Product Description

"Matheson slyly steers us toward consumer goods and services that minimize our earth-stomping human footprint. She's brave enough to say 'buy less of everything,' and even the politically fraught 'buy nothing.' Matheson's genius is to make this seem not only doable, but fun."
- Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land and Bottlemania

Want to go green without giving up great style? Welcome to the world of Green Chic. Choosing to be green makes a real difference in the fight against global warming. But did you know that it's also hip, classic and stylish?

Offering up dozens of author-tested, earth-friendly ideas, writer Christie Matheson reveals that being chic and saving the planet aren't mutually exclusive.

Embrace the fabulousness of green living and you can:

- Look gorgeous
- Have a killer wardrobe
- Feel amazing
- Travel in style
- Create a home that's an oasis
- Host fun parties
- Eat incredible food and drink phenomenal wine
... All while feeling more connected to your friends, family and nature.

(And did we mention that green women don't get fat?)

Printed on recycled paper, with a portion of its proceeds going to a green cause, Green Chic is the perfect book for style-savvy readers with a green heart. Can living a chic green lifestyle TRULY make a difference to the planet? You bet your organic cotton sheets it can.

Buying into the Green Chic movement doesn't mean you need to buy more stuff.
Avoid products that purport to be green just for the marketing effect: "organic" processed foods; huge, gas-guzzling hybrid SUVs; clothes boasting that they're green just because they're made from "natural" cotton. Claiming to be green is trendy and companies out there are taking advantage. Don't believe all the hype.

10 GREEN CHIC-AND EASY-WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
- Ditch bottled water: refill a sassy thermos.
- Pop little purchases in your purse, not a shopping bag.
- Sip biodynamic wine.
- Choose cashmere, not acrylic.
- Let your hair air dry for a while before you blow dry: less frizz, less energy consumed.
- Unplug (and put away) unsightly cell phone chargers.
- Opt for quality over quantity in everything you buy.
- Cut down on clutter.
- Limit your consumption of anything packaged in plastic.
- Support local designers.

BUT REMEMBER:

Don't go out and replace everything you own, from your makeup to your wardrobe to your furniture, with (theoretically) ecofriendly products. Being ecofriendly means consuming less, not more. Get in the habit of thinking before you buy. The best time to purchase ecofriendly goods is when you need them. That's when you're in a position to make a choice and express yourself as a green consumer.

Being Green isn't a fad ... it's timelessly chic.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #179752 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

About the Author
Christie Matheson is a writer living in San Francisco and Boston. Her work has appeared in Body & Soul, Glamour, Shape, Boston, San Francisco, Yoga Journal, and The Boston Globe Magazine. She is coauthor of The Confetti Cakes Cookbook, Vineyard Harvest: A Year of Good Food on Martha's Vineyard, and Tea Party and is the author and photographer of the outdoor travel book Discover Rhode Island.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Chapter 1: Green Glossary

Here are brief definitions for some frequently used envi¬ronmental terms. I didn't really know what a lot of these meant when I started this project. Gaining an understanding of their meanings can help the concepts of green living make a little more sense. I explain many other terms in context throughout the book; in this section I've attempted to cover the basics to get you started. If you already know these, feel free to skip ahead. They'll be here for you if you need them.

Alternative energy: Environmentally friendly, sustainable energy not derived from burning fossil fuels-wind and solar energy are two examples.

Biodegradable: Made primarily of natural components and able to break down and be absorbed into an ecosystem.

Biodynamic: A rigorous form of organic farming that uses specific field and compost preparations according to an astrological calendar. Biodynamic farms are certified by the organization Demeter.

Carbon dioxide: (CO2) emissions A common way to quan¬tify an individual's or household's impact on global warming. Burning fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas emits CO2, which is also a naturally occurring greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Because of human-related emissions, the level of CO2 has gone from about 280 parts per million (where it was before the industrial era began) to more than 350 parts per million-and increasing quickly-today. The average American is responsible for about 22 tons of CO2 emissions per year. Personal activity (as opposed to industrial activity) accounts for more than 30 percent of all CO2 emissions in the United States.

Carbon neutral: Describes an entity (or person) that has effec¬tively neutralized the impact of the greenhouse gas emissions caused by its (or her) activities, so there is no net contribution to global warming.

Climate change: A widespread change in weather patterns or temperature.

Compost: To let organic waste break down and decompose into a mineral-rich material that can be used as mulch or to enrich soil for gardening.

Dioxins: Chemical by-products from the manufacturing of synthetic chemicals and the incineration of chemical-containing products. They are powerful carcinogens that also disrupt the endocrine system, damage the immune system, and cause kidney and liver problems and birth defects.

Energy Star: This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program evaluates the energy efficiency of home appliances and electronics. Energy Star–rated products are generally significantly more efficient than their non–Energy Star counterparts.

Factory farm: A concentrated animal feeding operation (sometimes called a CAFO) with one thousand or more head of livestock.

Food miles: The number of miles food has traveled from where it was produced to your plate. Food in most U.S. grocery stores has traveled an average of about 1,500 miles.

