Publication Date: 16 November 2023

The Blurb

Join maverick inventor Steve Mushin as he tackles climate change with an avalanche of mind-bending, scientifically plausible inventions to rewild cities and save the planet.

Jump into his brain as he designs habitat-printing robot birds and water-filtering sewer submarines, calculates how far compost cannons can blast seed bombs (over a kilometre), brainstorms biomaterials with scientists and engineers, studies ecosystems and develops a deadly serious plan to transform cities into jungles, rewilding them into carbon-sucking mega-habitats for all species, and as fast as possible.

Through marvellously designed and hilarious engineering ideas, Mushin shares his vision for super-high-tech urban rewilding, covering the science of climate change, futuristic materials and foods, bio reactors, soil, forest ecosystems, mechanical flight, solar thermal power and working out just how fast we could actually turn roads into jungles, absorb carbon and reverse climate change.

The Review

It’s not just the title that’s audacious – everything from the brilliantly bold ideas to the chatty, graphic novel style delivery of some, quite frankly, mind-blowing science stakes claim to that description.

Whether it’s ideas from ancient sewerage systems or futuristic hi-tech pollinators and plants, there are no limits on the creative solutions Steve discusses to bring the wild back to all areas of our planet.

This is a book I can see children pouring over together as they explore the ideas and then, as invited by the Epilogue, come up with their own ideas to help reset the damage we have done to our planet, before it is too late.

Huge thanks to Allen & Unwin for sending me a copy. If, like me, you want to discover more about Steve’s designs, technology notes, calculations, spreadsheets and science references, head to www.ultrawild.org