In the Green Pages: Read Up on Eco-Friendliness

| Print Post This | Like (0) | Comments (0)

THERE ARE SO many eco-titles at bookstores that somewhere, there must be a barren field where a big forest once stood. But reading up on a life less carbony helps the environment, right?

Farewell, My Subaru
Doug Fine (Villard)
"I dig my laptop," writes Fine, but this didn't stop him from trying to live off the grid. Ditching the city for a more sustainable lifestyle on a New Mexico farm, Fine dabbled in everything from goat-raising to driving a truck powered by restaurant grease. His funny anecdotes put a less-preachy spin on the global-warming issue. Besides, who wouldn't want to read about a chicken-eating coyote nicknamed Dick Cheney?

Go Green, Live Rich
David Bach ($15, Broadway)
Saving the planet can also save you bucks, says this book stuffed with tips on cutting energy consumption (drive a biodiesel car, use a low-flush potty), investing in green companies and donating to eco-charities. Especially thought-provoking: stats such as for every sheet of paper you don't use, you'll save .6 cents and spare the air the pollution caused by recycling the stuff later.

Gorgeously Green
Sophie Uliano ($17, Harper Collins)
Cooling the planet doesn't mean sacrificing lipsticks to hemp-wearing gods. Uliano details areas where chicks can green up, from home (stop flushing so much!) to wardrobe (go vintage). Though light, the tome gives meaty backstories on topics like shampoo carcinogens and sweatshop-driven couture. We heart the list of 80 things you can compost, from wedding bouquets to toenail trimmings.

Greening Your Office
Jon Clift & Amanda Cuthbert (Chelsea Green, $8)
A is for air conditioning, which you might not want to turn on at work unless it's 100 degrees outside. It's the first of many suggestions in this A to Z list of ways to save the world while sitting in your cubicle. Factoids — and slightly ominous photos of landfills and Styrofoam peanuts — drive home worthy, yet sometimes weird, suggestions, like going staple-free as well as paper- free. Yep, this latest live-green-or-die tome from Chelsea has valiant ideas, but, really, would anyone but Al Gore stop using the elevator forever?

Living Like Ed
Ed Begley Jr. (Clarkson Potter, $18)
Anyone who has caught HGTV's "Living With Ed" knows that lanky actor Ed Begley Jr. uses an indoor bike to toast bread, a composter to get rid of orange peels and a solar-stove to cook vegan stews. Now comes a paperback showing folks how to practice what the Hollywood actor preaches, aka recycle, ditch your non-hybrid car and install an urban windmill for power.

The World's Best Eco-Lodges & Earth-Friendly Hotels
Fodor's ($22)
Dream vacations zap jet fuel. But you can offset some carbon emissions by sleeping somewhere that contributes positively to the earth (an Ecuadorian inn that produces only 1 ounce of waste per guest daily!) or to the area (a Cambodian hotel where guests help pay for kids' books). The book also delves into ethics, like whether to give money to beggars (no, try a local charity) or rent a car (maybe, if it's a Prius).

By Danielle Parnass/Express
Photo by Marge Ely/Express