Product Description

Protecting our environment is one of the biggest issues facing our planet today. But how do we solve a problem that can seem overwhelming-even hopeless? As Diane MacEachern argues in Big Green Purse, the best way to fight the industries that pollute the planet, thereby changing the marketplace forever, is to mobilize the most powerful consumer force in the world-women.

MacEachern's message is simple but revolutionary. If women harness the "power of their purse" and intentionally shift their spending money to commodities that have the greatest environmental benefit, they can create a cleaner, greener world. Spirited and informative, this book:

- targets twenty commodities-cars, cosmetics, coffee, food, paper products, appliances, cleansers, and more-where women's dollars can make a dramatic difference;
- provides easy-to-follow guidelines and lists so women can choose the greenest option regardless of what they're buying, along with recommended companies they should support;
- encourages women to spend wisely by explaining what's worth the premium price some green products cost, what's not, and when they shouldn't spend money at all; and
- differentiates between products that are actually "green" and those that are simply marketed as "ecofriendly."

Whether readers want to start with small changes or are ready to devote the majority of their budget to green products, MacEachern offers concrete and immediate ways that women can take action and make a difference. Empowering and enlightening, Big Green Purse will become the "green shopping bible" for women everywhere who are asking, "What can I do?"

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #290324 in Books
• Published on: 2008-02-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

Quite good, but.......
I enjoyed this book overall. There only seemed to be a few aspects missing....such as in the baby chapter about cloth diapers. She makes it sound as though there's only one style, when in fact there are loads and loads to choose from--and you can always dry them in the sun (at least during the summer) thus saving even more energy. So if you're having a baby, keep looking into diapers beyond the scope of this book.

The other small (big) thing she didn't mention in the gardening chapter was how destructive peat moss is, and how it's being banned in most of Europe with end-dates in sight, whereas nothing of the sort has happened here yet. Peat bogs contain 10% of the earth's fresh water and cannot recover as quickly as we harvest them for garden use. So don't use PEAT! Even though it's usually one of the cheapest "organic" garden mulches in North America. Also, don't buy peat seed pots (the kind that you can just plant in the ground when you move the seedlings outside)...use coir (coconut husk) instead.

Other than that, I liked her opinions and some of her strategies....some will work better for some people than others, depending of course on family size and where you live.

Read This and Help the Planet!
Diane MacEachern gets it: as consumers, we have the power to create a greener world. (My only disagreement with her is putting the onus of responsibility on women; men count, too.)

We should support only businesses that take strong measures to ensure that they are not polluting the environment and that they conduct business with humanitarian practices. When corporations do not sell their product they will either change what is offensive, or their business will die. That is the beauty of a capitalist society; success is measured by financial strength. And, we as the consumer have the power to influence which companies survive.

MacEachern takes time to point out which companies are "greenwashing" and how to avoid those products.

She focuses on the following:
Coffee, tea and chocolate
Electrical appliances
Clothing and assessories
Personal care products
Household cleaners
Transportation

The book is empowering because we learn that each of us counts in making the world more environmentally safe.

By the author of the award winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet

Best green book I've read - and I've read a LOT!
As the book Big Green Purse by Diane MacEachern is primarily aimed at women, I asked my wife to read it first. She gave me a sigh, rolled her eyes and said she would skim it, but it ended up being so interesting she read it cover to cover. Here's a direct quote (honest!):

"This is one of the most informative and life changing books I've ever read. It beats those 'self-help' books hands down as this actually contains practical information that you can use and apply for the rest of your life."

Women spend eight-five cents of every dollar in the US marketplace. Big Green Purse is about harnessing that spending power to improve the environment, influence manufacturers and to help you and your family to live a simpler, cleaner and healthier life.

Although my wife recommends reading the whole book, for those that are short on time it's broken into digestable chunks, such as cars, produce, cosmetics, kids and babies, and so on. Even if you don't read the whole chapter there is a wrap up section at the end which summarizes the main points.

She found it extremely interesting as it gave lots of excellent facts and statistics but doesn't lay on a guilt-trip. However you might feel unwell after reading about all the crap we're putting into our bodies... It makes you want to change your lifestyle for the better and shows easy ways to do this without spending any more money.

There are lots of practical tips and suggestions for which products to buy and avoid. These tips are actually useful rather than generic "buy natural" advice you often get. The book has seven Big Green Purse shopping principles:

Buy less
Read the label
Support sustainable standards
Look for third party verification
Choose fewer ingredients
Pick less packaging
Buy local

Instead of just telling us the three R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recyle) Diane actually tells us how we can do it. She expands on information that most of us know at least a little bit about, and my wife picked up a few new facts as well:

Clean, don't sterilize. Avoid anti-bacterial products such as soaps and personal care products as they do more harm than good
Avoid fragrances, phthalates, parabens and triclosan in cosmetics and personal care products
Buy sustainable seafood with the MSC label and select small fish like trout over the larger predators like tuna and seabass
Only certain types of plastics can be recycled - if you have to buy items in plastic, buy ones that can easily be recycled
Plant an eco-lawn as a great alternative to a traditional lawn.
If you plant three trees on the west side of your home you can trim your air-conditioning bill by up to 30% due to the shade they create.

In summary it's a great reference book to have on hand when you go shopping for certain products and although it's geared to women, it has many ideas that men and women would equally find interesting. Finally, my wife says "buy this book and lend to all your friends!"