Read 'n' Seed 3: Second quarter of Newman's Own: Guide to a Good Life

The second quarter of my Read'n Seed, for Newman's Own: Guide to a Good Life was very intriguing!
The chapters were 3 (energy and water), 4 (communication) and 5 (money, credit and investing); pages 40-103.


The main topics I read about started with energy and water.  Dirty coal, the greenhouse effect, and the Kyoto Protocol (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC or FCCC) aimed at combating global warming) were all discussed in the energy section. Some suggestions for consumers were to use rechargeable batteries, use compact flourescent lights, and use solar lights outside to name a few. The water section brought up the fact that over 97% of the water on Earth is unavailable for human use. Some tips suggested were to not let water run, use full loads when washing clothes, and just be more conscious in general. I found the list of ten things to do instead of showering twice a day quite funny. For example, repopularize the Macarena or learn the way to San Jose. 
Chapter 4, communication brought up some interesting points such as printing responsibly-- its easy to print everything we need, additionally choosing recycled paper and recycling cartridges. 
Chapter 5 was very informative, especially for college students! Many terms were presented such as screening which is a criterion or set of criterion that helps you determine which companies' stocks will be included in a portfolio and which will be excluded. Additionally, shareholder activism which is when you buy a stock, you become part owner in a company and must be socially responsible. Lastly, community investment, which involves investing in municipal bonds that fund public initiatives. 
The most interesting things I learned this quarter were the reminders about saving energy and water, just being conscious in general. 
Anyways, I definitely found these chapters to be informative and important to address especially when our society is having all kinds of money problems and credit crisis's, but I find the energy and organic food chapters much more interesting.