Visar resultat för..."How Bad Are Bananas "

Part green-lifestyle guide, part popular science, How Bad Are Bananas? is the first book to provide the information we need to make carbon-savvy purchases and informed lifestyle choices and to build carbon considerations into our everyday thinking.The book puts our decisions into perspective with entries for the big things (the World Cup, volcanic eruptions, the Iraq war) as well as the small (email, ironing, a glass of beer). And it covers the range from birth (the carbon footprint of having a child) to death (the carbon impact of cremation).Packed full of surprises — a plastic bag has the smallest footprint of any item listed, while a block of cheese is bad news — the book continuously informs, delights, and engages the reader. Solidly researched and referenced, the easily digestible figures, statistics, charts, and graphs (including a section on the carbon footprint of various foods) will encourage discussion and help people to make up their own minds about their consumer choices.

''It is terrific. I can''t remember the last time I read a book that was more fascinating and useful and enjoyable all at the same time.'' Bill BrysonHow Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase ''carbon footprint'' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!). This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life - Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

How Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase 'carbon footprint' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!). This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life - Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

How does Britain get its food? Why is our current system at breaking point?How can we fix it before it is too late?British food has changed remarkably in the last half century. As we have become wealthier and more discerning, our food has Europeanized (pizza is children's favourite food) and internationalized (we eat the world's cuisines), yet our food culture remains fragmented, a mix of mass 'ultra-processed' substances alongside food as varied and good as anywhere else on the planet.This book takes stock of the UK food system: where it comes from, what we eat, its impact, fragilities and strengths. It is a book on the politics of food. It argues that the Brexit vote will force us to review our food system. Such an opportunity is sorely needed. After a brief frenzy of concern following the financial shock of 2008, the UK government has slumped once more into a vague hope that the food system will keep going on as before. Food, they said, just required a burst of agri-technology and more exports to pay for our massive imports.Feeding Britain argues that this and other approaches are short-sighted, against the public interest, and possibly even strategic folly. Setting a new course for UK food is no easy task but it is a process, this book urges, that needs to begin now.'Tim Lang has performed a public service' Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times

How does Britain get its food? Why is our current system at breaking point?How can we fix it before it is too late?British food has changed remarkably in the last half century. As we have become wealthier and more discerning, our food has Europeanized (pizza is children's favourite food) and internationalized (we eat the world's cuisines), yet our food culture remains fragmented, a mix of mass 'ultra-processed' substances alongside food as varied and good as anywhere else on the planet.This book takes stock of the UK food system: where it comes from, what we eat, its impact, fragilities and strengths. It is a book on the politics of food. It argues that the Brexit vote will force us to review our food system. Such an opportunity is sorely needed. After a brief frenzy of concern following the financial shock of 2008, the UK government has slumped once more into a vague hope that the food system will keep going on as before. Food, they said, just required a burst of agri-technology and more exports to pay for our massive imports.Feeding Britain argues that this and other approaches are short-sighted, against the public interest, and possibly even strategic folly. Setting a new course for UK food is no easy task but it is a process, this book urges, that needs to begin now.'Tim Lang has performed a public service' Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times

In The Future, former US Vice President Al Gore, explores the political, social and economic forces that are shaping what America and the world will become in ensuing decades. From demographics to democracy, Gore explores what he calls the 'Drivers of Global Change', framing the international conversation about the future in fresh and provocative ways. With this new work, Gore hopes to help start a conversation about the large-scale drivers of change that are defining and shaping our future - from the rapid development and integration of radically new technologies to the planet-changing impact of the climate crisis, to poverty, globalization, and the democratisation of knowledge accompanying the emergence of a ubiquitous internet linking ever more intelligent devices.

In The Future, former US Vice President Al Gore, explores the political, social and economic forces that are shaping what America and the world will become in ensuing decades. From demographics to democracy, Gore explores what he calls the 'Drivers of Global Change', framing the international conversation about the future in fresh and provocative ways. With this new work, Gore hopes to help start a conversation about the large-scale drivers of change that are defining and shaping our future - from the rapid development and integration of radically new technologies to the planet-changing impact of the climate crisis, to poverty, globalization, and the democratisation of knowledge accompanying the emergence of a ubiquitous internet linking ever more intelligent devices.

Wherever we look, population is the driver of the most toxic issues on the political agenda. But the population bomb is being defused. Half the world's women are having two children or fewer. Within a generation, the world's population will be falling. And we will all be getting very old. So should we welcome the return to centre stage of the tribal elders? Or is humanity facing a fate worse than environmental apocalypse?Brilliant, heretical and accessible to all, Fred Pearce takes on the matter that is fundamental to who we are and how we live, confronting our demographic demons.

With a global population estimated to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050 we face a huge challenge in feeding everyone on the planet. How is that to be achieved?In this brilliantly insightful, one stop guide WIRED journalist Matt Reynolds assesses the limits and drawbacks of current food production and looks at the ways in which they can be tackled. He considers the potential for lab-grown meat to replace inefficient livestock farming. He talks to the scientists hoping to perfect more productive and disease-resistant crops. He explores initiatives to make agriculture less environmentally damaging and to reduce food waste. And he addresses the fundamental question: how do we feed more people while using fewer of the Earth's resources?

