THE MODERN MINT BLOG
Just before Christmas last year, Arnold Schwarzenegger (of Mr Universe, Terminator, Governor of California fame… you’ve heard of him, right?) posted a short essay on Facebook about climate change. It was titled:
I don’t give a **** if we agree about climate change
A fantastic, emotive title, but even better is what he had to say in the post – he refused to spend the time debating with naysayers who didn’t believe in climate change. Just took this waste of time and energy arguing about ‘the facts’ right out of the equation.
“To use one of the four-letter words all of you commenters love, I don’t give a damn if you believe in climate change. I couldn’t care less if you’re concerned about temperatures rising or melting glaciers. It doesn’t matter to me which of us is right about the science.”
By wiping the table clean, he could focus on what was important – that if we wish to continue living the lives we do, we need clean, renewable energy.
He then insists it is time to invest in a clean energy future, and backs it up with the simplest way to win any political argument – by quoting how much money can be made/saved by changing to renewable energy sources.
You can’t argue with the numbers!
Schwarzenegger’s essay is a masterpiece. Not just because it supports an idea we think is important and are emotionally invested in, but because he changes the terms of engagement and concentrates on the heart of the matter – making change.
He is one interesting and smart man (oh yes!) and at Modern Mint we salute the work he is doing to help the planet.
To read the whole essay you can visit Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Facebook page here.
To see how a farm in the UK is combating climate change, read our blog post on Wild Farming at Village Farm.
To turn your garden into a sustainable haven, there is only one book you need – How To Create an Eco Garden by John Walker, the earth friendly gardener.
Why I Wrote The Book Modern Topiary
I have written this book, Modern Topiary, because I wanted a collation of useful information that would give people access to everything they need to know in order to start making topiary. Topiary is an amazing (and niche) line of work to follow – amazing because it offers up opportunities to travel all over the world, making gardens, meeting people… but also, the work is intensely physical, hands-on, yet requires creative thinking in order to solve the puzzle of how to make the shapes you want. This mixture of the craft and the art is what I love the most …
Buxus the Norfolk Terrier In Modern Topiary Book
This is Buxus, our Norfolk Terrier, who I acknowledge in the acknowledgments of the book of Modern Topiary. The book of Modern Topiary can be read, for free, here. There you go. Buxus the dog on ‘doorstep duty’ at a friend’s house in Edinburgh. For those asking what he looked like!
What People Think Of Modern Topiary, The Book
Yesterday I put out the book – Modern Topiary – that I have spent the last six years writing. Download for free a pdf of Modern Topiary here. And what seems amazing to me, is that not only have people actually been reading it, but then responding to it. So below are a number of comments I have been sent from those who read it last night, and this morning…. “Brilliant read, exactly the right amount of info to take in and digest.” Rachel, a gardener “I love your book, the advice is so straightforward and your writing is so …