Everything Is Connected: Understanding a Complicated World

by David Newman

Did you know that much of the fish you may be eating now has been caught illegally and that many fisheries are run by criminal gangs ? Are you sure that your pension fund or bank is not financing the destruction of the Amazon rain forest ? Well, you should be and I will show you who is doing so. When you recycle your waste every day, did you know that worldwide some 70% of all waste is simply dumped into the open environment ? Unless you live in one of the more fortunate and wealthier nations, you will find waste dumped everywhere. And do you think plastic is actually recycled ? Think again, plastic recycling is a scam. Ah, and of course you believe your Government really is serious about fighting climate change, don't you ? Well, your taxes are financing oil, coal and gas companies around the world to explore for, produce and sell more and more fossil fuels every day and they enjoy the largest subsidies of any industry. Crazy ? No, criminal actually.These are some of the issues I write about in this book, many of which I was also unaware of myself until some years ago. I have been working on changing environmental policies for 30 years but only in this last decade did I wake up to some of the ridiculous things we are doing to the planet, and by extension, to ourselves.This book is not about saving the planet, it is about ensuring we humans save ourselves. We live in a wonderful world of inteconnectivity, of communications and trade, a world in which we can explore every corner, mountain and ocean depth. We marvel at its beauty, get sentimental about wildlife, enjoy the majestic forests or swimming in our seas. Yet this world is being filled with waste, the forests are burning, there will be no more fish in the sea soon, and plastics have entered everything, including our food and bodies. All this is provoking climate change, and climate change is making these systems break down faster.The book tells these stories, in a language which is accessible to everyone yet with a vast bibliography which gives you access to an immense library for further research. Oh, and the book is positive, we tell some fun stories but we also show what is being done, and what more should be done, to get this mess under control.In the end, it all comes down to money. We spend money on destructive practices while we could be spending it wisely, to improve our planet. And when our planet suffers, so does our health. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us graphically that everything is connected.

436 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 20, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

See the video presenting my book with Carlo Pizzati, author and journalist, and friends.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46lqq...

I have been an activist for 30 years. Activism takes many forms, including being noisy on the streets, and quietly talking in Government offices and presenting cases to companies and public audiences.

I did and do all these at the highest levels. This book gives you the benefit of those experiences.

I'm British, live in London, but lived around the world from Australia to Italy to Jordan. I have been a very successful trader, a varyingly successful environmental activist, and an advisor Governments and to many companies and people who ask me how to go forward.

I have been very lucky to marry the most wonderful woman who supports me in my work.

Not everything I have done has gone so well, but life is full of surprises and wonders because it is unpredictable. Some of these stories you'll find in this book. Enjoy.