Monday, December 31, 2007

Goodbye 2007, Hello 2008

I know you probably read already gazillion summaries of 2007 and got another trillion best wishes for 2008, so I'll try to be short here :-)

2007 was a very good year for me - About 6 months ago I co-founded Eco-Libris with a great group of devoted people and started to do the first steps to make reading more sustainable. We've balanced out so far more than 7,500 books! These books are balanced out by more than 10,000 trees that are being planted by our planting partners in developing countries.

Eco-Libris worked very hard in the last couple of months - we have established collaborations with writers, publishers, bookstores, organizations and others involved in the book publishing industry, and it's only the beginning.

We're very excited about the upcoming year and hope to increase our activities and grow to become an agent of change that move the book publishing industry towards greener choices and practices. We have a goal of balancing out half a million books by the end of 2008 and we intend to meet it, with your help of course.. I hope that in general 2008 will be a greener year and will bring us more hope for a better and greener future.

I would like to wish all of you a happy, prosperous and GREEN year.

Enjoy 2008!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Picture Courtesy of Sustainable Harvest international

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Alex Steffen presents inspired ideas for a sustainable future

Last week we had the last part of our holiday green gift guide for book lovers. I would like to thank all the people who contributed great recommendations to the guide. Thank you all! You can find the whole guide right here - http://www.ecolibris.net/holiday_guide.asp.

Today I want to share with you an interesting talk of Alex Steffen, cofounder and executive editor of WorldChanging.com and also one of the contributors to our guide.

I found it on Triple Pundit and it's from a 2005 TED conference in Oxford, UK. Steffen talks about the problems we're facing and presents some of the most inspiring solutions and ideas that will help us to face the current global challenges and reach the still unimaginable sustainable future we're looking for.

Here's the description given by TED to the talk: Worldchanging.com founder
Alex Steffen offers a fast-paced round-up of radical (but possible) answers to our planet's greatest challenges, ranging from green cities and buildings, to digital collaboration tools, to ingenious tools for the developing world (flowers that detect landmines; straws that purify water as you drink; merry-go-rounds that pump water using the energy expended by children at play). As Western-style consumerism spreads to developing countries, we must re-imagine our world.

So, here it is. Enjoy!



Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Eco-Libris is now available in two more bookstores

At the beginning of the month we announced here that you can find Eco-Libris stickers in three independent bookstores in Northern California, all of them members of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA), which Eco-Libris is proud to work with.

Now I am happy to update you that Eco-Libris stickers are available in two more independent bookstores:

1. Borderlands Books - 866 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, http://www.borderlands-books.com. Borderland Books is specializing in and selling only Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror (both used and new ones). It is also a NCIBA member.

2. Mary Jane Books - 215 Western Ave. Albany, NY 12203, http://www.maryjanebooks.com. Mary Jane Books is located on the corner of Western and Quail in beautiful Albany, NY and is independently owned and operated by SUNY graduates.

In these bookstores you can buy a book and balance it right there on spot. You will receive a sticker of Eco-Libris that you can proudly display on the new book, and of course a new tree will be planted to balance out the paper used for printing your new book.

If you're a bookstore owner and you want to get more details on how you can join the list of bookstores that provide their customers with the opportunity to balance out the books they bought on spot, please email us at: bd [AT] ecolibris [dot] net

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Friday, December 28, 2007

The BookCrossing adventures of Michelle Slatalla

Michelle Slatalla is one of my favorite writers at the New York Times and it's always a delight to read her column Cyberfamilias every other Thursday (Fashion & Style section).

Last week I was in Chicago, so I missed her column, but I looked for it today on the NYT website and was very happy to find another great Cyberfamilias story, this time on her BookCrossing adventures.


I wrote few months ago about BookCrossing and recommended this great free book club. Michelle Slatalla also got into it and tries to see how it actually works - who will take the books she releases to the wild and where she can hunt some books.

One thing I learned from the article was that I can find on YouTube some videos documenting book releasing into the wild around the world. Here's one example to what you can see there:





So check out 'Love That Book? Then Set It Free' and don't forget to experiment some book swapping of your own.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris


Eco-Libris: plant a tree for every book you read!

Thursday, December 27, 2007

What's your favorite 2007 green search?

2007 is almost gone and everywhere you look there's another summary of the year. An interesting one comes from Yahoo! (and thank you to Environmental Leader for the link) - list of the top ten green search terms.

Yahoo! writes on their summary that "2007 may go down as the year people stopped talking about the climate crisis and actually did something about it." I am not sure I totally agree with it, as I believe we saw this year a lot of green buzz and not enough green action. In any case, there was definitely a huge increase in the awareness to green issues and therefore it's interesting to see what people are most interested at. So, here's Yahoo! list:

1. Recycling

2. Global Warming

3. Freecycle

4. Earth

5. Pollution

6. Al Gore

7. Environmental Protection Agency

8. Live Earth

9. Hybrid Cars

10. Solar Energy

Well, it's definitely an interesting list, showing that there is a thirst for information on personal actions (hybrid cars, recycling, solar energy) as well as on general topics (global warming, pollution, earth). I'm just wondering if the huge interest in Freecycle is due to its green elements (decreasing consumption of new stuff), or just because it's a cool and beneficial service, or maybe it's both..

