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Press release: The One Planet Life
A significant book The One Planet Life is published on November 13 that is being billed as a successor to John Seymour's 'Self Sufficiency', in that it comprehensively and practically tells people how to reduce their impact upon the environment. At the same time it is an appeal for governments and planners to have a new attitude to development, planning and land management to take into account the full environmental impact of human activities.
The One Planet Life demonstrates a path for everyone towards a way of life in which we don’t act as if we had more than one planet Earth. Much of the book is a manual – with examples – on how to live the 'good life' and reduce your impacts upon the environment to lower your 'ecological footprint'. The average UK citizen is unfortunately using more than three and a half times the amount of resources than the country can sustainably manage.
This book particularly examines the pioneering Welsh policy, One Planet Development but also considers efforts towards 'one planet' living in urban areas.
It contains detailed guides on: sustainable building, supplying your own food, generating renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions from travel, land management, water supply and waste treatment, plus 20 exemplary examples. It contains an introduction by former Welsh Environment Minister Jane Davidson, and a foreword from the co-founder of BioRegional and One Planet Living, Pooran Desai.
Author David Thorpe said: "The One Planet Life is perhaps the non-fiction book I was meant to write, the combination of everything I have learned, plus the collected wisdom of the scores of people I interviewed who are living the one planet life now. The book provides people with the tools to empower themselves and make their lives and the country as a whole more resilient.
"It's easy to give into a sense of fatalism when faced with climate change and other ecological challenges, but this book decisively shows how to take matters into your own hands."
Jane Davidson said: " Throughout this book you will read how those who have embraced this lifestyle fully feel liberated by their choice: they have reconnected with nature; they understand the seasons and where food comes from and the limitations of what can/cannot be grown or reared where they live; they can offer a different, more sustainable future to their offspring. Not everyone will want to take the great leap into the unknown, but all of us can use this book to help us demonstrate the principles of one planet living in one or more parts of our lives."
Pooran Desai said: "This thought-provoking book summarises some of the approaches which can help us on the journey – so please read, learn, practise and share. There are many already on the journey and we can, together, co-create a better future."
The One Planet Council, of which David is a patron along with Jane Davidson, is behind this title. Jane proposed and was responsible for the One Planet Development policy when she was Minister.
The One Planet Life is an illustrated non-fiction guide published by Routledge on November 13 2014. 438pp, 382 full colour illustrations. Paperback: £26.99
To buy and more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415738552/
Recommendations:
· "A wealth of practical detail" – Oliver Tickell, editor, The Ecologist magazine
· “Shows the journey to a new life.” – George Marshall
· "What it means to live a 'one-planet' lifestyle" – Prof Max Munday, Cardiff Business School
David Thorpe – biographical information
David Thorpe has twin careers in writing and environmentalism. He is a novelist, non-fiction author, journalist, scriptwriter and comics writer, and the winner of a HarperCollins contest to find a major new children’s writer with his novel for young adults, Hybrids, which the Times called ‘A stunningly clever novel’. He has written and been the commissioning editor of many comics and graphic novels for publishers such as Marvel, HarperCollins, Titan Books and Macdonald-Futura, but also is a Special Consultant on Sustainable Cities Collective, the primary website for urban leaders globally; a patron of the One Planet Council; and the author of several books on sustainability, solar power, etc. He lives in Carmarthenshire with his wife, Helen Adam. Find out more on www.davidthorpe.info.
