Trees planted by our planting partner AIR in Guatemala help to mitigate some damages of Hurricane Agatha

Last month Central America was hit by Hurricane Agatha. The worst-hit country was Guatemala - the BBC reported, nearly 112,000 people have been evacuated from their homes across Guatemala and AP updated earlier this month that officials in Guatemala reported 152 dead (out of 179 in Central America).

One of our planting partners, AIR, is working in Guatemala and we got in touch with Dr. Anne Hallum, the Director of AIR, who is in Guatemala with a team of volunteers to plant trees as this is the planting season.

Dr. Hallum updated us that they have been driving around visiting villages where AIR works and saw the damages from the floods. Thankfully, they have also seen the miracles of the pine trees which AIR had planted, which acted like brakes on the mudslides. Still, though, tragedy struck one of the families with which AIR has worked for years when a mudslide destroyed a house and four members died, while one is hospitalized.

Dr. Hallum also reported that AIR's Board members have responded beautifully with donations for this emergency, and they're delivering another truckload of supplies next week.

AIR is doing such an important work in Guatemala and we're very grateful for that and proud to be their partners! We're also very proud to hear that the trees they plant with our support have such a significant impact on people's life. Dr. Hallum added that 'we just wish we could plant in the whole country!'. Well, we hope that it will happen sooner the later and we definitely hope that our work at Eco-Libris will contribute significantly to this effort!

Dr. Hallum sent us few photos from Guatemala I would like to share with you:

These are pictures of what is left of a bridge & fishing town along the Rio Monogua, in southern Chimaltenango.



Photo of a young pine forest planted by AIRES that stopped a mudslide from across the road




Little boy helping to clean up outside of De Vega Santa Apolonia, Department of Chimaltenango, two days after Hurricane Agatha on Saturday, May 29th.


AIR truck loaded with supplies we delivered to the Emergency center of the City of de Vega Santa Apolonia, three days after Hurricane

Mountains around Simajhuleu, Department of Chimaltenango, where AIR planted trees 8 years ago, which are growing strong.

To learn more about AIR please visit their website - www2.stetson.edu/air

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

What's the connection between 18 miles of books, Julie and Julia, Robert Pattinson and Eco-Libris?

In one word: Strand.

Yes, we just wanted to remind you that if you happen to be in New York and you look for a good bookstore, then Strand Bookstore is your place.

Located in 828 Broadway (at 12th St.), this New York's independent landmark bookstore is not only one of most famous bookstores in the world (Did you know that Nora Ephron shot a scene from the movie Julie and Julia at the Strand, or that Robert Pattinson plays Strand employee Tyler Hawkins in the new movie, Remember Me?), but also a partner of Eco-Libris.

Strand are taking part in our bookstore program and customers at the store can plant a tree for every book they buy there and receive our sticker at the counter! And just to make sure you won't forget about the option to green up the book/s you just bought, you'll find next to the counters this reminder:

So if you're in New York, don't forget to visit Strand. With their tremendous selection of more than 2.5 million used, new and rare books, I can assure you a great experience!

Strand's address: 828 Broadway (at 12th St.) New York, NY 10003

Website: http://www.strandbooks.com (and don't miss their impressive list of events).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Do you really need a receipt with every little purchase you make?

Software Advice, an online consumer reports for point of sale systems recently hosted a poll to end paper receipts. They want to see consumers and retailers adopt electronic alternatives to traditional print receipts.

Why? For starters, it takes a lot of trees to produce paper receipts. According to some estimates, the figure is over 9 million annually. Not to mention, the amount of CO2 emitted by producing only one ton of receipt paper is equivalent to the amount of exhaust a car emits while driving for an entire year!

Over 200 voters participated in their poll. 89% said they support getting rid of paper receipts, 7% voted no, 3% are undecided and the leftover 1% said they don't care.

So what's keeping retailers and consumers from adopting electronic receipts? The main problem is inertia (or lack thereof). There are millions of consumers and retailers, and getting everyone to change their ways isn’t easy.

The bottom line is that the right solution, which will guarantee customers satisfaction, can be a win-win-win solution: Saving paper = Saving trees = Saving money.

To see a list of potential motivators and the poll results, head to: Please Kill the Paper Receipt.

You can also explore another idea that is implemented at Sainsbury's - two-sided receipts.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Why HP wants us to print more and more? Why it's a lose-lose offer?