For statistics fans, Yahoo! reports that "in terms of sheer search volume, residents of the Big Apple proved the most interested in global warming, edging out the environmentally conscious San Francisco Bay Area. When it came to hybrid cars, Los Angeles posted the most searches. Whether that's out of concern for the planet or frustration over gas prices and gridlock, we can't really say. "

I hope 2008 will be a year with the same green buzz and enthusiasm, but also with much more green action.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Want to turn your parents green?

If the answer is Yes, here's the book you need: 'How to Turn Your Parents Green', written by James Russell and illustrated by Øivind Hovland.

I read about this book today at Treehugger.com and liked it immediately. The premise for the book, as the publisher, Tangent Books, explains on its website, is that grown-ups (the Groans) are responsible for causing global warming, but it’s you (the kids) who will have to deal with the consequences.

The kids are given a mission to educate their parents about recycling, saving energy and other green issues, and listen to this - if the parents don’t comply, they are fined and when they realise the error of their ways, they sign up to the Glorious Green Charter.

How To Turn Your Parents Green sounds like a great combination of fun and education for kids, showing them how they can make a difference in the fight against Ghastly Global Warming by being an Eco-Warrior rather than an Eco-Worrier. The book also contains 10 outstanding illustrations by Bristol-based artist Øivind Hovland.

The author, James Russel, employs a style reminiscent of the Horrible Histories books and Roald Dahl short stories. Here’s an example from Tangent Books' website of James’ style:

Meet the Groans. They may grumble about the traffic and gripe about heating bills, but grown-ups have got us into this mess and they are too busy goggling at the TV and booking exotic holidays to sort it out.

Only you can make those Groans behave because only you can make their lives a misery if they don’t. We’ll help you draw up a Glorious Green Charter for them to sign, and show you how to punish them – oh yes – if they refuse to change their Grumbelicious ways.

So don’t be an Eco-Worrier, be an Eco-Warrior. And turn your parents Green.


Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

The pope calls on Christmas Mass to protect the environment

Today is Christmas, and I was happy to read on the New York Times ('Pope Makes Appeal to Protect the Environment') that Pope Benedict XVI talked on the midnight Christmas Mass about the environment and expressed his concerns of the way we're treating the planet.

Ian Fisher of the NYT reports that "Benedict referred to one early father of the church, Gregory of Nyssa, a bishop in what is now Turkey. “What would he say if he could see the state of the world today, through the abuse of energy and its selfish and reckless exploitation?” the pope asked."

It's not the first time the pope expresses his concerns over the environment and actually he is speaking more and more about the need to go green and use our natural resources more sustainably. I hope the pope will continue in his efforts to bring more attention to green issues, as he's definitely a powerful agent of change that can lead many people to go green.

Happy green holidays,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Sunday, December 23, 2007

A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids - Holiday green gift guide for book lovers: part 10

Christmas is almost here and we have time for one more great recommendation before the holiday. I'm happy to present you with part 10 of Eco-Libris blog's holiday green gift guide, the guide that will help you find the best green books to give as gifts this holiday season.

Today I have the pleasure to bring you a recommendation of Maureen O’Connor of The
Alternative Consumer on a great new book for kids.

Native New Yorker, Maureen O’Connor is the founder and publisher of http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/, a blog for busy folks looking to cultivate a greener lifestyle.

Maureen's recommendation for this holiday's gift is:

A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids

Author: Julie Hall (Author), Sarah Lane (Illustrator)

Publisher:
Green Goat Books

Published in: 2007

What it is about: This “kid’s book” is unusual in that it is designed as a hands-on climate change guide for parents and teachers, as well as readers 9 and up.

Written by Julie Hall, cofounder of ProgressiveKid, and author of numerous science and social studies curriculum books for children, and skillfully illustrated by Sarah Lane, this soft-cover breaks down the facts into easily digestible bites, featuring: Hot Facts, Cool Facts, Eco Heroes and Action Plans to help heal the planet. Kids will appreciate the bold graphic layout and high-impact imagery on each info-packed page.

From defining climate change, to providing a clear understanding of what causes it and how it affects life on Earth, the underlying premise of the book is to demonstrate not only why we need to protect our environment, but also how. There are many valuable lessons to be learned from this book, along with encouraging words to instill change and a sense of hope for the future.

Why it's a great gift: A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids is a great way to empower parents, teachers and kids to engage in creative thinking, act on principles and realize progressive values.

Thank you Maureen for a great recommendation!

And just a reminder, here are the other recommendations we had so far on our guide:

Part 1 - The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Part 2 - Home Work : Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
Part 3 - The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Part 4 - The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Part 5 - Deep Economy by Bill McKibben
Part 6 - The Armchair Environmentalist by Karen Christensen
Part 7 - Worldchanging - A user's guide for the 21st century by Alex Steffen (Editor), Al Gore (Foreword), Bruce Sterling (Introduction)
Part 8 - How to live off-grid by Nick Rosen
Part 9 - How to live a low-carbon life by Chris Godball

The whole guide can be found here - http://www.ecolibris.net/holiday_guide.asp.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Now you can find on our website two special offers for the holidays - holiday greeting cards and holiday certificate gifts.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Varmints: 'ecological doom' for children

I learned today from smartplanet.com on a new interesting book for kids - 'Varmints', written by Helen Ward and illustrated by Bafta-winning animator Marc Craste.

