Conservation of the environment Books

Book Synopsis“The most honest book about climate change yet.” —The Atlantic“The Infinite Jest of climate books.” —The BafflerA timely, eye-opening book about climate change and energy generation that focuses on the consequences of nuclear power production, from award-winning author William T. VollmannIn his nonfiction, William T. Vollmann has won acclaim as a singular voice tackling some of the most important issues of our age, from poverty to violence to the dark soul of American imperialism as it has played out on the U.S./Mexico border. Now, Vollmann turns to a topic that will define the generations to come--the factors and human actions that have led to global warming. Vollmann begins No Immediate Danger, the first volume of Carbon Ideologies, by examining and quantifying the many causes of climate change, from industrial manufacturing and agricultural practices to fossil fuel extractio

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relationship between humans and mountain lions has always been uneasy. A century ago, mountain lions were vilified as a threat to livestock and hunted to the verge of extinction. In recent years, this keystone predator has made a remarkable comeback with the help of enlightened wildlife management policies and protection under the Endangered Species Act. But its recovery has led to an unexpected conundrum: Do more mountain lions mean they’re a threat to humans and domestic animals? Or, are mountain lions still in need of our help and protection as their habitat dwindles and they’re forced into the edges and crevices of communities to survive? Carnivore expert Mark Elbroch welcomes these tough questions. He dismisses long-held myths about mountain lions and uses ground-breaking science to uncover important new information about their social habits. Elbroch argues that humans and mountain lions can peacefully coexist in close proximity if we ignore uninformed hype and instead arm ourselves with knowledge and common sense. He walks us through the realities of human safety in the presence of mountain lions, livestock safety, competition with hunters for deer and elk, and threats to rare species, dispelling the paranoia with facts and logic. In the last few chapters, he touches on human impacts on mountain lions and the need for a sensible management strategy. The result, he argues, is a win-win for humans, mountain lions, and the ecosystems that depend on keystone predators to keep them in healthy balance. The Cougar Conundrum delivers a clear-eyed assessment of a modern wildlife challenge, offering practical advice for wildlife managers, conservationists, hunters, and those in the wildland-urban interface who share their habitat with large predators.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere is a growing need for public buy-in if democratic processes are to run smoothly. But who exactly is the public? What does their engagement in policy-making processes look like? How can our understanding of the public be expanded to include or be led by diverse voices and experiences, particularly of those who have been historically marginalized? And what does this expansion mean not only for public policies and their development, but for how we teach policy? Drawing upon public engagement case studies, sites of inquiry, and vignettes, this volume raises and responds to these and other questions while advancing policy justice as a framework for public engagement and public policy. Stretching the boundaries of deliberative democracy in theory and practice, Creating Spaces of Engagement offers critical reflections on how diverse publics are engaged in policy processes.Table of ContentsIntroduction: Why Create Spaces of Engagement? Connecting Theory, Policy, and Practice Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa Part One: Across Disciplines and Beyond the Academy: Stretching Deliberative Democratic Theory 1. Revelatory Protest, Deliberative Exclusion, and the B.C. Missing Women Commission of Inquiry: Bridging the Micro/Macro Divide Genevieve Fuji Johnson, Simon Fraser University 2. The Alberta Energy Futures Lab: A Case Study in Socio-Cultural Transition Through Public Engagement Stephen Williams, Energy Futures Lab 3. Deliberative Democracy and Collective Impact: Seeing and Believing Shared Outcomes and Shared Participation Ellen Szarleta, Indiana University Northwest 4. Northern Women’s Conceptualizations of Wellbeing: Engaging in the "Right" Policy Conversations Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Jacqueline Gillis, University of Guelph 5. Unsettled Democracy: The Case of the Grandview-Woodlands Citizen Assembly Rachel Magnusson, City of Vancouver 6. Opening to the Possible: Girls and Women with Disabilities Engaging in Vietnam Deborah Stienstra, University of Guelph and Xuan Thuy Nguyen, Carleton University Part Two: Centring Voices from the Margins: Expanding and Evaluating Engagement Practices 7. How OpenMedia.ca Has Used Social Media to Engage Thousands in "Policy Hacking" for Regulatory Reforms at the CRTC and Other Government Bodies Tara Mahoney, Simon Fraser University 8. An Experiment in Engaging the "Heart and Mind": Building Community Capacity on Post-Secondary Campuses Catriona Remocker, University of Victoria, Tim Dyck, University of Victoria, and Dan Reist, University of Victoria 9. Art-Full Methods of Democratic Participation: Listening, Engagement, and Connection Joanna Ashworth, Simon Fraser University 10. Power, Privilege, and Policy-Making: Reflections on “Changing Public Engagement from the Ground Up” Alana Cattapan, University of Waterloo, April Mandrona, Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Tammy Findlay, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Alexandra Dobrowolsky, Saint Mary’s University 11. Engaging with Women in Low-Income: Implications for Government-Convened Public Engagement Initiatives and Deliberative Democracy Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph Part Three: Effective and Affective Spaces of Deliberation 12. The heART of Engagement: Experiences of a Community-Created Mobile Art Gallery in Brazil Bruno de Oliviera Jayme, Royal Roads University 13. Temporary Labour Migrants’ Engagement and (Dis)engagement with the Policy Process Ethel Tungohan, York University 14. Storytelling as Engagement: Learning from Youth Voices in Attawapiskat Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa 15. Making Spaces for Truth: Exploring the Lived Meanings of Deliberating Reconciliation in Higher Education Derek Tannis, Saskatchewan Polytechnic 16. Global Development Agendas with Local Relevance? "Glocal" Approaches, Tensions, and Lessons on Measuring Aid Effectiveness Astrid Pérez Piñán, University of Victoria Conclusion: Concluding Reflections on Policy Justice Deliberative Democracy, Citizen Participation, and the Future of Policy-Making Leah R.E. Levac, University of Guelph and Sarah Marie Wiebe, University of Hawai’i, Manoa

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe British beach is full of creatures that we think we know - from crabs to clams, starfish to anemones. But, in fact, we barely understand how many survive or thrive. In Rock Pool the delights of childhood paddling are elevated to oceanic discoveries, as the fragile beauty and drama of intertidal existence is illustrated through the incredible lives of twenty-four individual creatures. Rock Pool is the eye-opening account of a life-long passion by a talented writer and naturalist.Trade Review`Here are three simple steps to help you feel better about the world: read Heather Buttivant's marvellous book, grab a pair of wellies and get yourself to a rocky shore ... [a] thoughtful, enlightening and entertaining read.' BBC Wildlife Magazine | 'An utterly joyous book, a celebration of our incomparable 11,000 miles of British coastline ... an eye-opening delight from start to finish.' Daily Mail

