Green Day

It’s Earth Day in the U.S. Lots of green happenings – probably the most ever. Green is hot, and that’s a good thing.

(T-shirt design courtesy of option-G)

Look around today – the media’s got green stories everywhere. While some curmudgeons will take the cynical angle, I say better late than never. This is one issue that should keep going and going and going.

I wanted to highlight a couple of books out for the season. Deirdre Imus’ “Growing Up Green” is the best of a solid crop.

According to the press release:

Growing Up Green covers a range of subjects from “utero to university” with advice from nationally recognized children’s health experts and “green” pediatricians who support a philosophy of “whole child care” and treating each child as a unique individual. The book is filled with practical and simple solutions to many of the concerns confronting parents today.

Disclaimer: I have a serious conflict-of-interest as the Deirdre Imus Environmental Center’s medical advisor and one of those interviewed for the book. Regardless, it’s a great book.

I also wrote the forward for “Green Baby,” a soon-to-be-released guide for parents by DK publishing. Very practical, lots of great photos. The neatest thing about this DK volume is how it’s made: according to SmartPlanet, it may be part of the greenest book series ever.

First of all, hardbacks are made from 100 per cent recycled cardboard and there are no book jackets. The actual books are printed on 100 per cent FSC-certified paper and DK tells us that for every tree felled a new one is planted. We like the ‘one out, one in’ approach. The pages are printed with vegetable inks and the printing and binding process is done in a very energy-efficient way by German printer, Mohn Media. This company has been ahead of the eco game for the past 15 years when it comes to printing. For example, it has installed a combined heat and power system, allowing the company to generate 100 per cent of its own electricity, and it only sources paper from FSC-certified European forests.

Happy Earth Day.