Earth Day Must-Reads
6 Environmental books with small steps that make a big difference in saving our planet
Environmentally conscious behavior (in a disposable society that’s warming the planet every day) is just one more challenge to meet amid the already compounding day-to-day demands on our lives. Limited hours in the day, concerns about additional expense, and social pressures to conform all contribute to the internal conflict of adopting a recycled lifestyle.
Yet reading this article suggests an underlying concern for behavioral change and perhaps indicates that you are interested in preserving a high quality of life for our next generation and those thereafter.
True, the jury is still out on many issues related to recycling, global warming, and renewable resources. Still, no question, taking small steps, such as reducing, reusing, and recycling, can go a long way toward protecting our limited natural resources.
To further inspire and educate, here are six books that share small ways you can make a big difference in saving the planet.
101 Ways to Go Zero Waste
This book by Kathryn Kellogg addresses the overwhelm in cutting back on waste. Enter Kathryn Kellogg, who can fit all her trash from the past two years into a 16-ounce mason jar. How? She starts by saying “no” to straws and grocery bags, and “yes” to a reusable water bottle and compostable dish scrubbers. “It’s not about perfection,” she says. “It’s about making better choices.” And she shares how you can get started in this practical and inspiring book of change.
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis
This book, by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Katharine K. Wilkinson, contains stories, poetry, and art. Two climate leaders have embarked on a process to make a difference by helping women take the helm. A compassionate leader may be just what is necessary for a healthier tomorrow, and who better to take us there than women and girls from all walks of life who traditionally do not have a seat at the table. This compelling book has even started a movement: All We Can Save.
The New 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth
In this book by Sophie Javna and EarthWorks Group, readers will discover easy-to-do, kid-friendly projects that show kids can make a difference, and each chapter is packed with tons of links to groups and resources. What makes this book stand out, though, is that it doesn’t just inform kids, it encourages them to make a difference by providing them, their friends, and their families with the tools to take action.
Resetting Our Future: Zero Waste Living the 80/20 Way: The Busy Person’s Guide To A Lighter Footprint
This book by Stephanie J. Miller addresses the feeling of powerlessness in making a difference in an overwhelming world marked by waste and climate change. After all, it takes less time to toss an empty plastic bottle into the trash can than to carry it down the hall to a recycling bin, or, in some cases, tote it all the way home for curbside pickup. For others, time becomes an even bigger issue because they may not have access to an office or curbside recycling. The good news is that waste management facilities are making it easier for organizations, schools, and businesses to recycle, and often spearheading such programs can be a noteworthy project.
Junkyard Planet: Travels in the Billion-Dollar Trash Trade
In this book by Adam Minter, buckle up for a behind-the-scenes look at what is really going on with our trash. While you may think that a recycled water bottle will show up as a T-shirt on a Bloomingdale’s rack, think again. Masters of trade and digital wizards are cashing in on our junk. Journalist Adam Minter traces the export of America’s garbage and the massive profits that China and other rising nations earn from it. This stark reality of a $500 billion industry transforming our economy and environment should make Americans rethink how they manage their trash.
My Friend Earth
Author Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Francesca Sanna tell the uplifting story of our friend, the Earth, and how she’s doing many wonderful things to care for animals and nature, celebrating the seasons that give life to our planet. Schools have adopted programs but it can become an emotional struggle for children to learn to live an environmentally conscious lifestyle when it is not positively reinforced at home. Insignificant as it may seem to some, it should become a topic of conversation with your children so you can better understand their evolving value systems and find a balance in your family’s lifestyle.
Bonus Book: Featured as a baby shower gift for actress Julia Roberts in US Magazine and referenced in Pregnant With The Stars by Renée Ann Cramer, I am honored to share a book I had fun writing and even more fun doing interactive book talks and signings with kids of all ages.
Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities
Remember, though learning about the effects of our disposable lifestyle can be eye-opening and even startling, education is the first step to understanding. These six books will help you further along that path and onto a more humanitarian and sustainable life.
Images Courtesy of Random House, John Hunt Publishing, Chronicle Books, Countryman Press, W. W. Norton & Company, Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC, and Bloomsbury Press
