Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Now that April is here, our thoughts turn to all the springtime pursuits that we look forward to during the winter: enjoying abundant sunshine on warm days outside, starting our gardens and perhaps even planning our summer vacations. April is also the month when we celebrate Earth Day. Begun in 1970, this event has evolved into a global occasion to raise awareness of the fragility of our planet.

Sustainability is a word we hear frequently these days in the sense of creating a balance in our use of natural resources. Kris Bordessa has written “Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living”, a compendium of helpful tips and information for those interested in ecological methods that are affordable and realistic.

Did you know each person in the United States generates around 112 pounds of textile waste each year? All this unwanted clothing ends up in landfills and is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions. “The Conscious Closet” by Elizabeth L. Cline explores the ramifications of our love affair with fast fashion and offers helpful advice on how to break the buying habit. As users of such sites as ThredUp and apps like PoshMark can attest, a fashionable wardrobe can be sustainable and stylish and this book can show you how.

Spring and summer offer an abundance of fresh fruit and vegetables from home gardens, farmer’s markets and grocery store produce. “Fresh Made Simple: A Naturally Delicious Way to Eat” by Lauren K. Stein offers a variety of ways to enjoy fresh food, whether you are planning a full meal or just want a healthy snack. The recipes are organized by texture such as scrambled, toasted or cheesy, and are easy to prepare or adjust to your taste.

Green living has become something of a phenomenon, with television shows, magazines and books devoted to the topic of environmentally-friendly spaces in homes and offices. Chemical additives in food, cleaning products and cosmetics have many people looking for safer alternatives. “Sara Snow’s Fresh Living” is a handy guide with practical tips for a room-by-room chemical detox. From pesticides in food to hazardous compounds in household products, Snow offers a more ecologically balanced approach for the places we live and work.

Visit your library for these titles and other resources and go green this spring!

Holly Howze is the branch manager for the Ripberger Public Library located in Kenbridge. She can be reached at lcplsbooks@gmail.com.