cover image Planting a Seed: Three Simple Steps to Sustainable Living

Planting a Seed: Three Simple Steps to Sustainable Living

Kate Gaertner. Page Two, $16.95 trade paper (272p) ISBN 978-1-77458-048-6

Gaertner, a sustainability consultant, encourages people to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle in her straightforward if somewhat superficial debut. Emphasizing that “a sustainable life... is a marriage of what you value with what is valuable for sustaining the world you know and love,” Gaertner delineates four categories of values that can be used to support sustainability—budget, wellness, community, and the environment—and tailors her tips to inspire readers motivated by frugality, fitness, fellowship, or concern for the environment. The bulk of the advice explains major categories of consumption—including transportation, energy, food, and trash—for which the author proposes sustainable options, among them to consume less fossil fuel, meat, and nonrecyclable goods, and to “keep choices simple. Limit over-buying. Make things last.” Her approach is orderly, logical, and always positive: “Remember, sustainability is not a sacrifice. It’s a change in lifestyle that allows you to flourish.” The author’s efforts to remain apolitical are a mixed bag, however, and though the focus on one’s personal choices rather than policy prescriptions is refreshing, there’s a tendency to sidestep sticky issues, such as trade-offs one may have to make and the personal privilege necessary to afford many sustainable options, while GMOs are addressed in an oversimplified manner. However, for those looking for a starting point to creating a greener lifestyle, this is a fine option. (Oct.)