Ruth Jacobs
Published: 2014-02-03
Total Pages: 168
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"It’s not just petrol, it’s everything! He said everything we use is made from oil – plastic, synthetics, thousands of everyday things, even fertilisers that farmers need to grow food. He said there’ll be terrible shortages and all our consumer goods will disappear. We’ll be back to the Stone Age!" It’s the year 2030 and civilisation is faced with a dramatic change that could alter their lifestyles forever. When the oil starts to run out, its not just the power that goes, it’s all the things that make life worth living. All the 'stuff' that people fill their homes with, even the necessities like food and drink, become rationed as the small shops in the High Street start to reopen, one by one. How will Jonjay and his family survive this new world? New kinds of energy – some of which is based on recycled waste – become available as an alternative to the fossil fuel energy, but will life ever be the same again for this loving family? Meanwhile, in Africa, Limpo escapes the forest fires that consume his home and family. Will he be able to make a new life for himself, and for this lost country? The parallel story that mirrors Jonjay and his family represents the struggle to keep their respective families alive and well in such a lost, diminishing world. This striking novella captures a very realistic account of a potential future circumstance and includes a foreword by Paul Allen, Project Director Zero Carbon Britain, Centre for Alternative Technology in Machynlleth. A Different World focuses on our misconception of the way we use our energy resources and would interest adult modern contemporary fiction readers with a secondary appeal to young adults. Using the controversial issue of renewable energy as the central focal point, author Ruth demonstrates the need for an alternative technology that will help people adapt to a new way of life.
