A Green Earth Companion
The Eco-Friendly Page for Readers, Writers, & Everyone Else
“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall
Environmental World News
Nature's Narratives: Exploring Environmental Themes in Literature
Grass Roots of DUNE: The Ecological Origins
Literary Takes on Nature and Environment
Charlotte Brontë’s Epidemic
Marjory Stoneman Douglas: The Writer as Champion
Eco-Friendly Resources
WRITE ABOUT IT: Environmental Writers’ Markets
CLIMATE: The State of the World
NOAA Charts & Graphs on Climate Change
Climate Change Resources: News You Can Use
THE SUSTAINABLE HOME: Living Green
IRS Tax Credit for Renewable Home Energy
State Incentives for Renewables
EnergySage: Competitive Bids Vetted for Home Solar
A Primer on Solar Microinverters
Solar Panels & Home Resale: The Zillo Study
U.S. Guide to Energy-Efficient Home Products
TRANSPORTATION: I Get Around
IRS Tax Credit for Clean Vehicles
U.S. Dept. of Energy EV Charging Stations Locator
ChargePoint EV Charging Stations Locator
ChargeHub EV Charging Stations Locator
BIODIVERSITY: Saving Living Things
LANDSCAPING & FOOD: Dig It
Pollinator-Friendly Plants for You
Plant a Tree! Arbor Day Foundation
Edible Landscapes, Old Farmer’s Almanac
Organic Gardening, Old Farmer’s Almanac
Consumer Reports: 5 Reasons to Use Battery-Power Landscaping Tools
Big Blog of Gardening: Sustainable Lawn & Garden
PARKS & REC: Get Up, Get Outside!
Sustainability Tips & Tricks
Fact: Printer ink/toner cartridges run from $20 to $100 dollars. Yow!
Tip: Print in “draft” setting for non-finals. Draft settings use about 1/2 the toner of high-quality settings. Tip: Recycle cartridges. Some office supply stores, such as Office Depot, pay you for empties. Some online sites also buy them. www.inkrecycling.org helps schools fundraise by recycling cartridges.
Fact: Energy saved in producing recycled paper is about 68% of that of tree-pulp paper (Source: Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries). Recycled paper produces 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution (Source: EPA).
Tip: Print 2-sided using recycled paper, especially for non-final drafts. For 1-sided prints, reuse as scrap paper. Then recycle. Tip: One 500-sheet ream of nonrecycled paper requires .06 trees. Bowker estimates 2.3 million self-published books in the USA in 2023, and 500,000-to-1 million traditionally-published. Assuming 1 ream per draft, and 3 million books annually, 180,000 trees are consumed each year per draft. Use recycled paper. Tip: Look for FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-Certified paper.