Includes bibliographical references (p. 257-265) and index.

Trench warfare, not surgery -- Climate change and the fierce urgency of now -- Sustainability, fork split -- Aspen : a canary in the coal mine and a shining city on a hill -- Finding your biggest lever -- Pitching sustainability -- Green energy : the key to solving climate change (and sometimes a scam) -- Green buildings : simple, elegant, and crucial -- Shameless self promotion and why it matters -- Afterword : the proximity of a sustainable world. "Soccer moms drive Priuses. Sport utility vehicles are going hybrid. Families are using hemp shopping bags. More and more companies are developing "green" buildings. What's more, the business consultants say going green is easy and profitable. In reality, though, many green-leaning businesses, families, and governments are still fiddling with the small stuff while the planet burns, Why? Because implementing sustainability is brutally difficult." "In this book, Auden Schendler, a sustainable business foot soldier with fifteen year's worth of experience, gives us a peek under the hood of the green movement. The consultants, he argues, are clueless. Fluorescent bulbs might be better for our atmosphere, but what do you say to the boutique hotel owner who thinks they detract from his? And how do you convince a chain-smoking karate expert mechanic to put biodiesel in his vehicles?" "Scientists tell us we have to cut CO[subscript 2] emissions 80 percent by mid-century. That's going to take more than a recycling program. We'll only solve our problems if we're realistic about the challenge of climate change. In this eye-opening, inspiring book, Schendler illuminates the path."--BOOK JACKET.