Matthew Sparkes reports that "Varmints introduces the idea of pollution and environmental issues in a tale of 'ecological doom'. The story revolves around creatures called Varmints, which are described as small, soulful creatures that look on as nature is tarnished by industrial progress, and all peace and quiet is lost -- something which we can all relate to."

The story is combined with beautiful illustrations of Marc Craste to make the imagination and the heart soar.
Write Away wrote that "'Varmints' is Craste's first picture book, which has many of the design qualities that made his black and white film 'Jo Jo in the Stars' so remarkable, but with a subtle colour palette."

Eco-doom for children? definitely sounds an interesting combo, and the artwork looks amazing, so you're welcome to check it out.

Yours,

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Kudos to Recycline!












Good news to green biz - Recycline, an eco-friendly consumer-products company based in Waltham, Mass., is the grand prize winner of Forbes.com's 'Boost Your Business' contest. The big prize: $100,000.

Recycline was among the nearly 1,000 U.S. small growing businesses that entered the contest when it launched earlier in March 2007. In the first phase of the contest, co-sponsored by HP, small business owners submitted 500-word business plans; 20 semi-finalists survived.

In the second round, Forbes.com readers had the opportunity to review these plans and vote for their top five. Later on, the five finalists who made it to the final stage came to New York to give live presentations to an expert panel of judges. Their presentations were posted on Forbes.com for further readers voting. The final decision on the winner was made based on the judges evaluations and the readers' votes.

I saw Eric Hudson's (founder and president of Recycline) presentation and read their biz plan summary, and I think this is a great company with a great concept and products. It makes personal-care products from recycled plastic, partly from yogurt cups that Stonyfield Farm sends to Recycline.

The company’s products include toothbrushes, razors and tableware sold under the Preserve brand. All of their product handles and packaging may be recycled and customers can use postage-paid envelope to return their used Preserve products to Recycline.

Preserve’s three core product lines are available at nearly 7,000 retailers nationwide, including all Whole Foods Market, Wal-Mart and Trader Joe’s stores, select Target locations and grocery retailers including Stop & Shop, Shaw's and Hannaford Brothers.

So Kudos to Recycline and Eric Hudson! They made us all very proud.

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Do December's Green Thing

Yesterday I received an email from the people behind the great site 'Do The Green Thing' reminding me of their green thing of December - buy an old thing, not a new thing.

They explain on their website that "new things are the fanciest and most specced-up things and have the almost irresistible appeal of being the latest things. But manufacturing a new thing uses resources and energy, all of which creates CO2, so instead of buying a new thing, buy an old thing. Old things save us CO2 and come with character, romance, mystery and history all included as standard."

We introducded Do the Green Thing
on November, when their recommendation was to turn your lights off early and have some fun in the dark. Their humor is funny as always as you can see from this video:




Check out their website for more interesting green materials (including great videos) and don't forget to look for an old thing or two!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Preserving forests to fight global warming

Interesting news from Bali, Indonesia. The World Bank launched plans for a US$300 million fund to fend off global warming by preserving forests in developing countries.

The logic is very simple explained Stephanie Meeks, acting CEO and President of The Nature Conservancy: " We’ll never solve the climate challenge unless we address the loss of tropical forests, which puts out as much carbon dioxide as all the planes, trains and cars worldwide".

So the idea is to give economic incentives to preserve the forests and to make it worthwhile to keep them alive, avoid logging and prevent further .

According to the Reuters report, a US$100 million readiness fund will provide grants to around 20 countries to prepare them for large-scale forest protection under a future climate change deal, also known as reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation (REDD) in developing countries.

This first funding stage will be used for surveys of current forest assets in developing countries, monitoring systems and tightening governance. A second stage of funding of US$200 million carbon finance mechanism will allow some of these countries to run pilot programmes earning credits for curbing deforestation. The credits will belong to the countries or groups that put up the cash for the fund.

The World Bank announced that of the US$300 million, they already have US$160 million pledged from seven developed countries.

The World Bank forest and climate change official Benoit Bosquet told Reuters that "the projects could include anything from straight forward reforestation and better zoning of agricultural and forest lands, to paying people for environmental services or improving management of forest areas".

Another contributor to the effort is The Nature Conservancy that has pledged $5 million towards a Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), an innovative new initiative launched by the World Bank as a part of the REDD efforts.
The emissions that will be saved will also have direct economic value - right now, under the Kyoto Protocol, emissions cuts from forest areas are not yet eligible for formal credits, but they may be sold on voluntary markets. After 2012 they might be eligible for formal credits.

There are some concerns - environmental groups say they are worried deals to prioritize the carbon-retaining value of forests might exclude some of the people who have most at stake - indigenous people that live in these areas. I hope these concerns will be addressed by making sure that the people live in these areas will be part of the decision-making process, so that their concerns will be heard and taken into account.

