Shanah Tovah from Eco-Libris!

Today is Rosh Hashanah Eve, the day before Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish holiday celebrating the new year's day according to the Hebrew calendar.

Rosh Hashana is one of my favorite holidays, with many beautiful traditions, such as eating apple slices dipped in honey, which represent our hope for a sweet new year.

I would also like to take this opportunity and wish you all Sahanah Tovah on behalf of Eco-Libris. May this Rosh Hashanah be the beginning of a sweet, green and wonderful year!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant a tree for every book you read!

RIP Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement and Nobel Peace Laureate

Wangari Maathai died on Sunday at the age of 71. She was the mother of three, the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate, and the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1977 Dr. Maatha founded the Green Belt Movement, a non-profit organization based in Kenya, where she mobilized thousands of women to plant trees in an effort to restore the country's indigenous forests, introducing the the idea of community-based tree planting as an effective way to both fight poverty and natural resources degradation. Since 1977, GBM communities have planted over 45 million trees in Kenya to increase national forest cover and restore essential ecosystems. As forest cover has decreased over the years, communities have suffered from severe crop failure and water shortages. GBM’s community development programs that accompany tree-planting efforts have evolved to help women and their families address these basic needs at the grassroots level

For many, myself included, Wangari Maathai was a hero. As someone once told me her strength was in the simplicity of her message - Plant a tree, save the world. Simple actions are powerful. I also admire her ability to empower and inspire people all over the world with her vision, determination and positive thinking.

On receiving the news of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, 2004 she said: “It is evident that many wars are fought over resources which are now becoming increasingly scarce. If we conserved our resources better, fighting over them would not then occur…so, protecting the global environment is directly related to securing peace…those of us who understand the complex concept of the environment have the burden to act. We must not tire, we must not give up, we must persist.”

You can read moore on her work at http://greenbeltmovement.org/w.php?id=59

R.I.P Wangari Maathai and thank you again for everything you did for us and for the legacy you're leaving behind you.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Pick-a-Woo Woo's new book, The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle, is going green with Eco-Libris!

We are happy to announce a new collaboration with our partner, the Australian publishers Pick-a-Woo Woo, on a great new green children's book that was just released: The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle.

100 trees will be planted with Eco-Libris for this book. As you can see in the picture above, our logo is also added to the book's cover.
Based in Western Australia, Pick-a-Woo Woo Publishers are publishers of Mind Body Spirit books for children. Their inspirational books are designed to help children connect with their intuition and inner guidance, develop their awareness skills and enhance their Mind, Body, Spirit connection.

This book is a green book, not just because of the trees planted for it, but also because of the story it tells and the messages it sends to the readers. Here are more details about The Star Who Lost Her Sparkle:

Sprinkle here and Sparkle there. We work with love This cosmic fairytale of a sick star and her sad people is a story we can relate to with our planet today. Luckily, the Fairies from the Great Medicine Star work their wonderful healing arts for happiness. A simple meditation is provided to help spread the sparkle.

A powerful message that reaches out to young and old who care about our beautiful planet Earth.

Author: Tricia mary Lee
" I have always loved writing. I love it as an art form for it's creative expression, as a communication tool for reaching across cultures and continents, as a power tool to inspire the heart and transform our way of thinking."

"The Star who lost her Sparkle" is my first published children's book and it was written in England, where I have a strong Celtic bloodline, hence the fairies!!! "

A self-confessed gypsy, Tricia mary, [who is proud mum to two big men, Tom, a photographer and James, an artist,] currently lives with her husband of 27 years in the beautiful southern forest region of West Australia in communion with this wonderful earth.

Her work journey spans teaching special needs students in the early childhood age range in the UK to literacy consultant in the Kimberley [ far NW Australia ], from practicing various healing modalities to training volunteers in Tender Touch Therapy for work with the aged and especially those with palliative care needs. In 2010 she received the ‘Volunteer of the Year' award for this work.

She is the author of two books for women : "Stop Punishing Yourself" and "The Sacred Goddess Manuscripts" and has more works yet to come. (Note from Pickawoowoo - these books are fantastic)

Copies of the book are available for purchase on Amazon.

Other Pick-a-Woo-Woo titles that go green with Eco-Libris:

The Boy Who Was Born To Love Frogs
Angel Steps
Ocean's Calling
KC the Conscious Came
Archie Angel to the Rescue

More information on these books and other titles published by Pick-a-Woo Woo can be found on their website - http://www.pickawoowoo.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

The future of textbooks, or: What will get 25 percent of the students to give up sex for one month?

