Seven Wonders: Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet

As a frequent visitor to Thailand and lover of Thai cuisine, I can attest to "Pad Thai" being one of the sustainable wonders of the world. Thai food is nutritious, low in fat, and you just plain "feel better" after eating it. In this chapter, author John Ryan provides readers with a wealth of research documenting the relationship between Asia diets and health; and American meat diets and disease. A couple important points he makes: "Agriculture is the leading source of water pollution and the biggest water user in North America" (p.47). Eating less meat, more fish, rice and veggies can keep you healthier and help preserve our environment. And to those who think all thai food is "hot and spicy" - wrong! Take Ryan's advice and try a thai restaurant near you (there are many in America). You'll be glad you did. Even if you only read this one chapter of Ryan's book (complete with a Pad Thai simple recipe), you'll find it worthwhile. Choice's matter!

Yes, I can agree that the bicycle, condom, ceiling fan,clothesline,ladybug and even the public library are wonders that can make for a healthier planet, but not Pad Thai which is basically Thai noodles. Instead I would have listed water. Plain water. Simply because to many people in the world lack clean water and Americans who have plenty, waste it washing down driveways and watering lawns in desert communities rather than drinking water. Water is the one thing Americans need more of rather than coffee, tea, Pepsi, Coca Cola and other beverages. Water makes the body work better, look better, sleep better, stay slimmer better as well as avoid a plethora of health problems. Yes, the Bike is a godsend when it comes to producing overall health in humans and the environment. Europeans and Asians still ride bikes more than Americans. Oil is big business here in the states and sadly it seems only well educated areas, either in cities or university towns push bikes as a preferred mode of transportation. The chapter on The Condom should be required reading for high school and college students and all adults since again a condom can help prevent a plethora of problems from STD's, HIV, and unwanted and un needed births. The Ceiling Fan is also a good choice since most countries outside the USA rely on ceiling fans and cross ventilation for cooling. Not to mention ceiling fans use less energy than AC and are great in winter as well for circulating heat which also means less heating is needed. The Clothesline is an excellent choice as well, because drying clothes on a clothes line or clothes rack requires no overt energy aside from the sun or air. Clothes also last longer when air dried. Sad thing is, especially here in California even with well know power outages or brown outs, new home developments often forbid clotheslines. And even screen doors. So rather than save energy and money some people want looks instead. As a major supporter of public libraries no matter where we have lived I agree that the public library is a major asset for a healthier community and world. During the Great Depression and WW2 public libraries were funded because people knew they were a major asset for everyone. That literacy was a positive as well as environmentally positive since one book could be bought and read by literally hundreds of people in one year. That school children would check out books that would help them succeed in school, whereas someone else wanting to be more self sufficient could read up on how to grow most of their own food, sew their own clothes and be more responsible for their own health. Public libraries sadly here in California are seen more as a luxury which is very shortsighted in my opinion. Ahh the Ladybug. I agree that ladybugs and all types of natural pest control must be stressed in a world where quick fix man made pest killers are preferred and like the overuse of antibiotics are wrecking more than ground that grows food. S

In "Seven Wonders", Ryan uses seven common products (Bicycle, Condom, Ceiling Fan, Clothesline, Pad Thai, Public Library, and Ladybug) to illustrate how anyone can lead an environmentally responsible lifestyle. Each object is a physical component related to issues which effect all of global ecology. Each object is tied to the thesis of his argument: The current North American lifestyle is not sustainable, and greater simplicity and efficiency is need to acheive sustainability. Ryan takes complex and diverse information and concepts and effectively condenses and unifies them with each object. Ryan's central concept is efficiency. He illuminates an interesting and unfortunate irony of the U.S. economy: The U.S. business model has created perhaps the most efficient and productive economy in human history; maximizing efficiency in production of goods and services maximizes profit. While this model is adhered to almost absolutely in business, it's largely ignored in everyday lives. Each of the seven objects serves it's purpose more efficiently than what is normally used: The bicycle is the most efficient form of transportation that exists, yet the car is by far the most frequent method of transit. He acknowledges the limitations of bicycles (can't cover long distances quickly, limited cargo capacity), but since about half of all car trips are less than three miles, a bicycle is more efficient in most situations; a ceiling fan is a more efficient temperature reducer than AC; Pad Thai illustrates the efficiency of plant-based, over animal-based diets; borrowing books, media material, etc. from a public library saves energy and resources over purchasing them. Not everything in "Seven Wonders" is revelatory. When he discusses the condom, Ryan presents little that anyone with a cursory understanding of contraception and human ecology doesn't already know, but overall he illuminates how the orthodox North American lifestyle is directly related to issues which effect the entire society and planet. Environmentalists are often dubbed as pessimists (perhaps fairly), but Ryan offers hope in the form of simple, relatively easy lifestyle changes which will effect considerable, positive change if North Americans are consciously willing to evolve.

Seven Wonders is a great little book that is full of well researched facts and interesting stories. It also includes 20 pages of sources and places to contact. It is a must read for any enviromentalist, scientist, or educator.

For an environmentalist of long (or even short) standing, one keeps nodding and nodding all the way through this unfortunately short work. Much of what was presented isn't new (to environmentalists) -- although I *did* find the number of sexual acts daily on planet Earth fascinating, as well as the material on Thai Pad -- but the great thing about the book is the way it's written. Material is presented clearly, forcefully, and occasionally with humor. When all's said and done, the seven suggestions here would make the world a far better place than ever it has been before. Give this book as a present to those unaware, those aware, and even your aunt. "Seven Wonders" is worth far more than the price of admission.