Seven Wonders for a cool planet



Seven Wonders for a cool planet by Eric Sorensen

Readers review
Review by MindfulMomma

Looking for a quick summer read that you can throw in your purse and pull out at the beach or when your kids are occupied at the park? Seven Wonders for a Cool Planet might be just the thing. It's an inspiring little book that speaks to the everyday things we can do to help solve global warming. Written by Eric Sorensen and others at the nonprofit think tank Sightline Institute, Seven Wonders focuses on 7 issues behind global warming and 7 corresponding, largely affordable products we can use to combat them:


 * Transportation - the bicycle
 * Population - the condom
 * Fossil Fuel Efficiency - the ceiling fan
 * Renewable Energy - the clothesline
 * Food Production and Distribution - the real tomato
 * Resource Conservation and Reuse - the library book
 * The Information Economy - the microchip

More than a simple book of tips for green living, this book takes you deep into the issues behind global warming, without losing you in the detail. It's an easy to read mix of personal testimonials and compelling statistics that leaves you with a desire to act.

I just have to say...that darned clothesline is such a thorn in my side - I know it's the right thing to do, but do I do it? Hanging a few jeans and towels over my deck railing is about the closest I come. Turns out, line drying your clothes is one of the most simple ways to take advantage of renewable energy - just harness the sun and wind to so the job for you. In the book, a woman from Juneau, Alaska (North America's rainiest city) says "Why would I want a dryer?" "I mean, clothes dry by themselves." Yeah.

Another interesting tidbit...."Fruits and vegetables require two calories of energy inputs to produce one calorie of output. Animal proteins, on the other hand, take anywhere from twenty to eighty calories of energy to produce one calorie." Definitely fuel on my fire to eat less meat.

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