“The Armchair Environmentalist is filled with wisdom for those who want to live an environmentally responsible life. For example, simply saying no to bottled water will save energy and measurably reduce carbon emissions. Karen Christensen has incorporated more environmental advice in this crisp, tightly written volume than in anything I’ve seen to date.”–Lester R. Brown, President, Earth Policy Institute and author of Plan B: Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble.

I met Les Brown, founder of the Worldwatch Institute in Washington DC and one of the most influential environmentalists of our time, in London in 1990. We became friends, and he’s always encouraged my work, especially in those early days on the connection between consumer culture and environmental problems. He’s a person who does not offer praise lightly, and these remarks from him are as gratifying as any I could receive, and welcome encouragement now that I am starting work on a new, bigger environmental handbook, the Cool Planet Guide.