"Storm stops launch of disaster book"

Fleeing Vesuvius NZ Edition, a book that tells us how to respond to climatic, energy and economic catastrophies was to be launched at Parliament this week but the event 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 tracks here at home are not going to cut it. We need a complete re-thinking of many issues if 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.”