Do Humans Dream of Electric Cars

Published by Sustrans, Do Humans dream of electric cars is a thought provoking critique of the car dependent lifestyle and how simple and relatively inexpensive changes can reduce our impact upon the environment, thus avoiding climatic disaster and a fossil-fuel-starved future while improving our health and well-being into the bargain. All music to the ears of the converted, but may find less favour among those who see any lifestyle alterations as a threat to their civil liberties.

Good-humoured and quite ironic, this accessible, pocket- sized book is aimed at a teen audience upward and covers topics from the very real threat to the world’s climate and mineral starvation through to brewing bio-diesel. There’s no car-hatred here, rather the key theme throughout is simple, well-reasoned alternatives: cycling shorter distances as a more practical alternative to the car for the same journeys. Buying shopping on-line rather than driving to the supermarket means one van or truck will lessen traffic and environmental impact while we benefit from savings in time and efficiency.

The only section likely to result in a readership backlash is the one on air-travel. Attitudes to travel are changing but for most that's due to the economic impact of the meltdown in the world's financial system rather than worries about an impending meltdown in the global ecosystem. Even so people are fiercely protective of yearly escapes to foreign climes and suggestion that no amount of recycling or other lifestyle change will offset the impact of flying are unlikely to go down well with many. While what the book has to say about air travel may be an uncomfortable truth, I'm not sure the public are ready to embrace alternatives and feel the tone of the argument here might alienate those otherwise persuaded by the debate.

Verdict

A practical, accessible guide to lessening the evironmental impact of the way we travel that pulls no punches