Green Cotton

Green Festivals, sponsored by Coop America (now Green America) has put together its list of good green books from 2008- to be read in 2009. These books are available at Better World Books(http://www.betterworld.com)  under the Green Festivals list.

1. Hot, Flat and Crowded - by Thomas Friedman. A perfect follow up to the widely successful The World is Flat—a must read.

2. Hope on a Tightrope by Cornel West. The New York Times best-selling author of Race Matters and Democracy Matters - and for those who missed Dr. Cornel West’s powerful talk in San Francisco . . .

3. Natural Capitalism - A roadmap for understanding how the world economy will change over the next decade.”In this groundbreaking blueprint for a new economy, three leading business visionaries explain how the world is on the verge of a new industrial revolution.”

4. The Green Collar Economy - Van Jones doesn’t talk about it, he IS about it.”In The Green Collar Economy, acclaimed activist and political advisor Van Jones delivers a real solution that both rescues our economy and saves the environment.”

5. Cradle to Cradle - by William McDonough, Michael Braungart. So entrenched in the mission that it isn’t even made of paper; it’s waterproof and biodegradable. McDonough also spoke at DC Green Fest in October 2008.

6. Exposed :The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What’s at Stake for America Power. By Mark Shapiro. If you knew what was in your favorite products, you might think twice…This is my personal next read.

7. The Thrive Diet by Brenda Brazier. The Whole Food Way to Lose Weight, reduce Stress and Stay Healthy for Life. You’ll find out how to save money and eat foods that that will help you physically AND mentally.

8. The Green Parent by Jenn Savedge. While some might suggest that this is an oxymoron, especially if you are a parent, Jenn proves otherwise, with this kid-friendly guide to environmentally friendly living.

9. Go Green, Live Rich by David Bach and Hillary Rosner. 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying. Apparently, going green can actually save you serious cash.

10. My Stroke of Insight – by Jill Bolt Taylor. A brain scientists personal journey. An amazing story about a brain scientist and her journey to recovery after a massive stroke.

Personally, I would also add Green is the New Black by Tasmin Blanchard.

So why buy on Better World Books as opposed to Amazon or elsewhere?

Better World Books (BWB) gives 10% of all purchases to support the continued efforts of the Green Festival. For those of you who have attended one of these, you know how amazing they are. To run an event like that costs a lot more than the $5 - 15 that you pay to enter for the whole weekend. Supporting organizations such as this, help to fuel the green community to keep on creating innovative products, books, ideas, food and services.

In addition, BWB has raised $5.2 million dollars for global literacy through its sales.

Let us know what your favorites are — what is missing from this list of green books for 2009?

DC Green Festivals came and went, and I must say that it held true to its reputation this year—of being a remarkably exciting and fun-filled weekend. With nearly 30,000 people in attendance the 2-day event was jam pac’d with organic and sustainable vendors, speakers, exhibits, food and more.

On the eco-fashion scene, I was duly impressed by the number of exhibitors at the event. Both new and old designers, I found the quality and range of products to be a significantly greater than last year—a positive indication that demand for organic clothing is one the rise (which is in line with Organic Exchange data as well).

A pleasant surprise for me over the weekend however, was how well Green Festivals managed their event recycling.

For any of you who have been to a large conference, you know how much waste is generated on an hourly basis. It can be rather disturbing. How does one get rid of all of it? Being the Green Fest, one can only imagine the pressure on the organizing committee to do an immaculate job at recycling. And guess what? They came through.

I have been to other supposedly “green” events and the recycling program was a disaster (not hard to do). So what did they do?

First, in several strategic areas of the conference hall they placed 4 clearly labeled bins with the following:
•    Compost (for food and biodegradable waste)
•    Paper products
•    Plastics & Glass
•    Landfill (items not recyclable)

Not only was each bin was labeled properly, but there were two workers standing nearby to answer any questions in each area!!  In addition, they had a water station for free water fill up (no need to buy a water bottle!). In fact I did not see any water bottles while there—I am sure there were some, but I did not see any.

Have you ever been to an event when recycling is SUPPOSEDLY in place, BUT the containers are not labeled and there is no one sanding nearby to guide what goes where—so what results is everyone throwing trash wherever they want…ending in total chaos? Well, I am sure a lot of us have, so it is really refreshing when someone finally gets it right—especially when it is for a really large crowd.

Recycling at events like these I believe is so important not only because the volume of waste generated is SO great (and DC Convention Center for example hosts large events every week), but also because it sets a precedent. By modeling behavior in this way, it encourages those of us who might not always recycle to think twice about it. The next time we go to an unlabeled bin we might even ask whoever is standing near: what goes where?

Three cheers for Green Fest (Coop America and Global Exchange) for putting on another extraordinary event.