Book: 'Greeniology' by Tanya Ha

Hurrah, I finally got hold of a copy of Greeniology: How to live well, be green and make a difference this morning! I've had it on order for two months or more, but it was being reprinted, so I just had to be patient and wait for it to arrive. Patience is not my strong suit however, lol, so I've been a bit agitated lately, especially since Tanya Ha is currently featured on the SBS series Eco-House Challenge, which I have found really interesting viewing so far :-)

The back cover claims that "Greeniology is a practical, comprehensive and fun guide to local environmental action in your home, at work and on holiday... [with] tips and ideas for the beginner and committed tree-hugger alike". So naturally, I couldn't wait to sit down with a cuppa and have a good flick through it.

It's divided into three sections; Hot topics: a succinct outline of the major environmental issues we are facing today; Welcome to the Greenhouse: green hints and tips for all areas of the home; and Lifestyle: tips and hints for green building, shopping, pets, travel and raising a baby.

I skipped the first chapter and went straight to the tips, and while a lot of it wasn't new to me, I did still pick up some useful info. The one thing that has stuck me the most is the description of an excellent visual representation of one kilogram of Carbon Dioxide (CO^2) devised by the staff at Sustainability Victoria: they worked out that one party balloon holds the equivalent of 50g of CO^2, therefore 1 kg of CO^2 is the equivalent of roughly 20 balloons. They have adopted "the black balloon" as a unit measure of greenhouse gases. So for example, drying ONE load of washing with an electric clothes dryer is equal to over 60 black balloons, or over 3kg of CO^2 being released into the atmosphere. Try imagining that the next time you stick a load of washing in the dryer -- 60 black balloons being released into the atmosphere!

It didn't go into as much detail as I would like for many things, but then I'm not an absolute beginner any more and there's only so much you fit into a book before it becomes too weighty... and it did point me in the right direction for more research :-) The only thing I was disappointed about was that I haven't been able to get hold of it before now!