Here's a very interesting infographic on the textbooks of tomorrow, where you'll find everything you want to know about the future of this industry, which we hope will be offering students eventually with cheaper and greener solutions.

To see the graphic in full size, please double click on it.


Via: OnlineEducation.net

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

Borders was closed today forever, but at least CEO Edwards has got already job offers..

Today is a sad day for book lovers - GalleyCat reported Borders will close forever today, leaving tens of thousands of booksellers out of work. One who is also out of work, but not worried too much about it is Borders' CEO Edwards.

Edwards did an interview to the Detroit News, and according to the newspaper, "he is an unemployed chief executive without a grudge and with a $125,000 severance check.he doesn't know where he's headed — perhaps Southern California or Oregon, where he led Lucy Activewear and Ellington Leather — but he said he has received job offers from companies impressed with his handling of Borders' bankruptcy."

I'm glad to hear that Edwards already has job offers, but I really couldn't understand how any company can be impressed with his handling the bankruptcy. Borders got the worst outcome possible of this bankruptcy, so what's there to be impressed about exactly?

Also another thing that bugged me on this interview is that Edwards doesn't take on himself any responsibility for what happened - "For most of its life, Borders enjoyed a reputation as the go-to destination for bookworms. But "you can be the best ice salesman in America until the refrigerator comes," Edwards said."

That's it? That's the best you can say? How about 'I take responsibility on what happened'? Nothing even close to that.. Well, if this is the sort of leadership the companies offering him job are looking for then they found their right man!

I still think at least his former employees deserve more than that.

Yours,

Raz @Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read

What can you do with your old newspapers? How about flip flops (or paperflops..)

Don't believe it? Check out Paperflops, flip flops that are made from entirely natural and biodegradable materials.This is not just a great idea, but also a great example of upcycling.

According to Paperflops, which is based in Indonesia, these Flip Flops are made of recycled and up-cycled newspapers. It takes approximately 1kg of old newspapers to produce a pair of PaperFlops Flip Flops. Other materials for the PaperFlop Flip Flops include root from old palm trees, coconut shells, and 100% natural rubber. The PaperFlop Flip Flops are quite durable and water proof since they are protected with a natural rubber sealant. 

Here are some more details about Paperflops from Ulule:

PaperFlops is a creative workshop that employs underprivileged people including street children and disabled people throughout Yogyakarta, Indonesia. This workshop trains and educates these people in arts and crafts to creating amazing products so they can be entirely self-sufficient.

The workshop creates various unique handmade products made from recycled and up-cycled newspapers and other natural materials. All of the materials used in our workshop are environmentally friendly and sustainable. The products produced in our workshop include flip flops, sandals, bags, pencil boxes, and more.

The PaperFlops flip flops exist in different models and of course different sizes.It seems according to Ulule, where Paperflops were looking for funding couple of months ago, that their price is between $50-$60 including shipping, but it's not really clear where and how you can order them right now. If you want a pair, you might want to email Paperflops at thepaperflops@gmail.com to get more details.

Photos credit: Ulule

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant trees for your books!

SFI is losing another battle against FSC with seven companies deciding to stop using it

ForestEthics announced earlier this week that seven companies, including five Fortune 500 companies has joined a growing corporate movement against the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), a controversial forestry certification.

Here is a summary of actions or commitments by these seven companies as provided by ForestEthics:

• Sprint will shift all billing statement paper from SFI to Forest Stewardship Council, a more rigorous label, and will phase out use of the SFI logo on billing envelopes. Finally, Sprint has committed to give purchasing preference to FSC-certified paper.
• Norm Thompson Outfitters removed all references to SFI in print materials and websites and committed to avoid promotion of SFI.
• King Arthur Flour stopped using the SFI logo on its catalogs and switched to FSC certified paper.
• AT&T committed to avoid using the SFI logo and name in its materials, and to give purchasing preference to FSC certified products for all new paper purchases.
• State Farm changed the paper for its biggest promotional item, the State Farm Road Atlas, from SFI to FSC – and committed to state a preference for FSC when the company revises its comprehensive paper policy.
• U.S. Bank committed to avoid using the SFI name and logo on printed materials and other company communications, and to use only the FSC seal when a forest eco-label is used.
• Comcast committed to steps that will avoid future company promotion of SFI.

You can read my analysis on the latest round in the fight on the credibility of the SFI certification and its implications on Triple Pundit.

More articles on this issue:

SFI has released an upgraded standard. Will it be enough to compete with FSC?

ForestEthics is fighting the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification

You can find more resources on our page - SFI vs. FSC

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant trees for your books!