How Green Are Your Reading Habits?
Apr 5, 2010 Eco Friendly Home
I love to read. I have one wall in my home that is covered with books, and that’s not even the whole collection. But what’s the most eco friendly way to read?
The Library
Especially if you have a good one within walking distance, you can’t do much better than going to the library for your books. Many can order titles from other branches, so you can often find the books you really want to read.
Then back they go for someone else to read.
This is especially good if you tend to read a particular book only once. If you read it and are done with it, try your local library. You might get a delightful surprise, and you’re supporting a wonderful institution. It doesn’t matter that the books are free to check out. Communities value libraries more if they get used more.
Used Books
My own addiction. Do not let me get too close to a used book store. It will draw me in and my budget may regret the results.
Used book stores are amazing. They often have titles that you can’t find easily at a regular bookstore. And every book is something that someone else finished with first. You’re not causing more books to be printed when you buy a used book.
You can trade in books that you’re done with at most used book stores too. You may get cash or store credit, depending on the location. It’s a hobby that can almost fund itself. On the minus side, the author doesn’t get anything for your purchases.
EBooks
Many people feel that electronic books are an environmentally friendly selection. My own feelings on the matter is mixed.
On the plus side, no paper is involved. Once the book is written, it takes very little to make however many copies are purchased. Ebooks are simply stored on a server and downloaded when purchased.
On the minus side, they’re electronic. That means when your ebook reader dies, you have electronic waste to dispose of. Too many people dispose of electronics improperly or just go buy new whenever the hot new version comes out.
Another plus is that one reader can store a lot of books. How many depends on the reader in question. But you won’t be taking up an entire wall of your home storing your electronic books.
Another minus is that they require electricity and batteries. Once a traditional book is printed, it is complete. An ebook uses more electricity every time you read it.
There are a number of ebook readers out there. Amazon’s Kindle
is very popular. You can choose a smaller or somewhat larger model, depending on how you will feel most comfortable carrying around and reading on its screen.
The Sony Digital Reader
Apple’s iPad is a new entry that does a lot more than just display ebooks. It offers internet surfing and movie watching capabilities as well. There’s been a lot of hype around this one, and it will be interesting to see how things go with it.
If you buy hardcover books, electronic versions are often cheaper. Many people tout this as a savings financially as well as for the environment. My habit has always been paperback, so even new the books likely cost less in print… especially from the used book store.
No matter how you like to get your reading materials, there will be positives and negatives. Give a little thought to the impact of your reading habits and choose the best combination for your lifestyle and the environment.
Tags: books, ebooks, library, reading habit
Green Books for Christmas Gifts
Dec 3, 2009 Going Green
I love to read. It almost doesn’t matter the topic if I have the time. It’s just a little thing I do.
So of course, recommending books comes naturally to me. And with Christmas being a great time to give books as gifts, here are some ideas:
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
I got a review copy of this many months ago. While it’s not about going green, it is about something that should be important to all parents… getting their kids to appreciate nature. After all, if they don’t appreciate nature why would they want to protect and preserve it?
Getting out into nature is also vital to children’s development. Video games just don’t cut it. They need to get outside and deal with the dirt, climb some trees, get wet and just have fun. That means more than just sending them out into the back yard.
Get this one for your favorite parents of school aged children, green or no. It’s great food for thought.
For the green mom to be. Making homemade baby food is something I’ve really gotten into. So much more flexible than using jarred foods, and my baby already has a clear preference for what I make. Those rare times I resort to jars she is not too happy with me and seems (in my opinion) to eat less.
Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials
For the green crafter in your life. Sewing is a habit I meant to pick up last summer, until we moved on rather short notice. There’s so much you can do with fabrics you already own.
Grow Your Own Tree Hugger: 101 activities to teach your child how to live green
Kids love to do crafts and do projects. Encouraging them to do ones that get them thinking about the environment is a great idea.