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow to live a more sustainable life and create a calmer, healthier, eco-friendly home without using plastics. Making small lifestyle changes can make a big difference to our planet. Sustain is full of advice and information to help you take a more eco-friendly path. Recycling, reusing and shopping at farmers’ markets are a good start, but cutting down on the use of poisonous chemicals is just as important – it’s perfectly possible to clean a house using nothing more than lemons, bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and plain water. Old-fashioned tips passed down through generations are complemented by newer ideas and innovations. As you move toward greener alternatives, why not try growing some of your own vegetables, fruit and herbs, and use them to make jams, oils and chutneys using the handy tips. Make beauty preparations and bath oils, too, for soothing, effective treatments to enhance everyday health and wellbeing. There are lots of ways to make do and mend, and by taking care of your clothes and not participating in fast fashion you will contribute less to the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Becoming eco-friendly just takes some readjustment; and by following the advice in this invaluable guide you will find yourself living a calmer, greener life.Trade Review'...a modern-day Mary Poppins.' – Journalist Hattie Garlick about Christina Strutt in The Sunday Telegraph

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisConfronting harsh ecological realities and the multiple cascading crises facing our world today, An Inconvenient Apocalypse argues that humanity's future will be defined not by expansion but by contraction.For decades, our world has understood that we are on the brink of an apocalypseand yet the only implemented solutions have been small and convenient, feel-good initiatives that avoid unpleasant truths about the root causes of our impending disaster. Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen argue that we must reconsider the origins of the consumption crisis and the challenges we face in creating a survivable future. Longstanding assumptions about economic growth and technological progressthe dream of a future of endless bountyare no longer tenable. The climate crisis has already progressed beyond simple or nondisruptive solutions. The end result will be apocalyptic; the only question now is how bad it will be.Jackson and Jensen examine how geographic determinism shTrade Review“An Inconvenient Apocalypse pulls no punches. Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen, in this work of Anthropocenic soul-searching, offer an honest, accessible, and ruefully playful look at their own lives and at the predicament of human civilization during this century of upheaval and denial.” —Scott Slovic, co-editor of Ecoambiguity, Community, and Development“The problematic human/earth relationship will not be resolved anytime soon, and Jackson and Jensen’s book makes an important contribution to assessing our situation and envisioning a way forward. Anyone who has a nagging feeling that something is wrong and doesn’t understand the breadth and depth of the problem or how to grapple with it should read this book.” —Lisi Krall, author of Proving Up"While making no religious claims, Jackson and Jensen engage the core questions that religious people must ask, if their own witness is to be credible: Who are we, and where are we in history? Do we have the capacity to make drastic change for the sake of a decent human future? Can we live with humility and grace instead of arrogance and an infatuation with knowledge devoid of wisdom? Read and consider." —Ellen F. Davis, author of Scripture, Culture, and Agriculture"With intrepid honesty, tenderness, and grace, Jackson and Jensen lay out a clear framework for making sense of the most elusive complexities of climate crisis. Through kindred reflections and incisive analysis, they boldly enlighten readers of the probable and the possible in the decades to come. An affirmation and solace for the weary. A beacon for those seeking courage and understanding in unsettling times." —Selina Gallo-Cruz, author of Political Invisibility and Mobilization"The nature of all living organisms, so this book argues, is to go after 'dense energy,' resulting eventually in crisis. If that is so, then the human organism is facing a tough question: Can we overcome our own nature? Courageous and humble, bold and provocative, the authors of An Inconvenient Apocalypse do not settle for superficial answers." —Donald Worster, author of Shrinking the Earth"This is one of the most important books of our lifetime. An Inconvenient Apocalypse can help us face the difficult choices that confront us all and enable us to acknowledge the urgency of our current circumstance." —Frederick L. Kirschenmann, author of Cultivating an Ecological Conscience"Wes Jackson and Bob Jensen have written Common Sense for our time. This book might be the spark that catalyzes the American Evolution." —Peter Buffett, co-president of the NoVo Foundation“In this essential contribution to the public debate, Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen critique the capitalist forces accelerating the climate crisis and the intellectual-activists who have balked at calling for the radical changes in human behavior that could mitigate, if not prevent, environmental and societal collapse. Their contribution will prove as enduring as it is timely.” —Jason Brownlee, author of Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization“If you’re already concerned about our species’ survival prospects, this book will take you to the next level of understanding. Jackson and Jensen are clear and deeply moral thinkers, and their assessment of humanity’s precarious status deserves to be widely read.” —Richard Heinberg, author of Power"Jackson and Jensen take a hard look at the near future as climate change intensifies and predict looming crises will lead to human suffering and radical changes. . . . [The authors] cut through pervasive denial about humanity's destiny in a more hostile environment. As in an effective seminar, they posit a situation and then raise questions that will resonate with readers." —Library Journal"Harrowing and accessible, this is just the thing for readers interested in a sociological or philosophical examination of the climate crisis." —Publishers Weekly"A hard-hitting philosophical reckoning with climate breakdowns, and with the social collapses that they may entail. ... Climate disasters may render hope for the future tenuous, but the philosophical book An Inconvenient Apocalypse asserts that working toward social justice is still purpose-giving." —Foreword Reviews (starred review)"The goal of An Inconvenient Apocalypse isn’t to try to convince people of the reality of humankind’s environmental and societal crises. . . . Instead the book takes these threats as a starting point and spends the majority of its lean page count exploring their implications and how we might best respond to them. It succeeds commendably in this regard." —Resilience"In An Inconvenient Apocalypse, authors Wes Jackson and Robert Jensen style themselves as heralds of some very bad news: societal collapse on a global scale is inevitable, and those who manage to survive the mass death and crumbling of the world as we know it will have to live in drastically transformed circumstances. . . . The current way of things is doomed, and it’s up to us to prepare as best we can to ensure as soft a landing as possible when the inevitable apocalypse arrives." —The Guardian"Global warming is headed in a calamitous direction. Even if humans can limit the increase in the Earth’s temperature, other factors are pushing us to an apocalypse. . . . This a sobering examination of current trends in human behavior and likely existential consequences." —Intelligencer: Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies"We are in the midst of a major environmental catastrophe for which we are little prepared, but for which action is desperately needed. An Inconvenient Apocalypse seeks to engage this problem with a deep concern for social justice, equality, and reverence for us and the planet that we have so deeply scarred." —New York Journal of Books"Unlike many works in the eco-catastrophe genre, An Inconvenient Apocalypse isn’t strident, angry, or panicked about the impending collapse. It’s more of an elegy for a dying civilization, which takes a pragmatic but soft-spoken approach to the problems we face; so soft-spoken that it’s a slight shock when we realize what the authors are saying." —Medium"An Inconvenient Apocalypse is one powerful book. It will move many of its readers out of the past and into a reasonable, informed, and passionate space for assessing a difficult future." —Ecological Economics"Read this personal manifesto of wisdom and passion for our suffering planet, a very important, timely, and riveting book." —CounterPunch"Few books can shake up and awaken long-time climate activists, environmental activists, and sustainability activists to expansive new levels of understanding of the big picture of our major crises, but this is one of those books." —Job One for Humanity Climate Blog“Right now, the questions posed by Jackson and Jensen carry more potency than the answers we are being led to believe will resolve the predicaments we are in. That is because we have been asking the wrong questions. Jackson and Jensen ask new, and inconvenient, questions. Get the book and start asking the same questions.” —Rainbow Juice“The authors seek to redefine what hope can be, as the day-to-day expectations of most of us are off the table... Compulsory reading.” —Hastings Independent Press"If we are to see a better future realized, not only do we need to rethink our individual patterns of behavior, but we must also resist cultural formations that reduce our humanity to marketplace identities. . . . If we decide this is who we are, our future may still be bright, even if it is not convenient." —The Christian CenturyTable of ContentsIntroductions: Who are we? 1. Who is “we”? 2. Four hard questions: Size, scale, scope, speed 3. We are all apocalyptic now 4. Saving remnant 5. Ecospheric grace Conclusions: The sum of all hopes and fears

