This book provides a wealth of information within each and every paragraph. If Bob Williamson had written this book as non-fiction, it would have been overwhelming. Instead he wrote it as fiction.
He crafted a story about an Australian man and his community at a time when CO2 becomes such a problem the government shuts down all activities that cause carbon emissions. As the man walks around his home taking an inventory of items, we learn about each item’s carbon footprint. For instance, “…good-sized 84-centimeter TV, at 4 hours per day and 290 watts an hour, generates 420 kilograms of CO2 per year.”
As I read this ebook (also available in hardcover) I considered the environmental impact of the laptop I was using as well as the space heater running next to me and the lamp I’d left on in the other room. While I consider myself to be more environmentally conscious than the average person, no book or article has ever made me think of my power consumption so thoroughly. I was questioning everything, just like the character in the book.
I can honestly say I have learned more from reading this book than I imagined I would. I can’t rush it though. I can only read so much at a time before I need to set it down and ponder the future and my choices.
This isn’t a book to breeze through. Though it is very interesting, I needed to stop many times. If Bob’s intention was to write a book to make me honestly consider changing my ways, a book to made me think twice about turning on the television while I work, he more than succeeded. I’ve chosen not to turn on that TV. Well done, Bob.
Proceeds from the book go towards the efforts of the Greenhouse Neutral Foundation, of which Bob Williamson is chairman.
greenhouseneutralfoundation.org
