Your Planet Needs You - An Everyday Guide to Saving the Earth
Written by Bernadette Valelly, with Amy Charuy-Hughes and Bethan Stewart James. Bernadette has been campaigning for the environment for over 35 years, and was one of the pioneering founders of the Womens Environmental Network in the 1980s. Working with ethical fashion campaigner Amy Charuy-Hughes, of Greener Together and ten year old eco campaigner Bethan Stewart James to together make this green guide.
The book is aimed to appeal to a wide range of readers, explaining environmental issues from Acid Rain to Zoos and Captive Animals through the A-Z of Environmental Information, which makes up the majority of the book. As well as offering clear descriptions of the situations covered there are suggestions for everyday actions, campaigns, alternatives and attitude shifts that can help.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the gravity of the situations faced at the moment, but the simplicity of the format and that you can use it as a reference guide as and when things come up make it helpful and positive. I can see us pulling this off the bookshelf regularly to help handle concepts, make changes and help the kids feel less helpless in our changing world.
I like to think of myself as reasonably clued up on things green, but found lots of new research, innovations and information in here on things I had never heard of, like pineapple fibre clothing. The a to z is sandwiched between a quiz to help you score your eco-friendliness, info on endangered UK creatures and really useful info like a sustainable school manifesto, further reading (including kids books) and lots of organisations to connect with to learn and help more.
‘Ultimately this is a journey of the soul. It requires you to be awake. To be present and to witness yourself and your behaviour in everyday life. It requires you to show up and take responsibility for your actions.
Don’t be guilty, be active!
What can you do?
Let nature take some of the strain.
Take a walk on the beach, by the river, under a canopy of trees. Lie on the grass and let the sun shine on your body.
Be silent with nature and let your worries get cleansed by the water and earth around you.’
I love this book because it calls for deep, radical self care and connection both inwards and out. It asks us to take notice, responsibility and care. The best actions we ever take are those that come from a place of love and knowledge.
I’d say this is a great book for all ages, ours is finding a home in the everyday reference books (a shelf full of books on gardening, recipes, natural cleaning, sustainability and DIY that can answer most questions in the house).
BIRTHING BODY BITS?
Check out the sectionn on Hormones and hormone disruptors (espeically if you're trying to conceive), Disposable Products, Textiles, Cosmetics & Toiletries. Not much birth-specific, but it's a whole life guide suitable for all and vital if you're bringing new life into this world.
Thanks to Bernadette and Virago for our copy.