Earth Day has been observed for nearly 40 years. It is an oppurtunity to remind everyone to stop and think about the environment and how we are treating it. Very small changes could go a long way to reducing the negative impact human activity has on the earth.
Some ways to better take care of your planet:
- Recycle! Almost everything can be recyled...paper, plastics, cans, glass, electrical appliances, pharmaceutical products, etc...
- Make your own compost heap or buy a compost bin from your local authority to get rid of food waste and even egg cartons and shredded paper.
- Reuse when you can...yogurt pots make good seed growing containers, kids can have great fun making art and crafts from toilet roll holders, plastic bottles, cereal boxes, old magazines and newspapers, etc...
- Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth.
- Don't drink bottled water if you have perfectly tasty tap water available.
- Switch off all appliances at the power source instead of just leaving them on standby.
- Always put on a full load in the washing machine, never half; only wash clothes that are actually dirty, not just worn for an hour; and hang out your clothes in good weather instead of using the tumble dryer.
- Look at alternatives to some of the products you buy...there's often an organic alternative or one thats less harmful to the environment, for much the same price.
- If you can at all, walk or cycle instead of using the car.
- And finally...use you local library instead of buying books!! It'll save you money as joining is free; you can bring back your books and get more as often as you like; and you won't have to figure out where you'll have to store the books in the end or how you'll get rid of them!
If you're interested in learning more about the environment, the impact we are having on it, and what we can do to change you might like to have a look at some titles we have in our collection...
Do you want to enjoy home-grown vegetables and fruit that are free of chemicals? Would you like to create a natural garden teeming with wildlife? Learn how to achieve both, whilst protecting the environment, in five easy steps with this practical and handy guide. Packed with information, checklists, step-by-step instructions and at-a-glance tables, in "Organic Gardening Basics", you will find expert advice on everything from basil to Brussels sprouts and plums to pansies from one of Britain's leading organic gardeners.
This manual covers every aspect of domestic
renovation from heating and electrical systems through to building materials and outdoor space. Whether you want to work out the payback period on a wind turbine or find out about the most eco-friendly floor covering, all information is presented in a clear and practical format with colour photography throughout. With up-do-date information about emerging renewable sources of power, along with step-by-step projects for the home and garden, this will be an invaluable resource for all home owners.
Healthy Eating Magazine 1999
"This book by Luke Anderson is for all of us who like to make informed decisions about what we eat and why. He explains what genetic engineering is, who's developing these foods and why, and what are the implications for health, farming and the environment. Extremely well researched...Well worth reading whatever your viewpoint."
This book is a gloriously illustrated celebration of herbs in all their beauty and variety. Herbs have been valued for thousands of years for their aromatic, health-giving and culinary qualities. Today, they are also loved as attractive additions to a garden, as a sweet-smelling form of decoration, and for their soothing and therapeutic effects. This book opens with profiles of the Super Herbs - 20 of the most popular varieties. Growing Herbs is then explored in detail. Living with Herbs offers a wealth of creative ideas for making the most of herbs in every room. There are 35 easy recipes for cooking with herbs and an A-Z of 75 common herbs, summarizing essential information about each plant's character and cultivation.
From a small terraced house in the middle of a big city, Paul Waddington has tried or researched every aspect of being a 'twenty-first-century smallholder'. Here he provides practical, straightforward answers to these and many other questions, showing how you can enjoy the fulfilling aspects of the smallholding life without the hassle and expense of 'going all the way'. If you want to go back to the land without leaving the home, this is the perfect guide.
Are you aware of your 'eco-footprint'? Dick Strawbridge and
his family decided that they needed to reduce theirs - this meant reducing the amount of land, water and other natural resources required to support their lifestyle. To accompany the BBC2 TV series, this book chronicles the Strawbridge family's journey from a perfectly normal life and house in the Midlands to a self-sufficient environmentally friendly dream home in the West Country. Written by the flamboyant, moustachioed, eccentric presenter, Dick the Colonel Strawbridge, this book is an inspiration to people thinking of becoming eco-friendly or even just a bit greener. While attractively designed, with specially commissioned colour photos and screen grabs, it will also be full of practical advice, with essential addresses and contact details at the end.
Our plundering of the earth's natural resources and our insatiable appetite for lifestyle commodities has brought the planet to the brink of disaster, threatening all life as we know it. The technology and know-how exists to combat this problem; all that is now required is the people's will to succeed in making it happen. This book promotes understanding and insight into the issue of climate change and shows how all of us, the ordinary people, can save our planet.
The Eco-Design Handbook is the first book to present the best-designed objects for every aspect of the home and office, including the most environmentally sound materials and building products. The book contains three essential components. An introduction puts forward
the history and latest thinking in green design strategies. Its core comprises two sections devoted to detailed illustrated descriptions of objects for domestic living and products for the office or work-related activities. The third element is a vast reference source, defining available materials, from organic to specially developed eco-sensitive composites and then providing detailed information on manufacturers, design studios, green organizations, online information, as well as further reading and a glossary of useful terms and concepts. Lastly, a comprehensive index makes it possible for the reader to find any product, designer or manufacturer instantly. This is a complete resource, equally invaluable for the broad consumer market and for design professionals.And some interesting websites:
www.greenyour.com
www.limerickcity.ie/Environment
http://www.thegreenguide.com/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
http://www.energybulletin.net/
http://www.transitionculture.org/
http://www.communitysolution.org/
http://www.postcarbon.org/
http://www.globalpublicmedia.com/
http://www.peakoil.ie/
http://www.sustainable.ie/
http://www.thevillage.ie/
http://www.feasta.org/
http://www.irishseedsavers.ie/
http://www.gmfreeireland.org/
http://www.foodfirst.org/
http://www.foe.ie/
http://www.soilassociation.org/
http://www.greenpeace.org/
http://www.twnside.org/
http://www.ideaonline.ie/
http://www.cultivate.ie/
http://www.eco-ireland.com/
http://www.wormdigest.org/
http://www.livingarchitecturecentre.com/
http://www.stopclimatechaos.ie/
http://www.sustainability.ie/
http://www.irishgreengathering.com/
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