Book Review: The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget

Whether you’re a newbie to the whole green scene or a dedicated veteran, you’ve undoubtedly noticed that green products can sometimes be discouragingly expensive. Oh, sure, most of these products are worth the money because they’re better for the earth and in many cases, they last longer than conventional goods, too. But the truth is, in many cases you can get by without them, and still be green.

If you’re wondering exactly how one goes about doing that, we’ve got just the book you need to read. The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is a follow-up to Josh Dorfman’s 2007 book, The Lazy Environmentalist, named after his popular radio show.  The new book takes Dorfman’s guide to “easy, stylish green living” and applies it to a big segment of the population – those of us without a lot of money to spare.

So, how does one shop green on a tight budget? There are so many things to consider, from the smallest household items to big purchases like vehicles and real estate – and it’s all in the book. Dorfman’s tips help readers navigate the often-confusing world of sustainable and ethical shopping – and the best thing about it is, every suggestion adheres to the author’s “easy, stylish green living” standards. No settling for low-quality junk.

And you can still splurge on those pricey green products every now and then – sometimes, it’s worth it. That’s another thing Dorman covers in his latest book: breaking down the long-term cost benefits of buying green vs. buying conventional goods. Once you understand how much you can save in the long term, taking extra time to save up for something seems like no big deal.

Every chapter of The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget includes a list of additional sources of info plus recommended products and affordable brands that you might not have otherwise heard about.

The book’s not perfect – hardcore environmentalists will question whether there are hidden costs to some of the cheaper green recommendations, and roll their eyes at the suggestion to shop at Wal-Mart – but it’s definitely packed with useful information, and it’s a great testament to the fact that you don’t have to be an uptight, rich snob with a lot of time on your hands in order to live in harmony with the earth.

Be sure to catch Josh Dorfman’s new television show, The Lazy Environmentalist, on the Sundance Channel Tuesdays at 9pm EST.

Link [The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget]

Book Review: Gaia’s Garden, Second Edition

Gaia’s Garden is practically considered a gardening bible by many gardening enthusiasts who seek to worth with Nature rather than against it, and the second edition will prove to be even more valuable.

Gaia’s Garden focuses on permaculture gardening, an approach to small-scale agriculture that mimics the relationships found in nature. The idea is that plants, animals and organisms work in harmony to create a self-sufficient environment in which the need for human ‘input’ is fairly low. That means no artificial fertilizers, pesticides, or tilling. No endless trips to the garden center for supplies. Whereas most backyards contain ‘fragments’ – a vegetable garden here, a flower bed there, a pile of wood in a back area for critters – permaculture gardening brings all of these elements together as a cohesive whole.

For those who think gardening involves, by default, a lot of back-breaking work and expensive equipment, this concept may sound unlikely to prove successful. But it works by balancing the needs and benefits of each element in the garden, much in the way a natural ecosystem balances itself.

For example, much of the information in the book revolves around ‘guilds’, groups of plants that provide food or other useful products for humans, create cover and food for wildlife, repel pests, conserve water and nourish the soil. One such example is ‘the three sisters’ – corn,beans and squash – which work together so that each plant, and the garden as a whole, is able to thrive.

In addition to the practical advice about plants with many uses, encouraging beneficial microorganisms, attracting helpful insects and animals and bringing the soil to life, the second edition of Gaia’s Garden features a new chapter on urban permaculture designed especially for people who have limited growing space – a huge help for gardening enthusiasts who live in suburban or urban areas. Other new features include new color photographs and illustrations, as well as new plant lists.

Gaia’s Garden is not the kind of book you’ll be passing around to others – you’ll want to keep it all to yourself, because you’ll be using it as a reference again and again.

Link [Gaia’s Garden]

Book Review: In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto

Anyone interested in learning about the impact that our food choices have on the environment has probably read and enjoyed The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. It’s the kind of life-altering read that has the power to inspire people to make drastic, permanent changes to their habits for their own health and for the greater good. So, it’s no surprise that Pollan’s latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto is also poised to be highly influential on public attitudes about what we consume.

As American citizens in particular have gotten fatter and less healthy, marketers have picked up on a huge money machine: the diet food industry. We’ve had it pounded into our heads that carbs are bad, fats make you fat and even fruit should be shunned because of the sugar content. Instead, we’re told, we should eat processed, pre-packaged ‘food’ that is conveniently devoid of all of these so-called ‘bad’ substances – but also lacking nutrition.

It’s easy to get confused about which foods are healthy and which aren’t. The conventional wisdom leads people to seek out low-carb specialty items and fat-free dairy. But, consuming all of these processed ‘health foods’ isn’t making us any healthier. Instead of enjoying healthy whole foods like eggs, olive oil, full-fat yogurt and fresh fruits, far too many of us are filling our grocery carts with boxes of crap packed with artificial ingredients.

