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Nov 30, 2023

10 Must Read Books About Sustainability

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When it comes to the environment, we are constantly bombarded with an endless stream of depressing news, scary statistics, and foreboding warnings. With all this negative information being fed to us, it’s very easy to feel overwhelmed by the situation we face. However, there is a brighter side to all this, a better way to approach the situation that isn’t just looking at charts and numbers. We have found 10 books that can help you understand our environmental situation and offer some guidance on how you could do your part to make a difference.

Cradle to Cradle

By William McDonough & Michael Braungart

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135527.527.png We have all heard the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”, or in other words do more with the stuff that we already use, and it’s a great rule to live by, however as McDonough & Braungart point out in their book, this is not a total solution, it simply creates a temporary solution for an essentially unsustainable manufacturing model. This book dives into how updating our manufacturing process at the source can provide a much more effective and sustainable future.

Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes

By Dana Thomas

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135605.405.png What to wear is a question that we ask ourselves every single day, the pressures of society implore us to constantly update our wardrobe and keep things fresh. However, this constant search for fresh new trends has translated into a significant impact on the environment. This book by Dana Thomas is an investigation into the environmental impact of the clothing industry and a well-researched exploration of the future of the clothing industry.

Rebuilding Earth: Designing Ecoconscious Habitats for Humans

By Teresa Coady

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135631.552.png This book by Canadian architect Teresa Coady looks at how the architecture that we currently rely on is impacting the environment, and it explores how an alternative approach can help humanity thrive in the future. Coady’s refreshingly optimistic perspective creates an enjoyable and valuable read that can help us understand existing problems better and offers vibrant solutions for the betterment of all.

No One is Too Small to Make a Difference

By Greta Thunberg

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-30T121719.172.png At just 15 years old, Greta Thunberg sparked a global movement that inspired millions of students to go on strike and show their support for the planet. Now, in her own words, we can now understand this teen phenomenon just a little better. Featuring all her globally recognised speeches from her address to the United Nations to her speech at Capitol Hill.

Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility

Edited by Rebecca Solnit & Thelma Young Lutunatabua

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135755.591.png Solnit and Lutunatabua have taken the all too frequent ‘doom and gloom’ reports of the decline of the natural world and redelivered the narrative to present a situation that is filled with hope rather than despair. The book features contributions from key voices in the climate conversation such as climate scientist Dr.Jacquelyn Gill, writer & lawyer Julian Aguon, and poet Kathy Jetnil-Kijner.

How Bad Are Bananas?: The carbon footprint of everything (2020 Update)

By Mike Berners-Lee

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135827.783.png In this revelation-provoking book, Berners-Lee maps out the carbon impact of our day-to-day tasks in astonishing detail. This book will help you develop a deeper understanding of the impact that your daily routine has on the environment, from sending a text to getting on a flight, everything has a carbon footprint. This book also reveals what kind of impact larger events like the football World Cup, or a volcanic eruption have on the environment.

Sustainable Beauty: Practical Advice and Projects for an Eco-Conscious Beauty Routine

By Justine Jenkins

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135853.610.png If you are looking to lead a more environmentally conscious lifestyle while maintaining a low-cost, low-waste beauty routine, this book is the ideal solution to help you achieve your goal. Jenkins, a holistic and sustainable make-up artist consultant, helps you break down your beauty routine, avoiding the hefty price tags and by giving us a quick and easy DIY solution to achieve excellent results.

The Zero Waste Cookbook: 100 Recipes for Cooking Without Waste

By Giovanna Torrico and Amelia Wasiliev

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T135933.192.png We can all be more sustainable in the things we do, and cooking is no exception. But when it comes to cooking it’s very easy to end up with a whole lot of waste; egg shells, banana peels, fish skins, even water. This is why Giovanna Torrico and Amelia Wasiliev have created this collection of over 100 recipes that can help you stretch your produce further and reduce your waste to an absolute minimum.

Sustainable Escapes

By Lonely Planet

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T140002.016.png Doing our part to help the planet doesn’t have to stay at home, the last place you might expect to have a positive impact on the environment is on holiday, but this book by Lonely Planet proves that it is possible. The book features an array of incredible eco-friendly holiday ideas from tending livestock in the rugged wilds of outer Mongolia to relaxing in a yoga class on the banks of Lake Nicaragua.

Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard

By Douglas W. Tallamy

Top 10 Blog Template - 2023-11-24T140037.739.png In his first book ‘Bringing Home Nature’, Tallamy identified the link between a healthy local ecosystem and the well-being of the people that live in and around it. In this next book, he advocates for the promotion of natural life in your own garden. The book provides effective and actionable ways for you to promote a healthy ecosystem by making small changes to the outdoor space that you have.

So that concludes the list of our 10 favourite books about sustainability. Hopefully, these titles can provide a breath of fresh air in a world of hard statistics. Whether you are looking for a greener closet or you are looking for the perfect eco-friendly holiday, these books can help you get there. Make sure your old books don’t go to waste and earn some money when you recycle them through the WeBuyBooks App.

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