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About A Matter Of Scale (for Time's Up! click here)
This is not an environmental book, even though it is concerned with the environment. It is not a book to save the world, even though the world is clearly in trouble. Ultimately, A Matter Of Scale is a book about survival; about ensuring that every individual human has the means to save herself or himself from the crisis that is unfolding.
And there most certainly is a crisis; like the waves of a surging river; small and irregular at first, but growing larger, creating whirlpools, rising in treacherous white water, and eventually inundating everything in its path.
People know that the climate is changing, that species are being removed from the Earth at a rapidly increasing rate, that entire ecosystems are becoming shadows of their former richness; they know, but they do not understand. The environmental crisis is closing in on humanity from all directions, yet the crisis barely registers on this culture’s list of problems. As we stand, humanity is doomed to a collapse that will leave only a few nomads, and a toxic, barely survivable Earth in its wake.
So why is nothing being done beyond changing light bulbs, recycling and buying organic food? It’s certainly not for a lack of good reasons. Humans have no motivation stronger than survival, yet the culture that dominates has created a set of priorities that value financial wealth, the possession of superfluous goods and short, cheap thrills, above that most basic need. In short, we are prepared to die in order to live a life that is killing us.
A Matter Of Scale is all about changing this. It describes, in crystalline detail, what our actions are doing to the very things on Earth that we depend on for survival, at scales that we rarely contemplate. It shows, unequivocally, that the primary motivation for being human is to ensure our survival. It provides the keys to unlock the lost connections between our most basic instincts, and the impending waves that threaten to engulf us. It arms us with the tools to free us from the culture that has blinded us for centuries, and which will allow us to live lives that will give the Earth, and ourselves, a future.
Environmental authors rarely manage to take that final leap into providing unequivocal, long-term solutions, preferring instead to leave readers with even more questions. A Matter Of Scale proposes something far more: something radical, fundamental and frightening; something long-term, exhilarating and absolutely necessary.
This book is not for the faint-hearted, but no other problem has ever been in such a critical need of a solution.
To get the most out of this book, the first time you read A Matter Of Scale it
is very important that you read it in chapter order. Once you have read it
through once, then it can be used as a reference book.
Keith Farnish is an environmental writer, philosopher and activist who, in a former life, was a business continuity and IT security manager, and before that an uncommonly enthusiastic Geography graduate. He lives in Essex, UK with his wife and two children, and has rediscovered his love of the natural world and the people who form part of it.
He has been involved in environmental issues for many years, for a large part of that as an active member of various environmental organisations, and is continually striving to minimise his impact on the natural world. He also has a deep interest in human rights, and the way in which this is closely wrapped up in the protection of the global environment.
Keith founded The Earth Blog, intended as a source of inspiration for people who want to be challenged, and offering uncompromising solutions to difficult problems. He also writes The Unsuitablog, a blog founded in 2007, that specialises in exposing all types of environmental hypocrisy, and The Sietch of which he is proud to be a member.
In 2006, Keith co-founded Green Seniors alongside Joyce Emery of Iowa, USA. Green Seniors' aim is to mobilize the millions of environmentally aware seniors around the globe into using their experience and free time to make a positive difference.
Keith can be contacted at keith@theearthblog.org
This web site is the launchpad for all activities related to A Matter Of Scale, including the full text of the book in online readable format, and links / resources designed to take the reader into areas that will help them to achieve the aims of the book: reconnection with the real world, and the survival of humanity.
The web site is designed to be read at 1024 x 768 pixels or greater, due to the large amount of text, and the need to make it readable to the greatest number of people. It has been tested on every browser commonly in use - if you have problems reading it then please contact me.
The "cookie" assigned to this site is simply so I can know how many people are reading the book: I have installed nothing to track IP addresses and have no idea who is accessing this site.
If you would like to mirror this site, in case of technical difficulties or attempts to remove the information contain herein, then please contact me: we all need friends.
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