eBay, that giant online garage sale, announced today that it will offer a new green shopping hub.

Mandala Record Clock made from an old vinyl album, and sold on eBay

The hub will help shoppers identify products that are green by virtue of being vintage or used; made of sustainable materials or designed to save energy.

The new shopping hub was formed as a response to eBay’s “Green Team” shoppers who’ve taken a pledge to be green. This online community, which eBay says is about 150,000 strong, has “committed to making greener lifestyle choices.”

Concurrently, eBay is partnering with Team Earth, a coalition of NGOs and private sector companies, to protect rainforests. For the first 250,000 people who pledge to reuse on eBay through its “Green Team Challenge” the company will protect an acre of rainforest in their name.

“We are delighted that eBay continues to demonstrate their strong support for the environment by becoming a member of Team Earth,” said Julie Blackwell, Senior Director of Team Earth at Conservation International. “eBay’s passionate community has changed the way we shop and we have no doubt that they can change the way we consume. They are a perfect partner to rally collective action around some of the most pressing environmental issues of our day.”

To stress its point about reusing consumer goods, eBay worked with Cooler, Inc., which calculates the carbon footprint of goods and activities, to develop some comparisons between recycled or reused items and the carbon cost of their new counterparts.

Cooler Inc. found that:

• Choosing a previously-loved leather handbag saves as much energy as a flight from London to Paris

• Selecting a previously owned watch saves the energy equivalent of 39 days of refrigerator use

• Choosing previously-worn leather shoes saves more energy than an average household uses in a day

For more details on using eBay more greenly, and on supporting the rainforest preservation, see the Green Team webpage.

Everyone knows you can’t shop your way to green. A true greenie is always looking for ways to reduce and reuse. That line of thinking generally doesn’t propel you to the mall, at least not often.

But (you knew there was a but…) eco-conscious consumers still have needs. Their motivations are just different. They look to buy lower impact, organic products from like-minded companies and retailers. They want fairly produced goods to create a less-toxic home environment, with healthful food, that supports sustainable practices.

Over the past two years, we’ve noticed that the market is bringing us more and more small, green stores that aim to be a nexus for this movement. Take it back. Some are large, like the home supply Green Depot in New York City. They sell lotsa stuff that can really help you dig in to cut your energy bills and remodel greenly.

Earth Goddess sells eco-goodies at its new store in Allentown, N.J.

Many of these stores, though, are smaller urban hubs that are helping nurture nascent green brands, organic products and alternative ways of life.

Of course, yes, we know, there have always been alternative stores. I have delighted for many years in burrowing through salvage spots, hardware outlets, off-the-track food markets and old-time seed stores that somehow survived the century.

But these new green stores are taking the movement uptown. They’re selling not just raw goods, but eco-stylish clothing, pure spa formulations, health food concoctions and creative, high-concept products that up-cycle  used everyday items. (Some pricey, some a bargain.)

You’re likely to see a sleek salad bowl crafted from a chunk of discarded wood or an artsy organic cotton quilt. At the the Twin Cities Green store in uptown Minneapolis, which we visited a few months ago, we found  everything from pure latex mattresses to a hemp washrags, from soy candles to purses constructed of license plates.

Other stores, such as the Greenheart Shop in Chicago focus on food — serving up raw honey, Fair Trade chocolate and healthful teas — and clothing. The shop, which helps support artisans around the world and human development projects in the U.S., sells gorgeous handbags made from recycled saris and affordable frocks constructed of recycled and organic fabrics.

Still other green purveyors, and there are getting to be many, lean toward selling household goods, rugs made of flip-flop scraps, garden tools and compost.

And leave it to San Francisco, to bring us the leading edge, Green 11: A store that tackles consumer waste. At Green 11, you can refill your existing plastic bottles with organic cleaners, shampoos and personal products.

It’s great to see that the free market does provide. This week, we heard about two more green stores opening, one in Houston and one near Trenton, N.J..

