credit: Susan Newman
In times when global warming and environmental issues are receiving growing public attention, book lovers are not indifferent either. On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at 1:00 PM Eastern Time 100 bloggers will take a stand to support books printed in an eco-friendly manner by simultaneously publishing reviews of 100 such books.
Organized by Eco-Libris, this campaign is aiming to promote “green” books by reviewing 100 books printed on recycled paper or FSC-certified paper.
“Although there’s so much hype around e-books, books printed on paper dominate the book market, and we want them to be as environmentally sound as possible,” explains Raz Godelnik, co-founder and CEO of Eco-Libris. “Very few books are currently printed responsibly and we hope this initiative will bring more exposure to “green” books. Through this campaign we want to encourage publishers to get greener and readers to take the environment into consideration when purchasing books.”
Over 35 publishers from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. are taking part in this campaign, providing participating bloggers with their latest books printed on recycled paper and FSC certified paper for review. One of these publishers is Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, which five books of its “Little Green Books” series will be reviewed in the campaign.
“The mission of the Little Green Books series is to plant the seeds of earth-friendly living at an early age, and we were delighted to work with Eco-Libris on the campaign to help to spread this important message,” said Julie Christopher, Senior Marketing Manager at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.
Another participating publisher is HarperOne with three books. “By publishing books like The Green Bible, the companion volume The Green Bible Devotional, and Green Collar Economy by Van Jones, HarperOne hopes to help inspire people to take action and help save the earth's environment. But these books can't help if no one hears about them, which is why we are grateful to be participating in the Eco-Libris "It's Time for a Green Book" campaign. Thank you, bloggers!” said Sam Barry, Marketing and Bible Promotions Manager at HarperOne.
The participating books are in a variety of subjects – cooking, poetry, travel, adventure and more. “The fact that all of these books are printed responsibly is barely known to the average reader,” says Godelnik. “We hope this campaign will help change this situation. If eco-friendly books will become more popular, the “green” factor will become more prominent.”
Bloggers are also excited about the opportunity to support “green” books. One of them is Jennifer Kaplan, author of "Greening Your Small Business: How to Improve Your Bottom Line, Grow Your Brand, Satisfy Your Customers - and Save the Planet" (Prentice Hall, November 2009) and blogger for Green Options Media, who is participating in the campaign both as an author and a blogger.
“As both an author and a blogger I want to thank Eco-Libris for turning a spotlight on eco-friendly printing practices. Without a doubt, an eco-friendly paper policy is a core tactic for conducting business in an environmentally sustainable way. A campaign like this will raise awareness and will encourage book buyers to demand eco-friendly paper. When that begins to happen it will promote innovation and expand the market for green products and materials; Eventually, it’s a win-win for everyone.”
Links to all participating blogs is available at Eco-Libris website - www.ecolibris.net/