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe epic story of the buffalo in America, from prehistoric times to today—a moving and beautifully illustrated work of natural historyThe American buffalo—our nation’s official mammal—is an improbable, shaggy beast that has found itself at the center of many of our most mythic and sometimes heartbreaking tales. The largest land animals in the Western Hemisphere, they are survivors of a mass extinction that erased ancient species that were even larger. For nearly 10,000 years, they evolved alongside Native people who weaved them into every aspect of daily life; relied on them for food, clothing, and shelter; and revered them as equals.Newcomers to the continent found the buffalo fascinating at first, but in time they came to consider them a hindrance to a young nation’s expansion. And in the space of only a decade, they were slaughtered by the millions for their hides, with their carcasses left to rot on the prairies. Then, teetering

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe perfect guide for any gardener looking for inspiration on how to create a pollinator-friendly garden all year round.Pollinators are essential to life on Earth. Yet bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects are struggling due to climate change and habit loss. Fortunately, what we choose to plant in our gardens can help them to thrive. In this heartfelt guide, horticulturalist and Gardener''s World presenter Rachel de Thame highlights plants we can grow that are rich in nectar and pollen, ensuring the garden is filled with beautiful flowers for us all to enjoy year-round.Arranged by season and illustrated with exquisite hand-painted watercolours and glorious photography showcasing many of Rachel''s favourite plants, this book provides a captivating look at how best to support nature. Whether you have a small urban courtyard or a large country garden, A Flower Garden for Pollinators will guide your choice of plants, attracting a host of pol

Read more less

Book Synopsis'Counterintuitive, funny and provocative . Along the way, he reveals the deep-lying and often controversial roots of today's green city movement, and offers an argument for celebrating our cities as they are - in all their raucous, constructed and artificial glory.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPREFACE ACKNOWLEDGMENTS INTRODUCTION Sarah R. Osterhoudt and K. Sivaramakrishnan FARMING AND FOOD 1 . THE FARMING OF TRUST: ORGANIC CERTIFICATION AND THE LIMITS OF TRANSPARENCY IN UTTARAKHAND, INDIA Shaila Seshia Galvin 2 . A "QUEER-LOOKING COMPOUND": RACE, ABJECTION, AND THE POLITICS OF HAWAIIAN POI Hi'ilei Julia Hobart URBAN ENVIRONMENTS 3 . HOW THE GRASS BECAME GREENER IN THE CITY: ON URBAN IMAGININGS AND PRACTICES OF SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN SWEDEN Cindy Isenhour 4 . CIRCULARITY AND ENCLOSURES: METABOLIZING WASTE WITH THE BLACK SOLDIER FLY Amy Zhang ENERGY AND ENERGY ALTERNATIVES 5 . LANDSCAPES OF POWER: RENEWABLE ENERGY ACTIVISM IN DINÉ BIKÉYAH Dana E. Powell and Dáilan J. Long 6 . DECOLONIZING ENERGY: BLACK LIVES MATTER AND TECHNOSCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE AMID SOLAR TRANSITIONS Myles Lennon NONHUMAN LIFE 7 . "THE GOAT THAT DIED FOR FAMILY": ANIMAL SACRIFICE AND INTERSPECIES KINSHIP IN INDIA'S CENTRAL HIMALAYAS Radhika Govindrajan 8 . PASSIVE FLORA? RECONSIDERING NATURE'S AGENCY THROUGH HUMAN-PLANT STUDIES John Charles Ryan CLIMATE, LANDSCAPE, AND IDENTITY 9 . IMAGINING THE ORDINARY IN PARTICIPATORY CLIMATE ADAPTATION Sarah E. Vaughn 10. WHAT THE SANDS REMEMBER Vanessa Agard-Jones LIST OF CONTRIBUTORS INDEX

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe world’s wildlife is in crisis, and the next ten years are critical.The New Big 5 brings together more than 145 of the world’s greatest wildlife photographers, conservationists, and advocates in a mission to not only celebrate the natural beauty of the animal world, but to raise awareness of the crucial issues facing these magnificent creatures. Until recently, the Big Five referred to the five big-game animals that were most difficult for colonial hunters to shoot and kill. Wildlife photographer Graeme Green’s The New Big 5 Project set about to reclaim that gruesome, antiquated term by asking people around the world to vote on the five endangered animals they would most want to shoot—with a camera. More than fifty thousand people voted, and the New Big 5 list of Wildlife Photography was born. What are the New Big 5? Elephants Gorillas Tigers Lions Polar Bears With 226 stunning photos and informative essays from the world’s greatest wildlife advocates, this one-of-a-kind book inspires and raises awareness about the New Big 5, and our wildlife world. FEATURES MANY OTHER ENDANGERED SPECIES: An extensive chapter is devoted to endangered species, such as rhinos, cheetahs, lemurs, frogs, vultures, sharks, whales, and turtles. INCREDIBLE CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY: Majestic portraits, animals in their habitat, and examples of natural behavior from more than 145 renowned wildlife photographers, including Ami Vitale, Marsel van Oosten, Paul Nicklen, Steve McCurry, Karine Aigner, Brian Skerry, Lucas Bustamante, Beverly Joubert, Clement Kiragu, Thomas Mangelsen, Paul Hilton, Suzi Eszterhas, Sascha Fonseca, Cristina Mittermeier, Frans Lanting, Marina Cano, Gael R. Vande Weghe, Daisy Gilardini, Steve Winter, Qiang Zhang, Art Wolfe, Dhritiman Mukherjee, Will Burrard-Lucas, David Lloyd, Vicki Jauron, Sergey Gorshkov, and Thomas Vijayan. ENGAGING ESSAYS from leading conservationists, including Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Paula Kahumbu (Wildlife Direct), Dr. Tara Stoinski (CEO, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund), Krista Wright (Executive Director, Polar Bears International), Dr. Anish Andheria (CEO, Wildlife Conservation Trust), Dr. Moreangels Mbizah (Executive Director, Wildlife Conservation Action), Dominique Gonçalves (Manager, Elephant Ecology Project at Gorongosa National Park), and Wes Sechrest (CEO, Re:wild). “I hope the photos in this The New Big 5 book will lead people into the wonderful worlds of these iconic species - elephants, polar bears, gorillas, tigers and lions - and encourage them to explore the lives of so many other fascinating creatures, many of which are also endangered. Then, perhaps, other people will become involved in helping to create a world where wildlife can flourish for future generations to enjoy. I believe we have a window of time during which we can start to heal some of the harm we have inflicted on the natural world and slow down the heating of the planet. But only if we get together and take action now.” - Dr. Jane Goodall

