Two founders of the Rhizome Collective have created an incredible practical guide for DIY urban sustainability.
There are hundreds of great books on sustainable living, but they tend to have a few stark shortcomings. They spend a lot of time selling the reader on the green vision instead of simply saying how to enact it. They often focus on efforts that are either consumer-oriented ("let's buy our way out of ecocide") or electorally oriented ("if only we had voted for Al Gore the oceans wouldn't be dying and our cars would be powered by rainbows"). The DIY steps are often expensive and out of reach for folks who don't own their own property or houses. Even if you do, not many people can simply decide to throw down $30,000 for a hybrid car or design their own green house.
We can only really change a society that murders the ecosystem by challenging its basic logic of alienation, apathy and greed, and for the long haul consumer quick fixes and lobbying just aren't enough.
That's exactly what sets this book apart.
*The steps and projects are very affordable and targeted to renters as well as home owners,
*Kellogg and Pettigrew offer a model of direct action for green living, instead of consumerism or electoral politics. This really is down-in-the-trenches, get your hands dirty work, whose results you can see in front of your eyes, whether it's throw water-recycling systems or microlivestock or alternative fuel.
*There's no fluff in this book. The introductions are brief and relevant, and they lead directly into applications and practical guides. This is environmentalism for backyard tinkerers as much as idealists.
The last wonderful thing about this book is the price tag. Unlike the often expensive "boutique" environmental books, this one runs a very affordable $16.
This really is an amazing work from longtime members of the DIY end of the environmental movement, who've made major contributions locally and abroad. Grab a copy and get started on building a better world.