BIOREGIONAL SOLUTIONS For Living on One Planet

by Pooran Desai & Sue Riddlestone
Foreword by HRH Prince Charles

Published by Green Books on behalf of The Schumacher Society.

For prices and to order a Briefing click on the ORDER FORM button above.

We live in a consumer society, and overconsumption is the driving force of environmental degradation. This stark reality led Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone to found BioRegional Development Group. In this Briefing they show how we can meet more of our needs for wood products, paper, textiles, food and housing from local renewable and waste resources. They outline the theoretical framework of bioregional development and the award winning practical solutions that BioRegional have developed with industry partners. They quantify how we can significantly reduce CO2 emissions and recycle waste, and so greatly reduce our ecological footprint.

"The power of individuals to make a difference shines through this book. The entrepreneurial spirit of BioRegional has catalysed real and lasting examples of how we can meet our needs in a sustainable way and play fair with the developing world. This is the new mainstream not an alternative lifestyle."
- Anita Roddick, OBE, Founder of the Body Shop

"Some people talk about sustainable development - others just get out there and do it! BioRegional does just that, coming up with inspiring but practical initiatives that address climate change, waste reduction and the all-important challenge of regenerating local communities and economies sustainably. We've all got a lot to learn from BioRegional - a small organisation dealing in very big ideas."
- Jonathon Porritt, Programme Director, Forum for the Future; Chairman, UK Sustainable Development Commission

"BioRegional development is an idea whose time has come. We only have one planet to live on and time is running out. The groundbreaking solutions described in this exciting book point the way to a sustainable future for people everywhere."
- Jean-Paul Jeanrenaud, Head of Business and Industry, World Wide Fund for Nature International

Pooran Desai and Sue Riddlestone are co-founders and Directors of BioRegional Development Group. Pooran studied physiological sciences at Oxford University. He founded the BioRegional Charcoal Company and has worked to revive south London's lavender industry. With architect Bill Dunster he initiated the BedZED eco-village. Pooran is a member of the UK government's Advisory Committee on Consumer Products and the Environment, chairing its homes and environment group. Sue, a mother of three, formerly practised as a nurse. She led a team to develop the MiniMill, new small-scale technology to produce paper pulp, and is Director of BioRegional MiniMills Ltd. She initiated Local Paper for London and research into UK hemp textiles. Sue is a member of the London Sustainable Development Commission.