All in all, I believe it's a good plan. We have to give a value to keeping forests alive. In a perfect world it would be obvious, but we're not living in a perfect world and hence we need to make sure everyone will know that keeping forests alive is more profitable than logging.

Yours,

Raz @ Eco-Libris

Sunday, December 16, 2007

How to live a low-carbon life - Holiday green gift guide for book lovers - part 9

Today it's rainy and cold (at least in Newark, DE), just the perfect weather to cuddle with a good green book and also to recommend on one :-).

I'm happy to present you with part 9 of Eco-Libris blog's holiday green gift guide, the guide that will help you find the best green books to give as gifts this holiday season. Today we have the pleasure to bring you a recommendation of Adam Vaughan of SmartPlanet.com on a great new book that is will guide you how to reduce your carbon footprint.

Adam Vaughan is a green consumer journalist who edits
SmartPlanet.com and blogs at thegreenguy.co.uk.

Adam's recommendation for this holiday's gift is:

How to Live a Low-Carbon Life: The Individuals Guide to Stopping Climate Change

Author:
Chris Goodball

Publisher: Earthscan Publications Ltd.

Published in: 2007

What it is about: A handbook for cutting your carbon footprint and bills -written by a former director at consumer champion
Which?. All the green choices consider the accompanying cost, so in the case of a hybrid Prius, Goodall concludes that its £18K price means you’re paying £350 per tonne of CO2 the car saves. Which he thinks is too much.

When it comes to motoring he also does the maths and concludes car clubs like Streetcar and Zipcar are better news than hydrogen cars and biofuel vehicles. This book has bags of authority, and nicely couples personal anecdotes (his allotment) with table after table of hard-headed maths, saving you doing the tedious sums yourself.

The occasional slip into academic language (“replacing labour with energy is one of the primary engines of economic growth”) will turn off some readers, but for most people this’ll make for a rewarding and inspiring read.

Why it's a great gift: Because it’s ideal for anyone at the early stage of greening up their life when you want the facts, and you want a cash-saving incentive to help you get motivated. Goodall’s book has a sufficient depth of detail to help your giftee make decisions and shopping choices to cut their carbon emissions, instead of general and ultimately unhelpful advice like “drive less”, “use less energy” or “shop greener.”

Thank you Adam for a great recommendation! If you want to learn more on the book's topic, please check out Chris Goodall's
lowcarbonlife.net, a website with the single purpose of helping individuals in the UK and elsewhere to do something about greenhouse gas emissions. You can also read on a student that spent a week following Chris Goodall’s advice.

And just a reminder, here are the other recommendations we had so far on our guide:
Part 1 - The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Part 2 - Home Work : Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
Part 3 - The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Part 4 - The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Part 5 - Deep Economy by Bill McKibben
Part 6 - The Armchair Environmentalist by Karen Christensen
Part 7 - Worldchanging - A user's guide for the 21st century by Alex Steffen (Editor), Al Gore (Foreword), Bruce Sterling (Introduction)
Part 8 - How to live off-grid by Nick Rosen

The whole guide can be found here - http://www.ecolibris.net/holiday_guide.asp.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Now you can find on our website two special offers for the holidays - holiday greeting cards and holiday certificate gifts.

Friday, December 14, 2007

This is the story of stuff

A friend sent me this week a great video I wanted to share with you - 'The Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard'.

This short video comes from the talented producers of "The Meatrix" and "Grocery Store Wars". It is an interesting short movie (about 20 minutes) that presents the big picture of how production and consumption processes are directly related to the social and environmental crises of our times.

Here's the description of 'The Story of Stuff' from its website:

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns.

The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

I really liked it. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Here it one of the video's teasers:




Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco- Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Thursday, December 13, 2007

New Partner: Process Press is Planting Trees and Taking Names

More cool stuff coming from SoCal. What brings together Sex Machines, Satanic Metal and The Source Family? They're all part of the catalog of Process Press, a collaboration of West Coast publishers Adam Parfrey of Feral House, and Jodi Wille of Dilettante Press, and one of the most interesting independent trade publishing houses out there.

In partnership with Eco-Libris, Process will now plant a tree for every book that is ordered directly through their website. Each book will come with a sticker from Eco-Libris to remind you of the tree planted for this book.

They also have a cool holiday promotion:

Buy two Process or Feral House books, and get a third book *free*, from now until December 24th.

So, let’s say you want the holy trinity of The Source, Eye Mind, and Moondog, for your Uncle Bob.... Or maybe a Feral fix of the bestseller Dark Mission: The Secret History of Nasa, the super saucy Hollywood Hellfire Club, and Kim Jong Il's Ministry of Truth...

If you order directly through the website, you'll save 1/3 off the retail price.

Check 'em out here:

http://www.processmediainc.com

http://www.feralhouse.com

Here's how it works: order two books with a credit card from the website. As soon as you place the order, send a separate email (to info@feralhouse.com ) with the title of the third book you would like to be sent to you (the third book must be the same price or lower than the others). Then all the books will be sent together, within 1-2 days. Every book will be balanced out by planting a tree with Eco-Libris.

So take advantage of these great offers, support eco-conscious independent publishing and discover the exciting world of Process this holiday season.

