Jonathan Harrington interviewed for Newsweek article
Sharon Begly, Senior Editor and science writer for Newsweek, recently interviewed Jonathan Harrington about the issue of 'food miles.’ The article, entitled " Sounds Good But...We can't afford to make any more mistakes in how to 'save the planet," addresses a number of prevailing misconceptions about how we can reduce our carbon footprint. For instance, many people believe that products produced close to home are invariably more climate friendly than those transported from far away. Unfortunately, this may not be the case. More often than not, emissions resulting from the transportation of products from the orchard, farm or factory floor to our local market only constitute a small percent of the total climate impact of our consumption. Let’s look at an example. UK based, The Carbon Trust, recently completed a ‘lifecycle analysis’ for potato chips made by Walkers, the UK’s largest snack food producer. In addition to transportation, raw material processing, manufacturing, marketing, storage, consumer use and disposal and recycling all contribute to the greenhouse gases that are warming our world. The study examined everything from potato production to cooking and distribution methods. The researchers found that farmer land use and production practices, energy used for frying, packaging and waste disposal contribute most to the carbon footprint of the product, while transportation accounted for only around 10% of total emissions. Dr. Harrington does not say that consumers should not buy local. Supporting local producers, especially organic farmers, strengthens the local economy, government and community. But we should try not to overinflate the significance of ‘food miles’ in our consumer behavior. And remember, the only sure fire way for us to reduce our carbon footprint is to just consume less.

Bill McKibben endorses The Climate Diet
Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy and The End of Nature has endorsed The Climate Diet, noting that " Here's a diet that will leave us not grouchy and wanting, but happier, a little richer, and on a sweeter planet!

J. Matthew Sleeth endorses The Climate Diet
J. Matthew Sleeth, M.D., author of Serve God, Save the Planet: A Christian Call to Action referring to Jonathan Harrington's book notes that "In order to lose weight, you need to eat less and exercise more. In order to save our planet, we need to consume less and conserve more. The Climate Diet is a sensible, inspiring prescription for cutting back on our materialistic lifestyles and restoring planetary health."

Michael MacCracken endorses The Climate Diet
Michael MacCracken, Chief Scientist for Climate Change Programs, The Climate Institute, Washinton D.C. states that "Understanding that global warming is real and must be dealt with is a critical first step, but this does not fix the problem. The Climate Diet is filled with practical advice on what to do next--how to reduce the climate change our children will have to endure, and how, in many cases, to save money while doing so."

Additional Reviews/News

"The public is inundated with scholarly works on how and why society must reduce carbon emissions. This is an unusual book appealing to individuals and families by focusing on the household carbon footprint. Harrington (Troy University) couches his argument in the rhetoric of personal responsibility and the ability of individuals to contribute to a solution for global warming. He posits a model household and analyzes room-by-room changes, creating results ranging from modest (give up the hair dryer) to major (cease or diminish air travel). He provides charts with the carbon emission costs of appliance use, foods, and transportation use. Harrington also links conservation with cost savings to make lifestyle changes more palatable. Apartment and dormitory dwellers choose their appropriate household functions and implement quantifiable actions. A Web site provides worksheets for recording values for different home zones. Harrington emphasizes that goals should be reasonable and that even modest reductions in CO^D[2 emission in each home can help. On the topics of food, shopping, and waste disposal, he is preachy, but otherwise his tone is moderate and conversational. There are chapter references to credible recent data and information. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers; undergraduates through professionals."

-- Choice (US)

Written by a professor of international relations, this accessible book has a practical approach. The first chapter whistles through compelling reasons to stop climate change or, in the author’s words, go on the climate diet. From reducing suffering in the non-western world, to being seen as an act of religious devotion, there’s something for everyone. Like all good self-help plans, the climate diet has reward systems and self assessment worksheets. The book is well pitched to families who want practical steps for reducing domestic carbon emissions. Despite the light tone, claims about home energy consumption are backed up by a satisfying array of charts and tables. The detailed bibliography indicates the book’s genesis as an academic text.

