by Josh Dorman
Checked this out from the library and started reading it, but it because clear really fast that it is quite dated. I won’t give it a rating but here are some quick points:
– Consumerism: The book’s premise is to help you find eco-friendly products and services so the whole thing is about buying things and spending money. Dorfman also admits to having partnerships with some of the companies. I didn’t read enough of it to know if he specifies which companies he has ties to.
– “On a Budget”: Dorfman has a much different idea of what “on a budget” means than I do. There are no DIY suggestions and instead readers are encouraged to spend money to save money. While I can agree with this in the long-run for those who can afford the upfront cost, telling people to just buy an energy-efficient dishwasher and replace their toilet isn’t that helpful for people who are truly on a budget.
– Out of Business: There are multiple products/services that are no longer in business or have completely changed their business models (Zimride).
– Changing Reputations and Practices: A decent amount of the information is out of date such as the book’s praise of American Apparel, which no long uses US labor and has had many critiques in terms of environmental impact and working conditions.
– Greenwashing: There are also companies who use greenwashing tactics such as Method. There is no information given about recognizing unregulated terms like “natural” and “eco-friendly” and how to spot greenwashing.
– Fast Fashion: H&M is listed as a great place to get organic cotton clothing but no attention is given to their fast fashion practices and unethical working conditions. The company had already had a fast fashion reputation when the first store open in the US in 2000.
– Environmental Tradeoffs: Amazon is also listed as a great resource because you can type in “organic” and “green” in the search bar with what you are looking for, but it says nothing about the company’s high carbon footprint.
The information in this book is too dated. There are much better books with more recent information and DIY solutions as well as resources online. Would not recommend this one.