André inherited his father's appreciation and respect for Northern Ontario's nature through the quiet hours of enjoyment around a campfire or walking the wilderness as it lived around him. He continued his wilderness travels after leaving home, and while kayaking the Great Lakes he experienced his first glimpses of changing weather patterns. After studies in political science, psychology, criminology, social work and management, André worked with government through various jobs that included working with indigenous communities, running wilderness programs for young offenders and travelling throughout most of Ontario. A subsequent career with his own consulting practice brought him to Haiti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador and Mali. He gradually internalized the conviction that global warming was dramatically affecting our Earth. Semi-retirement allowed him to engage in climate-change activism. After starting a Council of Canadians chapter in Sudbury, Ontario, and after organizing a variety of demonstrations, he left the council and its activism after three years. Neither a scientist nor an academic, his studies on global warming continued. While he acknowledges the existence of works similar to this, he has yet to find works that describe the ugly realities of the global challenges facing our human species.