Read more less

Book SynopsisA celebrated biologist’s manifesto addressing a soil loss crisis accelerated by poor conservation practices and climate changeTrade Review“A manifesto for improved soil conservation and management. . . . What distinguishes Handelsman from her predecessors is her optimism about our ability to reverse the course of soil loss. . . . A book for a broad audience that will widen discussion and interest in soils and soil degradation.”—Daniel D. Richter, Science“Microbiologist Jo Handelsman takes on the challenge of making readers care in A World Without Soil.”—Emma Marris, Nature2022 PROSE award winner, Government and Politics categoryLonglisted for the 2023 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Young Adult Science Book category“Jo Handelsman is a national treasure, and her clarion call warning of a looming soil-loss catastrophe must be heard. Add her clearly written alarm to other future-shocks: climate change, pandemics, and mass extinctions.”—Laurie Garrett, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance“The ground beneath our feet is slipping away as we lose the precious soil that sustains us. Jo Handelsman’s writing—as rich and life supporting as the soil itself—is a riveting warning. She tells us eloquently about the danger we’re in, but also what we can do about it.”—Alan Alda, actor, writer, and host of the podcast Clear+Vivid with Alan Alda“A truly delightful book about soil! Jo Handelsman brilliantly describes in fascinating detail the origin, structure, and contributions to human health by the very ground of Planet Earth.”—Rita Colwell, Distinguished University Professor, University of Maryland, and former director, National Science Foundation“A World Without Soil is an optimistic and compelling look at the challenges surrounding one of earth’s most vital natural resources. Jo Handelsman presents rigorously researched and compelling solutions to advance policy changes we need today—in order to ensure our future.”—Howard W. Buffett, coauthor of 40 Chances and Social Value Investing, and 2001 FFA State Soil Judging Champion“A significant and inspirational book. Jo Handelsman richly narrates the integral connections and interdependencies of soil, a living entity which lies at the heart of our sustenance, survival and wellbeing.”—Garth Harmsworth, senior Indigenous Māori scientist (Toi Rangahau), Manaaki Whenua-Landcare Research, New Zealand

