Hi Julia,
When I was 8 I begged my father for a copy of Go Green! (The Australian young green consumer guide) I had almost given up hope when he astounded me by pulling it out of his briefcase. I couldn't believe he had bought me a book that cost the princely sum of 15 dollars. I remember sitting in the mango tree taking detailed notes and planning how to save the environment.
I was wondering if you knew how many copies sold around the world and why it went out of print because I couldn't find details anywhere.
- Elspeth Muir (Melbourne, Australia)

Thanks for your email and enthusiasm for Go Green! Actually, it's rather bizarre because that was the American version of the original Green Consumer Guide. The Australian one was called 'The Australian Green Consumer Guide'. In their various forms we sold over a 1 million copies worldwide.
Australian rights for The New Green Consumer Guide are with my UK publisher Simon & Schuster. They will definitely be trying to get it out there.
Very best wishes,
Julia

Just been reading about your new book, and I have to say I’d never heard about you before, but what really stood out was the fact that you put in an oil fired Aga and here you are preaching about the environment. We came back to live in Ireland after many years living abroad and we have built our “green home”.
We have a geo-thermal pump for our central heating, run on off- peak electricity. Our solar panels keep us supplied with plenty of hot water. We have a multi fuel stove for burning all the off cuts of wood that was used to build the house, plus all pieces of trees that have been pruned. We go to the recycling and domestic waste disposal base every 7-8 weeks, one bag of waste and the rest, recyclables. We have planted hundreds of whitethorn hedging and many other broad leaf trees and about 8 acres of land is planted with oats, linseed and rapeseed for the wild birds.
The cleaning products used in this house are bicarbonate of soda and vinegar and the invaluable “ecloths”
I would say we are more environmentally friendly than most and even you!!!
Yours sincerely
- Betty Swords

Dear Betty,
I agree with you about the aga - as I've said in the New Green Consumer Guide it's 'one of the most inefficient cooking appliances known to man'. Of course I recognize that there's more for me to do but that won't stop me encouraging everyone to do their bit - and to help people with the decisions they make.
Sounds like you've done some brilliant things with your house, although not so convinced about using bicarbonate of soda and vinegar...
Very best wishes,
Julia

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