Yours,

Eylon Israely @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Children's Parrot Welfare Book Launch and Reading Event with Adam Arkin, Beau Bridges and More!


Here, There and Everywhere” is a new children's book collaboration between author Mira Tweti, an award-winning animal welfare journalist, and illustrator Lisa Brady. Together they have created a breathtaking collage of words and colors that invites children and parents into the world of Sreeeeeeeet the Lorikeet.

This is probably the first parrot-welfare book for children, and it is as fun as it stunning. It is also printed on 100% recycled paper and has an upcoming groovy launch party with Adam Arkin, Beau Bridges, hip hop artist Mystic and..Eco-Libris. Check details below!

Here's a bit I found pretty funny and I can already imagine how hilarious it is going to be to read it aloud to a child:

When Sreeeeeeeet traveled he pooped on the flowers and leaves, bushes and bees. His poop
plopped seeds to the ground and they sprouted”

And later on:

It’s not good for a bird to be in a cage all the time,” said the owner. “They need to stretch their wings and move around freely like my birds do here.”

“It’s not good for me or my expensive furniture if he poops on it!” Peter’s mom replied.”

To find out more you'll just have to get the book!

So without further ado here are details on the book's launch party:

Actor Adam Arkin, co-star of the new NBC hit series "Life" to join actor Beau Bridges and hip hop artist Mystic with readings from the new book at a “Launch Party for Kids and Grownups”


Author and award-winning animal welfare journalist, Mira Tweti, will introduce the founders of two local parrot rescues: Rose Levine of Parrots First and Daniel Hill of The Lily Sanctuary. They will bring some parrots in their care and talk about their work caring for unwanted birds.

Tweti and illustrator, Lisa Brady, will sign first edition copies of Here, There and Everywhere, hot off the press and in time to buy as a meaningful and beautiful holiday present that benefits avian and animal welfare with each sale.

Eco-Libris will be there as well! As part of a collaboration with author Tweti, Eco-Libris stickers will be offered at the event. So when you buy a signed copy, you can buy a sticker and put it right there on your new book.
Eco-Libris will plant a tree for the book you just got, thereby helping to replenish forests which are the habitat of many endangered species. More on our collaboration with Parrot Press to be announced soon.


When: Sunday, December 16, 1-4 p.m.


Where: Frank Pictures Gallery
Bergamot Station A-5
2525 Michigan Ave
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Want more details? call 310-828-0211

Yours,
Eylon @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Monday, December 10, 2007

Green holidays - the greeting cards

One of the holidays big green issues is the greeting cards. Greeting is a nice gesture, but should it necessarily have environmental impacts?

Every year 2.65 billion holiday cards are sent in the U.S. alone. hundreds of thousands of trees are cut down to meet this demand. This is definitely a place where we can go green and act more sustainably, and the good news is that it's easier (and cheaper) than ever.

Here are few examples for greener options:
1. Make your own cards - on the website Allie's Answers, I found a great tip on making your own cards:

I’ve been saving magazines and scraps of pretty paper all year. Using a few decorative punches, and a glue stick, I mounted shapes on to recycled card stock and used rubber stamps to spell out holiday greetings.

You can get really creative with your reused materials. I made snowflakes out of scrap computer paper, aluminum foil, paper bags, and even the foil top from my vitamin bottle. The cards are easy to make. This would be a good project to do with your kids.

2. Send an online holiday card - this is also a paper-free and much greener option. You can find many websites that offer you to email greeting cards on your behalf at no cost. If you look for something more special you can check out Three Leaf Cards, which provides you with provide a customized holiday online card solution that is both only tree-free and carbon neutral.

Another interesting option would be to use the services of GoldMail, which offers an alternative, fun, and free way to send personalized messages. Friends of the Urban Forest. Check out GoldMail's presentation here - http://cdn2.goldmail.com/?GMID=1s0ntr484dns.

3. Send holiday cards made of recycled paper - If you decide to purchase greeting cards on the holidays, you can find beautiful cards made of recycled paper. Our recommendation would be on Doodle Greetings, whose cards we use for Eco-Libris holiday gifts.

Doodle Greetings is a Co-op America member from Kensington, MD. Their cards come with a beautiful design, printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and are made chlorine-free and acid free. Furthermore, according to Doodle Greeting's website, the paper is made entirely with renewable energy (primarily wind power).

Other ideas for cards made of recycled paper or tree-free paper can be found on this Ideal Bite's tip.

The bottom line is that the green options are right there (and we even didn't mention recycling the holiday cards you receive from others..). All you have to do is just choose and make someone else knows you care about him or her, but also about the environment :-)

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris


Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Sunday, December 9, 2007

How to live off-grid - Holiday green gift guide for book lovers: part 8

Today, stuffed with too much donuts and latkes (Hanukkah is here!), I'm happy to present you with part 8 of Eco-Libris blog's holiday green gift guide, the guide that will help you find the best green books to give as gifts this holiday season.

Today we have the pleasure to bring you a recommendation of Tracy Stokes of
EcoStreet on a great new book that will take you off the grid.

Tracy is a green blogger (she co-founded
EcoStreet) and an online activist who lives in suburban Surrey. She lives life to the full as a stay-at-home-mother, organic food gardener, vegetarian cook, permaculture and green living enthusiast. If you should chance to meet Tracy, you'd be amazed at how fast she can turn a conversation round to recycling.

