Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit from Clean Energy [Paperback]

Brian Keane (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2012

Renewable energy is good for your wallet. Those who see that opportunity are already seizing it … all the way to the bank. Green Is Good is a no-nonsense guide to how you, the average American, can easily incorporate clean energy and energy efficiency into your daily life and in the process save money, make money, and help wean your community off fossil fuels. Renewable energy guru Brian F. Keane walks you through the cost-benefit trade-offs that come with the exciting new technologies and introduces you to the revolutionary clean-energy products on the horizon, making the ins and outs of renewable energy easily accessible. He shows what you can do on every level to seize the opportunity and profit from it. A renewable energy future isn’t just good for the environment; it’s good for the economy, and Green Is Good will show you how—before it’s too late.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“If 'Greed is good' is a catchphrase for unbridled capitalism, then ‘Green is good’ should be its flipside: There are amazing economic opportunities for those who act with environmental responsibility. Brian F. Keane educates us that green is not only the color of a healthy planet, it is also the color of money."
—Michael Douglas

“The Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland uses geothermal power to send a beam through the universe. That beam represents love of each other and of mother earth. It’s an absolutely pure message! Brian Keane’s message about clean energy is as important, and it must travel as far.”
—Yoko Ono Lennon

"Green is good—and Keane is green!"
—George Stephanopoulos

“Keane proves it’s possible to still teach an old dog new tricks. This book is for those who know they can do more to go green but don’t know where to start. A must-read for every generation.”
—Ed Asner

“Brian Keane’s practical, idea-filled book takes living ‘green’ from a good idea to a reality.”
—Douglas I. Foy, former Massachusetts secretary of Commonwealth Development and former president of the Conservation Law Foundation

"A no-nonsense and easy-to-read approach to going green. Keane shows how to leverage the power of community to have the most cost-effective programs."
—Gary Simon, former senior vice president of Northeast Utilities

"There are countless opportunities to implement clean energy effectively. Through insightful examples drawn from his experience, Keane makes the powerful case that crisp communication and compelling marketing are critical for the industry's success." 
—Alex Laskey, president and founder of Opower

"Green Is Good is a critical book for our age. Environmental degradation is the most important strategic challenge we face, but, unless people understand the issues and the opportunities at a personal level, we can't achieve the cultural shift necessary to create major change. Brian Keane expertly does this."
—R. Seetharaman, CEO of Doha Bank

“Credible, consumer-friendly … engaging writing … Keane expertly tells the clean energy story with humor and anecdotes likely to capture readers who want to learn more. … Keane takes us to a place where economic advantage and public good align. … Green Is Good offers an economic message that even Gekko might buy.”
—RealEnergyWriters.com

From the Back Cover

Here is a no-nonsense guide to how you can easily make clean energy and energy efficiency part of your daily life. Renewable energy used to be prohibitively expensive, but times have changed, and energy guru Brian F. Keane demonstrates just how affordable and effective it can be now. He takes you through the cost-benefit trade-offs of exciting new technologies and introduces you to revolutionary products on the horizon, making all the ins and outs easily accessible. Using compelling, real-life stories that bring clean-energy problems and solutions from 30,000 feet to ground level, Keane will walk you that last mile from awareness to adoption, demonstrating how you can seize the opportunity and profit from it. Packed with clear, easy action steps—from basic to advanced—as well as a guide everyone can use for clean energy, Green Is Good also features a resource section and a helpful glossary of terms. A renewable energy future isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for the economy and your bottom line. Keane will show you how . . . before it’s too late.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Lyons Press (October 2, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0762780681
• ISBN-13: 978-0762780686
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,253,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Brian F. Keane is President of SmartPower and author of Green Is Good: Save Money, Make Money, and Help Your Community Profit From Clean Energy. (Lyons Press, 2012). He is a leading voice on clean energy, energy efficiency and the environment. As President of SmartPower, a Washington, DC-based marketing agency dedicated to promoting clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency, Keane has helped shape the energy debate in the United States and brought clean energy and energy efficiency to the American consumer.

Hailed as Mad Men for an eco-conscious generation, SmartPower's award-winning marketing campaigns have engaged hundreds of thousands of people across the country drawing credit for inspiring our nation's renewed interested in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

For their efforts, Keane and SmartPower have been recognized with numerous awards, including a 2010 Clean Air Excellence Award from the Environmental Protection Agency, recognizing SmartPower's "America's Greenest Campus" energy efficiency campaign. Other accolades include the coveted Green Power Pilot Award presented by the EPA and the US Department of Energy; four Gold Awards from the Service Industry Advertising Awards (SIAA); and the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's Green Circle Award. In 2005 Keane was recognized as one of Connecticut's "Outstanding Forty Under 40."

A former advisor to the late Senator Paul Tsongas (D-MA) and congressional aide to Representative Les Aspin (D-WI), Keane has an extensive and cutting edge background in nonprofit management, political organizing and communications. He has used this experience to create organizations that challenge conventional wisdom and help to set the national agenda. To be sure, before there was a "Tea Party", Keane was one of the architects of The Concord Coalition, a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the federal budget deficit.

Keane combines his passion for major policy issues with a marketer's commitment to creating compelling messages that resonate with the general public, not just the converted. As such, Keane is a much sought-after interview and presenter on a host of issues - including clean energy and energy efficiency. He has spoken extensively across the nation, internationally and with local and national media.

Keane is a 1989 graduate of The American University in Washington, DC, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism and Political Science. The tenth in a family of eleven children, Keane served as the chairman of his eldest brother's successful campaign for the Boston City Council and his brother's subsequent race for the U.S. Congress in Massachusetts' eighth congressional district in 1998.

Keane is the immediate past-president of the American University Alumni Association and sits on the board of directors of the Vermont-based Clean Energy Group. He is also a member of the Solar Foundation's board of directors, where he serves as Treasurer.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Green is Good - a primer for modern Americans who want to go green October 22, 2012

By Bob Adamson

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Brian Keane's new book, "Green is Good" is small in size, but packs a lot of detailed information, insightful stories, scientific research, and wonderful suggestions to help the readers understand and incorporate "green" into their own life. From the everyday simple things around the house to the big picture, this small book has lots of big ideas to encourage green behavior in modern America. It's easy to read yet thought provoking and may change your life for the better!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars i'm keen on keane ! November 25, 2012

By Gregory A. Wilson

Format:Paperback

This book is kick ass. Period. For some time, I've been interested in how I can adjust my life to be just a bit more friendly on the environment. This very approachable book has given me many tools and insights to do just that.