Zero Greenhouse Emissions - A Review

I consider myself environmentally conscious, a supporter of the earth and an informed member of the public. Daily I tweet about matters relating to the environment and climate change and daily I read articles about both, yet by the time I finished Bob Williamson’s book Zero Greenhouse Emissions, The Day the Lights Went Out I felt I had been somewhat of a hypocrite.


Bob’s book is a fictional account of the result of CO2 emissions on our environment and the draconian steps that will be required if we do not immediately reverse the effects of our human activities. What I liked most about the book is its personal look, from a tour of the kitchen and not only what we did, but what will have to, give up.

Zero Greenhouse Emissions lays out in cold hard science what we as humans are doing to the environment in a way a layperson like myself can understand. Although written by an Aussie and using measurements unfamiliar to the American audience, the steps which we can take to audit our own energy use can easily be converted to the English system. Even without actual calculation it is immediately apparent what and where we can change.

The book also covers areas which are not always included in our conversations about global climate change, water shortage and recycling to name two and how we need to make a shift in our paradigm of handling these crisis’. It would be easy for the book to relay a message of doom for many of the warnings are becoming reality, but it is also a book of hope, hope in humanity as a whole.

The book was interesting and I read it in two sittings, well written from the first person’s view it captured my attention and held it throughout. Now I am looking forward to studying it in greater detail and incorporating the suggested changes into my life style.

Winner of numerous awards both in Australia and internationally, including Global Environment Award for Plactics for 2006 presented in Atlanta Georgia, Bob Williamson is the founder of Greenhouse Neutral Foundation, a nonprofit established by his family to educate and precipitate environmental awareness.

I was not paid for writing this review and the copy of the book was one which I purchased. I am a member of the Greenhouse Neutral Honor role, a purely informational list of concerned writers whose attention is focused on the environment.