Deborah Hart, Guarding Eden: champions of climate action, Allen and Unwin, June 2015, 256pp., $17.99 (pbk), ISBN 9781760112356
This clearly and simply written book is about people who have decided to embark on peaceful action to save the planet. Each chapter is a glimpse into what a few individuals have done in the face of climate change. The facts are alarming, with some scientists believing we have already waited too long to act and catastrophic results are inevitable, but what I loved most about this book, is that these are ordinary people who focus not on what is wrong but on what we can do to make it right. As journalist and mother, Fiona Armstrong says in the book, hope and optimism are key factors to encouraging people to act and the book is full of stories of inspirational courage and direct peaceful action. There are passages that explain key phrases such as brown coal, fracking and zero emissions, and at the end of the book are helpful resources, suggestions on how to be your own climate hero and suggested debate topics. This would be a brilliant resource in schools, particularly to address the issue of sustainability, which forms one of the key aspects of the Australian National Curriculum. Highly recommended.
reviewed by Deborah Abela
