Several years ago I was turned on to a book that made a big impact on my life –an impact that helped to nourish the roots that eventually formed the foundation for many of my decisions, which then became fodder for my website. Oddly enough, I was skeptical of the book due to its title, and long after reading it, I still didn’t fully appreciate how the book impacted me. In retrospect, this book may very well have been one of the key components of our family’s quest to live a more responsible –ecologically and morally responsible– existence.

available at most book stores

The book is The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, produced and published by the Union of Concerned Scientists. Originally published in 1999, the book is just as valuable today as it ever was (perhaps even more-so). The value of this book lies in its deceptive simplicity. The authors somehow manage to very clearly provide the necessary insight to help readers get a grasp on their environmental impact, and then make a simple plan for effectively reducing said impact. I think what impressed me most about this book was its ability to so simply address such a massive issue –and the order here is quite tall.

For example, many years ago several members of my family were in town from rural Idaho, visiting for the holidays. One evening during their stay, they took-in a viewing of An Inconvenient Truth, which my wife and I just had the painful opportunity to see. After taking in the film in its entirety, my brother very simply said, “…well, I understand the problem, but what do I do about it?” This exact question is the premise for The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices.

If you’re in Portland and have a library card, by all means login to the Multnomah County Library website and reserve this book. There’s one copy, and at the time of publishing this article, said copy was available at the Central Library. You can also download a copy of the book’s first chapter.

The book is organized in a manner that makes it an excellent reference source, so you don’t have to read it cover-to-cover, though I highly recommend that you do. What’s more, it’s based on extensive research and analysis, outlined in a lengthy appendix describing the author’s research methods and an extensive list of resources for everyday Joes. Subsequently, while it’s an effective how-to guide for most Americans, it’s also got the scientific backing to satisfy more seasoned environmentalists.

The book is primarily designed to help people begin their quest towards a low-carbon lifestyle by approaching the three biggest areas of human impact: transportation, food, and household living. Under each of these points, the authors carefully lay out the impact of everyday choices, providing simple, quantifiable methods for addressing each impact point. What’s more, also within the subject of each impact point, the authors provide practical, scientifically backed insight into common questions like, ‘paper or plastic?’, ‘cloth or disposable?’

I won’t summarize the book by any means, but the beauty in its construction is how it approaches these three points of human impact –which the authors refer to as Priority Actions for American Consumers:

Transportation

• Choose a place to live that reduces the need to drive
• Think twice before purchasing another car
• If you must drive, choose a fuel-efficient, low-polluting car
• Set concrete goals for reducing your travel
• Whenever practical use alternative transportation

Food

• Eat less meat (or none at all)
• Buy certified organic produce

Household

• Choose your home carefully (location, age -new is not necessarily better, etc.)
• Reduce the environmental costs of heating and hot water (insulate, get more from less, etc.)
• Install efficient lighting and appliances
• Choose an electricity supplier offering renewable energy

These three top priorities are excellent starting points for anyone wanting to make the biggest impact on reducing their carbon footprint, but the sub-points listed in the book are by no means exclusive. For example, buying certified organic produce is an excellent start (albeit an arguable issue all its own), but by no means a single answer. Once you take this first step, you might then more readily explore the next step: buying locally produced fruits and vegetables. And once you take this step, you might then move to the next: growing your own fruits and vegetables. Once you take this step, you can move to the next: sharing your crops and expanding your home-grown production (including eggs, milk, etc.).

While those of us living in Portland might be able to more effectively apply big-impact changes within these priority action buckets (e.g., Portland has far more transportation options than Firth, Idaho), they’re also widely effective starting points for anyone, regardless of your location. For example, even if you don’t have access to housing that is closer to your employer, you can think more about how to reduce the impact of your commute (e.g., drive less, burn less gas, carpool, telecommute, bicycle, don’t buy a new car, etc.).

The map to a low-carbon existence is not outlined completely in this book, but the authors never overextend themselves. The issue is far too complex to be resolved in a small reference book. What’s more, the issue requires that we address it with a combination of social and personal change, and no government or social institution could ever define a solution that would effectively apply to every individual’s circumstance.

The book is simply a starting point, and for many, that’s all people need: a simple kick in the butt. Constructed in this manner, the path towards building a more responsible, moral existence for you and your family will become more clearly defined by you, the reader. And as many of us already know, self-directed solutions are far more likely to stick and become part of our everyday lives, as opposed to those that are thrust upon us, unknowing of our individual circumstances.

Our world will survive if we can expertly combine thoughtful legislation and governance with personal responsibility. It’s our moral obligation to one another to address this at a street level, and we do have the power to make an impact. For those who are confused about the best next steps to take, The Consumer’s Guide to Effective Environmental Choices provides a welcoming light along the path.