Book Review
Back from the Brink
Peter Andrews. ABC Books, 2006
The most popular Australian Story in the program’s history.
Like so many prophets, Peter Andrews was not initially welcomed in his own land – but It seems that many people are now asking why we didn’t listen to him earlier. John Anderson, former Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.
For 200 years, our farmers have been using methods developed in European climates and landforms which, in Australia, have wreaked havoc. On the driest inhabited continent on earth, the delicate balance between the land, its climate and inhabitants has been disrupted. Where once our country was able to survive long droughts and to prevent salinity, it is now on the brink of irreparable damage.
And it’s not just a problem for farmers – it’s starting to affect our cities.
Can we pull ourselves back from the brink?
With a lifetime’s experience of working the land, Peter Andrews has seen the landscape change. He has watched and experimented with the movement of water. He has observed the importance of biodiversity – weeds included. And he’s concluded that to save Australia we need to return the landscape to its original systems.
From his observations, a radical new approach has developed. Long rejected by farmers, scientists and politicians, Peter’s theories are being taken more and more seriously – because his theories work
Back from the Brink tells Peter Andrews’ story and explains how we can, if we choose, save Australia from the mistakes of the past.