The Newman's Own Organics Guide to a Good Life

Book excerpt: It’s fairly obvious that one can’t be a ‘perfect’ environmentalist. But that’s okay. Perfection isn’t the goal. A good life is. And a good life has as much to do with your intent as with the end result.” —from the Introduction The Newman’s Own Organics Guide to a Good Life is the essential book for those of us who can’t live in an organic hemp tepee but do care about our quality of life, global warming, clean water, and disappearing resources. Nell Newman shows you how to do what is within easy reach. Along with realistic, practical advice, she shows how and why living a more environmentally conscious life benefits you and your immediate surroundings. In addition to recycling and reusing, the book covers consumer-related steps such as • how buying and eating organic food supports small farms (and tastes better, too) • how you can buy clean power through your regular power company • which long-distance telephone companies offer competitive pricing and service while returning a portion of their profits to environmental and educational organizations • where to buy everything—from pots and pans to pet food—so that you can “vote with your dollar” and feel good about your purchases Packed with profiles of fascinating—and sometimes zany—people and a heavy dose of sanity, this book is organized according to the way you really live, making it easy to identify what areas of change are viable for you. A resource directory of publications, retailers, groups, and associations is included in the back of the book.