What shade of green are you? Find out in Paul Waddington's new book
A new book, which aims to set the record straight on what's green and what's not when it comes to everyday life choices, hits our shelves today. But unlike most guides to greeness, this one recognises that there are often grey areas between eco-sainthood and eco-ignorance -- and that most of us fit somewhere between the two.
When I first picked up this book, my response was 'oh no, not another guide that's going to fudge the issue even further' -- fearing that people will soon simply throw up their hands in defeat at the news that yet more green 'rules' would have to be unlearned -- but soon found that the book is far more helpful than that. Yes, there are sections that will tell you a bath is not necessarily less green than a shower, and that organic tomatoes are in some senses less 'green' than their conventionally-grown counterparts. But in doing so it simply explains the science behind the advice we've all had rammed down our throats for years in a way that helps us interpret it sensibly and in ways that suit our priorities.
We've got a copy of Shades of Green to give away to a hippyshopper reader. To enter, simply send us an email with the subject header 'Shades of Green', with your full name and postal address in the body.
Broiler chickens, for example, are in some senses the 'greenest' types of poultry out there, because they have such short (and miserable) lives, requiring significantly less energy than free range and organic chickens. However, many of us would prefer to contribute to that extra C02 expenditure than contribute to animal cruelty, or even better, go vegetarian.
The book is well written and clearly set out, providing you with all you need for 21st century green living. You can read a few extracts from it here. It's available from 1st Jan at £9.89 online.
