David Suzuki's Green Guide: How to Find Fresher, Tastier, Healthier Food, Create an Eco-Friendly Home, Make Sustainable Transportation Choices, Reduce Consumption, and Be a Green Citizen

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

In a time of worsening global environmental crises, there’s comfort in being reassured that our individual actions do matter, that buying the Earth more time is possible, if we all do our part.

To help us get started, this guide provides a quick course in ecological literacy, drawing the connections between individual actions and global consequences. These actions are grouped in the broad categories of housing, food, transportation, and consumerism. As we leave the industrial era for the sustainability era, we need to look at our choices in each area, including where we live in relation to our work, how we heat and light our homes, when we drive or fly, what we eat, how we shop, our purchasing choices, where we invest our money, and what we do with the waste we produce. With attention to our choices, the authors say we can cut water consumption by 50 percent, reduce the impact of our travel by 90 percent, switch to 100 percent renewable energy, and reduce our ecological footprint by 90 percent. There’s information included on greenwashing, zero-energy buildings, zero-emission vehicles, the cradle-to-cradle philosophy of manufacturing, and community-supported agricultural projects. The work advocates for a deepening connection to nature and a more thoughtful approach to daily decision making. While encouraging us to live in a manner that respects ecological limits, the guide also asks that we exercise our power as green citizens, influencing the political process.

Each chapter includes an “inspirations” section, giving examples of successes achieved to date. The work draws information—problems and successes—from Canada, the U.S., U.K., and Australia. Comparison charts and reference, such as websites, acknowledge all four countries. The bibliography includes lists of websites and films/videos as well as print publications.

Suzuki, Canada’s best known salesman for environmentally friendly living, is an authoritative voice in this push to get individuals moving towards an economy that respects ecological limits. The work is an invitation to join the sustainability revolution.