As the pressure to better our environment grows through media reports, campaign promises and a self desire to better the world, I find myself exploring different ways I can help. There are little things, baby steps that I am already doing; I’ve stopped using plastic bags. I’ve started buying better light bulbs, toilet paper made from recycled materials, and discontinued the use of Styrofoam and plastic cups, which is a good start, sure, but what more can I do for my planet? Plenty! And these books are a good place to start.
Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth Friendly Lifeby Sophie Uliano
Sophie Uliano is an environmentalist with style. Her book, Gorgeously Green, is fast becoming a bestseller and offers a simple, eight-step, program that is an easy and fun way to start living a better, greener lifestyle. She’ll help you sort out all aspects of your life. With practical, optimistic, and forward-thinking panache, Uliano tackles everything from your beauty regime to your kitchen and on to your transportation. Uliano is your go-to gal with all the answers and shows that going green does not have to be a boring, time-consuming and can be glamorous!
The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time By Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas KostigenElizabeth Rogers' book gives practical advice for how you can better your environment. Here are some interesting facts:
-Don’t ask for ATM receipts. If everyone in the United States refused their receipts, it would save a roll of paper more than two billion feet long, or enough to circle the equator fifteen times!
- Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth. You’ll conserve up to five gallons of water per day. Throughout the entire United States, the daily savings could add up to more water than is consumed every day in all of New York City.
- Get a voice-mail service for your home phone. If all answering machines in U.S. homes were replaced by voice-mail services, the annual energy savings would total nearly two billion kilowatt hours. The resulting reduction in air pollution would be equivalent to removing 250,000 cars from the road for a year!
With humor and confidence, Rogers and Kostigen offer hundreds of ways to make small changes that add up to make a big impact on our planet.
1 comment:
I was excited to hear on NPR the other day that a group of church organizations had gotten together to take a more positive stance on environmental issues, something the church as had a weird vibe about for years, and then was alternately disappointed that some of the bigger denominations haven't joined in the discussion. It is a good start but more eyes certainly need to be opened.
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