H E R T Z O G

101 Ways To Slightly Delay The Wrath To Come

Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change
by Guy Dauncey (New Society, $27.95)
April 18, 2002

If you're not convinced by now that human-induced global warming is a reality, harrumph into your glass of whiskey-and-water and follow the way of the dodo.

But if you are among the multitude of world-class climatologists and just plain folk who are convinced that the skies are indeed about to descend, then you'll want to take a look at Victoria environmental writer Guy Dauncey's intelligent, practical, visionary and inspiring book Stormy Weather: 101 Solutions to Global Climate Change.

Global warming is a recognised scientific fact. Forget about a warmer climate for Canada: we're talking major droughts, floods and ice-storms, with more and hotter heat waves and killer urban smogs. Temperate forests will retreat north and upwards to higher elevations, and food-growing areas will shrink. Global warming is the modern version of the 10 plagues, only this time it's world-wide and without a foreseeable end.

“ Global warming is a recognised scientific fact. Forget about a warmer climate for Canada: we're talking major droughts, floods and ice-storms, with more and hotter heat waves and killer urban smogs.”

Fortunately, Stormy Weather isn't just another litany of doom-and-gloom. An environmental writer and lecturer, Dauncey belongs to the School of Positive Thinking. He offers 101 positive and practical ways in which we can play an active part in heading off--or at least mitigating slightly--the climatic wrath to come.

The first 50 pages of the book give possibly the speediest introduction to climate change [ever found]. [After that comes] the real meat of the book: Dauncey's solutions, neatly laid out in groups of 10. There's 10 solutions (actions) for individuals; 10 for citizens' organisations; 10 for cities, towns and counties; [and so on down a list that includes] businesses and organisations, states and provinces, national governments, developing nations and the planet as a whole. Energy companies get 15 (they soooo bad), followed by auto makers, which only get five (they're bad too, but at least they're developing high-efficiency, low-pollution cars using hydrogen fuel cells for power).

“ Stormy Weather is a citizen's guide to social engineering. With it, informed and determined groups of individuals can make themselves really unpopular--in a cheerful, positive and very friendly way--with the nasty people who are currently devastating the planet for commercial gain.”

Stormy Weather is a citizen's guide to social engineering. With it, informed and determined groups of individuals can make themselves really unpopular--in a cheerful, positive and very friendly way--with the nasty people who are currently devastating the planet for commercial gain. It might just work. To judge from federal Environment Minister David Anderson's recent furious back-pedalling, Canada isn't going to ratify the Kyoto Protocol unless enough people demand an end to George Bush's fossil-brained Energy Plan, which is whispering in Gordon Campbell's ear about how much dough the province could score by drilling for fossil fuel in B.C.'s stormy offshore waters.

Global warming is possibly the greatest collective threat our civilization faces. How we handle it will make the difference between surviving and prospering, or a very uncertain future. It's this generation's equivalent of the atom bomb, only one that has already been let off. But keep the faith: Stormy Weather is a book you can give to a young idealist, a business person, a politician or even your grandmother. It's a wonderful statement that together, we human beings can create a positive future. It should become a textbook in all our schools.