 | |||
| FEATURES | BLOGS | DAILY DIG | GEAR |
Fits almost anywhere!
The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Your Carbon Footprint
By AUSTYN MAYFIELD
del.ico.us
reddit!
If you've moved beyond sorting your recyclables and are looking for something to steer a newfound commitment to earth-friendly living, The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Your Carbon Footprint by Nancy S. Grant may be a bit of a buzzkill.
True to its title, this Idiot's Guide defines the term "carbon footprint," explains why it matters and gives a few suggestions on how to lower it; however, it never gives an actual method to calculate your carbon footprint score, leaving you in the dark about where you need improvement.
The book's didactic tone seems to assume if a person isn't eco-smart, they may not be smart at all. So instead of presenting an engaging romp down the road of "pollution solution," the book reads more like a middle school text that could benefit from a lively rewrite by Mr. Wizard and Bill Nye the Science Guy. (Though, admittedly, the refresher on how energy is produced and delivered got me pretty psyched!)
On the plus side, each chapter ends with a section called "The Least You Need to Know" that provides a bulleted summary of key facts and terms. I'd suggest reading these segments—you get all of the same info in record time.
In the end, the ideas offered on how to lower your carbon footprint are the same reduce-reuse-recycle tips commonly touted on PSAs and "go-green" handouts. And other than facilitating my hobby of spouting new glossary terms at cocktail parties (anthropogenic emissions, lumen, R-value), the 10 bucks this book costs could be better used to plant a tree.
[Available for $9.95]
Search
