The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget: Save Money. Save Time. Save the Planet.

by Josh Dorfman

In The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget, Josh Dorfman takes you inside the latest developments in green living to demonstrate how you can easily and affordably have your designer jeans and your planet too. From raising eco-conscious kids to greening your daily commute, Dorfman provides insights into the next wave of green innovation and the products and services that will lighten your planetary impact and lower your expenses.
 
Find bargain basement deals on stylish organic bedding and bamboo furnishings at the largest retailers in the world. Score instant rebates on everything from compact fluorescent light bulbs to energy-efficient air conditioners. And earn reward points for carpooling with friends.
 
In a time when many people are feeling financially restricted, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget is your guide to effortlessly saving the planet while keeping some extra cash in your pocket.
 
 

 


“Fun, easy and inexpensive: No I'm not talking about the ideal date — I'm talking about The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. Once again Josh Dorfman shows that going green can help you look and feel fantastic, and this time it makes perfect dollars and cents.”
–Summer Rayne Oakes, model-activist and author of Style Naturally: The Savvy Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fashion and Beauty




“Living sustainably doesn't require slogans or campaigns; it’s about living SMART and this is exactly what Josh presents so clearly in The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget. A must read for anyone who wants to live well and still reduce their impact on the planet.”
–David de Rothschild, author of The Global Warming Survival Handbook and host of Sundance Channel’s Eco-Trip: The Real Cost of Living

Genres: Nonfiction, Environment, Green, Reference

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Jackie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dorfman has dramatically different ideas than I do regarding what it means to be environmental and what it means to be on a budget.

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shop, shop, shop, shop. I expect this from a consumer magazine but not from a book.

[Dest · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited when Jeff brought this home for me, but it turned out to be mostly advertising for different eco-friendly brands and websites. There aren't any creative DIY ideas, which is what I was hoping for. It's not totally useless as a reference for someone who doesn't know where to start, but if you feel like you already know where to shop for natural/previously-owned stuff, then this won't be very enlightening. The one thing I will take away from it is a company that will repair your jeans (Denim Therapy).

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good resource list. I didn't learn much that I didn't already know or have figured out. The neat part about this book is fact that it is an aggregate of tons of resources to finding fun and supposedly pro-planet stuff to buy.

[McKenzie Richardson]

For more bookish opinions, visit my blog: Craft-Cycle

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.

[Carl Wade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pg 14: I can't believe it; bamboo clothes. How about bamboo floor covering?
Pg 34: Eurekatent.com has a six man tent with it's own solar lighting.
Pg 67: Scooter ego cycle 2 about $1700 but powered by whatyever energy sources are fueling the energy grid.
Pg 71: Schwinn has it's own electric bike. schwinnbike.com
Pg 101: Ecotimber does reclaimed wood. Sounds like I should have kept the name Echo Timber.
Pg 110 REC is renewable energy certificate; to pay the extra cost of renewable energy. The same concept could be done for home schooling.
Pg 130: Wow Urban Tree Salvage; Sean Gorham makes furniture from city trees that would go into landfills.
Pg 131: Seattle furniture; greenerlifestyles.com.
Pg 139: Nature Mill Composter for under the sink, no stink.
Pg 140: Citilogs.com uses city trees and Amish Craftsmen to creat wood products.
Pg 246: Goal for leonardodecaprio.org is for town "green utopia of tomorrow".

[Nicole Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was very informative and an easy read. My only problem is that since the book didn't just come out, many of the websites are no longer valid. However, I did find many websites that were current. I thought that most ideas were doable without much money. Overall, I liked the book but, perhaps, putting websites in it isn't the best idea, since websites come and go. Next time, go without the websites and just give environmental ideas that don't require me to get online to do more research.

[Kim Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read about saving the environment and money at the same time!

[Znik · Rating 4 out of 5]

We started a compost heap and I've got a timer in my bathroom to keep our showers down to 6 mins a piece. Motivated to do more, but the budget part does get in the way.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

insightful and practical

[Kaitlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a review and a reference than anything else, but some good tips!

[Mr. Crosby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read part of this book. It was OK. I will not ever finish it.