What do you think?
Rate this book
50 απλά πράγματα που μπορείς να κάνεις για να σώσεις τη γη
To commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Earth Day, an updated guide to environmental awareness encompasses the latest research into such issues as global warming, ozone depletion, and endangered species and offers advice on how readers can help the environment. Original.
148 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1989
7 people are currently reading
193 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
March 26, 2016
While this 1989 edition is a little outdated (elephants may go extinct by the year 2000, don't use leaded gas), it still is chock full of useful tips. Recycle, drive less if you can, compost. The 50 tips are broken into three categories: simple things, it takes some effort, for the committed. Most of the tips are simple things. The it takes some effort level involves simple things like recycle your cans and glass, and the not so simple use cloth diapers. This book is still relevant after all these years.
August 6, 2008
My husband and I used this book in 1990 when we started the recycling program in our county. We were committed to saving our planet but it was a hard sell to those who didn't think about the next seven generations. It has taken 18 years for eco-friendly to become part of our language and hopefully our lives.
August 2, 2010
I wish I had the updated version.
February 19, 2014
I love reading books like this. You never know what may be added that you didn't know or haven't read about yet. Granted this book was published awhile ago I really injoyed all of the links it gave. So you can easily go to websites of particular things and get updated info or more ways to get involved. Some people just don't know where to start so this is a great book for starters.
March 12, 2009
This is possibly the most influential book I've ever read. I haven't picked it up in years, but I'll bet there are dozens of things I do every day that were directly because of this book.
February 1, 2026
First published in the UK in 1990, a big seller in it day, much of the contents may have been overtaken by events - but, it's still worth a read. I came across my copy by accident and chose not to regard it as redundant or an interesting historical artefact, chose to use it to update and question my own efforts. If you similarly come across a copy, use it as a revision exercise and rededicate yourself to saving the planet. 1990 might be some time ago, working out your own 50 simple things for today - and tomorrow - is a worthwhile exercise.
The world is still deep in shit, deeper than it was in 1990. Governments need to act, but too many of them answer to the likes of Trump, making money from oil, claiming the science is fake. We need to change our governments, we also need to take action as individuals and households. So, recycle the ideas in an old book, update them for your own interest and edification - and make sure you elect politicians who are there to represent people and planet and not to massage their own egos while they milk the system.
We all need to act, act collectively - but the central, timeless message in this book is, start with your own lifestyle. Take responsibility for your own actions, set an example for others. Timeless, as relevant tomorrow as it was in 1990.
The book invites you to understand the Greenhouse effect - it keeps our atmosphere warm, abuse it and life gets too hot for life. We pollute our planet's atmosphere - the car is still killing us. We are burying ourselves in garbage, particularly plastics. Industry has to change ... still has to change. Governments have to change. People have to change.
So 50 things an individual can do. Several of the suggestions in the book have been overtaken by events - in an era of social media and email, we get far less junk mail. But there are plenty of starting places in the 50 options listed here ... they certainly caused me to revisit my research, to go online and check out a variety of things. I don't drive, I rarely have more than one light burning at a time, I recycle, my 30 year old rucsac must have stopped me using thousands of plastic carrier bags. But it's always worth re-checking ... and sometimes an old book will prove the stimulus.
Worth a read - won't take you long.
The world is still deep in shit, deeper than it was in 1990. Governments need to act, but too many of them answer to the likes of Trump, making money from oil, claiming the science is fake. We need to change our governments, we also need to take action as individuals and households. So, recycle the ideas in an old book, update them for your own interest and edification - and make sure you elect politicians who are there to represent people and planet and not to massage their own egos while they milk the system.
We all need to act, act collectively - but the central, timeless message in this book is, start with your own lifestyle. Take responsibility for your own actions, set an example for others. Timeless, as relevant tomorrow as it was in 1990.
The book invites you to understand the Greenhouse effect - it keeps our atmosphere warm, abuse it and life gets too hot for life. We pollute our planet's atmosphere - the car is still killing us. We are burying ourselves in garbage, particularly plastics. Industry has to change ... still has to change. Governments have to change. People have to change.
