Browsing November, 2008
Want to Live Like Ed?
I have recently read a book that I really need to recommend to everyone. It is written by Ed Begley, Jr. Yes, the actor, the one that used to be one that show “St. Elsewhere”. Maybe some of you aren’t old enough to remember that one.
Anyways, it turns out that Mr. Begley has been living an ec0-friendly life for around 40 years. He clearly is NOT jumping on the bandwagon, he IS the bandwagon. People used to snicker at him for riding his bike to an awards show, being a successful actor in Hollywood and all. Well, of course now, with green living being “in”, he is the MAN.
So this book he wrote is called “Living Like Ed”, and it is a very fun book to read, and incredibly informative. Ed really spells out simply and clearly what our choices are for making either simple, small changes that will save us money right away (we all need that these days), or if we want go for the bigger ticket items (say, like a windmill, or solar panels), what the impact is on us and the world at large. There are many things in this book that I was not even aware of, that can make a huge difference in our health as well as our wallets, and of course, the environment.
He also tells you about the bigger things you can do to make a difference, and how soon that investment may pay off for you. Ed’s wife, Rachel, also writes in the book. Rachel was very much the skeptic about all of Ed’s “crazy” recycling and composting, electric cars, bicycling, all of that stuff. She plays the skeptic in us all, and it is great to have an everyday person’s point of view.
For example, Rachel cursed Ed for placing an ugly rain barrel out in front of their house. Ed didn’t care that it was bright orange, just that it did its job and collected the rain water! Rachel had different ideas. There are lots of these issues that pop up in the book, and likely that you and I will face these same issues with finding our own balance of being green and living a “normal” life, whatever that means.
So, do yourself a favor, read this book! In fact, buy a few copies and use them as Christmas gifts. They would make great stocking stuffers. Plus, you will have the knowledge that you are doing your part and informing those you know and love about how we all can do our part to literally save the world. In doing so, we are saving ourselves. I, for one, am in favor of that.
Her is a link right to it!
Have a wonderful holiday season,
Jamie Hosmer