Printing is a major money maker for HP - more printing equals more printers and ink sold. The printing division of HP, reports the New York Times, accounts for about a fifth of its revenue and a third of its profits.

HP is now introducing "a fleet of printers with Web access, their own e-mail addresses and touch screens. These products should open up new ways for people to print from Web services like Google Docs, and from smartphones and devices like the iPad from Apple."

I believe that this is a bad move for HP, a lose-lose strategy that is both bad for the environment and their business. Here's why:

1) Individuals and companies use less and less paper. And it looks like an irreversible trend.

According to figures provided by Paper Industry Association Council (PIAC), the supply of paper is declining since 2004. Just look at the figures (000 tons):

2004 - 101,884
2005 - 99,613
2006 - 100,665
2007 - 97,007
2008 - 89,838
2009 - 78,902

From 2004 to 2009 the supply of paper in the U.S. saw a 29% decline. Now, you can see that it didn't start with the latest recession, a good indicator that individuals and companies find printing more and more unnecessary even when economy thrives.

The reasons? Very simple: It's expensive to print given the user-friendly alternatives we have thanks to the progress of technology.

So the idea of HP is something like 'if you can't beat them, join them' - we'll look at technology as a platform for producing more print, not as an obstacle. But with all the respect to their new features, I doubt if any of this changes the basic assumptions: a) printing still costs more money than other options b) we really don't need to print that much as we used to.

2) Printing equals more waste and more carbon footprint.

As both individuals and companies are looking for further ways to reduce their waste and their carbon footprint (win-win - less expenses and less impact on the environment), HP's new offer looks a bit counterproductive with regards to these efforts and hence not too attractive.

HP tries to look as it is heading forward, but actually by encouraging individuals and companies to print more it moves backwards. I have no idea why the world's largest technology company, which is known for being so innovative, doesn't look for sustainable innovations that will generate not only income but also eco-friendly solutions.

In all I'm somewhat disappointed that a company like HP, which is considered a relatively green company, is taking such an approach. I understand printing makes them a lot of money, but they can do better - they developed advanced eco-friendly digital printing devices and they design data center, which uses rainwater collection and recycled materials to reduce energy demands, so they can definitely find better ways to generate income rather than just encourage us to print more.

Last but not least, I would encourage HP directors to look into the way JP Morgan is working to assist businesses to switch into paperless operations, saving these businesses a lot of money and creating a new source of revenues for JP Morgan. Win-Win? Definitely!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green Book of the week: The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book by Monika Mira

We're getting ready for the World Oceans Day that will be celebrated tomorrow with a great book that helps making the identification of fish a fun experience for kids.

Our book is:

The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book

Author: Monika Mira

Monika Mira's passion for marine life conservation began nearly 15 years ago when she volunteered to identify fishes at the UH Sea Grant information desk at Hanauma Bay. At that time, she found that it was easier to learn to identify the fishes if she painted or illustrated them. These initial illustrations became the inspiration for The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book.

Since then, Monika has worked on numerous projects to help conserve Hawaii’s natural resources. Besides teaching marine science to grades 6-12, she has been part of a team that regularly assesses the health of Hawaiian Streams based on their biological integrity. She has been painting and drawing since she can remember. Her paintings and illustrations have appeared in newsletters, on T-shirts and on greeting cards both here in Hawaii and on the mainland. The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book offered her the perfect opportunity to combine her talents.

Publisher: Lucid Publishing

Published on: November 2009

What this book is about?
The Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book includes over 200 colorable illustrations to help the reader learn to identify over 80 species of fish. Each illustration is accompanied by a complete description of the fish, including the scientific, common and Hawaiian names. Their anatomical features, coloration, body designs, feeding habits and reproductive strategies are also explained in a fully illustrated section devoted to these topics. In addition, an overview of coral reef ecology is provided to help the reader understand the relationship between the fishes and the coral reef and the importance of conservation.

What we think about it?
I went on Saturday to the beach (Rehoboth Beach in Delaware) and had the amazing experience of watching two beautiful whales swimming very close to the beach. It was not too difficult to recognize that these are whales (they're huge!), but when it comes to smaller fish, there's definitely a challenge to identify them. Then you need a guide such as the Complete Hawaiian Reef Fish Coloring Book.

