Tony Kearney left Christchurch in New Zealand to travel the world and settled in London where he practiced law for 25 years. He moved from the hustle and bustle of city life two and a half years ago to settle in Malin, and now couldn't imagine living anywhere else. As well as being a consultant, trainer, facilitator, farmer and mediator, he also runs workshops, seminars and lectures on matters of personal, planetary and global change. He has just published his first book called Who Owns The Future?
Who Owns The Future has a fresh approach to many current issues and explores humanity's questions about topics including the environment, religion, gender relationships, politics, poverty and population. It asks how the human race can address the challenges facing it both now and into the future.
Tony is busy giving talks around the peninsula and further afield to promote the book and if you would like a preview, or to buy a copy then check out his website: http://www.whoownsthefuture.com/
What music do you like?
It depends what mood I am in. I like everything from Beethoven to Led Zeppelin. Amy McDonald, the singer songwriter from Scotland is very good. I also enjoy traditional and world music particularly the Gypsy Kings and a bit of Samba.
What would you never throw away?
I don't believe in throwing anything away if possible. Always recycle!
What book are you reading?
I have a couple of books on the go. The Origin of Wealth by Eric Beinhocker and The Growth Illusion by Richard Douthwaite. They both highlight the imbalance of economic growth
What was your favourite childhood game?
Treasure hunts. I enjoyed following a set of clues, it gave me a sense of discovery and adventure… I am still doing them in my adult life though possibly on a bigger scale!
Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
I went to see WALL.E. It is set in the distant future about a waste collecting robot. It's very well done and without preaching, examines what the world could look like if it was turned into a rubbish tip.
What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
World events, cartoons or anything in- between. Like listening to music, it depends what mood I am in. I tend to open it at random and see what catches my attention.
What is your idea of a good night out?
Connecting with people who care and listening to their hopes and visions of the future. I am busy promoting the book at the moment and as I am doing talks around the county, it is a great opportunity to meet lots of people.
When are you most embarrassed?
When I realise that I have been insensitive to others. Sometimes I can get caught up with my own enthusiasm and not see other people's needs.
Have you a favourite TV programme?
I enjoy inspiring documentaries that give an insight into our reality and future possibilities. I love David Attenborough's passion as well.
How do you relax?
By doing what I love to do. I do facilitation and conflict resolution work and also tend to a lot of trees that we have planted on the farm. I find weeding around them particularly relaxing.
What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I didn't want one!…. I wanted to be free and live in a caravan. When I chose my career path I went for law, which seemed the least bad option at the time!
Where would you like to go for your holidays?
Although I love being at home in Malin, I do enjoy travelling. I get inspiration from different places and really enjoy meeting different people from different cultures and finding out what makes them tick.
What people would you invite around for dinner and why?
There are a lot of unsung heroes throughout history that are champions of what is right and natural and get no credit. I would invite them. The table will need to be massive to accommodate everyone…. the wood will need to come from a managed forest; mine should be ready in 50 years!
Favourite animal?
The otter. I love those guys! Remember Mij from Ring of Bright Water?
What couldn't you live without?
Hope.
Biggest fear?
Being governed by fear.
Biggest thrill?
Change. Personal growth leads to planetary growth and makes a positive difference.
The world's most irritating invention?
The clock. It highlights how our lives are conditioned by time. It's so linear. It would be great to live our lives without it and ignore the "Time is Money" attitude.
What is your idea of a good night in?
Reading and conversation.
Do you have a hobby?
I like to keep fit and also enjoy swimming and then there are the trees to look after.
Biggest disappointment?
I use my energy to focus on the positive. You can't change what you have done but you can change what you haven't done or what you will do….
Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
I am passionate about history but my time to learn is in the here and now.
World's most useful invention?
Human Beings. It is amazing what we are capable of. To use an analogy, we are designed like a surgeon's knife and yet we often use ourselves like a sledgehammer!
What do you have for breakfast?
An orange, a coffee and a cereal energy bar type thingy.
What is the best/worst piece of advice you have been given?
Best: You become what you think about.
Worst: What's the point or why bother?…. That question can be so demoralising.
Personal philosophy?
You have one life and one opportunity. Why not be all you can be? Don't settle for anything less.
PRESS RELEASE
Who Owns the Future?
New Book Provides Compass for Humanity’s Journey into an Unknown Future
Freedom is the key to a better future I believe. We have the freedom of choice about which future we want. Let us use that choice wisely. The future demands nothing less.
– Tony Kearney, from Who Owns The Future?
“With the world being inundated with facts and statistics about everything from global warming and climate change to GM food to energy and resource crises to poverty and alienation it is easy to be swamped and overcome by the seeming uncertainty and apparent impossibility of it all,” writes Tony Kearney as he points the way forward in Who Owns The Future? (published by AuthorHouse).
A fascinating and epic appraisal of humanity, the Earth, the universe, God and more, Who Owns The Future? merges themes of environmentalism, philosophy, science, psychology, language, sociology, metaphysics, religion, gender relationships, politics, poverty, and population in its search for ways to address the awesome challenges confronting us.
“The problems we face today are largely of our own making due to our short-sightedness, selfishness and over-inflated sense of self-importance,” Kearney writes. “As a result we are forever having to deal with the side effects of these selfish attitudes and as a result we never really address the truly important issues of our existence because all our time is spent troubleshooting the problems we have created for ourselves and for every other life form on this planet.”
Who Owns The Future? pulls no punches about the peril of our current situation, but essentially offers an optimistic and realistic view of the future based on the premise that the human race can successfully change and adapt its behaviour in order to survive and flourish. The question Kearney proposes is: Will the human race make those changes? Will you?
About the author: Tony Kearney was born in New Zealand, practised law in London for nearly 25 years, and now lives in Ireland. He has lectured on many diverse subjects, from personal, planetary and global change, to children’s education, to gender relations. Who Owns The Future? is his first book. More information is available at www.WhoOwnsTheFuture.com and www.authortree.com/WhoOwnsTheFuture.
