STAND FOR LESS recently met John Addison, who easily qualifies as a STAND FOR LESS hero. His book, Save Gas, Save the Planet, is a practical guide for all of us who are taking a stand for a more sustainable lifestyle.
John and Marcia Addison found themselves mesmerized by the lifestyle of Italians in the Tuscany region when they vacationed there. Their vacation was car free. They ate some of the world’s best food—and most all of it was locally grown. Addison writes, “instead of being isolated from people inside of a vehicle, we were connected with others as we traveled by train and bus and [took] pleasant walks.” Addison takes a stand against the American suburban lifestyle—which was a lifestyle he and his wife were living along with many tens of millions of their fellow countrymen and women. After vacationing in Italy they came home, moved to an urban neighborhood and made many other major changes to their life.
Save Gas, Save the Planet does an outstanding job of educating readers on the issues related to our energy use and the alternatives we have today, as well as alternatives we could have through thoughtful policy choices. The book is a practical guide written in an accessible way for those of us who are not experts on these issues. All of us are consumers of energy and we will all benefit by learning more about energy. Addison strives to educate his readers on the true costs of our every-day choices. Those costs are immediate at the fuel pump or through your utility bills and less tangible when considering the impact our energy use has on ecosystems and climate.
The most important take-away is that we have choices right here, and right now. One concept Addison drives home is how he and his wife have learned to “ride clean, ride together, and ride less.”
Pick up a copy of his book through your local bookstore or your favorite bookseller, wherever they are. It will help you become STAND FOR LESS champion. The more we know the smarter we can be about our individual and collective choices.
Author John Addison.
