Erinn Morgan, a local journalist turned author, has an 84-year-old grandmother who has been reusing paper towels for decades . As part of the generation that lived through the Great Depression, her grandma does those sort of things to save resources and money. The younger generations are doing the same sort of thing because it’s “green” and trendy.
Whatever the reasoning behind saving paper towels, recycling or composting, Morgan says going green is necessary and actually pretty simple. In her new book, Picture Yourself Going Green, she thoughtfully and creatively lays out easy steps to making the theory of “going green” a reality.
Morgan will read and sign her book next Monday, April 27, at 6:30 p.m. at Maria’s Bookshop. If you’d like to get started on greening up your life before then, read below.
Torn from Chapter 2 of Morgan’s book, here are 10 quick steps to going green:
1. Recycle
2. Install energy-saving light bulbs
3. Drink from a reusable water bottle
4. Tote a reusable shopping bag
5. Buy green power
6. Buy carbon offsets
7. Add organic food into your diet
8. Take a five-minute shower
9. Unplug at home
10. Plant a tree
And here’s a quick email Q&A we did with Morgan:
1. Tell me why you wanted to write this book.
We live in a time when positive change for the planet is imperative and I
wanted to get the word out that going green can be both simple and
inexpensive. Especially given today’s economy, green choices can be the
first to go out the window because many people think they are costly. But
so many green choices are extremely simple and definitely inexpensive to
make.
by writing this book?
Quite frankly, I was shocked to find just how prolific harmful chemicals
are in our everyday products, from cleaning supplies to personal care
products. The list includes lead in lipstick, cancer-causing chemicals in
cleaning products, a rocket fuel chemical in baby formula, and the list
goes on. Most of these products remain unregulated, so it is up to us as
consumers to protect our health and that of the planet by choosing natural
and organic solutions for cleaning and personal care.
Much! As a result of writing the book, my husband and I have started
composting (even though we live in a townhome with little yard space), we
watch our energy usage and turn down the thermometers at home, we buy 100%
clean energy, have installed 100% CFLs, buy mainly local and organic foods,
we buy carbon offsets for our vehicles (we’re still waiting for the
electric car to become affordable), and we stockpile all our #3-#7 plastics
(which Durango doesn;t recycle) and take them to the Moab Recycling Center
when we head over there for the weekend. Plus more…we all have our green
sins, but we are trying to get better every day.
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KSUT Four Corners Public Radio's Blog 
We have been fortunate to read Picture yourself
Comment by Jonty and Shirley Clark April 27, 2009 @ 6:31 amGoing Green, and are impressed with both the concept and the content. It is a well presented, easy to read, guide to Green Living
on an every day basis in an economical manner.
Well written, well presented and well spoken, Erinn Morgan.