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn exploration of the concept of Indigenuity and Indigenous Thought. Leading Indigenous thinker Dan Wildcat synthesizes several related ideas, including science, the environment, biology and our culture, arguing that restoration of Native knowledge is essential for saving humankind and the planet. On Indigenuity is a part of the Publisher’s Speakers Corner Books series.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"In George Meléndez Wright: The Fight for Wildlife and Wilderness in the National Parks, Emory grants Wright the well-deserved credit he is due. Part biography, part historical account, the book reads like a love letter to Wright." -- Lindsey Botts * Sierra, "5 Must-Read Books for Your Spring Reading List" *"Emory’s enumeration of Wright’s accomplishments—including a survey of wildlife in Western parks, the first of its kind—is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Emory, who is married to one of Wright’s granddaughters, has succeeded admirably in demonstrating the continuing relevance of Wright’s ideas and the value of his legacy. Highly recommended for nature lovers and park enthusiasts." * Library Journal *"Although Wright died in a car accident at age thirty-one, his fervor for our national parks and substantial achievements in furthering conservation biology left a lasting legacy and are a testament to how full and influential a short life can be." * Booklist *"Emory has in this book brought the remarkable story of George Meléndez Wright out of the shadows of national park history. It is a story of brilliance, vision, tragedy, and missed opportunity. . . . This book is an informative, thoroughly researched, and readable account of a remarkable man of historic importance." * National Parks Traveler *"Emory has in this book brought the remarkable story of George Meléndez Wright out of the shadows of national park history. It is a story of brilliance, vision, tragedy, and missed opportunity. . . . This book is an informative, thoroughly researched, and readable account of a remarkable man of historic importance." * Rewilding Earth *"Almost a century after his death, a dedicated young biologist remains a role model for conservationists." * Stanford Magazine *"The National Park Service has many unsung heroes, and George Meléndez Wright is in the top tier. In this book, conservation writer Emory documents how Wright was responsible for the first wildlife policy handbook developed for the NPS. . . . Emory's text is illustrated with black-and-white photos; interspersed throughout are short quotes primarily from Wright’s work but also from friends and others involved in the reformulation of wildlife policy. Anyone interested in the history and evolution of the national parks and the National Park Service will find this book a good read. Highly recommended." * Choice *“To those of us who have worked in conservation, and especially in the National Park Service, as I did for forty years, George Meléndez Wright is a hero, icon, and role model. His story deserves to be told, and Emory has done that well. It will inspire readers to lives in service to conservation of the planet upon which we all depend.” -- Jonathan B. Jarvis, eighteenth director of the National Park Service, coauthor of "The Future of Conservation in America" and "National Parks Forever"“George Meléndez Wright was a pivotal figure––pushing the vision of parks from scenic tourist spots to crucial sites for the preservation of the natural world. This remarkable, vibrant history fills a large gap in our understanding of––and appreciation for––a person who left a lasting legacy.” -- Dayton Duncan, writer/producer of "The National Parks: America’s Best Idea"“George Meléndez Wright cuts a remarkable figure in the history of American conservation: keen and patient observer of nature, acute scientist, skillful navigator of politics, passionate advocate for national parks, bilingual emissary to Spanish-speaking colleagues, poetic writer, and, above all, ecological visionary ahead of his time. He was also a generous and well-loved friend to many, which is why his accidental death at a young age was felt so acutely. Emory’s telling of Wright’s story superbly captures the full-to-the-brim life of this underappreciated pioneer of nature protection. Capitalizing on exclusive access to a trove of personal field journals and other papers, as well as archival research, Emory’s own prose sings with the spirit of George Meléndez Wright and leaves us inspired to carry on his work in our own time.” -- David Harmon, executive director of the George Wright SocietyTable of ContentsForeword Preface: Field Notes and Family Prologue: Serendipity Chapter 1. The Magic Window Chapter 2. University of California, Berkeley Chapter 3. Summers: Alaska and the West Chapter 4. Yosemite: Dream Achieved, 1927–29 Chapter 5. Am I Visionary, or Just Crazy? Chapter 6. Beginnings: The Wildlife Survey, 1930 Chapter 7. The Intangible Beauty of Nature, 1931–33 Chapter 8. New Deal, Old Problems Chapter 9. Outstanding Men Chapter 10. It Looks Like a Resurrection Chapter 11. Chapo Chapter 12. Legacy Epilogue: On a Good Day Acknowledgments Notes Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat makes a garden good? For Chris McLaughlin, it’s about growing the healthiest, most scrumptious fruits and veggies possible, but it’s also about giving back. How can your little patch of Earth become a sanctuary for threatened wildlife, sequester carbon, and nurture native plants? McLaughlin gives you all the tricks and tips you need to grow the sustainable garden of your dreams. Drawing from established traditions, such as permaculture and French intensive gardening, and McLaughlin’s hard-earned experience, The Good Garden is a joyful guide for newbies and experienced gardeners alike. It will teach you the fundamentals, including how to choose the right plant varieties for your microclimate, and proven methods to fight pests without chemicals. You will also discover the nuances of developing a green thumb, from picking species to attract specific types of pollinators to composting techniques based on time available. Lovely four-colour photography will show you good gardening in action. Most importantly, The Good Garden will help you foster a sense of meaning in your garden. Maybe the goal is to reduce food miles and plastic waste by growing delicious berries. Maybe it’s to meet neighbours who also care about the planet through a seed-swap. Maybe it’s a quiet moment patting the bunny whose manure will replace toxic fertilisers in the soil. A good garden offers endless possibilities, and The Good Garden offers a wealth of knowledge and inspiration.Trade Review"Chris McLaughlin understands that your garden is more than just a plot of land - it's an ecosystem. In this positive, upbeat guide, she shows you how to nurture a thriving garden that includes native plants that support wildlife and how, in doing so, your own garden will reconnect to the greater ecosystem." --David Mizejewski, Naturalist, National Wildlife Federation "From rain barrels to planting choices, this book guides you to endless gardening possibilities and doing it in an all-natural way. Chris has made gardening simple and easy for all." --Lisa Mason Ziegler, author of Cool Flowers and Vegetables Love Flowers "This is the perfect guide to get you started in understanding how your garden functions as a part of the ecosystem. It can help you create a space for all to enjoy--from the tiniest insects to the domestic animal helpers--and for yourself!" --Jessi Bloom, ecological designer and author of Creating Sanctuary and Practical PermacultureTable of