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A myth-busting, science-based guide to reducing your environmental impact.
With so much conflicting sustainability advice, how can we tell which choices actually help the planet—and which ones simply make us feel like they do? In The Truth About Going Green, sustainability scientist Shelie Miller debunks some of the most persistent environmental myths and reveals which personal actions make the greatest difference. Moving beyond the idea that greener living begins and ends with trash, plastic, and recycling, she focuses on the environmental outcomes we care about most: a stable climate, clean air, safe water, and healthier communities.
Grounded in the latest science, this practical and refreshingly realistic guide offers a flexible “Good, Better, Best” framework for reducing your environmental footprint in ways that fit your life and priorities. Along the way, Miller answers common questions about meat, electric vehicles, single-use products, recycling, and more—replacing guilt, confusion, and greenwashing with clear, actionable advice. The Truth About Going Green empowers readers to stop sweating the small stuff, focus on what works, and discover a more effective—and more hopeful—way to help the planet.
Shelie Miller is the Jonathan W. Bulkley Collegiate Professor of Sustainable Systems at the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan.
"Offers an optimistic vision for how individuals can take action to fight climate change—with the science to back it up.”—Jonathan Foley, environmental scientist and executive director of Project Drawdown
"Straightforward, sensible, and eminently useful! For so many Americans, "recycling" is the main step they take toward a cleaner planet. This book will help you understand far more consequential actions that will simultaneously make your life richer."—Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes the Sun