Many of us are concerned about environmental issues and try to incorporate a 'green' approach into our day-to-day lives - be it using energy saving lightbulbs, making use of recycling facilities or putting a brick in the toilet cistern. However, there is usually much more we can easily do if only if we give it enough thought. In "Saving the Planet Without Costing the Earth", Donnachadh McCarthy explains how to carry out an environmental audit of your life in areas such as waste disposal, gardening and home maintenance, food, work and travel to find out how 'green' you are. He then offers 500 ingenious yet practical suggestions you can follow to improve your score. What's more, for each idea, he details how much it will cost to implement (if anything) and also lists the benefits for the environment and your wallet.
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"A really enjoyable read. Full of fascinating facts. I will never buy another aluminum drinks can!" -- Susan Hughes, BBC Radio Scotland
"As handy tip books go, Saving the planet without costing the earth...is the best. Donnachadh writes a lifestyle column for the Independent and really knows his stuff. Certainly it gave me some new ideas." -- George Marshall in his book Carbon Detox
"Donnachadh had reinvented the genre and brought a breath of fresh air to it." -- David Boyle, LD News
"The most practical book on the subject that I have read to date."
-- John Pilgrim, BBC Radio 3 Counties
THE FIVE BEST GREEN READS -- Chosen by Julia Stephenson -- The Independent, Sept. 20th 2005
"As handy tip books go, Saving the planet without costing the earth...is the best. Donnachadh writes a lifestyle column for the Independent and really knows his stuff. Certainly it gave me some new ideas." -- George Marshall in his book Carbon Detox
"Donnachadh had reinvented the genre and brought a breath of fresh air to it." -- David Boyle, LD News
"The most practical book on the subject that I have read to date."
-- John Pilgrim, BBC Radio 3 Counties
THE FIVE BEST GREEN READS -- Chosen by Julia Stephenson -- The Independent, Sept. 20th 2005
Review
"As handy tip books go, Saving the planet without costing the earth...is the best. Donnachadh writes a lifestyle column for the Independent and really knows his stuff. Certainly it gave me some new ideas."
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
If you are concerned about the effects of climate change but think that it is a global issue that you can do little about then read this book to find out how you can make a difference. Donnachadh McCarthy leads by practice not preaching. This empowering book will show you how to make small easy changes to your lifestyle that cost nothing but a change in attitude, right through to how to take advantage of developing technology that will in the medium to long term save you money. Before reading this book I thought that being Green meant spending more, now I realise that saving energy and wasting less means spending less. I am now going out to look for one of those dynamo re-chargers that will enable me to re-charge my mobile phone from pedal power but I will miss the cut flowers. I have been inspired.
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
If you care about our planet and what we are doing to it, but feel that there is little you can do, this is the book to read.
Most of the ideas are simple to implement, having made the decision to be more careful and caring in how to live.
To me, the most decisive moment is the reminder that there is little point recycling unless we also buy recycled produce - so obvious really.
The 'audit' style helps the reader to see that they are making progress and that every little helps.
A very worthwhie read and a book that I already return to regularly.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By kj
This book is well written, easy & inspiringly simple to take on board. Just follow each chapter & self audit how green you are currently being. You will probably find that you are doing more than you realised. Which is encouraging....
However, there is always room for improvement & author then suggests that over the following year you can introduce small or big changes in becoming more enviromentally aware/user friendly in different areas of your daily life.
Most importantly does not preach, just informs & encourages.
However, there is always room for improvement & author then suggests that over the following year you can introduce small or big changes in becoming more enviromentally aware/user friendly in different areas of your daily life.
Most importantly does not preach, just informs & encourages.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Green Book Addict Librarian
VINE™ VOICE
First saw this guy on It's Not Easy Being Green TV series, and before that I had never heard of him. Take the tests in the book, see how green you are, and how much greener you could be. Learn more about what you can do to make a difference and especially read the section about the author himself and the interesting journey he has been on from ballet dancer to political activist and greener than green homeowner.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Tom
It's hard not to be totally in awe of what the author has achieved in his life, and much of this book is inspiring for that reason.
It provides a great way to start thinking about how much more you can do to live a more environmentally friendly life. A year after reading it, I'm probably putting into practice at least two dozen of the ideas here.
Only minor criticism is the scoring criteria, which don't always adequately reward real green behaviour. I'd have liked to have read more about the author's life and beliefs.
It provides a great way to start thinking about how much more you can do to live a more environmentally friendly life. A year after reading it, I'm probably putting into practice at least two dozen of the ideas here.
Only minor criticism is the scoring criteria, which don't always adequately reward real green behaviour. I'd have liked to have read more about the author's life and beliefs.
24 of 33 people found the following review helpful
I got this as a Christmas present, being somebody with strong concerns for the planet. Now if you have any green blood most of these tips are common sense and you probably do them or know to do them anyhow. The author however actually lives on a different planet to ours and most of his ideas are ridiculous, such as "pea in a potty and throw it on a compost heap","shower in a bowl, so you can use the water for plants","Don't have pets, especially cats as they hunt" "Use a reusable sanitary product, such as a moon cup"??, "use the wrappers magazines come in for your sandwiches" The author continues to write absolutely anything he can think of that can fill the pages. But his best idea is number 13 "Borrow books from a local library rather than buying new ones."
Amazon won't print this now, damn.
Amazon won't print this now, damn.
16 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Overall the book has some good ideas, but there is nothing new that isn't available within a short search on the web. The author did 4 years of medicine and so should have a better idea about referencing material, but none of the claims about quantities going into landfill etc are referenced - in fact several are contradictory. The ongoing chemicals are bad theme is tiresome - chemicals are essential to exist, we metabolise food (chemicals) to move, we breath in air (oxygen is a chemical).
Several ideas are repeated in several chapters, there is a rather hoiler than thou attitude and very light on useful links on renewable energy.
Get the book from a library, don't buy it
Several ideas are repeated in several chapters, there is a rather hoiler than thou attitude and very light on useful links on renewable energy.
Get the book from a library, don't buy it
1 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By sf Ross
My family and I found this book life-changing. The tips are very helpful and we now feel much more optimistic knowing we are making a more positive contribution. Best of all the green books in my opinion (although Letting Go of the Glitz by Julia Stevenson is also good)
Thoroughly recommended.
Thoroughly recommended.
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