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Altona CAN - Greeniology - Tanya Ha

 Book Review: GREENIOLOGY by Tanya Ha. 2005; Penguin Books Canada

By Marilyn Houser Hamm


ACAN has teamed up with the South Central Regional Library to showcase their resources about sustainability. We invite you to check out their wide range of books on this topic. To arrange for a contactless pick up of books, you can 

a) place a hold on the books you want online or by phone

b) call  204-324-1503 to schedule your pick up time


Greeniology


Do you have that feeling by now which of your New Year’s resolutions are going to “stick” and others that, sigh, may wait til next year for another try....


Well, here is a resolution for life: be committed to GREENIOLOGY. What is GREENIOLOGY, you ask? Australian journalist and environmentalist Tanya Ha subtitles her engaging book with the response, “ How to live well, be green and make a difference.”


Rather than creating a book of “should” and “should nots” for Canadians, Tanya Ha invites her readers into the adventure of practical tips and ways that what we do everyday makes a difference in the health of our planet and in our own quality of life.  Greeniology, she says, begins at home. And so this delightful resource takes readers on a tour from room to room of an average North American home. “There are literally thousands of things,” says the young author, “we can do at home to lessen our impact on the planet.”  Some are immediate, others require planning and long-term resolve in choosing how we will be responsible inhabitants of our beautiful planet that is now in danger.  Our choices can make a huge difference.




Readers will find reinforcement for many things we are doing already – recycling, choosing energy-efficient appliances, reducing waste.  But did you know, for example, that if the average household in Canada recycled a 90 cm stack of newspapers it would save the equivalent of 14% of its average household electricity bill? Being aware of sustainably-sourced materials for things such as furniture may take some digging, but information is readily available. In the office, being aware of when power usage is happening when computers or printers are not directly in use saves significant energy. “Turn it off” has become my new mantra for 2021.


Reducing our vehicle use, being aware of energy-wasting driving habits, or perhaps changing vehicles may not be comfortable, but create huge reductions in air and environmental pollution, as well as greenhouse gases. Ha has lots of ideas from which to choose to “go greener.”


In general, GREENIOLOGY encourages us all to take the time to research, to learn how environmentally responsible our choices are in all aspects of home life.  It is about weighing our needs and wants against the well-being of our planet.  Even for readers who feel they do not understand what is wrong with the planet, a section is provided to “get a hold” on major environmental issues in an easy-to-digest way.


Enjoy this engaging read.  There is something in this book for everyone. And yes, much that we can do.



ACAN seeks to educate and inspire sustainable practices in our community.

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