Saving the Planet–two books at a time!
BOOK 1
Bill Gates has been promoting his newest book entitled How to Avoid a Climate Disaster. You may have seen his appearance on “60 Minutes”, which aired February 14, 2020. On the TV program and in the book, Gates claims that the world needs to get to zero carbon emmissions by 2050 in order to avoid a climate disaster. To accomplish this goal, Gates is encouraging people to come up with new and reasonably priced innovations. While Gates admits that his goal is challenging, he points out strides that have already been made and built upon, as well as concrete measures governments, businesses and individuals can take.
To follow Gates on his virtual book tour and sign up for a session go to: https://sites.prh.com/how-to-avoid-a-climate-disaster-tour
To watch the 60 Minute segment, click on the link below:
Bill Gates: The 2021 60 Minutes interview
BOOK 2
Mark Bittman is not the household name that Bill Gates is, but Bittman has written more than thirty books and began as a food columnist at the New York Times in 1984. He is also a “Today Show” regular. His new book traces the history of humans and their food sources from the time of hunters and gatherers to the current day. He explains how a century ago, industrialized food production for an ever growing world population, contributed to both climate change and the current global health crisis. As in Gates’ book, Bittman explains how policymakers and individuals alike can ‘fix’ our food system.
Knowing the importance of both books leads us to ask ourselves how much we are willing to do on a personal level, thinking perhaps that what little we can do as one person will not make a big difference. Are we willing to sacrifice parts of our lifestyle to save our planet for the next generations? I can’t answer that, certainly not for myself nor others.
In 1979, I attended a book discussion in Dunwoody, GA on the book Diet for a Small Planet. Frances Moore Lappe wrote the book in 1971, and it was the first of its kind to note the environmental effects of meat production. I remember learning that the capacity for feeding everyone in the world is within reach if only we all became vegetarians. Forty years ago I was keen to make a difference in the world so I stopped eating beef and pork. I could not imagine a diet without chicken. Forty years later, I still can’t.
Diet for a Small Planet sold over three millions copies. In 2006, Lappe’s daughter Anna Lappe wrote Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It. Her book, like Bittman’s, revealed the connection between food production and climate change.