The True Green Heroes
As I continue to read on
the topic of sustainability from the thought leaders in this space, I come
across some gems, which resonate so much with the current environment around us
that the best I can do is to imbibe them in my thought process and propagate
them further. In this week’s blog, I share one such excerpt from Joseph Jenkins, The Humanure Handbook: A Guide to Composting Human Manure.
“We line up and make a lot
of noise about big environmental problems like incinerators, waste dumps, acid
rain, global warming and pollution. But we don't understand that when we add up
all the tiny environmental problems each of us creates, we end up with those
big environmental dilemmas. Humans are content to blame someone else, like
government or corporations, for the messes we create, and yet we each continue
doing the same things, day in and day out, that have created the problems.
Sure, corporations create pollution. If they do, don't buy their products. If
you have to buy their products (gasoline for example), keep it to a minimum.
Sure, municipal waste incinerators pollute the air. Stop throwing trash away.
Minimize your production of waste. Recycle. Buy food in bulk and avoid
packaging waste. Simplify. Turn off your TV. Grow your own food. Make compost. Plant
a garden. Be part of the solution, not part of the problem. If you don't, who
will?”
About the Author and The Humanure
Handbook:
The Humanure Handbook was
something of an accidental literary phenomenon. Joe Jenkins began writing the
book as a master's thesis while attending Slippery Rock University's Master of
Science in Sustainable Systems program in northwestern Pennsylvania in the
early 90s. Not content with academic convention, but fascinated with the topic
of humanure composting, Jenkins decided to convert the book's language into a
popular format and self-publish the thesis as a book.
The intention was to learn
how to "self-publish" using a book that probably no one would ever
read. As expected, every possible publishing mistake was made on the first
edition of the book, published in January 1995. Yet, an unbelievable
10,000 copies sold. Clearly there was more interest in this topic than Jenkins
had expected, so he revised the book and published the 2nd edition in
1999. This edition sold another 15,000 copies and won awards. See
reader feedback of the Humanure Handbook.
The 3rd edition was
published in 2005, sold out its first 10,000 printing, sold out its next 10,000
printing, and is working on the next 15,000 copies, most of which have already
been sold. The book and topic receive regular coverage in the news and
have been mentioned on Howard Stern, BBC, CBC, NPR, the New Yorker Magazine,
Grist, Seoul Broadcasting (SBS), Playboy, Wall Street Journal, Mother Earth
News, and many others.
The following image sums up
the book’s content.
I will publish such
excerpts as and when I come across them under the title of ‘The True Green
heroes’, as these people not only preach but also practice what they preach,
thus enabling sustainability and more importantly making people think and
discuss about it. Also, do share any ‘True Green Heroes’ that you have come
across. If we don’t celebrate them, then who will!!
-Meera Mahajan Rotti
#BeModernBeResponsibleBeRespectful
Samuchit Enviro Tech. samuchit@samuchit.com www.samuchit.com
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