April Fool's note & new Home Ecology
Facing the future and living the good life
My April Fool’s story has circulated far and wide, and will probably come back to haunt me. I shared it on the Great Barrington Community page on Facebook and was delighted to find out how many people would like my pipe dream - a college campus focused on sustainability and climate adaptation, and higher-speed train service to Boston and New York - to come true. It’s not an impossible dream. Money isn’t really the issue, either, but political intelligence and public willpower. Back to the Train Campaign!
Meanwhile, I’ve taken the advice of my new dear friend Deborah Caine (a founding member) and am summing up the most important points and principles in a new book, which will be out in September. (Founding members will receive a free copy and all paid subscribers will get an ebook upon request.)
I’m drawing on some of the work of Vaclav Smil, a scientist I’ve worked with for many years, and gathering information from colleagues around the world. One great thing about putting core material into a book is that it can then be offered to international publishers for translation (many of my books have been translated). I’ve been receiving shipments of translated Berkshire Publishing titles from Japan, China, and Taiwan this week, always inspiring.
My next couple of posts will be related to Earth Day, which is on Saturday, April 20th. Please don’t think of Earth Day as simply a day to drive somewhere and pick up trash. If you do join a clean-up crew, please carpool if you can’t walk or cycle to the meeting place. Why don’t we do more carpooling? I have been research that subject and have some ideas to share.
What else to plan for Earth Day? How about tuning up your bike or checking your walking and hiking gear? Check for local bike paths and walking trails - there are more and more of them. I’ve noticed a greater emphasis on accessibility, so don’t assume that trails will always be a challenge.
I’m also gathering some favorite vegetarian and vegan recipes, since Earth Day is a great time to think about eating a bit more lightly. If you have a recipe to share, please email me or leave the link in a comment.
Here’s a description of the new version of Home Ecology, which can be preordered, too, payment to be made only when it is published in September.
Home Ecology is about living the good life - for yourself and the planet. Award-winning environmental author Karen Christensen explains how change on a personal level can literally make a world of difference. In friendly, concise chapters based on real-life experience, she covers everything from commuting and cooking to fast fashion and green gardening.
Home Ecology isn't about perfection. Instead, Home Ecology provides a set of simple principles to help you figure out what makes sense in your home and in your life. While some authors want you to feel guilty, Karen understand that we want environmental thinking to contribute to a sense of well-being and balance in our lives - not to unhinge us altogether!
We can solve the problems we face together and make the world a better place. Home Ecology is where the journey begins.
Contents
A Better World is Possible
The Time of Our Lives
No Place Like Home
A World in Motion
Food & Drink
Healthy You, Healthy Planet
Dressing Green
Gardening for Life
Families and Other Animals
About the Author
Karen Christensen is a publishing entrepreneur and activist who writes about women and power, community, and climate change. She founded the Train Campaign and is a research associate at the Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. She was also a founder of the Women's Environment Network and the Ecological Design Association, a UK Green Party speaker on women's issues, and publisher of the Encyclopedia of World Environmental History and the huge, 1,000-author Encyclopedia of Sustainability. She coedited The Business of Sustainability.