ContentsTable of Contents Introduction: What Makes a Good Garden? Chapter 1. Choose and Combine Sustainable Gardening Styles Chapter 2. Know Your Ecosystem Chapter 3. Welcome Pollinators and Wildlife Chapter 4. Control Weeds Naturally Chapter 5. Keep the Bad Bugs at Bay Chapter 6. Nourish Healthy Soil Chapter 7. Cultivate Healthy Food Chapter 8. Enlist Domestic Critters Chapter 9. Build Community Resources: Down the Sustainable Rabbit Hole Acknowledgements About the Author Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA Guide on Climate Optimism and Environmental Sustainability Zahra Biabani, a climate activist focused on hope and action, wrote this book to help readers learn why we need to and how we can stay optimistic in the face of the climate crisis. People are doing good things for our planet all over the world…. it's time we highlight it!Change the way you think about the future. The fate of humanity can be daunting, but we don’t need to live in that space. First, we need to change our attitude in order to implement nature based solutions that help mitigate climate change. Good news: there are numerous encouraging environmental trends that will change the way you think about how we can protect the planet. Get to know Zahra Biabani, a climate activist, influencer, CEO, and writer. Zahra’s content focuses on climate hope, optimism, humor, and doing good things. After unexpectedly establishing a career as an online sustainability educator and influencer her junior year at Vanderbilt University, Zahra decided to jump head first into the waters of entrepreneurship and authorship. Climate Optimism is her way to spread hope in the world.Inside, you’ll find: A comprehensive review of the most promising climate solutions Practical advice to change the way you think and feel about climate change Two years worth of good news from the “Weekly Earth Wins” series Interviews with activists in the Global South working on projects that further environmental sustainability If you're looking for a sustainable living book or books for activists centered on environmentalism like A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety, The Intersectional Environmentalist, or Sustainable Badass, you’ll love Climate Optimism.Trade Review“Climate Optimism is an essential read with a beautiful reminder that hope is a much more sustainable motivator than doom and gloom ever could be. Zahra effectively explores the nuances and psychology of optimism, while grounding readers in an understanding of real, impactful, on-the-ground climate action that they can be a part of.” —Leah Thomas, founder of Intersectional Environmentalist“I don't know if we're going to be able to overcome the climate crisis—but I know that if we succumb to nihilism we have no chance. There's a good kick in the pants in these pages!” —Bill McKibben, author The Flag, the Cross and the Station Wagon“There are no rose-colored glasses here. Zahra does not ignore that climate change will cause great suffering. But rather than flounder in fear, she shares a guiding light. There can be abundance, circularity, and sustainability. The world can work better than it ever has with humans present. This book is filled with a fantastic balance of history, culture, hope, and tactical advice for what to do. If you want to be part of the solution, this book is for you.” —Kip Pastor, founder and CEO of Pique Action“What’s the point of pessimism? In this intensely researched and fascinating book, Zahra proves that optimism is the attitude that changes the world. The stories in Climate Optimism lifted my heart, and the insights I will use for years to come. For decades I’ve been a proud climate optimist myself—it’s the foundation of my work and genuinely saved my own life. Read this book for the (renewable) fuel for our work ahead.” —Solitaire Townsend, cofounder of global change agency Futerra and author of The Solutionists: How Business Can Fix The FutureTable of ContentsContents Introduction Chapter 1: Why Optimism and Why Now? Chapter 2: Reasons to be Hopeful…. The Last Decade in Review Chapter 3: Reflections from Around the World Chapter 4: The Way Forward Chapter 5: Community First Chapter 6: A Future Built for All Chapter 7: What You Can Do Acknowledgments About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Responsible Traveller is your ticket to sustainable and ethical travel. This pocket-sized book provides the knowledge and tools that can help you to explore the world with a lighter footprint. Whether you travel out of curiosity, to find respite, to remind yourself of how vast and wonderful our planet is, or in search of life-shaping adventures, having the freedom to explore can be exhilarating and hugely rewarding. However we owe it to the people, cultures, ecosystems and wildlife that we encounter along the way to travel with respect; to preserve our beautiful world for generations to come. The Responsible Traveller will show you how to make actionable changes that result in more thoughtful and adventurous travels, while also doing our very best for Planet Earth. Through case studies and storytelling, you’ll learn about the environmental and social effects of tourism and gain a deeper understanding of cultural sensitivity. And through simple, achievable tips and practical lifestyle changes, you’ll discover how you can make an almighty difference in reducing your impact. Empowered with this information, perhaps your next adventure will be inspired by consideration, understanding and compassion.Trade ReviewA comprehensive, thought provoking and honest discussion of the benefits and problems relating to tourism. * Neil Kitching, author of Carbon Choices *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNATIONAL BESTSELLER? The Pulitzer Prize?winning author of The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity?s transformative impact on the environment, now asking: After doing so much damage, can we change nature, this time to save it?RECOMMENDED BY PRESIDENT OBAMA AND BILL GATES ? SHORTLISTED FOR THE WAINWRIGHT PRIZE FOR WRITING ? ONE OF THE TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post ? ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Time, Esquire, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews ? ?Beautifully and insistently, Kolbert shows us that it is time to think radically about the ways we manage the environment.??Helen Macdonald, The New York Times With a new afterword by the authorThat man should have dominion ?over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth? is a prophecy that has hardened into fact. So pervasive are human impacts on the planet that it?s said we live in a new geological epoch: the Anthropocene. In Under a White Sky, Elizabeth Kolbert takes a hard look at the new world we are creating.Along the way, she meets biologists who are trying to preserve the world?s rarest fish, which lives in a single tiny pool in the middle of the Mojave; engineers who are turning carbon emissions to stone in Iceland; Australian researchers who are trying to develop a ?super coral? that can survive on a hotter globe; and physicists who are contemplating shooting tiny diamonds into the stratosphere to cool the earth.One way to look at human civilization, says Kolbert, is as a ten-thousand-year exercise in defying nature. In The Sixth Extinction, she explored the ways in which our capacity for destruction has reshaped the natural world. Now she examines how the very sorts of interventions that have imperiled our planet are increasingly seen as the only hope for its salvation. By turns inspiring, terrifying, and darkly comic, Under a White Sky is an utterly original examination of the challenges we face.

