|
|
|
|
Haley’s Hints Green Edition Why does it always seem like going green means spending a lot more green? Organic foods, eco-friendly cleaners, special non-polluting lawn care – cha-ching! Of course it is better for you and who doesn’t want to save the planet … but times are tight. Following in the tradition of the Haleys’ previous books, Haley’s Hints Green Edition is packed with time-tested, homespun remedies and clever uses and reuses for household items, giving you the tools for a more natural and low-cost approach to caring for your home without the big price tag. Softcover, 224 pages, New American Library, $14. You Can Save the Earth Remember when you were a kid how wondrous the world seemed? The climbable branches of the trees, the wind pushing on your back and the cavorting clouds held magic, possibility and, yes, beauty. It is a viewpoint that seems increasingly inaccessible in the hurry-up world of adulthood, where convenience and competition are king and the planet itself is paying the price. Using quotes from the likes of Al Gore, Jacques Cousteau and Martin Luther King, Jr., this inspirational primer offers a reminder of the inherent appreciation we had of the earth as children and a template of very simple steps, easily folded into one’s life, that hold the potential to save it. Unlike some of environmental gloom and doom missives on the market, this book offers profound and positive motivation, woven into a love song to the planet. A portion of the proceeds go to designated environmental non-profits. Hardcover, 144 pages, Hatherleigh Press, $12.95. Beyond Fossil Fools The question of energy and where it is going to come from tends to fade from consumers’ minds as soon as the price at the pump moves back into the comfort zone. But what if someone told you that at the world’s current rate of use of oil – 30 billion barrels per year – conventional oil reserves would only last 37 years. By 2044, we would be bone dry. Adds a little urgency doesn’t it? Well, long-time New Prague resident Joe Shuster is saying that and more. In Beyond Fossil Fools, Shuster, 76, a chemical engineer and entrepreneur by trade and no stranger to energy issues, with involvement stretching back to the 70s, carefully and clearly shines a light on the hard facts. His no holds barred look at the reality of what our energy usage is costing us in dollars, lives and environmental damage is unsettling to say the least. But Joe is also a man with a plan – a detailed plan that proposes complete conversion to a combination of wind, solar, biofuels and next-generation nuclear energy by 2040, including why and how to get there. The book, though packed with statistics, facts and ably supported prognostications, is an amazingly easy and compelling read. Shuster propels us down the path of an undeniable logic with simple clarity and a rational stepwise approach in a conversational style, ultimately making the case for a bold and decisive course of action that deserves a closer look. Softcover, 385 pages, Beaver’s Pond Press, $24. More info at www.beyondfossilfools.com Pays to be Green Recycle for a Good Cause Sustainable Beauty Greener Cleaner Combine:
www.nrdc.org/greenliving www.greenbydesign.com www.doitgreen.org
Best of the Best Freecycle Sign up for free and get regular email posts that list all the items other folks in your area are giving away or post your item for pick-up. You can also place a “wanted” post for items you need. Free things of all descriptions (furniture, electronics, crafting supplies, clothing, food etc…) change hands every day. Twin Cities Free Market This non-profit, started by Eureka Recycling, was the first web based exchange program in the nation targeted specifically to residents and the exchange of reusable and durable household goods. The online format is also easy to negotiate and completely free. Their records indicate that the program has facilitated more than 13,000 exchanges of durable goods, diverting nearly 2,000 tons from the waste stream. Ramsey County Yard Waste Collection Sites The seven sites offer the standard free drop-off of leaves, grass clippings and brush for Ramsey County residents, but, in addition, you can then reap the rewards of your labor with access to free compost, black dirt and mulch. (Note-the availability of compost varies from site to site and goes very quickly once the gardening season begins). Residents of other counties can check www.rethinkrecycling.com for yard waste sites and rules. Did You Know? Courtesy of GreenGuardian.com
|