So 50 things an individual can do. Several of the suggestions in the book have been overtaken by events - in an era of social media and email, we get far less junk mail. But there are plenty of starting places in the 50 options listed here ... they certainly caused me to revisit my research, to go online and check out a variety of things. I don't drive, I rarely have more than one light burning at a time, I recycle, my 30 year old rucsac must have stopped me using thousands of plastic carrier bags. But it's always worth re-checking ... and sometimes an old book will prove the stimulus.
Worth a read - won't take you long.
December 10, 2021
This little book was originally published in 1991 and, surprisingly, distributed by Tampax. It lists and gives explanations abut 50 things everyday Americans can do to make a positive impact on the environment.
Yes, it's a little out-of-date at this point, but it does illustrate two things: first, that environmental issues aren't something new in spite of the political arguing over such topics as global warming; second, that individuals aren't powerless nor even insignificant when it comes to the impact they make on the environment, both positive and negative. Many of the items are still relevant.
This book is a good read for anyone wondering what they can do for the environment. Even if everyone picked just one thing, their one thing multiplied by the Earth's population can only help to keep this planet we live on healthy.
Yes, it's a little out-of-date at this point, but it does illustrate two things: first, that environmental issues aren't something new in spite of the political arguing over such topics as global warming; second, that individuals aren't powerless nor even insignificant when it comes to the impact they make on the environment, both positive and negative. Many of the items are still relevant.
This book is a good read for anyone wondering what they can do for the environment. Even if everyone picked just one thing, their one thing multiplied by the Earth's population can only help to keep this planet we live on healthy.
July 7, 2022
I'm someone who was born the year this book was published. My aunt gave it to me when I was around 7-8 and reading it was the very first wake up call for me. I did go on to follow my family's mocking apathy for a while, but the seeds had been planted so to speak, and I couldn't deny them.
I'm writing this review partly because I like to share stories and partly because I hope the author(s) come across it. Clearly the world didn't listen, but for what it's worth, this book mattered to me. A lot. And the woman I bought my current copy from at a garage sale expressed something along those lines as well.
I'm writing this review partly because I like to share stories and partly because I hope the author(s) come across it. Clearly the world didn't listen, but for what it's worth, this book mattered to me. A lot. And the woman I bought my current copy from at a garage sale expressed something along those lines as well.
August 2, 2020
Ok, so this book is at least 30 years old and almost everything it says still applies to the present and it tells you the very basics of home ecology. At the same time it helped me to see what things we have been doing right, like in Spain we now recycle glass bottles and containers. But it showed me too how some problems we already knew it existed long ago are still problems from the present. All in all, that we are still having the same problems from 30 years ago means that we are not taking it seriously enough -us the citizens and the government.
April 20, 2021
Νομίζω ότι εξαιτίας αυτού του βιβλίου έγινα οικολόγος! Αν και είναι παλιό, θεωρώ ότι είναι η καλύτερη πρόταση για παιδιά από πρώτης δημοτικού και άνω! Φυσικά καλό θα ήταν να το διαβάσουν και μεγάλοι και να εφαρμόσουν τις συμβουλές του σε κάθε τομέα που πραγματεύεται: ζώα, φυτά, νερό, ενέργεια κ.α.
September 4, 2024
This book turned me into an environmentalist as a teenager. Although some of the tips have been superseded (for example, leaded petrol is thankfully a thing of the past), many are still depressingly relevant.
January 23, 2019
By 2019 this book is just way too out of date.
January 12, 2020
Although it's American based, lots of great tips and reminders
January 24, 2009
i read the kids version of this back in 5th grade, in 1990. that, in addition to the earth day celebrations and renewed focus on the environment in our country, made me a bit of an enviro-freak for a couple years.
i cut every single six pack holder we used or that i found. i didn’t want the fishes and the birds and the baby seals to die from eating them or getting caught in them.
i was afraid of cfcs and styrofoam, and often thought, when using styrofoam, that if it broke, i could almost see the tiny cfcs floating up and destroying the ozone layer.
i got ridiculous about paper recylcing, and continued that ridiculousness until i moved to philly where they make recycling way too hard (especially for apartment dwellers).