This may come more naturally to some kids than others. Mine have been raiding the recycle bin for reusable items, and bringing in all kinds of natural things from outside to work with. It’s wonderful to see, if a bit messy. I like the idea of encouraging them to do more.
Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home
Your home is one of the easiest places to have a green impact on your environment. This book offers green cleaning solutions, personal care items and other things you use around the home.
Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day
For the person who needs a lighter approach to going green. This book doesn’t present everything in a serious manner, which can be helpful in getting some people to pay more attention to what it’s saying.
Great Books for Green Parents
Jul 6, 2009 Going Green
Whether you read them enough to make them worth buying, or just borrow for a quick read from the library, books are another great resource for parents wanting help in taking care of the environment and their families. There’s so much to know!
Free Range Kids
I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy of this one for one of my other sites. Great book, and while it’s not about environmentalism, there’s a lot to it that can be combined with teaching kids to care about the environment.
Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home
I reviewed this one a while ago. Lots of tips on living cleaner and greener, and broken into separate sections so it’s easy to pick the areas you want to get started with.
Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder
Another book I got to review a while back. Lots of fun and a great reminder of how very important it is to get your family outside.
Books I haven’t read that sound promising:
The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen’s Guide to Saving the Planet
The Green Parent: A Kid-Friendly Guide to Environmentally-Friendly Living
Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care
Healthy Child Healthy World Review
Apr 21, 2009 Going Green
I was recently contacted by a publicist for Healthy Child Healthy World: Creating a Cleaner, Greener, Safer Home
They very kindly sent me out a copy to read, and I recently finished it. I very much so enjoyed the read.
The book is separated into sections of related things you can do, such as preparing for baby, natural body care, pet care and so forth. Each section has a range of tips on how you can do these things in a way that is better for your family and the environment.
Of course, some of the things suggested I do already, but there were some good ideas I hadn’t thought of either.
One of the things I really appreciated was the suggestion in the book that you do not need to try to do everything right away. You can work your way through the things you are ready for and make progress at your own pace. I think that’s a very important thing to remember. Going green doesn’t have to be an instant or frustrating solution.
It also got me thinking about things I hadn’t before, such as how lead gets into soil around older homes. We’re renting a home that I believe is of an age to have such a problem, so I know it is potentially relevant. As a renter I don’t know that I can do much about it aside from being aware of the potential for a problem. It’s a topic my husband and I have discussed before, because he didn’t see why kids would chew on paint chips, and now I can explain to him how it really works. See page 164 if you need to know.
The section on food (chapter 3) is one I think I need to bring up with a friend of mine who I had been discussing organic produce with the other day. She wasn’t sure what she needed to buy organic versus conventional to avoid pesticides (page 36). I’ve seen the same list online, but it’s nice to have a physical copy of the list.
There’s a great section at the back of the book on Healthy Resources. You can find out where to learn more on your favorite topics or learn about some of the products they recommend.
Of course, every parent reading this will have their own favorite sections, depending on what they need to learn. I do strongly recommend you get this book. Check your library if it’s not in the budget, but with all the resources it provides, you’re probably going to want to buy your own copy to keep referring back to.
Tags: book review, books, environment, kids, parenting
Teens Gone Green?
Apr 16, 2009 Eco Friendly Parenting, Green Gift Ideas
My kids are quite a bit too young for this one, but there’s a book about to come out that might be a welcome gift to any green teen you know. It’s called The Green Teen: The Eco-Friendly Teen’s Guide to Saving the Planet
Obviously, I can’t review the book; it’s not out yet. But it looks promising. The description says it will give tips on making eco-friendly decisions on a tight budget and schedule and how to get concerns recognized by decision makers.
Given that kids these days are very aware of the need to help the environment, I’m glad to see a book like this coming out.
Parents, what other titles do you recommend for teens? What about younger children?
Tags: books, environmentalism, parenting, shopping, teens
