My husband and I have so many books that we’ve arranged them by color. It was the only method that made any logical sense at all. Implementing and maintaining a Dewey Decimal or even a simple alphabetical-by-author system in a family whose book acquisition habits are most notable for their voracity is frankly impractical. Besides, moving books around is easier than repainting when we want to change the look of a room.

But like any book collectors, we’ve acquired a few books that we no longer want to keep around. Some are duplicates acquired in a moment of absent-mindedness. Others are airport reads whose work is done now that the trip is completed. Still others, like the Greek language guide the used bookstore mailed me instead of the Victorian history book I’d requested, are simply complete non-sequiturs in our lives.

Whatever the reason, even I occasionally have books I don’t wish to keep around. But I can’t simply throw them away. Recycling seems equally barbaric, if slightly more earth-friendly.

Donating my used books to the Morrill Library is always a solid choice, and it’s one I’ve used in the past. If the library doesn’t need them in its collection, the Friends of the Library can set them out at their semiannual book sales.

Recently, though, a couple of other options have come to my attention. The first is http://bookmooch.com/ a website that enables you to swap books you don’t want for ones that you do. All it costs is the book itself (plus the cost of shipping it to the person who has requested it).

Along the same lines, www.paperbackswap.com lets you trade in books and receive books for nothing but the postage (media rate is inexpensive at the post office).

Or, if you prefer to donate your used books, www.playingbythebook.net  has just released its annual list of charities around the world dedicated to promoting books, reading, and literacy. Just type it into the search window on the site.

It’s hard to part with books, but on the odd occasion when I have cause to do it, it’s nice to know that my books will go to a good home.   Shala Howell, www.caterpickles.com   www.bostonwriters.wordpress.com

What if we refused to shop on Sundays? Just Sundays.

We would have time to build our cold frames for next spring’s seedlings, to paint something or write a poem, to play the inevitable Candyland game with little ones or read a book, to spend time with family and friends or hide away for some much needed solitude.

And don’t forget Sunday dinner. That might pose a bit of a challenge, as we surely will need some last-minute ingredient. Perhaps we would have to serve the meal without bread, visit a neighbor to borrow a cup of milk, or break out a recipe for homemade crescent rolls.

We would be safe for one day from soft rock Muzak, coupons, and concerns about what we are doing to our pocketbooks. The barrage of marketing would be turned off for 24 hours.

We might buy less overall this way, but I imagine the almighty gross domestic product would not suffer unduly (assuming we believe our only economic salvation is the GDP). Since much of production is outsourced overseas, we wouldn’t even be costing people their jobs by not shopping for one day (they have already lost their jobs).

We would make a statement. Together Yes is a grassroots organization, and we believe that movement towards sustainability begins in our homes and in our communities. That’s us, that’s our neighborhoods.

Religions and their respective Sabbaths aside, the least complicated day of the week to avoid shopping (including Internet) is Sunday, so let’s consider the possibility.

I’m not proposing to make it a law; I am suggesting we think of the possibilities and the boost toward sustainability this personal practice would lend itself to: financial, personal (stress and weariness vs. rest from it all), and social (our individual example inspires).

The person who first mentioned the idea of Sustainable Sunday to me tells of his grandfather and father who worked their lives long in a Massachusetts mill town. While they put in long hours the rest of the week, Sunday was for rest from work, and that included spending as well as making money.

More to come. Sound off with your ideas about resolving to keep a Sustainable Sunday for yourself. Send us an e-mail.

Well, the climate change talks have ended with an agreement to hold talks about climate change. These new talks are expected to span the next three years. I imagine the island nations now threatened with rising ocean levels are disappointed it is going to take so long to talk about this. I know I am.     Susan Clare

Sustainability talk involves using some terms repeatedly, and it sometimes takes work to be sure we use them intentionally.For instance, global warming and climate change are often
used interchangeably, but that is inaccurate.

A child might ask why we don’t just drink more lemonade if Earth is warmed up by a couple of degrees. But we have come to understand that global warming is what causes the climate change we are experiencing, including extreme weather such as flooding, drought, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, and the demise of biodiversity. So we adults know when to use each of these terms as we write, speak, and think.

I have discovered a splendid explanation of greenhouse gases, a term I knew a little about, but didn’t really understand clearly enough to feel comfortable throwing around. I could easily say that our automobiles and airplanes emit greenhouse gases, but which ones and how they work was a bit foggy. Here is a website that explains it simply enough for even me to grasp, and I may read it a couple of times to seat it firmly in my mind:

http://greenliving.about.com/od/greenlivingbasics/a/Greenhouse-Gas.htm?nl=1

After you’ve informed yourself about greenhouse gases, or confirmed what you already knew, think on another word I seem to be using all the time, defining it each instance to be sure people know what I’m talking about: sustainability. Are there ways I can avoid continually salting what I write and say with this word? Is the word becoming a snoozer, lulling people into inattention every time they hear it? If so, what is another way to convey its meaning in less than three sentences? Or do we need to keep using it and harping on it until enough people join our efforts to make a difference?

Sustainability is a good word (an exact word, if one consults the dictionary). I just wonder if it can be changed off sometimes with another expression, and I’d welcome suggestions. Email us with your thoughts.