 Horsemen of the eco-apocalypse -
read how three leading environmentalist authors are predicting
a hot and dry future for our planet
“Car Sick - Solutions for our Car-addicted Culture” by Lynn Sloman, published by Green Print, reviewed by Fiona Archer
Packed with facts and figures, this is a passionate but coherent case against a society planned around the car, by the former Assistant Director of Transport 2000, credited with playing a key role in making London one of the few major cities to attempt a modal shift from car usage to buses, cycling and walking. Sloman describes how in just a generation, cars have gone from being the preserve of the wealthy few, to objects that people think they cannot do without, that are killing our planet, and poisoning our streets, stealing childhood freedom, and dominating our working lives. The typical car-owning Briton spends 1,300 hours a year driving, cleaning, and working to pay for their car. As Sloman says - "Cars "R" Us"! The book is packed with examples of good practice, about how pioneering individuals and cities are getting people out of their cars, and giving us hope for a better world. This book is recommended reading for anyone who wants inspiration or to research the case against the car. Sloman describes cars as the ultimate mixed blessing, and as climate change takes hold, we are beginning to realise how right she is.
“The Revenge of Gaia – Why the Earth is fighting back and how we can still save Humanity”
by James Lovelock, published by Penguin on 2nd Feb. 2006 - Hardback £16.99
reviewed by Fiona Archer
This book has been a surprising best-seller. It carries a stark warning:
“…if we fail to take care of the Earth, it will surely take care of itself by making us no longer welcome.”
Lovelock is one of the great thinkers of the green movement. He invented the electron capture device which helped highlight the potentially disastrous effect chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from aerosols and air-conditioning are having on the ozone layer. He is also the originator of Gaia Theory, a holistic and systems-based analysis that views the earth as a living entity. Now 86, Lovelock is widely respected for his amazing insight. |
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Independent Books
London Review of Books
"The Global Warming Survival Kit" by Brian Clegg, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This book was treated with some derision when it first came out, but since the floods of summer 2007 that left thousands of people around Gloucester without mains water for a week, and the power cuts in parts of America's East Coast, there has been renewed interest in how to cope with natural disasters or just what to do if mains supplies prove to be unreliable. The petrol duty protests in the UK made many people realise that the supermarkets' policy of "just in time" deliveries means that food can run out remarkably quickly if deliveries are interrupted and there is panic buying.
Advice on surviving disasters is nothing new. In the UK we had the much ridiculed "Protect and Survive" booklet on how to prepare for nuclear attack 15 years ago, and the US has had the "duck and cover" slogan for many years.
What is new is the realisation that Peak Oil and Climate Change are going to make our future increasingly unpredictable, and that it makes sense to be prepared, and more self-reliant. "The Global Warming Survival Kit" is packed with advice, most of it simply common sense, on how to cope without mains water or power, or preparing for food shortages. For people who have done a lot of camping or been in the forces much of Brian Clegg's advice will be a bit basic, but for those of us used to the weekly shop at the supermarket, and getting our power at the flick of a switch, and our water at the turn of a tap, learning what to do when life gets touch is a useful lesson.
It is only when you realise how difficult life is without these everyday things, that you appreciate how much we take for granted. "The Global Warming Survival Kit" will not guarantee your survival, but it may make you a bit better prepared for an uncertain future.
“Sea Change – Britain’s Coastal Catastrophe” by Richard Girling, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
“Sea Change” is now out in paperback, and is an excellent analysis of life in the front-line of climate change in our nation where nowhere is more than 72 miles from the coast. This is a well-researched book written in an entertaining and readable style, managing to be academic without being boring. “Sea Change” starts with a look at how seaside resorts have changed over the decades, from the boom years to their sad decline. Then there is a look at how climate change is affecting coastlines, including a coruscating attack of the Bush regime’s policy of climate change denial. There are chapters which are a bit heavy going, like the detailed analysis of how the North Sea is eating into the coastline of Eastern Britain. There is a chapter on fishery policy and how we are over-fishing what could be a renewable resource to the point of species extinction. There is also a depressing chapter on how we are polluting the seas. This is a very well written and researched book, and recommended for anyone interested in our coastlines and what we are doing to the sea. The future of Britain depends on the seas that surround us, and we would be wise to treat them with more respect.
"The Hot Topic - How to tackle global warming and still keep the lights on" by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King, published by Bloomsbury, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
Until 2007, David King was the Government's scientific adviser, and is credited in persuading the Government to take a lead on climate change internationally. One might expect a book by a scientist to be rather heavy going, but in teaming up with Gabrielle Walker, author of "Snowball Earth" and "An Ocean of Air", he has produced a thorough and accessible summary of our predicament. It is balanced without being alarmist, and makes a good read. There are maps and graphs, but these do not dominate. There are lots of studies of global warming around, but this is one of the better ones. "The Hot Topic" strikes a positive tone, with two thirds of the book devoted to technological and political solutions. It may irritate deeper greens in the advocacy of nuclear power as a low carbon energy source, but overall Sir David King and Gabrille Walker have produced a laudable call to action.