Read more less

Book Synopsis‘Powerful, purposeful and persuasive … This book is transformative. We must read, mark and learn, fast’ Michael Morpurgo ‘A call to action – to change our world from the ground up. A vitally necessary book’ Isabella Tree ‘Philip Lymbery pulls no punches in cataloguing the calamitous mistakes we’ve made in our food system, but he has bold and inspiring solutions to offer, too.’ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall _______________ Taking its title from a chilling warning made by the United Nations that the world’s soils could be lost within a lifetime, Sixty Harvests Left uncovers how the food industry is threatening the planet. Put simply, without soils there will be no food: game over. And time is running out. From the United Kingdom to Italy, from Brazil to the Gambia to the USA, Philip Lymbery, the internationally acclaimed author of Farmageddon, goes behind the scenes of industrial farming and confronts ‘Big Agriculture’, where mega-farms, chemicals and animal cages are sweeping the countryside and jeopardising the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat and the nature that we treasure. In his investigations, however, he also finds hope in the pioneers who are battling to bring landscapes back to life, who are rethinking farming methods, rediscovering traditional techniques and developing technologies to feed an ever-expanding global population. Impassioned, balanced and persuasive, Sixty Harvests Left not only demonstrates why future harvests matter more than ever, but reveals how we can restore our planet for a nature-friendly future.Trade ReviewPRAISE FOR SIXTY HARVESTS LEFT: Philip Lymbery pulls no punches in cataloguing the calamitous mistakes we’ve made in our food system, but he has bold and inspiring solutions to offer, too. It’s time for Big Food, and governments everywhere, to act on them. -- Hugh Fearnley-WhittingstallBeautifully crafted. A compelling, excoriating account of industrial farming – how it is driving the climate and biodiversity emergencies, while also undermining our health. Full of insights and encounters with pioneers of new ways of farming, Sixty Harvests Left is a call to action – to change our world from the ground up. A vitally necessary book. -- Isabella TreeIn this beautifully written book, Philip Lymbery describes how intensive agriculture harms the environment and inflicts suffering on sentient animals. But after visiting and talking to those on the front line – scientists, farmers and food providers – he is able to show that there are sustainable alternatives. And that they are working. There is indeed hope for the future of our planet, and each one of us can play a part. I urge you to read Sixty Harvests Left. -- Dr Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of PeaceThe chilling title is the red flag; the contents, however, lay out all the remedies to save the planet and its species, including ours, and make for absorbing and sometimes terrifying reading. Minutely researched, and written for laymen as well as experts, Sixty Harvests Left deserves to be read world-wide and acted upon immediately. I cannot recommend it highly enough. -- Joanna LumleyPowerful, purposeful and persuasive, read Philip Lymbery’s book and we know what has to be done. It’s simple really, look after the land, farm it sensitively, tread softly on this earth and all can still be well. We need to transform ourselves rapidly. This book is transformative. We must read, mark and learn, fast. -- Michael MorpurgoThe true horror story of our current dependence on factory farming and intensive agriculture gets clearer by the day. Philip Lymbery pulls no punches in painting that grim picture. This dependence will bring down our civilisation as surely as our dependence on fossil fuels. But that is not our destiny, and you need to read Sixty Harvests Left more for its utterly convincing alternative vision of farming and food production available to us in the near future – all based on the three Rs: regenerative farming, reduction of animal protein, and rewilding the soil. I’d be very surprised if you don’t end up appreciating this book as much as I did. -- Jonathon PorrittPhilip Lymbery’s great service, through beautiful prose and deep research, is to amplify the siren call from our planet and the web of life. Through him, change becomes not only necessary and desirable, but irresistible. -- Raj PatelThought-provoking. Told through the seasons and finishing with a new start in Spring, Sixty Harvests Left gives us reason to look forward to a brighter farming future and the possibilities that can be achieved through care of our greatest natural asset, soil. Home to a quarter of the world's biodiversity, soil is life and our life depends on it. Lymbery speaks to practitioners with their feet firmly on the ground and gives hope that new ways in farming will provide for a better future. A fascinating and positive read! -- Jake FiennesThis profoundly important book should be read by all who would like humanity to survive beyond one more human lifetime, and the solutions it proposes should implemented as if our futures depend on it – which they do -- Andrew Knight, Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics, University of WinchesterAn urgent, evidence-based, visionary approach to the most challenging decisions facing humanity. This is a brave, fascinating, game-changing book. -- Sophia PavelleSixty Harvests Left is not only beautifully written, it is jam-packed with the evidence we need to change our lives in order to save our planet. Philip Lymbery draws us in, in a lyrical and seductive manner, whilst imparting vital, life-changing information. Only we can save our planet and Sixty Harvests Left shows us how. Make sure you read it before it’s too late. You won’t regret it. -- Peter EganSixty Harvests Left is excellent – personal and engaging. Lymbery’s life experiences make it very readable, allowing him to speak with authority and honesty … An important challenge to the vested interests that make our life on earth unsustainable. -- Rebecca Nesbit, author of Tickets for the ArkPhilip Lymbery is one of the few who really understand the connections between farming and nature ... He is the most important thinker writing about these crucial issues – and the way forward -- Carl Safina, author of Becoming Wild and Beyond WordsThis is a clever, insightful and well informed work that’s easy to read. While those who know Philip might expect nothing more, it lays out quite clearly for those who do not know the shocking poverty and decrepitude of our chemically farmed landscapes, the great cruelties in our systems of livestock production, the destruction of biodiversity and the pollution of the Earth's soils and water. Philip's book is an eloquent appeal against this being so. Do buy it and enjoy -- Derek GowPraise for Farmageddon: Lymbery brings to this essential subject the perspective of a seasoned campaigner – he is informed enough to be appalled, and moderate enough to persuade us to take responsibility for the system that feeds us * Guardian, Book of the Week *An engaging read ... Anyone after a realistic account of our global food chain, and the changes necessary for a sustainable future, will find much to get their teeth into here * New Statesman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisMosses have a spectacular diversity of beautiful and surprising forms. They are nearly always, what we as humans would consider, small; but they play a critical role in climate change prevention and have an ability to hold and control water in forests, uplands and valleys. Hidden World of Mosses explores the tiny, intriguing environments of these plants that have their own miniature forests filled with grazers and predators, and their own ecological norms and mechanics.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSent to live on a remote island in the Tanzanian half of Lake Victoria, Mark Weston finds a community grappling with one of the world's great unknown environmental crises. "You used to be able to stand on the beach and fish. In my father's time you could catch them with your bare hands." Lake Victoria was once one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, but a predator released into its waters by East Africa's British colonisers has left a trail of destruction in its wake. The lives of millions of people have been upended, as a fateful confluence of overfishing, pollution and deforestation has triggered one of history's greatest mass extinctions. On remote Ukerewe Island, Mark Weston finds out how local communities are responding to the crisis. He lives for two years alongside the families and fishermen hardest hit by the upheaval and gets to know the aid workers, sorcerers and holy men whose businesses are booming. A captivating blend of travel writing and environmental reportage, The Saviour Fish paints an intimate picture of rural Tanzanian life, and of the human cost of biodiversity loss.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“In The Water Paradox, Prof. Barbier draws on evidence from countries across the globe to show the scale of the problem and outlines the policy and management solutions needed to avert this crisis.” —John Singleton, Methodist Recorder“The Water Paradox is, however, jargon-free and readable, brilliantly detailing both problems and remedies. I hark back to Barbier’s words on the fountains of Rome. To learn that 2017 was the first time in 2,000 years that these hydro-engineering marvels were turned off in response to drought provokes tears of sorrow and frustration. We know that it is happening. We do not act. That is the paradox.” —Margaret Catley-Carlson, Nature‘’Edward Barbier does a fabulous job educating the reader on the state of water in the world and on ways to address associated water-issues. While the book is written for a non-technical audience, it is essential reading for water professionals and policy makers.’’ – Ariel Dinar, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Economics and Policy at the University of California, Riverside. "Barbier is the go-to person on water and water scarcity. This is a comprehensive guide for anyone who cares about one of the most important issues in this century.” – Dieter Helm, Professor of Economic Policy at the University of Oxford and author of Natural Capital: Valuing the Planet "clear and compelling... recommended reading for all interested in the pressing issue of water scarcity.” – Professor Anil Markandya, Former Scientific Director at the Basque Centre for Climate Change.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWinner of the 2022 Rachel Carson Environment Book Award * Winner of the 2022 Science in Society Journalism Award (Books) * Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize?Thoughtful, insightful, and wise, Wild Souls is a landmark work.?--Ed Yong, author of An Immense World"Fascinating . . . hands-on philosophy, put to test in the real world . . . Marris believes that our idea of wildness--our obsession with purity--is misguided. No animal remains untouched by human hands . . . the science isn''t the hard part. The real challenge is the ethics, the act of imagining our appropriate place in that world." --Outside MagazineFrom an acclaimed environmental writer, a groundbreaking and provocative new vision for our relationships with--and responsibilities toward--the planet''s wild animals.Protecting wild animals and preserving the environment are two ideals so seemingly compatible as to be almost inseparable. But in fact, between animal welfare and conservation science there exists a space of underexamined and unresolved tension: wildness itself. When is it right to capture or feed wild animals for the good of their species? How do we balance the rights of introduced species with those already established within an ecosystem? Can hunting be ecological? Are any animals truly wild on a planet that humans have so thoroughly changed? No clear guidelines yet exist to help us resolve such questions.Transporting readers into the field with scientists tackling these profound challenges, Emma Marris tells the affecting and inspiring stories of animals around the globe--from Peruvian monkeys to Australian bilbies, rare Hawai''ian birds to majestic Oregon wolves. And she offers a companionable tour of the philosophical ideas that may steer our search for sustainability and justice in the non-human world. Revealing just how intertwined animal life and human life really are, Wild Souls will change the way we think about nature-and our place within it.

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year 2022. Wales's best-loved contemporary poet, one of the major poets of our endangered environment, returns to prose in Roots Home. As in At the Source (2008), she does something unusual with form. She combines two elements. Seven vivid essay-meditations, informed by (among others) Dylan Thomas, George Herbert and W. B. Yeats, explore the ways in which poetry bears witness to what is and what might be, presence and transcendence in a threatened world. The meditations precede a journal that runs from January 2018 to December 2020, concluding with a poem entitled 'Winter Solstice' - three years of living close to animals, mountains, and (in particular) trees, in human intimacy and lockdown. 'Listen! They are whispering / now while the world talks, / and the ice melts, / and the seas rise. / Look at the trees!...' This is necessary work. As she declares in 'Why I Write', the first meditation in Roots Home: 'Morning begins with my journal. I write in it most days, though not every day. It is friend and listener, to record, remember, rage and rhapsodise, a place for requiem and celebration. Words hold detail which might be forgotten - the way the hare halted as it crossed the lawn, the field where a rainbow touched down across the valley, the different voices of wind, or water, the close and distant territorial arias of May blackbirds.'Trade Review'Gillian Clarke is one of the most widely respected and deeply loved poets in the world' - Carol Ann Duffy