i planted a tree and did the whole hands across the river thing.
and then, well, i grew up and became a consumerist, and, like a lot of people, got more concerned with ‘adult’ things and wars and shit like that.
a few weeks ago, k watched al gore’s movie and got inspired and incensed. we bought the energy star flourescent light bulbs. we investigate recylcing here in philly (which only reconfirmed my knowledge that they make it way too hard for apartment dwellers) and found one or two possible places where we can bring our stuff twice a month. i pbs’d 50 simple things you can do to save the earth (which brings me back to the start of this post) and read it last night.
granted, it was written in 1989 and so much of the environment and the issues surrounding it, and our government, has changed in the almost 20 years since then. but a lot of the points are still valid (though it was weird to see a ‘resources’ list with out any urls).
it covers the basics about what’s going wrong with the planet and why. then it offers things we can do to combat many of the problems. the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing, getting flourescent light bulbs, using less water, composting, cutting up plastic 6 pack rings, using public transit, etc.
a lot of those points are still very valid today, because we have the same problems now that we had 20 years ago. but i don’t think that’s enough any more.
we live in such a wasteful culture (in the us). k and i produce so much garbage it’s disgusting. packaging makes up the most of it. like, why does toothpaste or aleve need to come in a box? why not just seal the product itself (which they already do) and sell it that way? it wouldn’t take up more room in stores. and why do things have so much packaging in general? to prevent damage i guess, but it’s SO excessive.
and why does discover keep sending me courtesy checks (when my card’s maxed out anyway) and other notes about how to redeem my points? why does verizon need to send me fucking newsletters? and WHY does my bank send me statements when i never look at them and have requested to not receive them? they don’t offer an opt out for statements even though they do offer online banking. fucking christ.
and global warming is an issue. just stand out at the bus stop with me one morning. SO MUCH heat radiates off the cars and i breathe so much exhaust from them and the buses. sure, i’m about a foot away from the roadway, but that heat and exhaust is heating up and polluting the place where i live even if i’m not standing right next to it to feel the very direct effects.
and water? holy shit. we’ve got cyanide in the schuylkill, creepy crawlies in the great lakes, oil nearly everywhere, and our biggest source of fresh water (the glaciers) are slowly melting into the salty seas. and desalinization ain’t cheap.
there are so many problems that need to be addressed that a simple book like this one won’t solve all the problems, even if everyone read it and followed their suggestions.
anyway. the environment is an issue. a big one. but gw is too busy waging war and vetoing scientific research to notice.
i cut every single six pack holder we used or that i found. i didn’t want the fishes and the birds and the baby seals to die from eating them or getting caught in them.
i was afraid of cfcs and styrofoam, and often thought, when using styrofoam, that if it broke, i could almost see the tiny cfcs floating up and destroying the ozone layer.
i got ridiculous about paper recylcing, and continued that ridiculousness until i moved to philly where they make recycling way too hard (especially for apartment dwellers).
i planted a tree and did the whole hands across the river thing.
and then, well, i grew up and became a consumerist, and, like a lot of people, got more concerned with ‘adult’ things and wars and shit like that.
a few weeks ago, k watched al gore’s movie and got inspired and incensed. we bought the energy star flourescent light bulbs. we investigate recylcing here in philly (which only reconfirmed my knowledge that they make it way too hard for apartment dwellers) and found one or two possible places where we can bring our stuff twice a month. i pbs’d 50 simple things you can do to save the earth (which brings me back to the start of this post) and read it last night.
granted, it was written in 1989 and so much of the environment and the issues surrounding it, and our government, has changed in the almost 20 years since then. but a lot of the points are still valid (though it was weird to see a ‘resources’ list with out any urls).
it covers the basics about what’s going wrong with the planet and why. then it offers things we can do to combat many of the problems. the whole reduce, reuse, recycle thing, getting flourescent light bulbs, using less water, composting, cutting up plastic 6 pack rings, using public transit, etc.
a lot of those points are still very valid today, because we have the same problems now that we had 20 years ago. but i don’t think that’s enough any more.
