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Reviews : "Educative reference to the carbon-confused" -The Hindu Business Line "Terrific! I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was more fascinating and useful and enjoyable all at the same time." -Bill Bryson
Description: We all want to do the right thing for the planet, but what’s the real impact of each of the things we do and buy? We hear a lot about driving and flying, but what about sending a text message, buying a cappuccino or going for a swim? How do apples compare to oranges or bananas, buying a newspaper with surfing the internet, or cut flowers with house plants? And what about the big things? How much CO2 is generated by a bushfire, a volcano, or a war?
Packed full of information yet always entertaining, How Bad Are Bananas? comes up with the answers we need and provides plenty of revelations. Be warned everything you thought you knew about green living is - about to be turned on its head. Contents: Under 10 grams: A text message • A pint of tap water • A web search • Walking through a door • An email • Drying your hands • A plastic carrier bag • 10 to 100 grams: A paper carrier bag • Ironing a shirt • Cycling a mile • Boiling a litre of water • An apple • A banana • An orange • An hour’s TV • 100 grains to 1 kilo: A mug of tea or coffee • A mile by bus • A nappy • A punnet of strawberries • A mile by train • A 500 ml bottle of water • A letter • 1 kg of carrots • A newspaper • A pint of beer • A bowl of porridge • A shower • An ice cream • A unit of heat • A unit of electricity • Spending £ 1 • 1kg of rubbish • Washing up • A toilet roll • Driving 1 mile • A red rose • 1 kg of boiled potatoes • A pint of milk • 1 kg of cement • 1 kilo to 10 kilos: A paperback book • A loaf of bread • A bottle of wine • 1 kg of plastic • Taking a bath • A pack of asparagus • A load of laundry • A burger • A litre of petrol • 1 kg of rice• Desalinating a cubic metre of water • A pair of trousers • A steak • A box of eggs • kg of tomatoes • 1 kg of trout • Leaving the lights on • 1kg of steel • 10 kilos to 100 kilos : A pair of shoes • 1 kg of cheese • A congested commute by car • A night in a hotel • A leg of lamb • A carpet • Using a mobile phone • Being cremated • 100 kilos to 1 tonne : London to Glasgow and back • Christmas excess • Insulating a loft • A necklace • A computer (and using it) • A mortgage • 1 tonne to 10 tonnes : A heart bypass operation • Photovoltaic panels • Flying from London to Hong Kong return • 1 tonne fertiliser • A person • 10 tonnes to 100 tonnes : A car crash • A new car • A wind turbine • A house • 100 tonnes to 1 million tonnes: Having a child • A swimming pool • A hectare of deforestation • A space shuttle flight • A university • 1 million tonnes and beyond: A volcano • The World Cup • The world’s data centres • A bushfire • A country • A war • Black carbon • The world • Burning the world’s fossilfuel reserves • More about food: How the footprint of food breaks down • Low-carbon food tips • A guide to seasonal food • Some more information : Some assumptions revisited • The cost efficiency of selected carbon-saving options • Where the numbers come from • Carbon tables for countries, people, industries and products • Notes and references • Index About the Author: Mike Berners-Lee is founding director of Small World Consulting, an associate company of Lancaster University that specialises in measuring the carbon footprints of products and services. ISBN - 9781846688911
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Pages : 254
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