Book Review: The Shetland Way

📖  This article is featured in illuminem’s Curated Booklist: the influential books shaping the world sustainability debate

Title: The Shetland Way
Author: Marianne Brown
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication: January 2025
Sustainability topics: Climate Change 🌳, Environmental Sustainability 🌍

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🗞️ Driving the news: The Shetland Way by Marianne Brown blends memoir with climate journalism in Shetland
• Begins with her father's funeral, setting the stage for a deeper exploration of identity
• Brown unexpectedly remains in Shetland through lockdown, reconnecting with her roots and the land

🔭 The context: Shetland reflects global tensions between tradition, fossil fuels, and renewable futures
• Oil brought prosperity in the 1970s, but the future now lies in wind energy potential
• Plans for 103 onshore wind turbines sparked legal battles and community division

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The island’s debate mirrors global challenges in balancing progress and preservation
• Windfarm critics cite harm to wildlife and landscape; supporters seek a just energy transition
• Brown explores these tensions with nuance, drawing from science, history, and lived experience

⏭️ What’s next: A call for a new paradigm where community and sustainability take priority over profit
• Brown ultimately rejects the “hero’s journey” and centres local voices in climate dialogue
• The book urges deeper reflection on how we navigate grief, memory, and ecological responsibility

💬 One quote: “This wasn’t a story about me… only a new paradigm can break that cycle” — Marianne Brown

📈 One stat: Each turbine in the proposed Shetland windfarm would stand 145 metres tall

This review is part of illuminem’s Curated Booklist: the influential books shaping the sustainability debate. illuminem Voices is a democratic space presenting exclusive insights from the world’s largest network of sustainability thought leaders. Their views expressed do not necessarily represent those of illuminem.

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