100 Ways to Save the World
by J. Tell
ISBN: 1934533157
Saving the world is a daunting task. In particular if you are being told that whatever you do, no matter how resource savvy you behave, nothing will be good enough. So – where do you start to try and make a difference, in order to leave the planet in slightly better conditions to your children than it is today?
The reality is, you don’t necessarily need to join Greenpeace’s anti-whaling activists to do “something”. “100 Ways to Save the World” shows one hundred easy to follow approaches, nearly without effort, that will, beyond any doubt, make a difference – provided you manage to convince your spouse, neighbour, children to take a heart, team up with you and put them into practise.
So, how little effort is really needed? Here, arbitrarily selected but still representative, 4 of the 100 ways lined out in this book:
- “Sink those pirates” (Tip Nr. 3): one small step towards helping to turn back the tide environmentally. Not many people realise that when they buy pirated copies of branded goods, there’s a good chance that they’re not only buying a product made by under-aged workers in sweatshops, but that the environment in the producing communities is loaded with all sorts of chemicals and rubbish off the production process.
- “Give Living Plants” (Tip Nr. 17): The vast majority of cut flowers are not only imported (think: carbon footprint), but grown under rather ugly conditions: pesticides, artificial fertilizers, human-rights infringements, mono-cultures. Yet, it would be so easy to cheer up a home forgoing all of the aforementioned: Go for either potted plants – just as colourful as cut ones and definitely lasting longer – or, if you want to add a personal note, pick your own bunch of flowers.
- “Fix It” (Tip Nr. 85): Buying new gadgets necessarily implies adding to the ever growing pile on the rubbish pit. Many items, however, can be fixed easily. That small hole in your favourite T-shirt can be fixed in less then 30 minutes (how long does it take to shop for a new one?), the broken blade on your otherwise perfectly functional lawn mover can be replaced easily, and the lid of your coffee mill only really needs a drop of super glue …
- “Get the Kids Outside” (Tip Nr. 96): Children become adults, and children that loved to play outdoors – be it building tree houses, going camping, observing butterflies or birds – will become adults that love the outdoors. They will know first hand that nature is worth experiencing and being protected for the future. In short, these kids not only will have a lot of fun in their childhood, but while doing so they create memories of their outdoor adventures, and will go on to grow into [more] responsible adults, aware of the value of nature and its resources.
Written amusingly yet movingly, Johan’s one hundred simple and realistic tips to cut pollution and reduce your carbon footprint are effective and definitely will make a difference. The book is illustrated on right-hand page with everyday photographs, the collection of which alone would justify borrowing or buying the book (see illustration).
Personally, I particularly liked the photograph opposite Tip Nr. 45/ — Avoid Plastic — which shows a set of heavily used, wooden cooking utensils bathed in the golden light of dusk or dawn.
‘100 Ways to Save the World‘ is a handy little resource for anyone who would like to make a difference in the world and is looking for an easy yet sure-fire way to get started.
This book is available from your nearest book store, as well as online from Amazon.
