GLL Book Club: How bad are bananas? by Mike Berners-Lee

Welcome to the Ginger Leaf Living Book Club! 📚 So pick a comfy spot, a mug of something hot and dive into our pick of the best books to help you on your sustainability journey.

How bad are bananas? The Carbon footprint of everything. Author : Mike Berners-Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Do you find the world of carbon footprints complicated and confusing? Do you struggle to differentiate between beneficial and negative acts for the planet, and what actually will make a difference? Add this book to your next birthday wish list. I recently received this book as a gift after hearing lots about it, and when I tell you my friends it didn’t disappoint………………. it didn’t😊 .

This book quantifies many of the everyday objects, food stuffs and activities we use everyday by giving them a numerical value in terms of their carbon footprint. The chapters are set out according to carbon ranges, from the lowest emitters to the very worst carbon activities for worsening human made climate change. I found this really helpful for understanding what has a minimal carbon output and what activities have the possibility to have significant carbon savings if changed, and therefore where our priorities should be in creating positive change. This book also has practical advice for reducing your carbon footprint to the necessary level, including a seasonal eating calendar and how to genuinely offset any completely unavoidable emissions with carbon neutral activities, as well as places for you to individually fill in your progress and ideas. As well as being incredibly informative, and a great baseline for carbon literacy and climate awareness, the book is written in a very accessible way and makes for very light and fun reading! The author’s organisation, Small World Consulting, also has an online calculator you can use (https://www.sw-consulting.co.uk/carbon-calculator) to help work out your personal footprint.

Review: Definite recommendation for anyone regardless of climate awareness as a checkpoint to keep looking back on to help you cut your footprint year on year ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Find out more: https://howbadarebananas.com/

Buy: https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-bad-are-bananas/mike-berners-lee/9781788163811 (also check out local libraries and charity shops before buying new, or borrow from friends or family. And if you do buy, let people you know borrow the book too so everyone can enjoy!)