We all know the Earth is in crisis. We should know that it is big enough to sustain us if we can only mobilise politicians and economists to change course now. This book explores environmental, economic and social ideas to save our planet. It helps us understand what is happening to the planet today, exposes the actions of corporations and the lack of action of governments, weighs up new technologies, and champions innovative and viable solutions. Tackling a huge range of subjects – it has the potential to become the seminal reference book on the state of the planet – the one and only environmental book you really need.

» Introducing The Big Earth Book

» Find out How to Capture Carbon Dioxide

» The Story of Macavity and the Credit Crunch

A quarter of your book is about the economy. How do you explain the recent turbulence in the financial markets?
The problem his systemic. Consider this: if Jesus had invested £1 at our current rate of interest he would now be worth the world’s weight in gold. Money that can grow unrelated to resource and other physical restraints is clearly not sustainable as a monetary system. It has to be corrected from time to time with wars, revolution or economic collapse. 95% of the money in circulation is created by private commercial institutions – banks – for profit, thus putting individuals and companies into debt. The institutions that profit from the system are only interested in short-term gain.
 
The government encourages ‘easy’ money so that consumerism can keep the economy going. This is another totally mad policy. It created the housing bubble that has resulted in so many losing their life’s savings, and now the markets are looking for new bubbles in which to invest their excess money. But this is the least of its stupidities. The planet’s life-support system is threatened by excessive demand for fossil energy, by depletion and acidification of the oceans, by destroying the biodiversity of the land, by fiddling with the genetic basis lf life – you name it - our economic imperatives are putting the future in jeopardy.

Global warming hits the media every day and even global leaders acknowledge that the consequences could be catastrophic. Yet little action is taken. Do you see any hope that effective action can, or will, be taken?
I am encouraged by Al Gore’s lecture that can be viewed on <wecansolveit.org> urging the United States to get all its electricity from renewables within ten years. He showed that this is technically feasible and would be cheaper than continuing its military action extorting oil from around the world. Linked to this is the scheme for a direct-current grid for Europe linking the solar energy of the Sahara to northern winds and tidal flows. This would involve political involvement with countries of northern Africa so Sarkozy’s ideas for Club Med could be the lasting legacy of his presidency. Sweden is aiming to have a carbon-free economy. Yes, at last, the need for radical action is being acknowledged. But the west must take even more radical action to become a post-carbon civilisation.

In view of the seriousness of global warming, surely Gordon Brown is right to call for more nuclear power stations?
I explain in The Big Earth Book that you cannot construct a lasting economy on a limited resource like uranium. In the 1970s there was a flurry of interest in fast-breeder reactors that would produce their own fuel but they were found to be too dangerous and all, except one in Russia, were closed down. The Superphenix in France lasted for ten years and produced only 7% of its design output. The industry is now trying to force this technology on gullible politicians in developing countries. Fusion reactors are a fifty-year-away dream. Maybe Gordon Brown in influenced by his brother who is UK head of corporate promotion for EDF the French nuclear provider. The energy companies are desperate to keep energy supply and distribution centralised and will do anything to prevent the democratisation of renewable energy production through individual solar electric cells or cooperative provision of wind turbines. As far back as 1906 scientists at the Nobel Institute were saying that the only basis for a permanent economy is energy from the sun.

The EU is requiring chickens to be free-range in future. Does this reduce your concerns about factory farming?
It doesn’t go far enough. Industrialised food production is unbelievably cruel to animals and there are bound to be repercussions. You can only keep animals in unnatural close-quarters through the use of prophylactic antibiotics. Bacteria develop resistance to these medicines so their continued use kills off normal bacteria and leaves the field open to resistant bacteria. In the Netherlands pig farmers, in particular are suffering from these antibiotic-resistant superbugs and the bugs are finding ways of infecting people who have no contact with animals. The factories for ‘manufacturing’ food are actually factories for creating pandemics. The EU regulation does not take effect for several years and will still allow animals to be kept in unnatural conditions. I will only eat meat that is fully organic.