Tracy Stoke's recommendation for this holiday's gift is:

How to Live Off-grid: Journeys Outside the System

Author: Nick Rosen

Publisher:
Doubleday

Published in: 2007

What it is about: In "How to live off-grid", Nick Rosen goes into every detail of off-grid living. He provides not only the inspiration to get off the beaten track and find your own space, but also countless resources to help you do just what he suggests.

To gather the information to write this book, Nick took to the road with his wife and baby daughter in a converted care bus fuelled by vegetable oil and sun. They toured the UK meeting with off-gridders of all sorts. Yurt-dwellers, communards, utopians and rural squatters were all on Nick's path, all living happy and comfortable lives completely off-grid. Their stories are fascinating, inspiring and sometimes quite far-out. But they all have some lessons to pass on to those of us who until now have only dream about being self-sufficient.

Why it's a great gift: It's a great bit of escapism from the excesses of the holidays.

Thank you Tracy for a great recommendation! If you want to learn more on life off-grid, check out this site - http://www.off-grid.net/. You can also find there some extracts from this book.

If you choose to give your friends or family this book as a gift on the holidays, you are more than welcome to balance it out with Eco-Libris, add its sticker to the book and make it the perfect green gift for the holidays.

And just a reminder, here are the other recommendations we had so far on our guide:
Part 1 - The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Part 2 - Home Work : Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
Part 3 - The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Part 4 - The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Part 5 - Deep Economy by Bill McKibben
Part 6 - The Armchair Environmentalist by Karen Christensen

Friday, December 7, 2007

Eco-Libris' offers for the holidays

Here's a quick reminder of the two gift options we're offering for the holidays:

1. Special Eco-Libris gift for the holidays - Plant trees to balance out the books your loved ones read. We will send them a beautiful holiday card and Eco-Libris stickers to display on their books’ sleeves. Just change the shipping address on the payment page to the address of the gift receiver and we will take care of the rest!

The holiday greeting cards we send are made by
Doodle Greetings (see picture). Not only these cards come with a beautiful design, but they are also eco-friendly - printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper and are made chlorine-free and acid free. Sounds like a good fit with Eco-Libris stickers!

2.
Special Eco-Libris gift certificate - give an Eco-Libris gift certificate to the people you care about, with which they will be able to plant trees for the books they read. For every tree planted, we will send them an Eco-Libris sticker to display on their book’s sleeve.

All you have to do is to choose the gift certificate you would like to give, press the 'buy' button and fill in the details on PayPal page. You can later decide if you want to send the certificate online or print it and send it by mail. Please note that you don't need to have a paypal account to purchase the gift certificate (PayPal accepts credit and debit cards), but the gift receiver will need to open a PayPal account (free of cost) to use your gift certificate.

Happy Holidays!
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Thursday, December 6, 2007

An interview with Jack Guest, creator of the film 'A Convenient Truth'


















About two weeks ago I wrote here about a new film about the world getting better - 'A Convenient Truth'. I saw the trailer, read about the film on its website and was very intrigued with the film and its creator, Jack Guest.

I decided I should learn more about the film and Guest, and asked Guest for an interview. He agreed and I am happy to bring you my interview with Jack - the guy who brings us a movie that is both a green and a personal journey to a better future.

Can you please tell us what the movie is about? How does it relate to 'An Inconvenient Truth'?

The film's about the possibility that things can get better. An Inconvenient Truth showed us in no uncertain terms that we face a huge problem on planet earth. A Convenient Truth looks at turning that problem into an opportunity, showing that we can make things work, for everybody.

Is the final movie similar to what you had in mind when you started this journey?

Only a little. Once we started filming it took on a life of its own, it's a very organic process. At first I wanted to jump straight from amateur filmmaker to Oscar-winning professional, without realising that I didn't have the skills to do that. If I'd realised how much work goes into making a film I'd probably never have started.

Why did you choose to go to Sweden from all places?

I was doing lots of local green politics at the start of 2006 when Sweden announced plans to break their dependence on oil by 2020. This was a big declaration at the time. The scale of climate change wasn't widely acknowledged then as it is now, so it was a bold, forward-looking and exciting decision, and I wanted to know more.

What was the most important green lesson you learned during the work on the film?

That consistency and constancy of action is more important than grand gestures.

Is there really a convenient truth? Do you believe the Swedish solutions can be applied to other countries with different ways of thinking, like the U.S. for example?

Yes. The cornerstone of the Swedish solutions was collaboration and action. It's this spirit, rather than the specifics of solutions (which will always change from location to location), that can and needs to be applied to other countries.

The people I met were inspirational in that they saw very clearly that there was a big problem, were in no doubt as to the importance of doing something about it, and so just got on and did something. No big fuss or argument.

Their 2006 oil commission report, for example, saw politicians, civil service, business, citizens and the media all working together, communicating and collaborating to get the job done.

Many people claim that no matter what we, the people, do it has no real influence, and only governments, policies and regulation can make a difference - what are your thoughts about this claim?

