Why "EAARTH" by Bill McKibben is such a great read

2010-05-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

To begin with, it's short - only 212 pages, and it's an easy read. No complex graphs or incomprehensible scientific terms. You kind of feel Bill McKibben is talking to you. And I guess he is, to all of us.

He says the reason his book's title has an extra "A" is we're already living on a new planet. So much has changed in such a short time, and we must look at our world in a different way to understand this.

In the first half of Eaarth: Making a life on a Tough New Planet, he lays out the problems faced by life on our planet, not some time in the near or distant future, but today.

And then, on page 99, he starts writing about solutions -- possibilities for our future and methods for adapting to our new environment. He writes, "Like someone lost in the woods, we need to stop running, sit down, see what's in our pockets that might be of use, and start figuring out what steps to take."

He tells us how we can manage the changes that will be happening to our lives, rather than just let them happen. He says, "We've got to make our societies safer, and that means making them smaller. It means, since we live on a different planet, a different kind of civilization." He describes how we can make this very different world workable -- "how we might keep the lights on, the larder full, and spirits reasonably high."

Alan Weisman, author of The World Without Us, writes, "With clarity, eloquence, deep knowledge, and even deeper compassion for both planet and people, Bill McKibben guides us to the brink of a new, uncharted era. This monumental book, probably his greatest, may restore you faith in the future, with us in it."

Check out Bill McKibben's excellent Official Site for much more information about Eaarth and for news and reference to absolutely everything you need to know.

And contact Margery Moore at the Institute for Sustainability Education and Action (I-SEA), sustain@saltspring.com or Dorothy at dcutting@yahoo.com to see where you can get a free copy of Eaarth. I-SEA and Salt Spring Books together are making this happen. We think this book is too important not to be read.

We'll be posting more about what's already happening on Salt Spring to prepare for a livable future for all of us.

EAARTH on Salt Spring Island

Why "EAARTH" by Bill McKibben is such a great read