"A Good Life - the Guide to Ethical Living" edited by Leo Hickman, published by Eden Project Books/Transworld, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This is an updated version of Hickman's best-selling guide, and is packed with advice and information on the myriad of choices we make in our everyday lives if we just take time to stop and think. It is only when you read the guide that you start to realise the endless ethical dilemmas you get involved in, the more you think about every litle detail of your life. Suddenly how you shave or whether it is OK to drink orange juice for example become major decisions, and the source of worry. Name an area of your life and you will almost certainly find it a new source of concern. "The Good Life" is a well-intentioned and very informative guide to live without harming the planet or other people, but it is likely to be preaching to the converted in the main, and leave them even more wracked by guilt, rather than people who don't give a second thought to how they consume.
"Endangered Planet" by David Burnie, published by Kingfisher, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
We don't review many children's books, but this is such a good one we couldn't leave it out. "Endangered Planet" is a beautifully illustrated softback at a very reasonable £6.99, which has a foreword by Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper.
It looks at our Earth as a living planet, which is the insight we have James Lovelock to thank for, with his Gaia hypothesis. It is a brave book, asserting near the beginning that life our our planet almost certainly began by accident, which may not please some religious parents. All the main environmental threats are covered, and again it does not shy away from including population growth as a problem.
The final third is devoted to how we can save life on Earth, and draws the analogy of the current state of our world as a failing business. This final section draws inspiration from sources such as the Eden Project, Bedzed houses, solar and wind power stations, and wildlife protection areas. With this conclusion on solutions, the book avoids the doom and gloom which comes from just looking at the problems.. Inevitably with such a vast subject, there are omissions in a book of just 60 pages, but "Endangered Planet" is an excellent introduction to environmental issues for children aged 7-14.
"21st Century Smallholder - How to go back to the land without leaving home"
by Paul Waddington, published by Transworld/Eden Project Books
This book will have a wide appeal, as it explains that you do not have to uproot yourself to rural Wales or have lots of money to buy a large farmhouse and surrounding acres, in order to practice a greater level of self-lf-sufficiency. It is packed with practical information and detail. There is lots of advice for people with little time to spare, and on how to make the best use of limited space, and an introduction to permaculture ideas, without getting too technical. There is also a useful section on how to insultate and heat your home without relying on fossil fuels. An excellent guide for anyone wanting to start the good life.
"Imperium" by Robert Harris, published by Arrow Books, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
OK, it's not a green book, but there is only so much doom and gloom you can cope with in one week, so I picked this one to read for a complete change! Robert Harris has had several best-sellers with Fatherland, Arkangel, Enigma, and Pompeii. With the life story of Roman orator Cicero, Harris has taken a dry subject and brought it to life with a story of intrigue and machinations, told through the eyes of his slave and secretary Tiro. It makes for a great read as all his books do, and while about a third too long, was a welcome change, and an excellent way to bring history to life.
"The Alchemist" by Paolo Coelho, reviewed by Fiona Richmond
This book has sold millions of copies around the world, and is one that a lot of people rave about. It follows the story of a shepherd boy, Santiago, who gives up the simple life to follow his dream. Told in the form of a parable, it encapsulates the wisdom of a number of religions including Buddhism, Catholicism, and Pantheism. Along his journey, Santiago learns that all things are connected, and that coincidences are signs of this connection; that there will be many obstacles along the way; that love is part of the soul of the world, and that what you seek is often right on you doorstep. The overall moral of the book is never to give up on your dream. It is told in a simple, readable style, and contains some deep wisdom about life and the world we live in.
"The New Green
Consumer Guide"
by Julia Hailes, Simon and Schuster £14.99
An update of the classsic guide, which promotes the idea that we can change the world by the choices we make as individuals. Not sure that more capitalism and consumption is the best way to change the world, but if you want to give more thought to how you consume, this is a useful guide to what is on offer.
"Tescopoly - how one shop came out on top and why it matters" by Andrew Simms, Constable, £7.99
This book highlights the role of Tesco in undermining small shops and our city centres, with a powerful chapter "Profiting from Poverty", on how Tesco uses its monopoly buying power to exploit small producers. A telling indictment of how we have allowed one supermarket to dominate the market.
"Energy - Use less - save more"
by Jon Clift and Amanda Cuthbert, published by Green Books
This is an excellent little pocket-sized guide book from Green Books that includes 100 energy-saving tips for the home, many of them just common sense but all of them best practice, and some of them quite ingenious. Many of the tips don't save huge amounts of energy on their own, but if lots of people start being more energy conscious, the effect is multiplied many times over, and small changes can make a big difference.
"Climate Change - Why Nuclear Power is not the answer", a Socialist Worker pamphlet by Martin Empson
This radical pamphlet looks at all the reasons why nuclear power is not the answer to the energy crisis, revealing that when the lifecycle analysis is considered, nuclear power is far from being a zero carbon option, and that it stores up nightmare legacies of nuclear waste for future generations. In contrast renewable energy is shown to be a much more appealing solution.
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