For me it's a personal issue. There will always be voices on the sidelines, arguing, heckling, seeking to undermine the good work being done. My question is this, am I doing what I need to do about this issue? Am I doing the best that I know how? And will I look back and be satisfied that I played my part, whatever the eventual outcome is. If I can answer yes then I know I am contributing, no matter what anyone else says or does.

Did you manage to keep the work on the film environmental-friendly?

Yup, we're a super low carbon film. I don't know how low, but very, very low. Certainly the best that we knew how. Most of our work has been done digitally, we travelled efficiently.

What are your plans concerning the distribution of the film? will it be available online? any plans to participate in film festivals?

We're in talks with one distributor at the moment, and it's too early to say anything more. Releasing the feature length preview (95 minutes) online has worked very well. I think the main film will be more suited to a traditional style release, although there are some exciting self-distribution options opening up, like Brave New Cinemas as a way for people to organise screenings of new films for themselves all around the world.

The organic nature of the production so far has meant we haven't done any forward-planned applications to film festivals and given the ACT NOW message, I don't want to wait many months to get a good slot. We'll see.

Why did you choose to start with a 95-minute preview? what is the difference between the preview and the movie itself?

To get the film rolling, show people what we saw in Sweden, and help fund the main release next year.

The preview film is a little rough around the edges and focuses on the Swedish people and projects that we visited. Although split into five parts it remains a film in itself, produced on a low budget by a great team of collaborators. Someone said watching it is like having a nice massage.

The main movie has been produced on a bigger budget, with a more experienced team and is aimed at a wider audience. It's less about the specific Swedish solutions and more about my journey to the country, making the film, and then continuing across the Atlantic by cargo ship. It's a lot more personal.

Any advice to people who will want to follow your steps and make their own independent films on green issues? would you say that with all the hardship and budget difficulties it was worthwhile?

Absolutely. Hardship and difficulties were the only way to learn what to do better next time. My advice is go for it.

What are your plans for the future? any new project in the horizon?

I'm doing a course in Shiatsu massage and oriental therapy to learn about practical hands-on healing. There is another film on the horizon too, it's a continuation of the journey really, about going to meet some smart people to ask if it's our inner lives that are heating up the planet.

Did you receive a phone call from Al Gore yet?

No. He's a busy man. Maybe once we've built his 200 foot gold statue he'll visit.

Thank you Jack! I am going to watch the preview this weekend and I invite all of you to check it out. The 95-minute preview splits into five parts, between 5 and 30 minutes each. Each part costs about $0.75 (or £1) and
you get 200 credits to watch one part for free.

And there's the trailer, if you want to get a glimpse of the movie:




Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

UK book industry goes (a little bit) green

The Guardian reported yesterday that the UK books trade "has taken a step towards a greener future, setting a target of a 10% reduction in carbon footprint from 2006 levels by 2015."

According to the article, the 10% reduction target has been adopted by the industry's Environmental Action Group (EAG), a panel set up earlier this year by the Booksellers Association and the Publishers Association, where you can find high-level figures from Penguin, HarperCollins, Hachette, Random House and Faber.

This is indeed very encouraging to see that leading organizations in the UK book industry are taking action and moving in the right direction.

But isn't 10% reduction too little? not to mention the fact that the reduction will be from 2006 figures. The Kyoto Protocol for example referred to 1990 figures as the basis for CO2 reduction calculations (although, there it was only 5% reduction of 1990 figures).

Not only that, but it's also only a recommendation. Tim Godfray, the chief executive of the Booksellers Association, explained that the figure is a non-binding target they are "encouraging publishers and booksellers to adopt".

Still, I think that it is better than doing nothing and it shows that the UK book publishing industry do not ignore the environmental impacts of the industry. I truly hope to see bolder steps following this one.

Andy Tait from Greenpeace also addressed this issue on the article saying "however, the target is an encouraging start, but it's not enough...Encouraging booksellers and publishers to reduce their carbon footprint by 10% is a positive gesture, but a much more serious impact would be made if the publishing industry insisted that the pulp and paper industry that supplies them cleans up its act. Energy efficiency, clean renewable energy and an end to using paper from ancient forests could transform the industry that supplies the raw materials for our books and magazines."

I join Tait in his call to the industry and would like to add to his list also the urgent need to significantly increase the use of recycled paper.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Eco-Libris at bookstores in Northern California

I love bookstores. I can spend hours just wandering around and looking for great books.. And now in Northern California it's getting even better - you can find Eco-Libris in bookstores!

Yep, starting this week you can find Eco-Libris stickers in three independent bookstores.

- East West Bookstore: 324 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA 94041 www.eastwest.com

- San Francisco State University Bookstore: 1650 Holloway Ave. San Francisco, CA 94132 www.sfsubookstore.com

- Willow Glen Books: 1330 Lincoln Ave. San Jose, CA 95125

In these bookstores, you can buy a new book and balance it right there. You will receive a sticker of Eco-Libris that you can proudly display on the new book, and of course a new tree will be planted to balance out the paper used for printing your new book.

All of these independent bookstores are members of the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA), which Eco-Libris is proud to work with. We are happy to work with independent bookstores since we see them as a viable part of a local economy that supports both community life and regional sustainability.

