The author poses the question: “What does climate change mean for New Zealand – will we fry and starve, or bask and thrive?

Gareth Renowden MA (Oxon) is a science writer and also the author of several books on other subjects. He has written for many magazines and newspapers in Britain, New Zealand and the United States.

Currently he lives on a small farm in North Canterbury growing truffles, olives and grapes, while still maintaining his lifelong interest in science. In Hot Topic, Renowden puts climate change into a New Zealand context.

The good news (if you can call it that) is that New Zealand is likely to be a “good” place to live, at least in the next 20-30 years.

Since the country is expected to warm more slowly than the rest of the world, agriculture may receive a boost from the extra warmth.

But there is a downside – we are vulnerable to what climate change does to the rest of the world. If Europe, North America or Asia are hit hard by climate change, we will definitely feel the impact in our pockets.

Renowden says we need to be clever and proactive to avoid the tyranny of distance.  This may go some way toward mitigating restrictions on food miles or air travel.

The author warns about the increased risk of droughts and floods in some areas. He advocates a low carbon energy infrastructure (he’s quite a fan of wind farms) which could include weaning the transport system off fossil fuels and growing crops for biofuels. Forestry, he says, will also be vital.

Another downside for New Zealand is that the world may initially perceive New Zealand as a great place to live. Will we have climate refugees knocking on the door and ex-pats returning in droves?

Renowden also pulls no punches in his criticism of climate change sceptics (usually those who have an economic interest in changing nothing).

He concludes that New Zealanders must come to terms with reality. However this book’s value lies not only in what he says, but how – in terms that we can all understand quite clearly.