we live in such a wasteful culture (in the us). k and i produce so much garbage it’s disgusting. packaging makes up the most of it. like, why does toothpaste or aleve need to come in a box? why not just seal the product itself (which they already do) and sell it that way? it wouldn’t take up more room in stores. and why do things have so much packaging in general? to prevent damage i guess, but it’s SO excessive.
and why does discover keep sending me courtesy checks (when my card’s maxed out anyway) and other notes about how to redeem my points? why does verizon need to send me fucking newsletters? and WHY does my bank send me statements when i never look at them and have requested to not receive them? they don’t offer an opt out for statements even though they do offer online banking. fucking christ.
and global warming is an issue. just stand out at the bus stop with me one morning. SO MUCH heat radiates off the cars and i breathe so much exhaust from them and the buses. sure, i’m about a foot away from the roadway, but that heat and exhaust is heating up and polluting the place where i live even if i’m not standing right next to it to feel the very direct effects.
and water? holy shit. we’ve got cyanide in the schuylkill, creepy crawlies in the great lakes, oil nearly everywhere, and our biggest source of fresh water (the glaciers) are slowly melting into the salty seas. and desalinization ain’t cheap.
there are so many problems that need to be addressed that a simple book like this one won’t solve all the problems, even if everyone read it and followed their suggestions.
anyway. the environment is an issue. a big one. but gw is too busy waging war and vetoing scientific research to notice.
July 24, 2012
50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth by the Earthworks Group (1989); John Javna, Sophia Javna, and Jesse Javna (2008). It’s a great idea to occasionally read something completely different from what you’re normally used to- not only as a way to expose yourself to a new subject matter but to also expand your knowledge of things. This was probably the first time where I lived has played a factor in determining my reading selection. Having moved to Portland, I couldn’t help but take up a couple of the things it’s known for- volunteerism and, in this case, environmentalism. “50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth” was first released in 1989 and recently updated in 2008. “It’s an entirely new book,” notes John Javna, who was a main contributor to both versions. The original was self-published- and there were a lot of typographical errors- and basically gave eco-tips like recycling soda cans and cutting down the six-pack rings they come in, not using Styrofoam cups, installing energy-saving light bulbs, and carpooling. The newer version still tackled the same matters but have partnered up with different organizations to give people an idea of what they can do to help- from simple steps to more involved and dedicated efforts. I thought this approach of introducing an issue and then offering ways to participate was a good way to find out what can be done if the reader decides to do something at all. The books have definitely been informative- if not always entertaining- with all the statistics and addresses to get more information.
August 9, 2010
Even though this was published in 1989, and some of their stats I am sure are outdated -- it still has some fantastic (and many of them really simple) ideas to recycle and reuse, and basically "save the Earth"
It actually made me feel pretty good, as I do many of the suggestions already! Yeah Me! I vow to try to do more.
It actually made me feel pretty good, as I do many of the suggestions already! Yeah Me! I vow to try to do more.
March 27, 2013
This book was fairly good. I would not have read it normally but, I needed to read a how to book for my reading apprenticeship sheet. This book provided some pretty useful things I could do to protect the environment. The problem is that is very old. I would've given this book 5 stars 20 years ago.
November 18, 2014
Its funny to read this guide long after it was written to see what recommendations for saving the earth are now common practice. It would be interesting to see an updated version with current stats to see how we did.
August 6, 2007
great format - but too US-based
September 16, 2007
Quick read, important stuff your parents never thought about.
Currently reading
July 26, 2008Very important tips for each of us. We CAN make a difference.
November 3, 2008
lots of great suggestions for living your life in a greener more eco friendly way
December 22, 2019
I read this book as a child. and it made a huge impact on me.
September 10, 2016
Yes, simple things, and they can add up. Still worth checking out.
August 27, 2012
Just like the title says.
Read
November 30, 2015Even in 2015 these steps can be taken to help our planet. We need to take steps for a sustainable life on Earth and that does not mean giving up all comfort in our lives.
April 18, 2016
Excellent for ideas. Needs to be re-issued for current decade. This was published in 1989. Surprising how much is still relevant!
November 9, 2016
A bit dated but we definitely need to do more to support our planet- especially now.
Read
December 2, 2016donated
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews