Book Review

2011-07-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

Heat: How We Can Stop The Planet Burning

By George Monbiot

The premise of Heat is that the world’s rich nations needs to cut their carbon emissions by 90% by 2030 if we are to prevent global temperatures from rising 2º above pre-industrial levels. Monbiot then goes on to show how this cut can be achieved whilst allowing us to maintain a similar standard of life to the one we now enjoy. This cut will involve a carbon rationing system that applies equally to all, a radical change in the way we build houses, a complete overhaul of the National Grid, involving a combination of carbon capture and various forms of renewable energy, a switch from the current shopping model to large warehouses and home deliveries, and a transport system that is more logical.

The only carbon intensive sector in which Monbiot is unable to find a way of cutting emissions is the aviation industry – it seems the only solution is to fly less. Monbiot admits that this is a difficult thing to tell people, not least because he recognises the impact his own travels around the world have had on his life and views. It’s also something that I find challenging to face up to. I enjoy flying and I hope in the future to be able to visit more far-flung corners of the world. But as Monbiot points out:

Recognizing that it was possible for a human being to fly; then that it was possible for a human being to fly long distances; then that it was possible for many humans to do so; then that it was possible for you to do so, required a series of imaginative leaps. It required the construction by the people of the twentieth century of a possible world which did not exist before...Recognising that while it is still possible for a human being to fly, it will no longer be possible for many humans to do so, indeed that it will no longer be possible for you to do so, requires a similar series of imaginative efforts.

Throughout Monbiot brings to light absurdities, such as the fact that coach stations are currently situated in town centres, meaning that coaches have to go out of their way, battling through traffic and one way systems, in order to pick people up. Instead, Monbiot proposes a transport system whereby coach stations are closer to the motorway, with shuttle buses to connect the town centre to the coach stations. This system would drastically reduce the usually lengthy coach journeys – a huge factor in my own reluctance to use coaches. This seems like such a logical and obvious system, yet we seem content to grumble about the current system. When looking at supermarkets Monbiot points out the absurdity of door-less freezers and fish counters that use bright – and thus, very warm – lights to make the fish glisten attractively, whilst also keeping the fish on ice and using a lot of energy to maintain these cold temperatures. This battle between heat and cool in our supermarkets seems ridiculous once Monbiot points it out.

The cover of Heat states that the book is “Myth-busting, hypocrite-baiting, exhilarating, awe-inspiring, killer-fact packed...” Clearly this is designed to attract readers, although there is some truth in it. Monbiot does indeed bust some myths. For example – a myth I myself had bought into – that the scientific community is divided about whether recent increases in global temperatures have been man made or not. This uncertainty was in fact generated by the oil companies, for obvious reasons. Monbiot is also not afraid to bring to light hypocrisies, even on the part of fellow environmentalists. Indeed, Monbiot goes so far as to state that even he is a hypocrite, since he doesn’t lead a truly carbon free lifestyle. The book is packed with facts; Monbiot has clearly done his research and is always thorough about checking for alternate motives. There are also a lot of figures in the book, and I did at times find myself skimming over them, trusting that he’d done his maths correctly, but this didn’t seem to affect the over all message of the book. ‘Exhilarating’ and ‘awe-inspiring’ are a bit of an exaggeration, but I did find myself feeling more motivated to take action and make changes to my own lifestyle.

If you're hoping for a book that will reassure you and allow you to carry on your merry way, then don't read Heat. Heat isn't about telling you everything is going to be okay. The message is that things need to change fast and it won't be enough to simply recycle a few more bits of paper. It will mean giving up flying, consuming less and putting more pressure on the government. It will mean taking an imaginative leap, completely re-imagining our lives and giving up the sense of entitlement we have been raised to feel. Alternately, as Monbiot puts it, “I might make people so depressed about the state of the planet that they stay in bed all day, thereby reducing their consumption of fossil fuels.”

4/5

Greetings

2011-07-05T03:50:00.000-07:00

Hi,

My name is Naomi and I am an intern at the Manchester Development Education Project bookshop. DEP is an educational charity that works with teachers, youth workers and other educators to promote sustainable development, ethical living, diversity and global education. As well as running a range of projects with teachers and schools DEP also has a bookshop that sells resources for teachers, educators and the general public, relating to the issues it promotes. This bookshop also helps to raise money so that DEP can continue to carry out its amazing work.

As an intern I have been helping to promote the bookshop in order to raise its profile and get it known to as many people as possible. I've decided to start a blog in order to chart my experience as an intern and also to let people know about the various activities and changes I have planned for the bookshop.

I have already been with DEP a month now and have been coming in two days a week. My first task as an intern was to carry out a complete stock check. This took about three days, but it was worthwhile because I now have an intimate knowledge of what's on the shelves (it was hard at times to resist reading the books).

Whilst carrying out the stock check I realised that the bookshop has a lot of sale stock, something I wanted to reduce. I decided to place a considerable portion of it on Amazon. Three weeks later we have sold 16 sale books and I am now slightly addicted to selling things on Amazon. It has really brought home to me how much Amazon and the internet in general has changed our buying habits and book selling. I hardly ever go to bookshops any more. When I do it's usually to have a browse and kill some time. My most recent visit to a bookshop was done more out of necessity than choice - I had to get a birthday present for someone and didn't have time to wait for an Amazon order to arrive. Compared with Amazon, and indeed with most other bookshops, the DEP bookshop is at a massive disadvantage because it is tucked away from the road on the Manchester Metropolitan University campus in Didsbury. The bookshop is usually open from 10-5 on weekdays, but I'm only able to come in two days a week. Most of the other DEP staff are part-time and their work takes them out of the office a lot. By comparison Amazon is easily accessible (to anyone with a device that allows internet access and an internet connection, which of course isn't everyone) and it never has to close. It is there 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Out of all the orders we've had on Amazon so far half have been placed out with our opening hours. You'd be fairly shocked to encounter someone who hasn't heard of Amazon, whereas the majority of people aren't familiar with the DEP bookshop.

Nevertheless, rather than despair I am seeing this as a challenge. It is part of my task as an intern to overcome the obstacles facing the bookshop and get more people coming through our door. One of the things I have done is to create a book group. However, rather than just read general fiction the focus of the book group is on books that promote the issues close to DEP's heart - the environment, sustainable development, climate change, human rights, global justice, equality and diversity. Although this might arguably limit the books we can read, I'm hoping it will offer people something unique and that we will be able to get some interesting debates going on these important issues.

For the first meeting, held on Thursday 30th June (the group will be meeting on the last Thursday of every month), we read and discussed Heat: How We Can Stop the Planet Burning by George Monbiot. I will be posting a review of the book on here soon. Details of the next meeting will also be coming soon.

As well as the book group my plans for the near future include author events, story telling sessions, cashing in on the (hopefully) sunny weather and taking the bookshop outside, and carrying out a complete overhaul of the bookshop.

Right, well I think I've gone on for long enough and thank you if you made it this far. Please keep coming back for more (shorter) updates!

Bookshop Intern

Book Review

Greetings