Read more less

Book SynopsisHabitat loss, the extinction of species, severe droughts, rapidly diminishing polar ice, hugely powerful and destructive storms – how have we arrived at such a precarious point in the environmental history of our planet? In Television and the Earth: Not a Love Story, Jennifer Ellen Good argues that one of the fundamental reasons for the wholesale neglect and destruction of our environment is television – or, more precisely, the stories told on television. Stories have always been vital to how we make sense of the world, but in the historical blink of an eye, mediated communication changed the source and content of our stories. And no mediated storyteller continues to have a greater impact on our lives than television. Exploring the essential, and essentially devastating, role television’s celebration of materialism plays in our world, this book arrives at the conclusion that there is nothing more responsible for environmental degradation than the materialism of the affluent countries of the world - and nothing teaches materialism more effectively than television.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom an award-winning and internationally-renowned expert, a wonderfully illuminating journey through the world of manufacturing and its transformational influence on our lives - and the world around us. 'An extraordinarily good read .

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book provides an introduction into the diversity of the environmental movement through great characters in the green sector. The book describes inspiring personal achievements, and at the same time it provides readers with information regarding the history, the main directions and the ethical principles of the environmental movement. Some of the most important characters of the movement from all around the world, are included in the book. As well as the title characters, Buddha and Leonardo DiCaprio, other famous environmentalists like Albert Schweitzer, David Attenborough and Jane Goodall are discussed. Some of the less well-known but equally important environmentalists such as Chico Mendes, Bruno Manser, Henry Spira, Tom Regan or Rossano Ercolini are highlighted in the various chapters. The selection of characters represents all major branches within the green sector, ranging from medieval saints to Hollywood celebrities, from university professors to field activists, from politicians to philosophers, from ecofeminists to radicals.Table of ContentsIntroduction.- Charles Darwin and the implications of evolution St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.- Environmentalism gaining momentum: Rachel Carson and ’Silent sping’ Denis Hayes and Earth Day.- Planting trees with Wangari Maathai.- In defense of rain forests: Chico Mendes and Bruno Manser Al Gore’s fight for the environment.- The strong men of environmentalism: Arnold Schwarzenegger and Steven Seagal Movie stars and activism.- Arne Naess and ’Deep ecology’.- Vandana Shiva and traditional agriculture.- Ian Kiernan, Rossano Ercolini, and Bea Johnson Pioneers of ecological economics.- The Greenpeace story Forerunners of animal advocacy Spokesmen for animals: Peter Singer, Richard Ryder, and Tom Regan.- Henry Spira, the hero of animal advocacy.- Animal advocates from Central Europe.- Albert Schweitzer: The man who loved all living beings Talking animals: The capacity of animal minds.- Primatologists Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey and Biruté Galdikas Ingrid.- Newkirk, Alex Pacheco, and PETA.- John Muir and Yosemite.- Aldo Leopold, the founding father of nature conservation.- James Lovelock and the Gaia-hypothesis.- Their symbol: The giant panda.- Scientists involved in conservation and environmentalism.- Gerald Durrell: How an amateur naturalist developed into a great conservationist Farley Mowat never cried wolf.- David Attenborough, the grand old man of natural history films Jacques-Yves Cousteau: Under the spell of the sea.- Paul Watson, the daredevil of conservation.- Epilogue.- Acknowledgements List of illustrations.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the “scientist finding climate change’s smoking gun” (WIRED) and a Times 100 Most Influential Person comes a bracing investigation into extreme weather’s impact on the world’s most vulnerable. For fans of Naomi Klein and Greta Thunberg.Climate change does not affect everyone equally. While many scientists focus on studying climate change as a physics problem, Friederike Otto, one of the world’s most renowned climate scientists, sees it as a symptom of the global crisis of inequality, not its cause. In this ambitious, fast-paced book, she offers concrete examples of how extreme weather events caused by climate change reveal uncomfortable truths about the failures of political and social infrastructures around the world.Comparing eight extreme weather events—including heat waves in North America, floods in Pakistan, droughts in Madagascar, and wildfires in Australia—Otto reveals how climate change is affecting the world’s most vulnerable, whether they are women working on farms in Ghana during heat waves, or elderly people who died during floods in Germany. In particular, Otto examines the Global North’s extractionist view of the Global South, a view that ensures elites are protected while others bear the brunt of the climate disaster.Climate Injustice shares the stories of real people, shining a light on the real damage inflicted on real lives. Above all, it shows how racism, colonialism, sexism, and climate change are interconnected, and how positive changes on one level can lead to positive effects on another. Authored by the co-founder of World Weather Attribution, a cutting-edge scientific method that pinpointed the role of climate change in extreme weather events for the first time, Climate Injustice offers a groundbreaking view on the fires, floods, heatwaves, and storms that are wreaking havoc at an alarming pace.Inequality and injustice are at the core of what makes climate change a problem for humanity. Fairness and global justice must therefore be at the core of the solution. Climate justice concerns everyone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA completely up-to-date introduction to the most common group of bees in Britain.Bees, for most people, mean honey or bumble bees, but in fact these social species make up only a small proportion of the species that live in Britain. Open your eyes to the so-called solitary' bees, and discover a wonderfully diverse population miners, leafcutters, carpenters and masons many of which can be found in your own back garden.Solitary bees come in a variety of colours and sizes, with some as large as bumblebees and some only a few millimetres long, and many are key pollinators for our crops and wildflowers. This comprehensive book will tell the story of how these bees live, reproduce and thrive: discover the numerous strategies used by male bees to find females and persuade them to mate; follow the females as they build their nests or in the case of cuckoo' species, sneak into the nests of their neighbours and watch as the new generation appears. Explore the interactions between flowering pTrade ReviewPraise for New Naturalist Solitary Bees:‘This stands out as my book of the year, and if you are only going to have one New Naturalist book on your shelves or you are an avid collector of the series, this book is a must have and I thoroughly recommend it.’ Steven Rutherford FBNA, Honorary Chairman, British Naturalists Association Reviews of Ted Benton’s previous volumes in the New Naturalist Series – Bumblebees and Grasshoppers & Crickets: ‘The most authoritative work on British bumblebees ever published.’Independent ‘This book is an inspiration. It will fascinate and arm you with everything you need to know to help you save our bumblebees. Buy it, enjoy it, and keep it safe.’BBC Wildlife ‘Ted Benton's entomological opus [New Naturalist] Grasshoppers & Crickets led me into the weird world of British orthoptera, with their edible nuptial gifts, "mate-guarding", harems and extraordinarily complex songs. No field or meadow will seem or sound the same again’ Robert Macfarlane, ‘Books of the Year 2012’, Guardian

Read more less