1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet

Oh my goodness.

If you buy just one book this year, let it be 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet. It is such a good beginners resource for everything environmentally responsible.

Here is what it says on the back

"With ideas for recycling, conservation and energy efficiency, 1001 Little Ways to Save Our Planet offers quick, simple ways to reduce your impact on the environment and start living in harmony with the planet. Green-living tips include how to limit the damage done by global warming, pollution and toxins, as well as decrease reliance on fossil fuels and make eco-friendly choices such as buying from sustainable sources. Even if your an energy-guzzling, 4x4-driving, plane-loving consumer, you'll be amazed at how just a few small changes in your work and home life can reap big benefits for the global community."

Hurry. Go. Buy it. Or borrow it.

Here are some of my favorite tips:

298: Remembering to turn off the tap (faucet) while you're brush your teeth, applying make-up or cleanser, or shaving helps save an incredible amount of water. Turning off the tap (faucet) while brushing your teeth can save 7 litres (2 Gal) of water. Try to get into the habit of turning the tap (faucet) off whenever the water is nt actually needed.

217: Instead of buying fabric softners which can leave chemical residues on clothes and pollute the environment in their manufacturing process, try adding 60 mls (1/4 cup) white vinegar to the rinse water.

729: Ten tread mills in the average gym use the same amount of electricity in a day that it would take to run your hairdryer non-stop for an entire year. Stick to weights and non-electric machines like spinning bikes.

Vegetarian Cooking

I have discovered, in my newfound status as a cook, that being somewhat vegetarian (i.e. not having access to wild game), makes for an enjoyable cooking experience.

This revelation occured with the help of what has to be The Best-Ever Vegetarian Cookbook . Funny. That's also it's title.

This book is full of fun recipes that create delicious meals. Jeremiah and I have enjoyed them so much (except for the evening when I set off the fire alarm). I think that night, we just ended up eating cereal. But that's OK. It's the effort that counts.

Jeremiah (a sworn red meat-eater) has thoroughly enjoyed the fruits of this book. His favorite? Baked Leeks with Cheese and Yoghurt.

THE ALCOHOLISM AND ADDICTION CURE - A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO TOTAL RECOVERY by Chris Prentiss

During the past few weeks I read a book that was given to me. The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure - A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery by Chris Prentiss is one of the most enlightening books that I have ever read. Not because of his views of alcohol and drug dependency and their causes, but because the book informed me that these views are relatively new to the world of addiction therapy.

Chris believes that drug and alcohol dependent people don't have an incurable disease. Dependency is 100% curable. Alcoholics and drug addicts are simply trying to cope with the world in which they live. Their coping mechanisms just happen to be alcohol and drugs. And alcohol and drugs work very well. Regardless of whether or not they will eventually kill you. I always thought it was obvious. Apparently not. So I will help Chris spread the word, and promote his book as well.

The book itself is great. It is easy to read and full of warmth, very chatty. It is a wealth of information both for dependent people and for their therapists. This book makes a great reference source. The third chapter is written by Chris's son, Pax. Pax was addicted to heroine, cocaine and alcohol for ten years. Chris got him clean forty times. This chapter is Pax's story and it is as heartening and illuminating as it is appalling.

Once Pax discovered the reason for his dependency and he and Chris were able to cure it, they opened a rehabilitation centre for dependency treatment in Malibu called Passages. It has the highest success rate of any dependency treatment center in the world.

USING DEATH TO LIVE YOUR LIFE

“If we can live with the knowledge that death is our constant companion, traveling on our “left shoulder”, then death can become in the words of Don Juan, our "ally", still fearsome but continually a source of wise counsel. With death’s counsel, the constant awareness of the limit of our time to live and love, we can always be guided to make the best use of our time and live life to the fullest. But, if we are unwilling to fully face the fearsome presence of death on our left shoulder, we deprive ourselves of its counsel and cannot possibly live or love with clarity. When we shy away from death, the ever-changing nature of things, we inevitably shy away from life.”

- M. Scott Peck
The Road Less Traveled

The Road Less Traveled is an excellent source of easy-reading life philosophy. It covers what love is and what love is not; parenting skills that are necessary for any child who is to value himself as an adult; taking control of your life and your decisions.
- Sarah