Best wishes to:

• One Green Street, opening at 5160 Buffalo Speedway in Houston. Owners Sherry and David Eichberger will be selling personal products like natural perfumes, clothing made from recycled plastic, pet food and . . .  too much to mention. See their products page. Sherry was inspired to open a store devoted to a cleaner lifestyle after seeing two robust adult men in her neighborhood lose their lives to leukemia, a disease that’s been linked to environmental toxics.

• Earth Goddess, 28 S. Main St.,  in Allentown, N.J.., carries candles, reusable bags, purses made from recycled tires and a large selection of recycled and earth-friendly jewelry.  Rick Lobley tells us they’ll be selling everything from fingerless bamboo gloves to cheese boards made from wine bottles to those purses constructed of recycled soda can tabs.

Copyright © 2010 Green Right Now | Distributed by GRN Network

Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife With Native Plants

By Douglas W. Tallamy

This book explains better than any we’ve seen how native plants support a healthy local ecosystem, providing birds and insects with the best foods so that the entire natural chain of wildlife can thrive.

If you’ve ever wondered why some people make such a fuss about native plants, this is a book that will give you a macro, micro and mini-micro look at your backyard and help you see why.  Tallamy, chair of the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware is well informed but never preachy. He shows us how we’ve unwittingly turned our yards sterile, inhospitable places for birds, butterflies and wild life by following thoughtless suburban trends. We put in acres of foreign turf grasses that require chemicals to maintain and “decorate” the perimeter with non-contributing flowering bushes. We get what we think we want – a land without insects — but undermine the food chain, creating a system that requires constant care and propping up. Our yards become chemically dependent.

Fortunately a big section of this 10th anniversary reissue paperback is devoted to telling us how we can reclaim our natural American landscapes by planting oak and cherry trees and the shrubs and flowers native to our region. (Timber Press, $17.95)

Climate Cover-Up: The Crusade to Deny Global Warming

By James Hoggan with Richard Littlemore

The title only hints at the delicious guilty pleasures inside. Those who suspect that global warming deniers have no clothes on, so to speak, will get the skinny here. Hoggan, a suit-and-tie public relations executive, has been tracking the shadowy comings and goings of the climate deniers for years. Frustrated with how they were able to confound and delay action on climate change, he founded the DeSmog Blog in 2006 to expose those who posed as climate experts but actually practiced shoddy science aimed at derailing climate action.

His book is an overview of how the climate deniers won a foothold in the debate over global warming, and a fascinating narrative it is. These handful of fossil fuel-industry supported folks developed a “debate” where there hadn’t been one before by presenting themselves to a media hungry for dissension and always on the lookout for the “other side.” Climate activists will recognize their foes in these chapters, which bring to light the ulterior motives and corporate backers of the deniers. Great bedtime reading for climate geeks, students of the media or anyone who enjoys a story that aims to surface the truth.

Climate disbelievers will not be inclined to read this one, but if they do, Hoggan will challenge their thinking: “If a doctor recommended that you undergo an innovative new surgical procedure, you might seek a second opinion, but you’d probably ask another surgeon. You wouldn’t check with your local carpenter, and you certainly wouldn’t ask a representative of the drug company whose product would be rendered irrelevant if you had the operation.” (Greystone Books, $20.)

Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis

By Al Gore

This subtitle here is deceptively simple; the book is wide ranging and covers a lot of complex ground. You’ll read about everything from photovoltaics to fungi, from geothermal power to geological destruction, from the population explosion to rainforest decimation. But even though this authoritative world-in-review, Gore’s latest call to action, has been called “textbook” like, it is a good and interesting text. You will learn a lot, more than you imagined, and we mean that in a good way, not at all sarcastically. (Our Choice also won rave reviews across the board, from major publications and environmentalists in a position to call out Gore on any missteps; we conclude this info is trustworthy.)

