It shouldn’t come as a surprise that virtually everyone is tired today. And many of us have got good reasons to be so; what with the scary headlines and the guilt we feel every time we forget our reusable bag. And then we wonder if any of it even matters. Sami Elkhayri sees through our collective plight. His new book doesn’t pile on more guilt; it finally proposes a way to help.
One Earth, One Chance: A Practical Guide to Good Environmental Stewardship is the much-needed salve to our eco-guilt. It came out very timely since most people, despite their willingness, are considerably clueless about what they must do. Sami Elkhayri wrote this for them.
"Being a good steward of our planet means recognizing that we don't own nature. We care for it. And, in return, it cares for us." That's how he opens the book and, honestly, it sets up everything that follows.
Forget the Shame Thing
Most books about the environment make you feel terrible. Sami Elkhayri finds such guilt-tripping petty, hence, approaching us all differently, he puts, "It's easy to feel that one person's choices won't make a difference when the problems seem so huge; melting ice caps, burning forests, plastic-choked oceans."
Yeah. It is easy to feel that way.
But he doesn’t leave you there; instead, he offers some invaluable fixes. He points to people who’ve been living sustainably for hundreds of years without making a big deal about it. The Māori in New Zealand have this concept called kaitiakitanga, where you’re a guardian, not an owner. Likewise, the Bishnoi community in India has protected trees and wildlife for over 500 years, and it is a normal practice. None of it is new. But of course, we tend to forget it.
What Has Proven to Be Helpful
This enlightening book is packed with stories from all over the world with exceptional insights. It takes you to Denmark, having these wind cooperatives where regular people own shares in local turbines. Then, there is Rwanda; this country totally banned plastic bags, and now its towns are the cleanest. In the Philippines, corner stores started doing refills instead of selling everything in little plastic packets.
The book practically shows you that none of it is pie-in-the-sky stuff because all of it is being done by ordinary people in ordinary places.
Sami Elkhayri keeps asking the same question: What can YOU do? He never takes the position of some perfect environmentalist. He addresses you, the reader, and the person on the street. Where do you live? With your budget and your schedule and your messy life.
The book has worksheets, checklists, and templates, all of which come in handy for writing your local council member. It has invaluable resources for families and teachers that you can use on a random day without thinking.
The Long Game
What’s more, there’s a whole section on burnout. When was the last time an environmental book talked about that?
"Fighting for a better world is a lifelong effort, not a weekend project," Sami Elkhayri writes. "Like the Earth itself, we have rhythms. We have limits."
And he’s right, isn’t he? You can’t sprint a marathon. The people who actually change things are the ones who pace themselves, find others to work with along the way, yet don’t beat themselves up when they are not saving the world every single day.
A Fork in the Road
Finally, the ending lays out two paths: One where we keep doing what we’re doing and things get worse, and one where enough of us change enough things and we start turning it around.
Sami Elkhayri does not make any promises, mind you. You won’t have him claim that it'll be easy or that we'll definitely win; nonetheless, he’s clear on one thing that we have to choose today and we have to choose every day.
This book will not lecture you. It’ll just help you figure out your next step.
About Sami Elkhayri
Sami Elkhayri writes about the environment in a very natural way that anyone can relate to. He pulls from science, from stories around the world, from traditions that have worked for centuries. One Earth, One Chance is his attempt to help the general public become better caretakers of the planet, especially without losing their minds in the process.
Click here and get your copy now.
For updates connect on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Sami-Elkhayri-Writes/61584714892236/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samielkhayriwrites
Media Contact
Company Name: Sami Elkhayri
Contact Person: Sami Elkhayri
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: www.instagram.com/samielkhayriwrites