This Is Our Home: A Sustainability Story to Help You Start Your Own Eco-Friendly Journey

Begin your journey toward sustainability and a greener future with these simple steps.

There are grave environmental issues plaguing our world, from pollution to climate change. These global crises can often leave us feeling powerless, questioning: "How can one person make a real impact?"

Drawing from his personal experiences of growing up in a town marred by toxic waste, and his professional journey in the plastic bag manufacturing industry, sustainability expert Trent Romer demystifies the concept of sustainability and how you can make choices that shape our planet’s future.

Follow his story as he takes you to locations of stark environmental degradation—four Superfund sites that represent the grim reality for 22% of Americans living within three miles of such areas—and contrasts them with places of unspoiled nature like Yosemite National Park, Rachel Carson’s ME Wildlife Preserve, Acadia National Park, and the Cape Cod National Seashore. The answers to our sustainability issues reside in these contrasting environments.

You’ll discover:

• How to be an environmentalist and small actions that can make a real difference.

• The bandits that rob us of motivation and how to overcome each one.

• 20 inspiring statements to define your sustainable development goals.

• Practical ways to use social influence to increase eco-awareness.

• What a Superfund site truly is and how we can glean wisdom from them.

Whether you are a seasoned green advocate, a naturalist just starting out on your journey, or simply someone who wants to make a difference,This Is Our Homewill inspire and empower you to take action and create a better world for future generations. Grab your copy today!

Our review of This is Our Home

This is Our Home: A Sustainability Story to Help You Start Your Own Eco-Friendly Journey, by Trent A. Romer, a sustainability expert and former private business owner, presents an interesting and eye-opening narrative about the effects of humanity on the eco-system around us. The author does not soap-box the issue, but rather, shows us the effects of our actions on the environment through a very personal lens, drawing from his own childhood and more recently, visiting locations where the eco-system has been, or is being destroyed by a failure to recognize the effects of industrial and manufacturing activities. As opposed to lecturing the reader, he takes us on a tour to actual sites, towns and reserves, where the long term effects of pollutants has either destroyed the environment or rendered it unhabitable. The story is both personal and broader, told on a level that speaks to everyone. This is an important subject to all of us, and the author lets the reader take small gulps, culminating in the realization that we must act responsibly, with a view to the future, as opposed to wanton and reckless practices which destroy the planet we live on and our future generations will rely on. I think this quote from the book says it all: "Seeing yourself as a reflection of nature will engage your movements to act on it's behalf." Recommended reading for anyone and certainly should be part of school curriculums to help raise awareness for future generations to come.

Review by International Writers Inspiring Change

About the author

Trent Romer is a sustainability leader, author, and TEDx speaker who has spent 30 years in the plastic bag manufacturing industry before serving as a sustainability operating partner for a private equity firm focused on environmental, social, and governance issues. His latest book, This Is Our Home is a cautionary yet inspiring tale to take personal action in the fight against the planet’s destruction.

Romer draws on two clear experiences that motivated his own journey toward sustainability. The first was as co-owner of Clear View Bag Co., Inc, founded in 1961 by his grandfather. When the 2017 anti-plastic narrative swept the globe, Romer realized it was time to find an eco-friendly alternative to the manufacturing process. The second was childhood memories growing up near Nassau Lake, a once beautiful body of water turned polluted by a nearby toxic dump. These pivotal periods in Romer’s life led him to discover and enable tangible, personal methods to encourage nature preservation and environmental sustainability.

Romer has earned sustainability certificates in Corporate Sustainability Management Risk, Profit and Purpose from Yale University and Education for Sustainability Leadership from Harvard University. He obtained his undergrad in economics at Hamilton College and a master’s in education and an MBA from University at Albany. In 2022, Romer spoke at TEDxBoston, a year after completing Climate Reality Leadership Training. He authored Finding Sustainability, a “gold winner” in the Non-Fiction Book Awards.

When Romer isn’t writing, speaking, or working with companies to find their own sustainability path, you can find him by the ocean, exploring a national park, watching basketball, or taking long bike rides in nature. He is guided by his faith, passionate about the planet, and dedicated to his wife, three boys, and their beloved dog, Bear. Romer lives with his family outside of Albany, NY.

iWIC Interview with Trent Romer

iWIC: What inspired you to write?

Trent: My mom is the creative force in my life. She was a crafter, painter and musician.

She never made a living out of her interests, but she worked at them to bring joy to others and fulfill

something in her. I watched, listened and at times helped her as a young boy. I did not inherit her

skills but did catch her desire to create. Writing is hard for me but like my mom, I am fulfilled by the

process and hope my writing can help bring perspective and enjoyment to readers.

iWIC: Who inspired you in life?

Trent: My parents sacrificed and provided the best upbringing I could have ever imagined. They have and always will inspire me to be better. For my interest in sustainability, an experience at Harvard University played a pivotal role in my journey. I applied to and was accepted into the Harvard University executive education on sustainability leadership in 2018. The weeklong training was on campus. It was an amazing experience interacting with 60 others from all over the world, all interested in learning how to drive change. Leith Sharp was the leader of the program. The very first thing she said was “I will likely not teach you anything new but hopefully I will teach how to think in a different way.” I had multiple conversations with her during the week and have stayed connected in the years since. Leith and the program made me think about next steps. She helped me realize that if I was waiting for the perfect path, there isn’t one. Get moving --- we should not sacrifice progress in pursuit of perfection.

iWIC: What do you hope to inspire with your books?

Trent: I often think about social justice as those with less being burdened with more of the impacts of sustainability issues like climate change. Those who are the least responsible are the most affected. I try to act on social justice using the inverse. Those who have more need to do more. I hope my writing brings inspiration to think of and act on behalf of others.

iWIC: Is there a backstory to This is Our Home?

Trent: I was being asked by people who read my first book Finding Sustainability about the cover. The cover shows a lone kayaker on a lake embarking on a journey. My intention was the reader would see themselves as the one on the cover with their own journey to discover. When enough people asked if the person on the cover was me, I realized I failed in the message I hoped to inspire. I felt compelled to write another book focused on the reader. The book also offered the opportunity to write a story about my hometown which has been generationally affected by an environmental disaster.

Learn more at www.trentromer.com