“Hey, Mr. Green” is chalk full of eco-friendly solutions for extreme environmentalists and green-dabblers. Mr. Green – a.k.a. Bob Schildgen from Sierra magazine – offers realistic, simple solutions to everyday environmental quandaries, hitting on subjects such as garbage disposal guilt, bag ethics and urban eco-legends.

Schildgen obviously spent an obscene amount of time researching topics, but shares this information in an entertaining way, translating Btus and CO2s into my kind of language – dollars and sense. (And if a certain subject peaks your interest, he includes great sites and books for further reference.)

If you want an excuse to buy a new fridge, read Mr. Green’s “At Home” section, where he explains “the average refrigerator today uses a third less energy than those of fifteen years ago.” And since about 80% of an old fridge is recyclable, don’t feel guilty about chucking it.

Mr. Green taps into the new plastic epidemic, with a “Decoding Plastics” section, and compares bacon and tofu to the paper or plastic predicament. (I’m not crazy, it really does make sense. Just read the book.)

Should you charge your phone in your car or house? Which is more environmentally friendly: a six-pack of canned beer or a six-pack of bottled beer? Is embalming environmentally hazardous? These are just a few of the questions Mr. Green answers. Did you know that we burn about 300 million gallons of gas in lawnmowers every year? As the price of gas keeps climbing, Schildgen’s suggestion of ripping out your lawn and planting herbs and flowers sounds pretty good. And, at the price of groceries today, an herb garden doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all. Being eco-friendly can also save you some green!

If reading about food makes you hungry, you’ll also find recipes in here. Mr. Green offers tips on how to lighten your environmental footprint to varying degrees – from a soft saunter to a dainty tip-toe. So don’t be intimidated by the subject. You don’t have to be a tree-hugger or hemp-lover to buy this book.

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