Gore walks us through the physics of wind power; delineates which plants work best as feedstock for biofuels; charts the carbon emissions of all electricity producing technologies, and yes, he looks closely at soil (for which he’s been riduculed, though certainly not by the organic farmers who get the need to save the soil that ultimately feeds us).

Give this book to your favorite climate change denying friend, it will be like a splash of cold (or should that be hot?) water. Or give it to your kid, they’ll be needing a good guide as the concept of sustainability seeps into their school and college curriculum. It is beautifully illustrated and full of graphics and inspiring quotes. Even better, keep it as a reference for when you need a science translator. Our Choice will stand the test of time, and Gore, the author and activist, will too. Civilization might not….but that’s oh, 100 years off or so. Why worry? (Rodale Inc. and Melcher Media, $26.99)

Ed Begley Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living

By Ed Begley Jr.

Ready to roll up your sleeves and create a greener environment for your family? Get with Ed. His first book, Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life, told us his philosophy and covered much of this same territory. But if you haven’t got that volume, this one will give you all the details on getting an energy audit, finding household leaks, composting successfully and cutting your carbon and water footprint in countless other ways. Sure other books can give us some of this information, but here it is detailed, well organized (covering conservation and energy production for the home) and a little more fun as we tromp around with Ed, who has been walking the walk for decades.

Ed, a fairly regular dude for a Hollywood celeb, doesn’t make it hard and he doesn’t carry an eco-megaphone, just gives us the benefit of his thinking. In “Losing the Lawn”, for instance, he points out that all that turf we have to water (in desert climates especially), just doesn’t make sense. What do I get in return for doing what it takes to keep a lawn healthy and happy? Something to eat? No. Something to cut and put in a vase to make your home look more lovely? No. You get nothing in return for all that water.

And he shares a wealth of tricks, including some neat technologically advanced ideas. See a picture of the solar powered pest barrier used by his neighbor Bill Nye; find out about how pre-cooling your AC unit can lower air conditioning costs and learn the difference between an air-to-air heat pump and a geothermal one. For eco-geeks? Yes. But also for those who want to live more efficiently, and less destructively. (Clarkson Potter/Publishers,  $22.50)

Ecoholic: When You’re Addicted to the Planet

by Adria Vasil

Speaking of the green life, it doesn’t have to be a dreary one. This peppy little guide brightened our day. Despite its rundown of the many pesticides and VOCs in our lives, it filled us with hope for all the little things we can do to help conserve our planet’s natural resources and surround ourselves with a more healthful home environment.

If Ed’s book works for homeowners, specifically, Vasil’s will speak to anyone, homeowner or not, who wants to green his or her personal life, use safer cosmetics, buy less toxic home goods, push the local school to green up, and drink more socially conscionable coffee, for instance.

We’ve seen a lot of people take a stab at these topics, and leave us wanting for more depth. Vasil, the “ecoholic” columnist for Canada’s NOW magazine, manages to give us a holistic green guide that’s serious, but still a breezy read. In her section on coffee, we found out why so many people are concerned about decaf coffee. Did you know that chemical solvents are used to extract the caffeine from the bean? And some of those chems include ethyl acetate, a probable carcinogen found in nail polish remover. Eew! So that’s why we’re supposed to look for coffee that’s been processed with the “Swiss Water” extraction process. Vasil also advises us how to get a petroleum-free body wax, avoid PVCs in shoes, find ethically mined diamonds and wades bravely into the debate over sugars, real, artificial, fair trade, alternative, and low-glycemic. (W.W.Norton and Co., $17.95)

The Locavore Way: Discover and Enjoy the Pleasures of Locally Grown Food

by Amy Cotler

We’re trying hard when it comes to the food we buy. Local and seasonal is the mantra for eco-concious eaters, but it’s not always easy. Perhaps you don’t know where to find locally grown foods and you don’t want to trek half a day to get some.

