It's Not Easy Being Green: One Family's Journey Towards Eco-Friendly Living

by Dick Strawbridge MBE

It’s Not Easy Being Green follows Dick Strawbridge and his family as they leave their comfortable home in the Midlands to tackle a remarkable self-sufficiency project—New House Farm in Cornwall. Their main objective is to have as little negative impact on the planet as possible by producing no waste and removing their dependency upon fossil fuels—all without compromising on their comfortable, modern 21st-century lifestyles. It’s a laudable aim, but they are definitely not eco-warriors! With his hands-on, flamboyant approach, Dick offers practical tips on everything, from constructing water wheels, gadgets, and greenhouses, to the trials of living with animals and coming up with "proper" wholesome food. Packed with information about the cost of power, sourcing building materials, taking up permaculture, and finding transport alternatives, It’s Not Easy Being Green highlights the small steps that can change your life and is a simple, inspirational guide for everyone considering the path to green living.

Genres: Nonfiction, Green, Gardening

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mr James]

Packed full of useful information fr sustainable living.

[Sophie Crane]

This is not a TV family undertaking a lifestyle change for the benefit of the cameras. This is real people, taking positive steps towards a green lifestyle. I loved the series and whilst we cannot all find a property with a waterwheel and spring, we can adpt many of the principles and projects that the Strawbridge family have done.

Everything we do has an impact on the environment and being aware of this, taking time and effort to green up our lifestyle, is a very rewarding experience. As a result of reading this book we have made changes, saved money, saved energy, and eaten some delicious home-grown vegetables. So I feel quite smug and jolly pleased that I bought this book.

[Hilary (A Wytch's Book Review)]

A book worth getting for dipping in and out of and for hints on how to live greener

[Sheila Nicholls]

Some really useful tips, although I'm not capable of setting up my own wind farm or electricity generator!