Book review: SA’s Survival Guide to Climate Change.

A book that tells us much of what we need to know about sustainable living in South Africa.

‘Climate change is not a single homogenous issue … it is a complex tapestry in which industry, local and international politics, history, entitlement, poverty, gender equality, individual behaviour and science interweave.’ – Authors Sipho Kings and Sarah Wild

ALL AROUND the

world, sea levels are rising and temperatures are climbing. Here are the must-know local facts: South

Africa is 2°C hotter than it was in 1900 – our average annual temperatures have increased at double the global average. The rainfall season has shifted throughout the country, with spring rains generally coming earlier, but also occasionally later. This means the planting seasons for our farmers have shrunk – when it rains later, crops struggle to grow to full size before the winter frost wreaks havoc.

Our actions will define what climate change means going forward. What we do now, or don’t do, will decide our future.

South Africa’s Survival Guide to Climate Change by Sipho Kings and Sarah Wild is not all doom and gloom, though. Rather, it’s a practical guide about actually doing something as an individual, or as a collective,

as we navigate climate change’s local impact. Both seasoned journalists, Kings and Wild believe there are things – even small things – everyone can do on a daily basis to make a difference. This book, while not necessarily comprehensive, is filled with nuggets that will definitely spark interest (and hopefully awareness) regarding carbon emissions and our own carbon footprint, future cities, water and heat (two of South Africa’s biggest issues), present dangers such as coastal erosion, and plastic- and food waste. It’s brimming with useful tables, including which fruit and veggies are in season when, and what you should do if you see someone, or a company, destroying the environment. It’s factual and well researched, and provides something many books in this category tend to neglect: the next step.

South Africa’s Survival Guide to Climate Change by Sipho Kings and Sarah Wild (Pan Macmillan) is now available at all major bookstores nationwide. RRP R290.