Saving the world one carpool at a time

By Kate Thompson

Local weatherman and environmentalist Simon Gear has written an excellent book to help us live greener lives. Going Green: 365 Ways to Change our World is a day-by-day guide to reducing your carbon footprint and leading a more sustainable life.

For several years now, the dire state of our planet’s climate and dwindling resources has been the stuff of headlines and documentaries. The shocking truths have called attention to the fact that we cannot continue to live as if we have no measurable impact on the world around us. Our legacy if we continue our current damaging practices, it seems, will be the death of our planet.

Gear’s compact little book, however, is a guiding light in this genre of doom and gloom. It manages to spearhead the need for change without leaving its readers wailing and gnashing their teeth. How? By taking them by the hand and leading them every step of the way.

Here’s the basic message: you can save the world! Gear asks you to take up just five of the hundreds of tips it includes. You could make your own coffee, join a carpool, create a compost heap in your garden, buy in bulk, or eat less meat. Can you implement these small changes in your life? Well, by doing so you are taking up the mantle of environmental hero, and if we all implement these simple habits the effect will be compounded.

Gear’s style is personal and accessible and, thankfully, doesn’t take the preaching tone that would be so easy to adopt, given its content. This is a great read that everyone in the family can get into and learn from.

Meet Simon Gear and attend a Going Green discussion at Maropeng on July 18. Simon will be hosting the talk and signing books in the stylish Maropeng Hotel. The evening includes a sumptuous three-course meal, and will cost R295 per person. For more information, including the evening’s menu, click here.