The Locavore Way is an entertaining round-up of information and ideas: everything from ways to find local farmers markets and seasonal foods to launching one in your community. Cotler, a long-time local-eating advocate and author of several books and magazines stories, provides a long list of useful resources and methods.

If local farmers’ markets aren’t nearby, the author outlines ways to create community-supported agriculture sources. You don’t have to be a vegetarian, either – the book guides you toward meat-buying clubs. There are simple recipes, best practices for veggies and fruit, shopping and storing tips and even the big-picture perspective (how you are helping the planet and your community). All the information leaves no good excuse for you to stay stuck in the mega-supermarket. The book (Storey Publishing, $12.95) is a fun read with lists and tips and suggestions, including making holiday gifts from local food. That means you’d better hurry.

The Backyard Homestead

edited by Carleen Madigan

There’s something so appealing about the idea of a back yard filled with vegetables, fruit, herbs and even fresh eggs from the chickens. Unfortunately, the idyllic idea is abandoned as soon as we step out the back door.

This may be a jump-start for your yearning to grow your own. A compilation from Storey Publishing’s decades of books about gardening, healthy eating and living off the land, Backyard Homestead is full of inspiration, even if your space is small.

The wisdom is practical – make nice with the neighbors and follow the law. It’s inspiring – illustrations show you exactly what to plant and where to plant it, even in a tiny suburban space. (On a mere 1/10^th of an acre, you can plant veggies, fruits, nuts, herbs, grains, chickens and even beehives for honey and pollination.)

But best of all, the book is simple. Very simple. The content is detailed (a complete garden planning chart maps the way). It offers direction in growing seasonally in all parts of the country, and advises on the needs for all kinds of vegetables, berries, fruit and herbs. Homestead isn’t just for vegetarians. Chapters guide you on raising everything from chickens to sheep to pigs to cows. The book ( $18.95) takes you by the hand and walks you through the whole thing. Perhaps this is a way to get the family off the couch this holiday season.

Generation T: Beyond Fashion

by Megan Nicolay

Been around a teenage girl lately? If not, your T-shirt stash is safe. Others have likely fallen victim to fashionable recycling – a teen trend where old Ts are ripped, tied, cut, slashed, painted and transformed into a new shirt.

A new wrinkle in the trend is pushing beyond the bounds of shirts. Megan Nicolay follows up her 2006 best-selling book, Generation T with a new book that will probably spell doom for any remaining Ts in the house.

Among her creations: knotted capelet, shrug, bubble skirt, sundress, belt, headband and more clothing items. But don’t stop there. The book offers advice on creating pillows, drink coasters, a laptop sleeve, grocery tote, toilet lid cover, baby shoes, pet bed and a checkerboard (and much more).

In other words, it’s not just for teens now. You don’t have to be able to sew (much) to create this rainbow of recycling, and directions are clear, concise and well-illustrated.This may be the perfect last-minute gift for a bored teen during the holidays. (Workman Publishing, $15.95)

The Sweater Chop Shop

by Chrispina ffrench

Chic shoppers know about (and yes, that is how her last name is spelled) for some time. She started making beautiful items from old sweaters and other woven items more than 20 years ago. Her creations have been available at ABC Carpet and Home, Viva Terra and lots of boutiques.

Now she offers a primer on creating your own beautiful items from leftover woven clothes.

Her artfully designed book starts with basic information about wool, how to recognize the high-quality stuff and sewing techniques. The first projects look simple: a snappy pot holder and a luscious pillow. But from there, the projects move up to artful hoodies, dresses and even new sweaters pieced together from old.

There are zany, colorful dolls – Ragamuffins, she calls them – and directions for interesting home décor items such as flowers or a stunning wreath. There is even a cutesy business card holder.

If you are already crafty and feel comfortable with needle and thread, the directions for these projects may not look daunting. But for the rest of you, even with detailed directions, her estimated completion times per project (two hours for a simple pillow to three hours for the wreath) look a bit optimistic.

You may want to wait on that wreath until next year. But you’ll still have time for the finger puppets. (Storey Publishing, $18.95)

Those are our recommendations. Here are a few other books to look for:

• Green Building and Remodeling For Dummies by Eric Corey Freed — If you’re ready to remodel, this book will help you make the eco-friendly choices.

• Raw Food for Real People by Rob Rotondi — Reminds us that fruits and veggies and even grains can be combined in ways that don’t require cooking, but preserve nutrients and come out delicious. Includes soup recipes in which the concoctions are warmed with hot water instead of being cooked.

• Design Like You Give A Damn — This book gets raves for proposing a truly new, low-impact way of thinking about design. It takes climate change seriously, looks at sustainable solutions for different environments, and tosses aside the idea that green must be chic and expensive.

• Predatory Bureaucracy: The Extermination of the Wolves and the Transformation of the West by Michael J. Robinson –  For those who care about wildlife and are worried that the official “management” of predators overlooks the big picture and hurts ecosystems, this is a fascinating and detailed account of the U.S. extermination of wolves. Considering the wolves are being hunted once again, this history has a sudden newfound relevance.

More and more electronics seem to make Americans’ Christmas lists. Unfortunately, many electronics waste energy and run up electric bills, even while you are not using them. So here’s a list of environmentally friendly, yet still savvy, electronic gifts.

HYmini can charge using solar, wind and wall outlets

The HYmini is an all-in-one solar, wind, USB and wall charger that can be used to recharge almost any 5-volt gadget. It includes a 6 watt, rechargeable Powerbank that collects energy from a built-in wind generator, a .7 watt mini solar panel, wall outlet, or your computer’s USB. The handheld, lightweight charger even fastens safely so you can charge in motion. Even better, there’s no additional software needed. The HYmini features an LED night-light and charge-in green indicator. This all-in-one charger is affordable, retailing for $49.99.

HP Elitebook 2530p rates "gold" on environmental rankings

HP Elitebook 2530p is one of a new generation of notebook computers that are more mindful of their energy footprint. This is just one example of many, but it is among the top rated with a “gold” rating from the certifier known as EPEAT, which is managed by the Green Electronics Council. EPEAT rates electronics as bronze, silver or gold level by assessing their energy consumption, life cycle plan and use of toxic materials. The criteria for EPEAT ratings is extensive. If you buy electronics with high EPEAT ratings, you’ll know that the manufacturer is not just aiming for the bottomline without paying attention to environmental issues like electricity consumption and waste.

Look also for Energy Star label, which this HP notebook computer also has earned. Energy Star and the EPEAT rankings will help you find the best laptop or desktop computer in the “green class” from manufacturers that are trying to minimize their environmental impact.

ETON Green Microlink radio

The Eton SolarLink FR 160 AM/FM weather radio can be solar powered or operated with a hand crank, so you can stay informed no matter what the weather. The radio also comes with a built-in flashlight. A great present for someone who goes off the grid or just likes to be prepared for the inevitable storm. Retails for $29.99, and is available at several stores, such as REI and Radio Shack.

NeatReceipts is a movie scanner and digital filing system for small business owners, or anyone with a hobby that involves a lot of paperwork. It helps you reduce your paper consumption by transferring receipts, business cards, and documents into a digital form; to better organize and manage your business or personal paperwork. The receipt information can be easily exported to multiple money management software programs such as Excel, Quickbooks, and Turbo Tax, and your contacts from business cards can be exported to Outlook. The product includes the necessary software, and also comes with a one year factory warranty. NeatRecipts, weighing less than one pound, can be used at home, at the office or even on the road. NeatReceipts retails for $149.99.

