JUNE 7, 2018 // 23
BOOKMONGER
Tackling climate change
takes individual initiative
and cooperative action
If you believe, as I do,
that climate change is
happening, and that human
activity is a factor in that
change, your feelings about
this phenomenon may range,
as mine do, from quivering
dread to steely determination
to make things better.
But after switching to
CFC light bulbs, dialing
back on hot-water showers
and composting your coffee
grounds and carrot peels —
how much more, really, can
one be expected to do?
Eugene author Mary
DeMocker can answer
that — in spades. And
while her new book, “The
Parents’ Guide to Climate
Revolution: 100 Ways to
Build a Fossil-Free Future,
Raise Empowered Kids, and
Still Get a Good Night’s
Sleep,” is obviously geared
toward families, there’s a
lot of information, cogently
presented, that anyone can
incorporate into his or her
life while striving to live
in a more environmentally
responsible way.
After an enthusiastic
foreword from nationally
prominent climate activist
Bill McKibben, and then an
overly chatty introduction
by DeMocker, she lays out
100 actions that can impact
climate change.
And as she reminds her
readers, “These ideas are
offered as a menu of possibil-
ities, not a ‘to-do’ list …”
She aims to make these
ideas as creative and fun as
possible so that folks don’t
“The Parents’ Guide to
Climate Revolution”
By Mary DeMocker
New World Library
360 pp
$16.95
burn out and give up the
fight.
She clumps the ideas into
loose categories. The opening
chapter, titled “Harmonize
Family Life-Ways with
Earth-Ways,” puts forward
18 ideas, from ”Ditch the
Diaper” to “Keep the Clunk-
er — Until You Can Afford
Cleaner Transportation.”
Another chapter about
how to grow community con-
nections gives pointers like
“Have a Beer with Cousin
Max” or “Chainsaw the
Fence.”
And the nifty thing about
all of these is that DeMocker
recognizes that not every-
body is going to be com-
fortable with moving ahead
full-throttle into climate
activism, whether it’s for lack
of time or due to an introvert-
ed disposition.
So she offers variations on
a theme — actions you can
accomplish in one minute,
ten minutes or an hour. Or
she suggests different strate-
gies depending on the age of
your children, from toddlers
to teens.
And, as the cofounder and
creative director of 350.org’s
Eugene chapter, she is gung-
ho about developing partici-
patory, creative interventions
PHOTOS COURTESY NEW WORLD LIBRARY
Author Mary DeMocker
to draw attention to issues.
But DeMocker also
affirms the power of more
conventional approaches.
She urges readers not to
underestimate the power of
consistent letter-writing and
phone-call campaigns to let
your local and state elected
officials know where you
stand on legislation that
moves us toward a fos-
sil-free future, despite the
U.S.’ withdrawal from the
Paris Climate Accord.
Finally, the author points
out that once you start imple-
menting your own personally
curated selection of actions,
you’ll discover other benefits.
Kids become less dependent
on prepackaged entertain-
ment and electronic devices
and learn to think and speak
up for themselves. Healthier
choices in food, transporta-
tion and energy consumption
lead to feelings of empower-
ment and interconnectedness.
Families and communities
LOOKING TO PURCHASE OR REFINANCE A HOME,
we are ready to help you with your mortgage needs
draw closer together in com-
mon cause.
This book is pragmatic,
cheerful and chock-full of
ideas — so get cracking!
The Bookmonger is Bar-
bara Lloyd McMichael, who
writes this weekly column fo-
cusing on the books, authors
and publishers of the Pacific
Northwest. Contact her at
bkmonger@nwlink.com.
LARGE $
PIZZA
7 99
UP TO 2 TOPPINGS
Lance Allbr itton
HAND TOSSED (260-450 Cal) Thin ‘N Crispy® (220-420 Cal)
CAL/SLICE, 8 SLICES PER PIZZA
c:503-801-2400 o:503-338-5200
CARRYOUT ONLY!
ONLINE ONLY!
113 S. Hwy. 101
Warrenton
ORDER ONLINE AT
www.pizzahut.com
Limited Time Offer. Not valid on Stuffed Crust® Pizzas
2000 CALORIES A DAY IS USED FOR GENERAL NUTRITIONAL ADVICE, BUT CALORIE NEEDS
VARY. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST. ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR
EXTRA CHEESE (ADDS 15-50 CAL/SLICE) AND PAN (ADDS 70-100 CAL/SLICE)