How Bad Are Bananas? (Paperback)

The carbon footprint of everything

Mike Berners-Lee

Packed full of information yet always entertaining. From text messages and plastic bags to wars and volcanoes, How Bad Are Bananas? has the carbon answers we need

From a text message to a war, from a Valentine's rose to a flight or even having a child, How Bad are Bananas? gives us the carbon answers we need and provides plenty of revelations. By talking through a hundred or so items, Mike Berners-Lee sets out to give us a carbon instinct for the footprint of literally anything we do, buy and think about. He helps us pick our battles by laying out the orders of magnitude. The book ranges from the everyday (foods, books, plastic bags, bikes, flights, baths...) and the global (deforestation, data centres, rice production, the World Cup, volcanoes, ...) Be warned, some of the things you thought you knew about green living may be about to be turned on their head. Never preachy but packed full of information and always entertaining.

Publication date: 13/05/2010

£9.99

ISBN: 9781846688911

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Climate & the Environment, Current Affairs, Politics & Economics, Science & Mathematics

How Bad Are Bananas? (Ebook)

The carbon footprint of everything

Mike Berners-Lee

Buy from

Packed full of information yet always entertaining. From text messages and plastic bags to wars and volcanoes, How Bad Are Bananas? has the carbon answers we need

From a text message to a war, from a Valentine's rose to a flight or even having a child, How Bad are Bananas? gives us the carbon answers we need and provides plenty of revelations. By talking through a hundred or so items, Mike Berners-Lee sets out to give us a carbon instinct for the footprint of literally anything we do, buy and think about. He helps us pick our battles by laying out the orders of magnitude. The book ranges from the everyday (foods, books, plastic bags, bikes, flights, baths...) and the global (deforestation, data centres, rice production, the World Cup, volcanoes, ...) Be warned, some of the things you thought you knew about green living may be about to be turned on their head. Never preachy but packed full of information and always entertaining.

Publication date: 09/12/2010

£8.99

ISBN: 9781847651822

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Climate & the Environment, Current Affairs, Politics & Economics, Science & Mathematics

How Bad Are Bananas? (Paperback)

The carbon footprint of everything - 2020 new edition

Mike Berners-Lee

BRAND NEW EDITION OF BESTSELLING GREEN GUIDE
Ten years on from first publication, a new edition of this invaluable and entertaining guide that shows just what effect everything has on carbon emissions, from a Google search to a plastic bag, from a flight to a volcano.

How Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase 'carbon footprint' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!).

This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life - Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

Publication date: 03/09/2020

£10.99

ISBN: 9781788163811

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Climate & the Environment, Current Affairs, Politics & Economics, Science & Mathematics

How Bad Are Bananas? (Ebook)

The carbon footprint of everything

Mike Berners-Lee

BRAND NEW EDITION OF BESTSELLING GREEN GUIDE
Ten years on from first publication, a new edition of this invaluable and entertaining guide that shows just what effect everything has on carbon emissions, from a Google search to a plastic bag, from a flight to a volcano.

'It is terrific. I can't remember the last time I read a book that was more fascinating and useful and enjoyable all at the same time.' Bill Bryson

How Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase 'carbon footprint' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!).

This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life - Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

Publication date: 03/09/2020

£8.99

ISBN: 9781782837114

ISBN 10 / ASIN: B08176WX99

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Climate & the Environment, Current Affairs, Politics & Economics, Science & Mathematics

How Bad Are Bananas? (Audiobook)

The carbon footprint of everything

Mike Berners-Lee

Preorder from

BRAND NEW EDITION OF BESTSELLING GREEN GUIDE
Ten years on from first publication, a new edition of this invaluable and entertaining guide that shows just what effect everything has on carbon emissions, from a Google search to a plastic bag, from a flight to a volcano.

How Bad Are Bananas? was a groundbreaking book when first published in 2009, when most of us were hearing the phrase 'carbon footprint' for the first time. Mike Berners-Lee set out to inform us what was important (aviation, heating, swimming pools) and what made very little difference (bananas, naturally packaged, are good!).

This new edition updates all the figures (from data centres to hosting a World Cup) and introduces many areas that have become a regular part of modern life – Twitter, the Cloud, Bitcoin, electric bikes and cars, even space tourism. Berners-Lee runs a considered eye over each area and gives us the figures to manage and reduce our own carbon footprint, as well as to lobby our companies, businesses and government. His findings, presented in clear and even entertaining prose, are often surprising. And they are essential if we are to address climate change.

Publication date: 04/01/2024

£24.99

ISBN: 9781805220572

Imprint: Profile Books

Subject: Climate & the Environment, Current Affairs, Politics & Economics, Science & Mathematics

Reviews for How Bad Are Bananas?

'It is terrific. I can't remember the last time I read a book that was more fascinating and useful and enjoyable all at the same time.'

Bill Bryson 

'

An engaging book that manages to present serious science without preaching. It offers tools that any reader
will be able to use and make informed choices, and even seasoned ecoenthusiasts will be in for plenty of surprises

'

 New Scientist

'Enjoyable, fun to read and scientifically robust. A triumph of popular science writing.'

Chris Goodall 

'If we're serious about really addressing climate change, we need to become energy and carbon literate, and get to grips with the implications not only of our choices but also the bigger infrastructures which underpin the things we consume. How can we educate our desires unless we know what we're choosing between? Mike Berners Lee, to my complete delight, has provided just the wonderful foundation we need - a book that somehow made me laugh while telling me deeply serious things.'

Peter Lipman, Director of SUSTRANS 

'This book is amazing. I was either going "wow" or snorting with laughter.'

Rachel Nunn, Director, Carbon Neutral Stirling 

'Curiously fascinating to both climate geeks and well-rounded human beings alike.'

Franny Armstrong, Director of The Age of Stupid and founder of 10:10 

Mike Berners-Lee

Mike Berners-Lee

Mike Berners-Lee is a professor of sustainability at Lancaster University and the founder of Small World Consulting, a world leader in supply chain carbon metrics and management that has worked with organisations of all sizes, from the world's largest tech giants to supermarkets to micro businesses. Mike makes regular speaking, TV and radio appearances to promote awareness of sustainability and climate change issues. He is also the author of The Burning Question and There Is No Planet B.