Samsung's Reclaim

Samsung is leading the way in green cell phones, introducing the Samsung Reclaim, the first mobile phone built using “Bio-Plastic”. The Reclaim is made of 40 percent bio-plastic, which is made from corn instead of the petroleum used in most plastics. This type of plastic is 100% biodegradable. The Reclaim also comes with an Energy-Star approved charger, and is packaged in recyclable materials. The Reclaim is more than just an environmental phone, it comes with all other things you want in a phone, advanced messaging, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 2.0 megapixel camera, full Web browser and more. The Reclaim is available in Earth Green or Ocean Blue. Sprint is the only Reclaim carrier, and depending on your phone plan, the phone could be FREE.

This Vizio Eco model's LED backlights do not utilize mercury, an environmentally harmful substance used in other backlights.

Televisions generally are regarded as energy hogs, but the VIZIO VF551XVT 55-Inch XVT-Series TruLED 240 Hz SPS HDTV consumes 50 percent less energy than current ENERGY STAR guidelines and is mercury free. Vizio’s products comply with the Europen Union’s strict RoHS (Reduction of Hazardous Substances) standard, and its LCD panel glass is halogen and arsenic free.The California-based company also prints its user manuals with vegetable based inks and its boxes are made from recycled cardboard.

Current 3.0 ENERGY STAR TV product specifications require that qualified televisions must address both active and standby power (when your TV is on and off). Vizio says its Eco HDTVs exceed the current minimum standards by at least 15 percent.

To address product life cycle, VIZIO has a partnership with Manufacturers Recycling Management Company (MRM) to assist in collection efforts within the United States. Mail-back, retail drop-off, and local events are encouraged through MRM, details can be found by visiting the MRM website directly at www.mrm.ecotakeback.com or toll free at (888) 769-0149. California customers should go to www.e-recycle.org.

Of course, the greenest home electronics item is the one you don’t buy. But if you are going to scratch that itch, or replace that blown out DVD player, check to make sure the brand and model you’re looking at are Energy Star qualified. This is not difficult, just use the Energy Star home electronics guide, which includes even the latest Blu-Ray devices and other technologically advanced equipment.

Looking for a new fridge or washer and dryer? You can check out appliances on the Energy Star pages as well.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Plan It Green
Game download for Windows XP / Vista
Congratulations! You’ve been elected mayor, and you want to restore your hometown to its former glory. Watch as Greenville transforms before your eyes as you build eco-homes, apply green upgrades and bring in new clean jobs and industry! Plan It Green leverages the resources of National Geographic, an organization that was green when green wasn’t cool. Change the ways of the past and bring a new, eco-friendly future to Greenville!

Buying used is one of the greenest things you can do. It saves trees and manufacturing costs, and it just makes sense. Books can be read, and read again. Find a good used book to warm your heart, save your cash and pad your green cred.

Buy used at:

• Better World Books This seven-year old online store, based in Mishawaka, Indiana, is offering a 20 percent discount on used books sold on Earth Day (that’s just for April 22; use the code EARTHDAY09). But BWB has a lot to offer on any day because the company contributes to global literacy; so far more than $6 million, according to its website. It partners with Books for Africa, Room to Read, and other groups that promote literacy in the U.S. and around the world. Buy used or new. See the “green festival” book category to catch up on your eco-reading.
• Half-Price Books While not online, Half-Price has expanded its stores into 15 states, serving neighborhoods from Dallas to Chicago. The bookseller focuses on used books, and offers some overruns. The chain has environmental initiatives that aim to save trees and reduce paper and plastic use.
• Abe Books This veteran used bookseller was acquired by Amazon in late 2008, and operates as an independent subsidiary of the titan Amazon. It was founded in the 1990s by partners from Victoria, BC, to connect sellers of collectible and hard-to-find books with buyers anywhere, becoming a true Internet survivor. It hosts several book forums and online clubs.

Another way, don’t buy at all, trade books. Zero cash outlay, but you might have to wait until someone is ready to sell what you’re looking for. See BookMooch for more.

