Climate change is the most serious issue of our generation. It will likely bring sea-level rise displacing millions, lead to the loss of thousands of species, reduce food production and create geopolitical tensions - all by the end of this century. The fact that human-caused climate change is happening is now beyond dispute in the scientific community, yet despite the awful consequences, many people are apathetic.
Low-Carbon and Loving It is an ordinary person's, easy-to-read guide to climate change. The book is divided into two sections. The problem of climate change includes sections on the causes of climate change, its consequences and reasons why we've done so little up to now. Then the solutions, looks at both 'big-picture' and 'small-picture' solutions, including concrete ways for the reader to lead a lower-carbon life.
The images, cartoons, 'Science Geek' and 'Myth-busting' boxes make Low-Carbon and Loving It an enjoyable read. The book gives readers an excellent understanding of climate change and empowers them to start making a personal response.
However, Low-carbon and Loving It is also the story of the Delaneys, an ordinary Australian family who have made some extraordinary choices. Mark and his wife have lived much of their working lives in the slums of India, befriending neighbours who struggle to survive day to day. The Delaneys have continued this lifestyle of voluntary simplicity for two decades. Their experience has given them a very different perspective on life.
It is these unique perspectives which allow father Mark, and co-author son Tom, to see afresh the climate crisis to which many in the West are blind. From their lives, they know a lower-carbon life is possible and even fulfilling, not only in India, but also in middle class Australia.
About the Author :
Mark completed Law & Commerce degrees at the University of Queensland in the 1990s and a Masters in International Development from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2005. After a short-term trip to India in 1989 he became passionate about serving the global poor. He and Cathy married in 1993 and left for India in 1995, where they have spent 20 years in the slums, raising their two sons Tom (21) and Oscar (16). Mark and his family continue to live in poor neighbourhoods (that Westerners might call slums). There they attempt to bring a little more compassion and justice, through informal responses to community issues, relationships with neighbours & working with local community organisations. Tom is 21 years old. He has spent most of his life in Indian slums, periodically visiting family and friends in Australia. He has also studied at the University of Queensland, been a disability support worker and now teaches Hindi literacy to child labourers. Tom and his family have attempted to lead very low-carbon lives in the context of the high-carbon West and low-carbon slums. They've discovered that it is not only doable but can be fulfilling and fun.
Review :
"This is a remarkable book. Very few westerners have had the experiences that the authors have embraced, and as a result very few can speak with the same credibility about the choices we must make as a society. I hope everyone reads this volume--and thinks, deeply, about what it means." Bill McKibben, author 'Deep Economy' and founder of 350.org
"If we are to deal with the crisis of climate change as seriously as it demands, all of us need to overcome our addiction to our unsustainable carbon-based life-styles. The Delaneys, a family who have lived a low-carbon life in the slums of India and the suburbs of Australia, show us how we can do it in style." Dave Andrews, author 'Building A Better World'
"This book is a rare gem. It comes out of hard-earned experience, genuine concern, and heartfelt passion for a rapid and robust response to climate change. Perspectives are underpinned by a simple, holistic and rare combination of Knowing, Doing, and Being. By advancing knowledge (covering the basic climate science), promoting practice (suggesting practical implementation steps), and advocating a more wholesome way of life (inspiring self-awareness, authenticity and restraint), this book makes a timely and critical contribution to a decarbonised and habitable future." Dr Johannes Luetz, (Senior Lecturer; Ph.D. Environmental Policy and Management)
"In a fast-changing world, many are confused by science, baffled by statistics, and overwhelmed by the enormity of the challenges we face. What we need is stories - human experiences that resonate and engage, and in which we can imagine ourselves. Mark and Tom Delaney have given us a story that is both remarkable - because not many educated westerners have lived for years (and in Tom's case grown up) in an Indian slum - but also inspiring and challenging. Their story is accessible, honest, moving, informative, funny and also very uncomfortable for those of us who try to square affluent high-consumption lifestyles with knowing the facts on climate change and global poverty. I dare you to read this book and not be changed. And, like Mark, Tom and their family, you may discover that giving something up enables you to receive so much more." Dave Bookless, A Rocha International, Author 'Planetwise'.
"This book by Mark Delaney and his son Tom, who live in India and can speak from the heart about what sustainable living really means, provides fantastic insight into how we can all think about and change how we impact the planet every day. Thoughtful, creative and sensible, their book covers the breadth of how we can all take action to protect our climate, including "small picture solutions" that are particularly inspiring. From the Aussie suburbs to the streets of India, Mark and his family's story calls into question what we really need to live and be happy and challenges all of us to do more to protect the planet we depend on." Blair Palese, CEO, 350.org Australia
"It's time to stop burying our head in the sand about climate change and finally there's a book that helps us know just how to get started. Mark and Tom Delaney, father and son, write with incredible integrity and authenticity as they invite each of us to acknowledge our impact on the future of our planet. Low Carbon and Loving It is a comprehensive guide book, complete with reflection questions and pathways forward in our understanding and action. Everyone in the West should read this book." Sharne Winter, educator and writer
