Well, Earth Day is almost here and how am I going to celebrate our lovely planet? By shopping, of course. I kid. Sort of.
Big Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World, the wonderful new book by environmentalist Diane MacEachern and author of the Big Green Purse website, has given me, along with all the other women in the world, a whole new way to approach green living. And, without a word of a lie, shopping is key.
We women are the most powerful consumer force in the world. If you can believe it, we spend $.85 of every dollar in the marketplace. (Okay, you’re a fan of this site, so you probably do believe it.)
What matters more, though, is where and how we spend each and every one of those pennies. And by following the strategies laid out in this book, we can make a huge difference.
From the food we eat (MacEachern lists the best foods to buy organic and explains how to really read a label. Biodynamic? Sustainable? Fair Trade? She explains the lingo and helps us avoid being greenwashed) to the clothes we wear (buy organic, low-impact, or recycled materials) and everything in between (cleaning products, jewelry, gardening, kid gear, appliances, furniture – the list really goes on and on), this inspiring book has taught me that every choice I make matters. And that I do, indeed, have a choice.
I love that MacEachern is not afraid to name names, like which brands to avoid, and gives addresses for major companies we may wish to urge to change to organic, fair trade practices. she even devotes specific “Thumbs Down” sections to companies doing less-than-perfect things.
MacEachern’s real-world advice and money-saving information make the book invaluable. And the fact that everything is so easily referenced means I may never shop without Big Green Purse at my side again. Which means I might be a little tired from here on in. It’s a big book. And I’m going to be doing a lot of shopping. –Stephanie
Big
Green Purse: Use Your Spending Power to Create a Cleaner, Greener World by Diane MacEachern is available from our affiliate Amazon, or learn more on the Big
Green Purse website and blog.
