World Changing: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
edited by Alex Steffen
Abrams Press, HK$293
This self-styled handbook for environmentally aware living is a mixed bag. Although it purports to be a practical how-to manual, it's actually a collection of notes and essays that point readers to more detailed sources of information elsewhere. Its subject matter, ranging from climate change to sustainable agriculture and social justice, is broad, and those seeking detailed science will be disappointed. But as a primer for the challenges facing the environment - and the strategies being devised to deal with them - it's an enlightening read.
World Changing, which runs to a mammoth 596 pages, is divided into seven sprawling sections covering such topics as Planet, Shelter, Politics and Cities. Each has an introduction, followed by numerous short articles by various of writers. The idea is to cover anything and everything that relates to the state of the planet. Global warming and green energy rightly get a lot of space, as do green shopping and eco-friendly urban planning. Capsule bibliographies and web addresses direct the reader to more substantial works.
Perhaps the best thing about World Changing is that it's realistic. The authors realise that few people are going to turn their lives upside down to save the planet. So they take a 'do what you can' approach. Few home-owners will want to go to the trouble of bolting a solar panel to their roof to generate electricity, for instance. But many power companies offer a green energy alternative that can be obtained just by filling out a form.