--Environmental Law Foundation (UK)

"Sometimes people go on a diet to better themselves. Could the same be said of our climate? The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs, and Save the Planet is a guide for humanity as a whole to cut back, so that the world can do the same. Emphasizing that the key purpose to saving the planet it curtail the excesses that too many individuals have been accustomed to, and claiming that a healthier self can lead to a healthier planet, The Climate Diet is a solid choice for anyone concerned about the environment."

-- Midwest Book Review (US)

"There is much to recommend about this book. It's chief virtue lies in its approach. The diet analogy should work with students and the use of data tables opens up a wealth of ideas for education. Getting students involved in this sort of work could actually make the difference the author seeks."

-- Big Pond (AUS)

"Harrington, an associate professor of International Relations at Troy University, has researched environmental issues for more than 15 years, inspired by an aunt and uncle who are long-time environmental activists. But he said want motivated him to write The Climate Diet is something a lot of us can relate to. "We need to find new ways of living that meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of our children to meet their needs...Harrington preferrs to take an optimistic view of consumers, that they are under informed rather than apathetic, and will do more to protect the environment if they have enough information about the issues."

-- Montgomery Advertiser (US)

Harrington recommends a slow, incremental approach to such lifestyle changes "I don't think fad diets, or going cold turkey, work for people losing weight, and they certainly won't work for people trying to reduce their carbon footprint," he said. In his book, Harringtguidance on three levels of carbon cutting. The "Full Home Audit and Comprehensive Diet Plan" uses worksheets and tables to calculate energy use and savings in detail. The "Shortcut Diet Plan" shows readers how to calculate monthly energy use, with suggestions to improve. The "Shortest-Cut Diet Plan" offers a variety of tips for cutting carbon, with checklists at the end of each chapter. "Different people have different levels of interest and can follow whatever technique works best for them."

-- Ogden Standard Examiner (US)

“A comprehensive guide to eating well and saving the planet, The Climate Diet reveals the extent to which our energy-intensive lifestyles are bad for the climate. In this down-to-earth book, Harrington offers information and advice, and provides a check-list of recommendations to get us on the road to eating and living more sustainably.”

--Bulletin of the Food Ethics Council (UK)

Presented in a format to parody that call out to us from bookshop windows every January after our Christmas overindulgence, this title tackles the infamous climate change issue and the steps each of us can take to help cut carbon and save money at the same time. This book is an essential handbook for anyone with an environmental conscience that has been agitated by the media but left wanting for facts. The author uses simple tables of statistics to emphasize energy efficiency and emission saving points, and summarizes handy tips for use at home at every chapter’s conclusion.

--Skerkin Comment (IRE)

Come on. You can’t avoid it. Everywhere we turn there is pressure to reduce our carbon footprint. You may not be prepared to give up your holidays abroad, but there are some things you can do with little effort. In The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs and Save the Plane, Jonathan Harrington outlines four different levels of participation and how to achieve them. You can be a participant and do something--anything—to reduce your greenhouse gas emissions or you can follow a plan that reduces your emissions by up to 75 percent. It’s fascinating information.

--Peterborough Press (UK)

The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs, And Save the Planet, by Jonathan Harrington, offers readers tips on how to reduce their carbon footprint in areas of their life, such as, heating, transportation, community and home. Harrington says, “all the debate in the world about the roots of our environmental crisis will not solve the problem” so we have to just get up and do something about it.

--Treehugger.com (US)

The atmosphere is getting fat on our carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and it needs our help. The Climate Diet: How You Can Cut Carbon, Cut Costs and Save the Planet written by Dr Jonathan Harrington, aims to inform the general public about the challenge of human-caused climate change, and to introduce quick and easy strategies that we can all use to reduce our impact on the climate.

--Northern Alliance for Sustainability (ANPED) (Netherlands)

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