By Susan Clark
Fraser Valley Regional Library
Have you ever wanted to live the Green life? It’s easy to make a positive impact. Whether you want to raise awareness, save some money or simply sort through some interesting information, there are great books at your local library that offer easy ways to begin.
Perhaps you’re looking for a common sense approach to making Green a part of your everyday life. True Green Life in 100 Everyday Ways by Kim McKay, features a colourful and practical approach to making small inexpensive changes that reap big results for the environment. This is a good place to find “how to” ideas in areas of life such as vacations, celebrations and yard maintenance.
If you’re thinking globally, effective solutions are available which will inspire readers to take action. Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis by Al Gore is a compelling, substantial book containing vivid photographs and well researched descriptions. You’ll find a very informative, comprehensive strategy for solving the climate crisis, focusing on five causes of global warming.
Dreaming of building a sustainable home? Take a look at Green From the Ground Up: Sustainable, Healthy, and Energy Efficient Home Construction by David Johnston and Scott Gibson. There is detailed information on building from the ground up; including topics such as heating, plumbing, decks, landscaping and solar energy.
Who ever thought that going green can save you money? Shift Your Habit by Elizabeth Rogers shows that green living is about moderation and there are easy changes to your lifestyle that will benefit your budget and the planet. You can use this book to stream-line your life and save money. You may find yourself with thousands of dollars that otherwise you may never have seen.
Settle in for some wicked fun with 50 Green Projects for the Evil Genius by Jamil Sharif. This is filled with a variety of do it yourself projects ranging from simple projects such as insulating windows or building a compost bin to the more complex such as how to convert your car to biodiesel. Each project includes plans, schematics, materials lists and sources to help you accomplish this.
For a break from digging in the compost, recycling, and turning out the lights, settle into your favorite chair with Farewell, My Subaru: An Epic Adventure in Local Living by Doug Fine. Fine demonstrates with humour, that it’s not so easy being green. The author describes his struggle to leave his creature comforts behind and move to a remote ranch in New Mexico. Here he vows to live off the land even though the nearest he’s come to raising chicken has been a plate full of nuggets. Included are a smattering of facts about alternative energy and organic and locally grown food.
Artist Franke James shows how we can all enjoy a more sustainable lifestyle in her own unique way. Bothered by My Green Conscience by Franke James, takes a visual approach to the topic. She takes us on a visual journey created with photos, drawings and hand drawn text. Have a look and see how a little bit of visual inspiration can create a whole lot of change.
Teens are very aware of environmental impacts and many want to take action. There are hundreds of things that teens can do. The Green Teen: the Eco-friendly Teen’s Guide to Saving the Planet by Jenn Savedge, presents advise on how to make decisions on purchases, food consumption, and waste management. There are interviews with "green teens", ideas for organizing and communicating environmental change and a host of resources in a handy "grab-and-go" format.
Children often show interest in helping the planet. True Green Kids,100 Things You Can Do to Save the Planet by Kim McKay and Jenny Bonnin offers up some easy user friendly ideas geared to the kids in your life. Parents and kids will enjoy the colour illustrations, simple text and fun ideas that involve the whole family.
There are many ways to have a smaller footprint and stay close to nature.
The number of environmentally friendly options are growing. David Suzuki’s Green Guide by David Suzuki & David R. Boyd gives useful tips for how to make green choices in the food we eat, our homes, travel plans, and lifestyle.
Toss out the chemicals and load up on vinegar, baking soda, lemons, and soap for a new take on clean. Green-up Your Cleanup by Jill Potvin Schoff covers everything from how to clean a mucky car to cleaning a grungy kitchen without using all those expensive cleaners that are advertised on TV. In fact, the recipes clean better and smell better then anything you can buy.
Head to your local library to get more great ideas. For fun, quick and easy resources, libraries offer computer time so that you can browse online sites. While you’re there don’t forget to check out some of the DVDs available on this topic.
