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Small lifestyle changes affect our world
'Worldchanging' is a compendium of information for 'greening' our worldDate published: 12/31/2006 By SANDY MAHAFFEY "Our things define us. "What we buy, what we use, what we keep and throw away, what we waste, and what we save: the stuff that surrounds us and flows through our lives is a key indicator of the kinds of lives we're living. To be an affluent twenty-first-century person is to float on a sea of material objects--each with its own history and future." Thus begins the introduction to "Worldchanging." It's a simple statement with enormous ramifications. If the million plus sales of "An Inconvenient Truth" on the day of the DVD's release are any indication, concern for the impact of our current lifestyle on our world is growing. This book provides a wealth of resources and information in an easily navigated format. It will give the already eco-conscious even more information as well as indoctrinating the newcomer. Perhaps the brightest element in the entire book is that it is not necessary to totally give up the comforts we desire, but we can make significant changes to our "ecological footprint" with small changes to our lifestyle. This book, the offspring of a Web site of the same name, is written for the individual, the business owner and the community. It is highly readable, entertaining and enlightening. I cannot imagine trying to sit down and read the entire book from cover to cover, however, but rather see myself turning to specific chapters when they apply. Want to eat better? Turn to "Better Food Everywhere," which, among other things, advises us to eat local foods, supporting a concept presented in our paper recently called "The 100 mile diet." If you are hoping to make a healthier home, there are chapters for that, which describe green materials for building and remodeling. There are energy saving tips for homes, businesses and communities as small as changing the type of light bulbs you use and installing a programmable thermostat and as large as alternative energy sources and communities creating "smart grids," which are more efficient and Earth-friendly. The concept of living roofs is already taking hold in many communities. This is not a gloomy prediction of the end of civilization, but a handbook of achievable goals and solutions. It addresses ecological and environmental issues, providing solutions and describing initiatives that are currently in practice around the globe. The final chapter ends with this positive note: "If this book has a message, it is this: imagine a better future. Find your allies. Share tools. Build it. Start now." SANDY MAHAFFEY is a
Date published: 12/31/2006
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