We hope to see more bookstores joining the list of stores that provide their customers with the opportunity to balance out the books they bought on spot. We will keep you of course posted!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Monday, December 3, 2007

Leadership down under













Today's post is not about books, trees, sustainable reading or eco-conscious readers. It's about leadership. Green leadership.

Today the new Aussie prime minister Kevin Rudd was sworn in as Australia's 26th prime minister and his first action as prime minister was to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.

In his first news conference since his election, Mr. Rudd, the new prime minister from the labor party, promised "action and action now" on climate change. And so he did. Now, the U.S. was left as the only developed nation not to have ratified it.

Kudos to prime minister Rudd. This is the kind of leadership we need to fight global warming and other urgent environmental issues we're facing. We can only hope to see such action from the next president of the U.S.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Worldchanging - Holiday green gift guide for book lovers: part 7

I am happy to present you with part 7 of Eco-Libris blog's holiday green gift guide, the guide that will help you find the best green books to give as gifts this holiday season.Today we have the pleasure to bring you a recommendation of Alex Steffen of Worldchanging. Alex recommends on one of the most interesting and comprehensive green books published in the last couple of years, which he knows very well as he also edited it.

Alex Steffen has been the Executive Editor of Worldchanging since he co-founded the organization in 2003, as the next phase in a lifetime of work exploring ways of building a better future. In a very short time, Worldchanging has become the most widely-read sustainability-related publication on the Internet, with an archive of over 7,000 articles by leading thinkers around the world. Steffen works tirelessly to share Worldchanging's ideas and message worldwide through regular speaking appearances to influential audiences and at leading companies such as Weiden + Kennedy, Nike, Amazon, Ideo, Arup, Nau, Yahoo! and the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Prior to founding Worldchanging, Steffen worked as an environmental journalist on four continents (where he wrote about everything from Japan's fast breeder reactor program to the UN "Earth Summit" in Rio de Janeiro). That work led him to provide strategic consultation to over 50 environmental groups. He also served as president of the board of Allied Arts (the venerable Seattle urban design advocacy group), a co-founder of the Livable Communities Coalition and the Fuse Foundation, and has served on the boards or steering committees for numerous other NGOs and campaigns. Steffen's media work extends into newspaper, radio, and an on-air television, and he started the short-lived but influential magazine, Steelhead, in the mid-nineties.

Alex Steffen's recommendation for this holiday's gift is:

Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century

Author: Alex Steffen (Editor), Al Gore (Foreword), Bruce Sterling (Introduction)

Publisher:
Harry N. Abrams Inc.

Published in: 2006

What it is about: Worldchanging: A Users Guide for the 21st Century is a groundbreaking compendium of the most innovative solutions, ideas and inventions emerging today for building a sustainable, livable, prosperous future.

From consumer consciousness to a new vision for industry; non-toxic homes to refugee shelters; microfinance to effective philanthropy; socially responsible investing to starting a green business; citizen media to human rights; ecological economics to climate change, this is the most comprehensive, cutting-edge overview to date of what's possible in the near future -- if we decide to make it so.

The Worldchanging book contains over 600 pages, divided into 7 sections which include a vast range of topics.

Stuff: green design, biomimicry, sustainable food, clothing, trade and technology.

Shelter: green building and landscaping, clean energy, water, disaster relief and humanitarian design.

Cities: smart growth, sustainable communities, transportation, greening infrastructure, product-service systems, leapfrogging and megacity challenges.

Community: education, women's rights, public health, holistic approaches to community development, South-South science, social entrepreneurship and micro-lending, and philanthropy.

Business: socially responsible investment, worldchanging start-ups, ecological economics, corporate social responsibility and green business.

Politics: networked politics, new media, transparency, human rights, non-violent revolution and peacemaking.

Planet: the big picture - everything from placing oneself in a bioregion to climate foresight to environmental history to green space exploration.

Why it's a great gift: Here's some of what people have said about it:

"To build that future, we need a generation of everyday heroes, people who—whatever their walks of life—have the courage to think in fresh ways and to act to meet this planetary crisis head-on. This book belongs in the library of every person who aspires to be part of that generation." Al Gore.

"Read it: it may change your life." Elizabeth Kolbert, New Yorker Writer.

Thank you Alex for your recommendation! This is a great book and one I'm personally going to give it to a dear friend of mine (can't disclose names before giving it..)

If you choose to give your friends or family this book as a gift on the holidays, you are more than welcome to balance it out with Eco-Libris, add its sticker to the book and make it the perfect green gift for the holidays. And of course, don't forget to check the website of Worldchanging, one of the most mind-provoking environmental websites out there.

And just a reminder, here are the other recommendations we had so far on our guide:

Part 1 - The Man who Planted Trees by Jean Giono
Part 2 - Home Work : Handbuilt Shelter by Lloyd Kahn
Part 3 - The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Part 4 - The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle
Part 5 - Deep Economy by Bill McKibben
Part 6 - The Armchair Environmentalist by Karen Christensen

The whole guide can be found here - http://www.ecolibris.net/holiday_guide.asp.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: a great green gift for the holidays!

Now you can find on our website two special offers for the holidays - holiday greeting cards and holiday certificate gifts.