Green Confessions

We've really been striving to reduce our consumption lately. That means I've been finding other ways to satisfy my book cravings (shh, don't tell anyone, I have a book fetish). For that I've become reliant on the library, swapping and borrowing, and the occasional used book purchase. Except that yesterday I bought a brand new book. I was at the pharmacy, buying ibuprofen for my (feverish) little penguins and in a moment of pure impulse (and feeling pathetically sorry for myself because the whole family has been sick this week) I picked up Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. The fact that it is the winner of the Giller Prize, set in the Great North and not to mention 25% off made it all the more irresistible.

So, to green my conscience, I will offer it up for a swap once I am done reading it. Some of the titles I'd love to get my hands on are (notice the theme he he):

Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Raucous Year of Eating Locally by Alisa Smith and J.B. Mackinnon

Food Not Lawns: How to Turn Your Yard into a Garden And Your Neighborhood into a Community by Heather Coburn Flores

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

If you're interested in a swap, please post a comment or drop me a line at info at ecomama dot ca.

Another great way to offset the environmental impact of book purchases is by having a tree planted for each book. Last Christmas I discovered Eco-Libris, an organization that will work with you to balance out your book purchases. Through them, you can buy stickers made from recycled materials and non-toxic inks. For each sticker bought a tree is planted. Last Christmas I added a sticker to every book I gave as a gift. I've corresponded with Raz at Eco-Libris a number of times now, and he's always been hugely helpful. I received an email from him just yesterday telling me that Eco-Libris is celebrating its first birthday. He says: "It has been such an exciting year for us, and I'm happy to report that we have balanced out so far 50,005 books, which results in 65,586 new trees that are being planted with our planting partners in developing countries.". So dear Raz and team, congratulations and Happy Birthday !!! Here's to another year of balancing books and planting trees, keep up the good work.