"Storm Stops Launch Of Disaster Book"

For Immediate Release 18 August 2011

"Storm Stops Launch Of Disaster Book"

Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition, a book that tells us how to respond to climatic, energy and economic catastrophes was to be launched at Parliament this week but was postponed due to the snow storm.

Rather than see this as ironic, co-publisher Laurence Boomert believes this highlights the message that Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition is trying to convey. "The security of of our food, energy and money has never been more precarious and we need to be planning how we will deal with likely disruptions."

Originally published in response to Ireland’s economic collapse, Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition comprises essays by12 New Zealand and 27 international writers, answering; "how do we respond to economic and environmental collapse?"

Despite its daunting subject matter the book is surprisingly upbeat, putting forward solutions that involve changes to our economy and financial system, our use of energy and land, our world view and our relationships to others, particularly those in our own communities.

The economic storm battering the world at present is of particular concern to Mr Boomert. "America and Europe's financial systems are in deep trouble and that means major challenges for everyone on the planet. Rubber bullets for the growing numbers of dispossessed or a few bicycle trackshere at home, are not going to cut it. We need a complete re-thinking of many issuesif we are going to answer the crises of youth unemployment and the increasing struggle of many New Zealand families to meet rising living costs."

"Luckily there is a powerhouse of social and economic innovations available to us" explains Boomert, whose essay “How I survived the end of the world in Aotearoa" is included in the book. "These may turn out to be our most rewarding modern inventions to date," he says, "and as we hurtle towards economic ground zero it would seem commonsense to be discussing such options."

Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition has been published by trustees of the Living Economies Educational Trust, which promotes alternative economic systems, especially community exchanges and interest-free currencies.

The NZ Edition is introduced by Jonathan Boston, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington.According to Mr Boston, “Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition is unusual, critically important and refreshingly provocative.”

Laurence Boomert is available for interviews about Fleeing Vesuviusand the work of the Living Economies Educational Trust. Contact: 027 2588807Email: laurenceboomert@xtra.co.nz Boomert also runs runs The Bank of Real Solutions (www.realsolutions.org.nz) an on-line database of community can-do success stories. In the mid 90's hefounded the NZ Environmental Business Network representing over 500 companies.

Further review of the book

“Economic growth is over for good and Fleeing Vesuvius is the first book to explore the profound, historic implications. Its message could hardly be more urgent..” Richard Heinberg, Senior Fellow, Post Carbon Institute, Author, Peak Everything.

Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition confronts our multiple crises, analysing the many aspects: the financial crisis; the collapse of the housing bubble; the urgent need for food security; the enormous challenge of dealing with climate change, and the looming scarcity of essential resources such as fossil fuels – the lifeblood of the world economy.

Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition puts forward solutions that involve changes to our economy and financial system, but they go much further: this substantial, wide-ranging book also looks at the changes needed in how we think, how we use the land and how we relate to others, particularly those where we live.

While it doesn’t discount the complexity of the problems we face, Fleeing Vesuvius is practical and fundamentally optimistic. It will arm readers with the confidence and knowledge they need to develop new, workable alternatives to the old-style expanding economy and its supporting systems. It’s a book that can be read all the way through or used as a resource to dip in and out of.

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