100 Ways to Save the World - Book review by Maggie Woods

“I liked the look and feel of this quirky
book, 100 Ways to Save the World,
not least because it reminded me of a
treasured hardback journal you’d wish
to keep...”

INSIDE THE BOOK THE STYLE IS OF TYPEWRITTEN BULLET POINTS, with plenty of information and an easy to read layout. The issue the author is concerned with — as the title suggests — is the environment. And it's something we do all need to think about.

A number of unsettling sights had persuaded Johan Tell to write 100 Ways to Save the World: "I had visited a glacier hotel with no glacier left, seen barren desert where there should have been vegetation, and carried my children through floods in Asia. I realised the time had come. Time to do something for our overstressed environment, for our common future."

Written amusingly yet movingly, Johan's one hundred simple and realistic tips to cut pollution and reduce your carbon footprint are effective and definitely will make a difference. Even if you only read one each day — try 3. SINK THOSE PIRATES — it is one small step towards helping to turn back the tide environmentally. As Johan reminds us, not many people realise that when they buy pirated copies of branded goods there's a good chance that they're buying a product made by under-aged workers in sweatshops.

Buying quality, he tells us, will mean that you only need one pair of shoes that will last instead of half a dozen you throw away after a few months. Use baby oil, he advises, with a wet flannel, instead of soap or wet wipes. Better for your baby and for you.

Other tips include: Use wooden furniture; relax by a fire instead of turning the heating up; avoid pre-wash and fabric softener in your machine and only ever wash a full load.

100 Ways to Save the World is illustrated on each right-hand page with everyday photographs, some of which are rather attractive. I particularly liked the photograph opposite 20 — SWITCH TO A GREEN CAR — which showed a line of light meandering through a dark blue countryside. Most touching was 82 — BUY CERTIFIED ORGANIC — placed opposite a cow in a field. I have always felt strongly that — if we really must eat living creatures — we have a duty to treat them well and feed them correctly (eg, if the animal is a herbivore, they should not have animal products in their diet — incorrect feeding caused the so-called 'Mad Cow' Disease). And as the end result will be better food for us, we really can't lose.

A most enjoyable read that certainly makes you think. You may not agree with, or even wish to follow, everything Johan suggests, but every small sacrifice we are willing to make will definitely count. I, for example, will not buy anything other than free-range eggs, preferably RSPCA approved.

See the virtue in making old things work instead of constantly buying new (85 — FIX IT). We should all 'OBSERVE AND RESPECT', but if you decided to go on a cruise, would you think to make sure the ship runs on green fuel and is equipped with catalytic converters? And talking of holidays, don't take anything home that should be left where it is; and don't leave anything that doesn't belong. Further information is in the Comments section at the back of the book.

Cleverly, the photograph accompanying item '1' is a baby's fist and item '100' is an adult's fist. The points are: 'CALL A POLITICIAN' (1) and 'CALL A POLITICIAN AGAIN' (100). And that really can work! Save energy, cut pollution and build a better future.

• 100 Ways to Save the World, by Johan Tell, is published by Bonnier Books and is available now in hardback at a very reasonable �12.99.

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