How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything

How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything

2010 • 232 pages

Ratings1

Average rating4

15

'It is 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 How Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase 'carbon footprint' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!). This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life - Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

Tags

Genre


Become a Librarian

Reviews

Popular Reviews

Reviews with the most likes.

I'm going to to have to buy this one.

February 18, 2012

Top Prompts

Featured Prompt

38 books

#38 in What are your favorite books about climate change and the environment?

April is Earth Month! 🌎 What fiction or nonfiction books would you recommend to readers who want to learn more about environmental issues, climate crisis, and protecting our planet?

#1
The Ministry for the Future
#2
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
#3
Oryx and Crake
New York 2140
The Secret Wisdom of Nature : Trees, Animals, and the Extraordinary Balance of All Living Things --- Stories from Science and Observation
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
Doing Good Better
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate
How High We Go in the Dark