It Ain't Easy Being Green

As more and more people and companies enter the environmental arena, the issues are getting less black and white (or more grey than green). First biofuels were great, now we worry about their impact on growing food crops. Is Company A's sustainability mandate genuine, or are they greenwashing? The latest debate here concerns BC's new carbon tax – is it a well-thought out attack on climate change, or political grandstanding that discriminates against lower income citizens and the rural population and fails to provide realistic incentives for renewable energy alternatives?

That's one of the reasons why we publish — to help you stay current on the issues and give you the ideas, analysis, inspiration and solutions you need. Stay tuned to our blog for green news and views every day, and check out our latest books below!

Rocking the Boat

Recreational boating can be a major contributor to marine pollution, but help has arrived for boaters who want to clean up their act with Boat Green. From fuel and graywater to power systems and hull maintenance, Clyde Ford shows you how to minimize your impact on the waters you love.

• Contents
• For the Upkeep and Maintenance of Your Vessel: Chapters 22-27

Complete Guesthouse – Only $6000 plus Sweat Equity

What if you could build an eco-friendly 300 square foot octagonal structure with cordwood masonry, timber-framing and a living roof, all for less than $6000? Now you can, and Rob Roy shows you how in Stoneview. The book includes the plans, materials list, step-by-step instructions, and detailed pictures and commentary - everything you need to complete the entire project - just add sweat equity!

• Contents
• Chapter 5: The Living Roof

From Aggregate and Adhesives to Water Storage and Wind Turbines – and everything in between!

Keeping up with the Joneses may be a grind, but keeping up with the Greens is a breeze, thanks to Green Building Products: The GreenSpec Guide to Residential Building Materials, by the good folks at BuildingGreen. We are delighted to announce the release of the revised third edition that adds the latest reliable green items to an already impressive list.

• Contents
• Renewable Energy

The Golden Rule, not the rule of gold

In Life, Money and Illusion, Mike Nickerson examines how economic growth has become the propellant for catastrophe. Then, by showing how the economy can be restructured to remain within planetary limits, he points the way to a sustainable future.

• Contents

Life after Peak Oil? "Si, se puede — yes, it can be done!"

Following the collapse of cheap oil supplied by the former Soviet Union, Cuba was forced to rebuild its quality of life. The Power of Community shows how communities pulled together, created solutions, and ultimately thrived — an inspiring example for the Western world as we begin our slide down the other side of Hubbard's Peak.

• Watch the trailer

New Catalyst Books

Check out the following titles, which have just been released under our New Catalyst Books' imprint!

Gardening for the Faint of Heart

Need some reading for a rainy day? In the humorous yet practical Gardening for the Faint of Heart, Robin Wheeler will help you get "down to earth" while never losing sight of the fact that above all, gardening should be fun!

Blood of the Land

On its first release, Rex Weyler's Blood of the Land was nominated for a Pulitzer prize. Now available again through New Catalyst, this book is a powerful reminder that we can only ignore environmental, social justice and spiritual issues at our—and the Earth's—peril.

Whatever Happened to Ecology

Part memoir, part environmental retrospective, Stephanie Mills' Whatever Happened to Ecology is a fascinating account of one woman's journey to living in place, from the heart of San Franciso's fledgling environmental movement to the far-flung outposts of bioregional activism. Back in print for the first time in over 10 years, this is one book that is not to be missed!

Turning Away from Technology

As relevant today as when it first appeared over a decade ago, Turning Away from Technology is a classic of the environmental movement featuring fifty distinguished thinkers discussing the negative impacts of the technological revolution and formulating a healing vision for the 21st century.