Copyright © 2009 Green Right Now | Distributed by Noofangle Media

Advertisement

The Informed Gardener — Linda Chalker-Scott

In this introduction to sustainable landscaping practices, Linda Chalker-Scott addresses the most common myths and misconceptions that plague home gardeners and horticultural professionals. Chalker-Scott offers invaluable advice to gardeners gardeners who have wondered:

• Are native plants the best choice for sustainable landscaping?
• Should you avoid disturbing the root ball when planting?
• Are organic products better or safer than synthetic ones?
• What is the best way to control weeds-fabric or mulch?
• Does giving vitamins to plants stimulate growth?
• Are compost teas effective in controlling diseases?
• When is the best time to water in hot weather?
• If you pay more, do you get a higher-quality plant?
• How can you differentiate good advice from bad advice?

The answers may surprise you. In her more than twenty years as a university researcher and educator in the field of plant physiology, Linda Chalker-Scott has discovered a number of so-called truths that originated in traditional agriculture and that have been applied to urban horticulture, in many cases damaging both plant and environmental health. The Informed Gardener is based on basic and applied research from university faculty and landscape professionals, originally published in peer-reviewed journals.

Burpee : The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener : A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically — Karan Davis Cutler

A Backyard-Gardener’s Guide to Growing a Bountiful, Great-Tasting Harvest

The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener features:

• A full-color encyclopedia of over 100 vegetables and herbs with detailed, expert advice on growing them successfully from planting to harvest
• Planting and growing techniques that keep maintenance to a minimum
• Entries on how to grow unusual edibles, such as refreshing mesclun for salads, colorful edible flowers, spicy mustards, and more
• Descriptions and photos of a host of succulent vegetables, both hybrids and heirlooms, from common to exotic
• Complete information on improving even the poorest garden soil using safe, organic techniques, plus practical advice on making compost
• Recommendations on garden tools you need–and those you don’t
• Information on controlling pests and diseases organically, without resorting to poisonous sprays
• Spectacular full-color photographs of vegetables and herbs, food gardens, and edible landscapes, plus 30 black-and-white line drawings

The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control: A Complete Problem-Solving Guide to Keeping Your Garden and Yard Healthy Without Chemicals — Barbara W. Ellis

From Library Journal: An excellent handbook with entries for common fruits, flowering plants, vegetables, and trees. Each listing has information on disease and pest problems and tips on how to solve them without chemicals. Especially useful sections feature photos of garden insects and diseases. (LJ 6/1/92)

The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food — Tanya L. K. Denckla

Here is the only single-volume reference that supplies all the information necessary to plant a successful organic food garden. Before it was a book, THE FACT-HUNGRY ORGANIC GARDENER was organic gardener Tanya L. K. Denckla’s private database, the distillation of years of hands-on, real-life, dirt-under-the- fingernails experience in growing her own vegetables, herbs, fruits and nuts. Interest in organic gardening is increasing, and The Fact-Hungry Organic Gardener is the one book that answers all the questions that sprout up among novice, intermediate, and even experienced gardeners.

Plants are arranged in an A-to-Z format that makes it easy to pinpoint the information you need. Each entry provides specific information on planting, watering and fertilizing, when to harvest, how to store the produce – even which plants profit by getting a headstart in a greenhouse.

And fully half of the book is dedicated to organic remedies that can prevent or combat plant diseases and garden pests. Hundreds of common diseases and pests are arranged alphabetically, and each entry explains which plants are likely to be affected and how to recognize the problem, and then offers a variety of well-tested natural remedies.

This is an easy-to-read, authoritative, accessible resource that lets you find answers to questions quickly so you can spend less time skimming gardening books and more time enjoying your garden.

Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Green Resource for Every Gardener — Fern Marshall Bradley

Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has been the go-to resource for gardeners for more than 50 years—and the best tool novices can buy to start applying organic methods to their fruit and vegetable crops, herbs, trees and shrubs, perennials, annuals, and lawns. This thoroughly revised and updated version highlights new organic pest controls, new fertilizer products, improved gardening techniques, the latest organic soil practices, and new trends in garden design. In this indispensable work readers will find:

• Comprehensive coverage for the entire garden and landscape along with related entries such as Community Gardening, Edible Landscaping, Horticultural Therapy, Stonescaping, and more
• The most in-depth information from the trusted Rodale Organic Gardening brand
• A completely new section on earth-friendly techniques for gardening in a changing climate, covering wise water management, creating backyard habitats, managing invasive plants and insects, reducing energy use and recycling, and understanding biotechnology
• Entries all written by American gardeners for American gardeners, with answers for all the challenges presented by various conditions, from the humid Deep South and the mild maritime coasts to the cold far North and the dry Southwest

Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening has everything anyone needs to create gorgeous, non-toxic gardens in any part of the country.

Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening — Maria Rodale

Whether an experienced gardener is looking to go organic or a beginner wants to create a healthy, eco-friendly garden, the Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening contains the tips and techniques needed to produce beautiful flowers, top-quality herbs, and appetizing, wholesome fruits and vegetables. Explore the latest methods for cultivation without chemicals, discover the benefits of composting, and learn how to maintain an organic garden year-round.

Four-Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All Year Long — Eliot Coleman

From Publishers Weekly: From first sentence to last, Coleman’s book is a delight–an earnest guide written with an impish sense of humor. It will refresh anyone who wants to get the most from a vegetable garden yet doesn’t want to devote too much time and energy to the process. Apparently Coleman thoroughly enjoys every phase of gardening–from planting crops to weeding. Who else has ever suggested, only half in jest, dancing with a hoe? Or keeping a pair of ducks for pest patrol? This is that kind of book.

The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year Round Vegetable Production Using Deep Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses — Eliot Coleman

Choosing locally grown organic food is a sustainable living trend that’s taken hold throughout North America. Celebrated farming expert Eliot Coleman helped start this movement with The New Organic Grower published 20 years ago. He continues to lead the way, pushing the limits of the harvest season while working his world-renowned organic farm in Harborside, Maine.

Now, with his long-awaited new book, The Winter Harvest Handbook, anyone can have access to his hard-won experience. Gardeners and farmers can use the innovative, highly successful methods Coleman describes in this comprehensive handbook to raise crops throughout the coldest of winters.Building on the techniques that hundreds of thousands of farmers and gardeners adopted from The New Organic Grower and Four-Season Harvest, this new book focuses on growing produce of unparalleled freshness and quality in customized unheated or, in some cases, minimally heated, movable plastic greenhouses.Coleman offers clear, concise details on greenhouse construction and maintenance, planting schedules, crop management, harvesting practices, and even marketing methods in this complete, meticulous, and illustrated guide. Readers have access to all the techniques that have proven to produce higher-quality crops on Coleman’s own farm.His painstaking research and experimentation with more than 30 different crops will be valuable to small farmers, homesteaders, and experienced home gardeners who seek to expand their production seasons.A passionate advocate for the revival of small-scale sustainable farming, Coleman provides a practical model for supplying fresh, locally grown produce during the winter season, even in climates where conventional wisdom says it “just can’t be done.”

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Product Description
The environmental movement and rising awareness of global warming have sparked an interest in green living. People want to know what they can do to live sustainable lives. In this book, you will find an overview of global warming and environmental degradation of air, water, and soil; what sustainable living is and how to do it; how to cut down on carbon output (the cause of global warming) with alternative cars and fuels; and environmentally friendly home and lawn care products.

About the Author
Trish Riley is an award-winning environmental journalist who has written for such publications as Natural Home, E/The Environmental Magazine, Audubon Magazine, Palm Beach Cottages and Living, Florida Inside-Out, Miami Herald, South Florida Business Journal, and South Florida Parenting.