Living Green: The Missing Manual

by Nancy Conner

Overview

Taking care of the earth is more important than ever, but the problems we're facing can seem overwhelming. Living Green: The Missing Manual helps make earth-friendly decisions more manageable by narrowing them down to a few simple choices. This all-in-one resource is packed with practical advice on ways you can help the environment by making simple changes in your home routine, work habits, and the way you shop and get around town. You don't have to embark on a radical new lifestyle to make a difference. Living Green: The Missing Manual shows you how small changes can have a big impact.

With this book, you will:

• Learn how to make your home energy efficient and free of toxic chemicals
• Discover how to reduce waste, repurpose and recycle, and do more with less
• Build and remodel earth-friendly homes with new techniques and materials
• Learn tips for buying organic food and what it takes to grow your own
• Get helpful information on fuel-efficient cars, including hybrid and electric models
• Make your workplace greener and more cost-effective — from changes at your desk to suggestions for company-wide policies
• Explore how to choose renewable energies, such as wind and solar power

The book also provides you with ways to connect with like-minded people and offers a survey of exciting new green technologies. Learn how you can help the planet with Living Green: The Missing Manual.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596801724
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	08/28/2009
Series:	Missing Manual Series
Pages:	312
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Nancy Conner holds a Ph.D. from Brown Universityand is the author of numerous books, including QuickBase: The Missing Manual and Google Apps: The Missing Manual. She lives in Ithaca, NY, recently named one of the greenest U.S. cities, where she shops for organic produce at the local farmers market and browses second-hand stores. Each day, she commutes up the stairs to her home office, where she works as an author, editor, and distance educator. Read Nancy's Living Green blog at missingmanuals.com.

Table of Contents

The Missing Credits; About the Author; About the Creative Team; Acknowledgments; The Missing Manual Series; Introduction; Saving the Planet, One Step at a Time; What's a Carbon Footprint?; About This Book; Part I: Living Green Begins at Home; Chapter 1: Home Green Home: Creating a Safe, Earth-Friendly Place to Live; 1.1 The Chemicals You Live With; 1.2 How Household Chemicals Can Affect Your Health; 1.3 Clean and Green: Environmentally Friendly Cleaning; 1.4 Nontoxic Furnishings; 1.5 A Greener Lawn; Chapter 2: Save Energy, Money, and the Earth; 2.1 How Efficient Is Your Home?; 2.2 Should You Downsize?; 2.3 Heating and Cooling Efficiently; 2.4 Getting More out of Your Appliances; 2.5 Water-Saving Strategies; 2.6 Let There Be (Compact Fluorescent) Light; Chapter 3: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; 3.1 A Trashy Odyssey; 3.2 How Low Can You Go? Aiming for Zero Waste; 3.3 Reducing: Doing More with Less; 3.4 Reusing: Use It Again, Sam; 3.5 Recycling: What Goes Around Comes Around; 3.6 So Hard to Say Goodbye: Special Problems in Recycling; Chapter 4: Building and Remodeling; 4.1 LEEDing the Way to Green Buildings; 4.2 Principles of Green Building Design; 4.3 Special Problems in Remodeling; 4.4 Finding a Builder; 4.5 Financing Green Construction; Part II: Greening Your Lifestyle; Chapter 5: Raising a Green Family; 5.1 Babies; 5.2 Kids; 5.3 Teens; 5.4 Pets; Chapter 6: Eating Green: It's Not Just Spinach Anymore; 6.1 What's in That Cheeseburger?; 6.2 Genetically Modified Foods; 6.3 Go Organic; 6.4 How Green Does Your Garden Grow?; 6.5 Can I Ever Eat Out Again?; Chapter 7: Responsible Shopping; 7.1 Think Globally, Buy Locally; 7.2 Buy Recycled; 7.3 Giving Fair Trade a Fair Shake; 7.4 Compassion in Fashion; 7.5 Green Health and Beauty Products; 7.6 Environmentally Friendly Gifts; 7.7 Finding Companies That Get It; Chapter 8: Going Green: Transportation and Travel; 8.1 Getting Around Without a Car; 8.2 Driving Smarter; 8.3 Green Cars in Every Color; 8.4 Long-Distance Travel; 8.5 Ecotourism; Part III: A Greener World; Chapter 9: Green Business Is Good Business; 9.1 Greening the Workplace; 9.2 Greener Business Travel; 9.3 Buying Carbon Offsets; 9.4 Corporate Giving; Chapter 10: Alternative and Renewable Energy; 10.1 Why We Need New Energy Sources; 10.2 Wind Energy; 10.3 Solar Energy; 10.4 Water Power; 10.5 Geothermal Plants; 10.6 Bioenergy; 10.7 Hydrogen Fuel Cells; Chapter 11: Getting Involved; 11.1 Activism Begins with You; 11.2 Environmentally Responsible Investing;