A West Kilbride author is set to publish his first book - on how to save the planet.

Guy Vander will be launching his work, The Hope Train, at an event in West Kilbride Village Hall on Wednesday, October 11.

He said: "Six years ago, before I retired, I woke up one morning and thought, 'the world is not ready'.

"The biggest existential threat to to us now is the triple effect of terrestrial ecosystem decline and death, marine ecosystem destruction and global warming.

"We are facing a perfect storm and we've really messed up."

Guy, who previously managed a care home in Kilbirnie, continued: "The first thing we need to do is have a Preservation of the World Act. And it has to be the first concern of all organisations.

"We need to look at how everyday things are produced and distributed. If you take something like a mobile phone, there are metals and minerals in it. We need to look where those came from, how they are extracted, and how they are handled and shipped out around the world.

"Even with things like bananas, we need to look at whether they used organic fertilisers or not, if they are picked by hand, if they are driven somewhere to be processed and how they are then transported around the world.

"All these things have an impact on the planet."

Guy, who was born in Carlisle but has lived in North Ayrshire for many years, will be giving a talk at the book launch to explain his ideas.

On his website for The Hope Train, he reveals: “I was days from retirement when I knew what I should do and the people I should do it for.

"The children of the world were going to see a planet that my generation, in larger measure than any other, had compromised our Earth, by our desire for stuff and the drive for growth and money.

"We have created a world where we in the West we can have whatever we want, whenever we want it, if we have the money

"Everyone knows that there is a cost, in terms of global warming, but no one is really addressing it in a coherent way.

"You have arrived at the website for a book that identifies all the processes needed to be in place to address all the risks in a joined up manner, which will be difficult but definitely not impossible. There is hope."

Guiy expects to announce details of the publisher of his book within the next few weeks.

To find out more, visit Guy's website at https://www.allaboardthehopetrain.com/ or listen to his talk in the Village Hall.