The Hot Topic: How To Tackle Global Warming And Still Keep The Lights On by Gabrielle Walker and Sir David King, discusses the problems and solutions of climate change in a clear and straightforward way. The authors explain the science of global warming and describe the possible changes that could take place due to climate change. Despite the serious problem of climate change, the authors believe that this “is neither a time for pessimism nor for denial. It is a time for constructive, determined action.” What we need are a combination of technological and political solutions.

Technological solutions are about using energy more efficiently, reducing carbon emissions from transport and switching to cleaner sources of energy generation. But technological solutions are not enough, what we need too is the political willpower. Political solutions require the involvement of industrialised nations and rapidly developing nations, working together and moving beyond the Kyoto Protocol.

The book ends with how we can change the world through the choices we make to influence companies and politicians to embrace sustainability. As the authors say, “We are all part of the problem, and each of us will need to be part of the solution.”

Borrow it from your local library or buy it from our AsiaIsGreen Bookstore.

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In his book, The World Without Us, Alan Weisman asks us to “picture a world from which we all suddenly vanished. Tomorrow.” How would nature respond? And would what we left behind last? Would the world without us actually miss us?

When we are gone, nature takes over. Our houses would collapse under the influence of moisture, mold and termites. Our cities would be flooded and turned into marshes, and the jungle would overtake the cities. Our farmlands would turn into forests and more birds would live.

Plastics would remain and last for hundreds of thousands of years before it biodegrades. Carbon dioxide levels would stabilise and the ozone layer would be complete. Heavy metals and chemicals would be diluted or absorbed into the environment.

The world without us would have the capacity to self-heal. And Alan Weisman ends with this thought:

All of us humans have myriad other species to thank. Without them, we couldn’t exist. It’s that simple, and we can’t afford to ignore them, … Without us, Earth will abide and endure; without her, however, we could not even be.

Borrow it from your local library or buy it from our AsiaIsGreen Bookstore.

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Gary Hirshberg is the CE-Yo of Stonyfield Farm, which is the largest organic yogurt manufacturer in the world. In his book, he describes how his company incorporates environmental principals and embraces sustainability, while making money at the same time. He also shares similar environmental efforts by other companies such as Whole Foods, Timberland, Wal-Mart, Patagonia, Seventh Generation, Honest Tea and Terracycle. He shows that it is possible to go green, save money and increase profits.

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Deep Economy goes beyond our “more is better” economy and looks at growth in the context of a local economy. Bill McKibben argues that growth is no longer making us happy and that “we need to move beyond “growth” as the paramount economic ideal and pursue prosperity in a more local direction, with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment.”

Borrow it from your local library or buy it from our AsiaIsGreen Bookstore.

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The Clean Tech Revolution: The Next Big Growth and Investment Opportunity by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder is an excellent book for all individuals and investors who are interested in clean technologies and the opportunities involved. The authors highlight eight major clean technologies (shown below) and discuss each technology sector’s growth, challenges, opportunities and companies.

• Solar Energy
• Wind Power
• Biofuels and Biomaterials
• Green Buildings
• Personal Transportation
• Smart Grid
• Mobile Technologies
• Water Filtration

For cities or regions that wish to create a clean tech industry and future, the authors explain that they must have access to capital, R&D support, workforce talent, supportive policies, and vision in order to succeed. In addition, the successful marketing of clean tech by companies should take note of the following five lessons:

1. It’s all about cost
2. Don’t lead with the environment
3. Framing and naming are critical
4. It has to be easy, accessible, and convenient
5. Remember the cool factor

Learn more about the book and read reviews at our AsiaIsGreen Bookstore.

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Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization is the latest book written by Lester R. Brown, the founder and President of the Earth Policy Institute, and a well-known environmentalist and thinker. The book is an update of his previous two Plan B books, which gives a summary of the environmental problems that we faced and outlines the response needed to save our civilization. He describes what we need to do:

The challenge for our generation is to build a new economy, one that is powered largely by renewable sources of energy, that has a highly diversified transport system, and that reuses and recycles everything. And to do it with unprecedented speed.

Continuing with business as usual (Plan A), which is destroying the economy’s eco-supports and setting the stage for dangerous climate change, is no longer a viable option. It is time for Plan B.

Plan B 3.0 gives a blueprint for stabilizing population and eradicating poverty, restoring the earth’s ecosystems, and stabilizing climate. It describes the need to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 80% before 2020, through raising energy efficiency, developing renewable energy sources, and increasing the earth’s forest cover. We already have the resources to adopt Plan B and save civilization. No more business as usual.

The book can be downloaded for free at the Earth Policy Institute’s website or buy it from our Amazon bookstore.

Source: Earth Policy Institute.

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