And this is not a regular guide. The author does a great effort to keep it not only educational, but also fun. I like the whole idea of a coloring book and I think it makes the identification process much more interesting for kids (and their parents as well..) and get them to not only better understand the scientific information about the fish, but also appreciate the richness of the marine world.

This book is of course dedicated to the Hawaiian reef fish, but I think it would be a great book for kids who are curious to learn more about fish, even if they don't go for a vacation in Hawaii. The information in the book is very interesting and enlightening and there's also a useful glossary at the end of the book.

I also want to mention that this book is printed in the US on recycled paper (30% PCW) to better reflect the author and publisher's environmental philosophy.

Bottom Line: A great book to give your kids the next time you go to the beach!

Disclosure: We received a copy of this book from the author.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Green printing tip no. 48: What is new in the Tree free Paper markets?

We are back today with a new tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you information on green printing in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is discussing some great tree free paper options and it's amazing to see what a big variety of options is available. Just pick your favorite and go easy on new trees!

What is new in the Tree free Paper markets?

Tip #48

First, I will review the Tree Free papers for you. We stock the following:

1. Sugar Cane
2. Bamboo
3. Banana
4. Lemon
5. Coffee
6. Mango
7. Hemp
8. TerraSkin
9. Seed Paper

Most of the tree free papers made today are a combination of post-consumer waste and the plant chosen. Tree Free is used to specify no new tree fiber is used to make the new grades of paper.

For example, Sugar Cane is now mixed with Bamboo, at 25% Bamboo, and 25% Sugar Cane,
and 50% PCW. Hemp is 25% Hemp and 75% PCW. Banana, Lemon, Coffee, and Mango, all made in Costa Rica, are 10% plant, and 90% PCW. Last but not least, seed Paper is 100% PCW, and Wild Flower Seeds are hand inserted into the mix. Plant this paper, after using, and wild Flowers will grow. We offer these lines in text and cover weights.

Even 100% PCW is a tree free paper to me. No new trees are used to make 100% PCW paper. All of it is recycled, printed waste. ur 100% PCW lines come in natural, beige, green, kraft, tan and light gray, to name a few of the colors.We offer these lines in text and cover weights.

TerraSkin is different. There is no PCW fiber in TerraSkin - it is made of 80% rock mineral deposits and 20% polymer. TerraSkin uses the most renewable natural resources known to mankind. 60 million years of calcium carbonate, and mineral deposits, found in Limestone, at the bottom of the oceans, are used to make this tear resistant, and waterproof paper.

Terraskin uses the least amount of water to make this paper, and TerraSkin looks and prints like a dull coated paper. The mineral used, Calcium Carbonate, is found in numerous health products, including your toothpaste.

TerraSkin is now offered in pressure sensitive labels, on rolls. We have these rolls in several widths for letterpress, digital and flexo, roll printing. We are using TerraSkin to replace 100% plastic, poly labels. Also, terraSkin is available in flat sizes for commercial printing of
brochures, business cards, hang tags , pocket folders, etc.

Price wise, I list below the order of cost from low to highest price per pound.

1. 100% PCW
2. Bamboo & Sugar Cane
3. Hemp
4. TerraSkin
5-8: Coffee, Banana, Lemon and Mango
9. Seed Paper

Call me for samples.


For additional information, please visit www.gregbarberco.com and www.ecofriendlyprinter.com. You're also invited to contact Greg via email at greg@gregbarberco.com

You can find links to all the tips at http://www.ecolibris.net/greentips.asp

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green printing!

We have a winner on our giveaway of 'The Big Short'!

We had a giveaway following our review of Michael Lewis' new audiobook 'The Big Short' last week.

And we have a winner!

David Lawrence (@dlawrence0425 on twitter) is our winner! Congrats, David! You just won a great audiobook by Michael Lewis who was described by Malcolm Gladwell as "the finest storyteller of our generation." This audiobook is a gift of the publisher, Simon & Schuster Audio.

As we wrote last week, "The Big Short" is full of lessons. Not just for Wal-Street, but also for everyone occupied with global warming, as unfortunately the days of subprime planet are not over as Thomas Friedman predicted in 2008. The mix of short-term thinking, greed, herd mentality and avoiding critical thinking can be catastrophic and of course the question we all ask is how to avoid it. This audiobook is a good place to begin the search for answers.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!