The Zero Footprint Baby

“We place our first carbon footprints on the earth before we can even walk. This brilliant book shows how we can help create a habitable planet for our children to set foot on.”—Ed Begley, Jr.

“Kids born today will grow up amidst an accelerating warming of our earth. So it makes sense that their parents, intent on showing them many forms of their love, will make a serious effort to slow that warming down!”—Bill McKibben, 350.org

”If you are parent, or an expectant one, and care about the world we leave our children, then read this book. It will change the way you view your role as both a parent and a citizen of planet Earth.”—Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor, Penn State University and author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars

“The Zero Footprint Baby is a fantastic resource for parents who want to raise a healthy, happy family while keeping our planet healthy and happy too. Keya is a wonderful example of a dedicated momma doing the best for her children—while helping other parents makes educated decisions about doing what’s best for their children too! Wonderful book!”—Pat Shelly, RN, MA, IBCLC, Founder and Director of the Breastfeeding Center for Greater Washington

In our culture, pregnancy, birth, and childrearing are deeply connected to consumption and resource use. From the baby shower to the minivan and the larger apartment or first house, the baby-raising years are the most hyper-consumptive of our lives, and can set a family on an unsustainable track for years to come.

The Zero Footprint Baby: How to Save the Planet While Raising a Healthy Baby shows how to raise a child with little to no carbon footprint. This timely book covers every issue new parents face, including pregnancy (what kind of birth has the lowest impact?); what to feed your baby (breastfeed, formula, or both?); childcare (who should take care of the baby, and how?); and of course, diapering. Using a mix of personal anecdotes, summarized research, and clear guidance on how to pursue the most sustainable baby-rearing options, environmental expert and new mom Keya Chatterjee has authored the ultimate resource for all new parents with green inclinations.

Keya Chatterjee is a Senior Director for Renewable Energy and Footprint Outreach at the World Wildlife Fund. Her commentary on climate change policy and sustainability issues has been quoted in dozens of media outlets, including USA Today, the New York Times, Fox News, the Associated Press, The Washington Post, and NBC Nightly News. She has also served as a Climate Change Specialist at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and worked at the NASA Earth Science Enterprise. She lives in Washington DC with her husband and son.