Pollan’s message is simple: go back to nature. Forget that entire low carb aisle in the grocery store, and choose whole foods instead. In fact, avoid the entire center part of the store and shop the perimeter only for the healthiest selection.

In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto lays out the history of nutrition in America, the vicious cycle of food-related disease we’ve gotten caught up in and how you can shop and prepare meals to avoid ending up with diabetes, heart disease or other health problems yourself.

Pollan’s latest offering will give you the motivation you need to kick the traditional Western diet that’s making us all sick and go back to the kind of food we were meant to eat. You’ll want to clear out your pantry and start fresh armed with the information and advice you’ve gained after reading it.

Link [In Defense of Food]

Book Review: Smogtown – The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles

If you think the air is bad in Los Angeles right now, you probably didn’t live there for much of the past century. When the thick, view-obscuring gray haze first appeared in the city on July 26th, 1943, nobody knew quite what to think of it. Was some factory suddenly spewing tons of pollution in to the air? Was it some kind of chemical attack? Citizens of this Southern California city didn’t yet realize the cost of their own modernized lifestyle, wherein practically every single resident owned their own vehicle.

“Smogtown: The Lung-Burning History of Pollution in Los Angeles” by Chip Jacobs and William Kelly tracks the smog invasion of LA from the first moment it arrived through the many efforts to combat it.  This might not sound too exciting – especially for people who aren’t hardcore environmentalists interested in every detail of our nation’s struggle with pollution – but you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that Smogtown is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish.

It’s a dramatic story, playing out like it was written for the screen, with clear protagonists and villains – and humor peppered throughout. While Smogtown does an excellent job of providing the hard facts about how the pollution got so bad, the weakness of the government in controlling it and the difficulty of convincing Los Angelenos to sacrifice any part of their lifestyle to make it go away – it’s also a gripping tale that will keep you eagerly turning the pages. What with the terrified citizens crashing their cars in panic at the appearance of the smog and bewildered, ineffectual government officials bumbling about, it’s almost like Godzilla, but with pollution as “the beast”.

Of course, we all know how this story ends. Air pollution is still a major concern in Los Angeles, and despite knowing that the automobile is the source, LA is still crawling with cars and lacking a decent public transit system. But don’t let that stop you from giving this lively story a read. It’s got sex, plenty of Hollywood glamour, scandal, and murder – but never falters in its brilliant coverage of an incredibly important environmental issue.

Check out the Smogtown blog at lasmogtown.com for lots more info, including the latest news about efforts to fight pollution in LA.

Link [Smogtown]

Book Review: The Eco Chick Guide to Life

If you’ve been looking for ways to be more environmentally responsible, but still want to maintain a stylish, convenient, modern lifestyle, we know just the book you should be reading. The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to be Fabulously Green, by Eco-Chick.com’s Starre Vartan, is the definitive guide to going green without sacrificing the good things in life. In fact, the book is jam-packed with practical, fun advice on topics like fashion, travel, cleaning, beauty, saving energy and decorating your home.

Starre, a noted journalist and environmental scientist with a fantastic eye for chic eco-friendly fashion, doesn’t just give tips for living a greener life. She gives the rationale behind them, explaining, for example, that diamond, gold, silver and platinum mining create gaping holes in the earth and pollute the water and topsoil. Her solution? Buy vintage jewelry, or seek out suppliers that meet Fair Trade and ethical and environmental mining standards. Even better, Starre illustrates how you can be ‘fabulously green’ without having to drop loads of cash – you can be eco-chic on a budget.

A ‘green shopping basket’ is also provided for each chapter, giving you the inside scoop on where to score goods like ethically produced jewelry, toxin-free personal care products, drain cleaners that won’t harm the earth and even organic beer and wine. In fact, The Eco Chick Guide to Life even provides recipes for delicious fresh, seasonal cocktails like the Fizzy Harvest Mojito – which would be perfect for autumn!

My personal favorite chapter is ‘Fab, Eco-Friendly Fiestas’ which contains a quiz to help you determine your party style, tips for encouraging your guests to go with the green flow at all of your soirees and all of the various ways you can make every aspect of entertaining more earth-friendly. It’ll be a great guide to have on hand for the upcoming holiday season.

The best thing about this little book is you can use it as a compact little resource for practically any questions that pop up in your mind about to green up your clothes, home, transportation, vacations, groceries and more. Pick it up at Amazon.com or your local bookstore, and be sure to check out the Eco Chick blog for even more tips!

Link [Eco Chick] + [Amazon.com]