Friday, September 30, 2011

What if Republican presidential candidates were e-readers?











I saw a funny comparison of CSR reports to celebrities and it got me the idea of comparing the 2012 Republican presidential candidates to e-readers and see if we can find any interesting (and funny) matching and identical characteristics.

So without further ado, here's our comparison. We hope you'll enjoy it.

What if Republican presidential candidates were e-readers:

Michele Bachmann
- NOOK

Why? "Expert recommendations and fun social features"

Herman Cain - Pandigital Novel Color Multimedia eReader

Why? Believes it brings added-value to the field. Bit of too much self-esteem.

Newt Gingrich - Sony Reader

Why? An old-timer. Doesn't really have a chance against the new generation.

Jon Huntsman, Jr.
- Aigo X1 HD

Why? Popular in China.

Gary Johnson
- iriver E-Book Reader

Why? Have you ever heard about it? I guess not..

Ron Paul - Astak EZ Reader

Why? Ignored by the media.

Rick Perry
- Italica Paperback Reader

Why? "Light. Fast. Simple"

Mitt Romney
- Amazon Kindle

Why? Front runner. Yet, you always look for something better.

Rick Santorum
- The Kobo eReader

Why? "Have the look of a winner" (well, probably just the look..)

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Come on Bezos, Kindle My Fire, or: Amazon's week on our blog

Jeff Bezos introduced on Wednesday Amazon’s new Kindle Fire tablet device. The new $199 tablet , as well as Amazon's other new products, the all-new Kindle for only $79, two new touch Kindles – Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G – for $99 and $149, are the biggest development in the e-reader /tablet market since the launch of iPad last year and created an incredible buzz.

We also think this is big news and we will have an Amazon week next week, exploring the impacts of the new products in five posts from our green perspective:

On Monday we'll discuss if the new Kindles will contribute to making e-reading greener.

On Tuesday we'll compare Kindle Fire with iPad 2 and Nook Color and see which device is greener.

On Wednesday we'll see what will be the impact of the new Kindle products on Barnes & Noble.

On Thursday we'll check what will be the impact of the new Kindle products on independent bookstores.

Finally, on Friday, we'll discuss the influence of the new Kindle Fire on Amazon's carbon footprint and if we'll see any change in the company's refusal to disclose it.

See below Jeff Bezos demonstrating the new tablet at a presentation on Wednesday:



So stay tuned and visit us next week to learn more on the green impacts of Amazon's new tablet.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

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

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

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 f
ounded 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!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

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

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

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.

Textbooks of Tomorrow
Via: OnlineEducation.net

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

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

Sunday, September 18, 2011

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