Interest in green living is becoming ever more visible, and new and established magazines take approaches that reflect the “think globally, act locally” philosophy. As a group, the magazines listed here can gratify the curious, inspire the creative, and inform the industrious. All are worthy additions to public libraries.

Worldwatch Institute’s World Watch (1988. bi-m. $50. ISSN 0896-0615) is dedicated to a “vision for a sustainable world.” It is all about thinking globally, with articles covering energy, population, biodiversity, climate change, economics, and politics. For readers interested in the industry of sustainability, BioCycle (1960. m. $74. ISSN 0276-5055) describes large-scale applications of composting, recycling, and renewable energy.

Offering news to promote change, other publications link the micro and macro perspectives on sustainable living. Earth Island Journal (1986. q. $9.95. ISSN 1041-0406) focuses on international environmental news, aiming to integrate local action with its global consequences. Blending reports about the global environment with tips for individual sustainable living, E: The Environmental Magazine (1990. bi-m. $29.95. ISSN 1046-8021) is similar to National Geographic’s Green Guide (2008. q. $15. ISSN 1942-3403), which includes more emphasis on simple tips for green living at home.

Within the shelter category of magazines, green building has become a significant niche, filled with information on living sustainably as locally as possible, in one’s own house.

BackHome (1990. bi-m. $21.97. ISSN 1051-323X) presents practical advice for low-impact, low-cost rural living. Billed as “your hands-on guide to sustainable living,” it covers solar and wind power, composting, and similar do-it-yourself projects.

Now on issue 125 and prominently displayed at some Barnes & Nobles, Home Power (1987. bi-m. $12.50. ISSN 1050-2416) primarily focuses on small-scale solar electric power. It also has instructions on rain harvesting, wind power, and hydroelectric power. Sufficiently detailed advice and diagrams give readers a clear idea of what it takes to provide utilities independently for one’s home.

Home Energy (1988. bi-m. $120. ISSN 0896-9442) takes a systems engineering approach to designing and renovating homes so they work as energy-efficient and livable wholes, without mold, rot, or toxins. While targeted to contractors, it is also informative for DIY homeowners.

Sustainability and self-sufficiency are powerful themes in contemporary DIY. Creating things for oneself is seen as an antidote to our import-centric throwaway society, a way to act very locally. Featuring a strong focus on sustainable living and creatively reusing common household items,ReadyMade (2001. bi-m. $11.97. ISSN 1544-2950) is a “magazine for people who like to make stuff.”

O’Reilly Media, a publisher of computer how-to books, has successfully tapped the urge to be creative with things at home with Make (2005. q. $34.95. ISSN 1556-2336) and its sister, Craft (2006. q. $34.95. ISSN 1932-9121). The Maker Faires sponsored by Make are drawing thousands of participants and national media attention.

A few publications are notable for addressing the topic of going green long before the current wave of interest. Rodale’s Organic Gardening (2001. irreg. $24.96. ISSN 1536-108X), with its string of preceding titles, has informed readers of sustainable agriculture methods since 1942, when wartime victory gardens helped nourish us. Mother Earth News (1970. bi-m. $10. ISSN 0027-1535), launched the year of the first Earth Day, has a long heritage of publishing articles on ways to live in harmony with the environment, including many DIY projects.

Readers interested in large-scale organic agriculture will enjoy Acres U.S.A. (1971. m. $27. ISSN 1076-4968), which is especially valuable for its insights into the opportunities and challenges of supplying certified organic products.

One of the more distinctive magazines for organic agriculture is MaryJanesFarm (2001. bi-m. $19.95. ISSN 1547-7592), an Idaho-based publication for “farmgirls.” For a sense of the magazine, imagine Martha Stewart in a cowboy hat describing how to make ice cream with coffee cans and duct tape, referencing Thoreau throughout. Publisher MaryJane Butters’s feminist–as–organic farmer perspective provides the context for sensible advice for farming and rural life, with decorating tips, too.

Published far from Idaho is newcomer Natural Living (2007. q. $19.80. ISSN 1939-6562), “based in Hollywood, where green trends are set and lived.” It has informative articles of interest to anyone, plus stories about “The Eco-Chic Baby” and ecocouture, featuring an urban cowgirl outfitted in hemp and yarn from yak wool.

For patrons seeking information on a particular topic within sustainable living, EBSCO Publishing’s free GreenFILE is a handy online index for identifying articles in journals and magazines relevant to green and sustainable living (see review in the netConnect supplement with this issue, p. 18).