Formaldehyde: A chemical used as a preservative in beauty products as well as in paper products and wood furniture. Formaldehyde is emitted from these products as a gas. It's a known carcinogen and an irritant to the eyes, nose, throat, and respiratory tract.

Fossil fuels: Fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and coal that come from decomposed fossilized plants and animals.

Global warming: An increase in the average temperature of the air near the earth's surface and the oceans. It's caused by excessive greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), being released into the atmosphere and acting as a blanket to hold the heat close to the earth.

Greenhouse gases: Gases that trap heat in the earth's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent greenhouse gas; methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases are others.

Greenwashing: When corporations and products claim to be environmentally friendly-but those claims are suspect.

Kilowatt-hour (kWh): A unit of energy equal to 1,000 watt-hours. A watt-hour is the energy used for a 1-watt load to draw power for 1 hour. You can calculate kWh by multiplying the wattage of a device (such as a hair dryer or a lightbulb), multi¬plying it by the hours used per day, and dividing it by 1,000. Using 1 kWh results in the emission of about 1.5 pounds of CO2.

Organic: When referring to food or food ingredients, organic means something that has been grown without the use of synthetic chemical pesticides or fertilizers. To be labeled organic in the United States, a food needs to meet stringent USDA requirements. Beauty products labeled organic are not subject to the same guidelines. More generally, organic refers to matter that was recently living and is able to decay or decompose.

Parabens: A group of chemical preservatives used in many beauty products. They mimic the effect of estrogen and may be carcinogens.

Petroleum: Also known as crude oil, petroleum is a naturally occurring liquid fossil fuel. It is a major energy source and a raw material used to make plastics, fertilizers, and pesticides. It is a nonrenewable resource (in other words, there's a finite supply in the world).

Phthalates: Industrial chemicals that are frequently added to consumer products, generally to act as plasticizers (i.e., to make plastic flexible) or as solvents to make fragrances last longer. In the personal care realm, they are often found in nail polish, makeup, and hairspray. Phthalates are suspected carcinogens and hormone disruptors that can enter human bodies via inhalation, skin absorption, and ingestion.

Postconsumer waste: Material that has been used by the consumer and discarded (or recycled).

Recycling: Processing used materials into new raw materials.

Volatile organic compounds: (VOCs) VOCs are chemical compounds emitted as gases from some solids and liquids at room temperature (they don't need to be superheated or frozen or anything). Many conventional paints, lacquers, cleaning products, cosmetics, wood preservatives used on household furniture, and dry cleaning chemicals give off VOCs. So do gasoline, motor oil, and kerosene. VOCs can cause headaches; eye, throat, and skin irritation; nausea; and kidney and liver damage. They may also be carcinogenic and harmful to the central nervous system.

Customer Reviews

Great Information in an Easy to Read Format
The title of this book almost makes it sound like you'll be buying $500 dresses from organic hemp. Actually, what Green Chic provides is an extremely useful primer on how to incorporate green living into your daily life in a way that balances usefulness and impact.

Christie Matheson goes over a variety of basics in an easy to understand fashion. She explains the differences between incandescent and fluorescent bulbs, why fluorescent is better, and how to manage the switch. She talks about how wasteful plastic bottled water is, why it causes a lot of harm to the environment to buy water in this fashion, and what your options are.

She goes over the small differences you can make in your daily routine that really add up. Cut your shower length by 2 minutes to save 400 pounds of carbon a year. Uncharge your cell phone charger when not in use for another 100 pounds a year. These are things that are better for you anyway - your skin does much better with short showers - but you might not have thought about them before.

Wash your clothes in cold water. The heat really doesn't do anything at all with modern detergents, and if anything it might set a stain rather than let it wash out. Use recycled paper in your paper towels - if everyone in the US did that just once we'd save 1/2 million trees. Eat local foods, to save on the shipping impact of exhaust and gas.

We live in a consumer society. We buy things without thinking about their impact on our world. If each of us just made small changes - buying recycled paper cards, getting "non-thing" gifts for people like massage gift certificates or restaurant gift certificates, turning off lights when we left rooms - the impact could be phenomenal. Christie points these things out in an engaging manner.

Highly recommended! Then donate your copy to your local library, so even more people can learn from the information, and your own house reduces on its clutter!

Awesome book!
I had this book on order for a while and it finally came in and it is wonderful. So much of the other green living material I've read is so unrealistic - but this author seems to recognize this up front. She presents a variety of practical ideas (all of which she personally tested) for more eco-friendly living - and there are a lot that I'm going to try. I also like how she gives a lot of environmental detail and background - so I know why I should implement the changes she suggests. And she's made this subject actually fun to read about. I highly recommend it.

Great Read!
I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of this book and was SO pleasantly surprised. Unlike so many of the other "green" books out there, Green Chic extends simple examples of how you can make an impact without having to feel like you're compromising style--it's the best of both worlds. The tone is positive, as are the messages, and you don't walk away feeling reprimanded so much as inspired to make changes. Great read; great gift; and even pretty enough to keep out! Enjoy...