*Rocket sleds. Chicken cannons. Artificial lightning.Welcome to the fantastical world of test engineering.‘Wildly entertaining and surprisingly profound.’ Guru Madhavan, author of Wicked Problems________When we sit in an aeroplane, we trust that everything will work properly, that we will lift smoothly into the sky and touch down safely at our destination.What we don’t generally consider is the wild, unseen world of test engineering that makes all this possible: the hidden heroes who bend plane wings, zap them with artificial lightning and repeatedly smash their tires into the ground until they reach breaking point.Such outlandish experiments shape the products we use each and every day, from ‘childproof’ bottle caps to the cars we drive and the bridges we cross. They underpin our trust in the objects that we generally expect to work as anticipated and not (unexpectedly) crack, blow up or spontaneously collapse.As Alex Davies reveals, this amazing reliability is thanks to the mostly invisible, maniacal, yet methodical work of test engineers, who divine how everything and anything could go wrong and then plan for it in advance – using rocket sleds, chicken cannons, bear testers and any means necessary.Uncovering the surprisingly profound science behind the small print on the label, How to Keep a Plane in the Sky is a riotously entertaining must-read for fans of Humble Pi by Matt Parker; This Way Up by The Map Men, and Randall Munroe. ___‘Things fall apart . . . but Alex Davies tells the story of the people who pick up the pieces, subject them to rigorous testing, and rebuild the world.’ Adam Rogers, author of Full Spectrum'I can't remember the last book I devoured this quickly.’ PJ Vogt, host of the Search Engine podcast

** One of Refinery29's Essential Books For Surviving 2022 **How to spot greenwashing, stop consuming and demand a more sustainable future.Climate change is now a mainstream conversation topic, and yet every week our recycling piles are still overflowing and we're faced with a steady stream of brands trying to persuade us to buy their eco-friendly products in our quest to live sustainably.For too long, corporations have shifted the eco-responsibility onto us, the consumers. It's time to push back and demand change.In Buy Better, Consume Less, #EthicalHour founder Sian Conway-Wood provides practical tips on how to stop consuming, advice on how to see through corporations' greenwashing, and steps to hold them accountable. In doing so we can create demand for sustainability in supply chains, and put pressure on decision makers to implement systemic change that puts people and planet above profit.

Climate change is now a mainstream conversation topic, and yet every week our recycling piles are still overflowing and we're faced with a steady stream of brands trying to persuade us to buy their eco-friendly products in our quest to live sustainably.For too long, corporations have shifted the eco-responsibility onto us, the consumers. It's time to push back and demand change.In Buy Better, Consume Less, Ethical Hour founder Sian Conway-Wood provides practical tips on how to stop consuming, advice on how to see through corporations' greenwashing, and steps to hold them accountable. In doing so we can create demand for sustainability in supply chains, and put pressure on decision makers to implement systemic change that puts people and planet above profit.

This handy guide is brimming with quick tips, life hacks and budget-friendly tricks to help you reduce your carbon footprint and live more sustainablyAn eco-friendly lifestyle is expensive and time-consuming, right? Wrong! There are countless ways to make green choices that don't take a toll on your time, your bank balance or the planet.This book is your one-stop guide to living a more sustainable lifestyle. Whether you need tips on conserving energy or reducing food waste, or you want to give your home a makeover without impacting the planet, these pages include everything you need to get started. You will find:- Clever life hacks to make reducing your carbon footprint that bit easier- Simple tips to help you make planet-friendly choices in everyday life- Smart advice for eco-living on a budget- Inspiration for eco-friendly crafts and DIY projectsIt's more important than ever to do our bit for the environment, and Planet-Friendly Hacks will help you live life to the full without costing the earth.

'Fast paced and energetic' Financial Times'Punchy, provocative and wonderfully readable' - David Shukman'Eye-popping and essential' - Rowan Hooper'A must-read' - Peter Stott Have you heard that you should plant trees to save the planet? Or buy carbon offsets when you fly? Or recycle plastic? Go vegan? Or not have children? What if all these actions were a distraction, no matter how well-intentioned?In this provocative manifesto, Assaad Razzouk shows that for too long our ideas about what's best for the environment have been unfocused and distracted, trying to go in too many directions and concentrating on individual behaviour. While some of these things can be useful, they are dwarfed by one big thing that simply has to happen very soon if we're to avoid major environmental breakdown: curtailing the activities of the fossil fuel industry.Full of counter-intuitive statistics and positive suggestions for individual and collective action, this ingenious book will change how you view the climate crisis.

With a global population estimated to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050 we face a huge challenge in feeding everyone on the planet. How is that to be achieved?In this brilliantly insightful, one stop guide WIRED journalist Matt Reynolds assesses the limits and drawbacks of current food production and looks at the ways in which they can be tackled. He considers the potential for lab-grown meat to replace inefficient livestock farming. He talks to the scientists hoping to perfect more productive and disease-resistant crops. He explores initiatives to make agriculture less environmentally damaging and to reduce food waste. And he addresses the fundamental question: how do we feed more people while using fewer of the Earth's resources?