Staff Picks
🌍World Environmental Health Day [September 26, 2021]🌍
- Ariel H.
- Monday, September 20, 2021
Collection
Here is a list to jump-start your dive into learning more about the biosphere you live in, and the ecosystems surrounding you (and also living within you). In addition, for those that are familiar with environmental science, there are additional books to expand your knowledge while possibly making an activist out of you.
The Basics of Ecology
Published in 2014
This volume engages the reader with images of animals and other life in their natural settings and informs on what is being done to preserve life. It is a valuable resource for any reader concerned about the environment.
Ecology
The Delicate Balance of Life on Earth
Published in 2012
Nature of ecology -- Populations -- Ecological communities -- Community interactions and ecological successions -- Ecosystems.
An Inconvenient Sequel
Truth to Power
Published in 2017
A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the follow-up that shows just how close people are to a real energy revolution.
An Inconvenient Sequel
Truth to Power
Published in 2017
A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the follow-up that shows just how close people are to a real energy revolution.
John Muir in the New World
Published in 2011
The life and the career of John Muir come to life through this inspiring and beautiful documentary set against the magnificent landscapes of the American West. The Scottish-born naturalist was one of the first nature preservationists in American history, inspiring others through his writing and his advocacy to keep the wilderness wild.
Natural Selection
Published in 2012
Having discovered that her dying husband has an illegitimate child living in Florida, a devout Christian housewife leaves her sheltered world on a mission to reunite father and son.
Natural Selection
Published in 2017
Tyler is a young man who is desperately seeking direction from a world that seems to have abandoned him. Every day at school he fights for survival as he is easy prey among the endless hallways of student predators. Searching for answers, he looks to his friend Indrid, who appears to have it all figured out. Tyler takes Indrid's ideology and adopts it as his own. Not long after, Tyler sees the whole picture more clearly. But is this new vision for the better?
Our Planet
The Past, Present and Future of Earth
Published in 2011
Disc 1: How the earth was made. Examines the origin and geological evolution of the earth, focusing on the various cataclysmic transformations that occurred through time.
Rachel Carson's Silent Spring
Published in 2007
Witness the life of passionate biologist and environmentalist, Rachel Carson, and how she exposed the effects of the unregulated use of pesticides and herbicides by the federal government, and sparked a revolution in environmental policy.
Rachel Carson
Published in 1993
A biography of the biologist whose writings helped initiate the environmental movement.
To Save the Earth
The American Environmental Movement
Published in 1998
Presents a brief history of the environmental movement and accounts of the work of four environmental activists: John Muir, Rachel Carson, David McTaggart, and Dave Foreman.
In the Heart of the Village
The World of the Indian Banyan Tree
Published in 1996
Describes the importance of a banyan tree to an Indian village.
The Quiet World
Saving Alaska's Wilderness Kingdom, 1879-1960
Published in 2011
A tribute to Alaska's wilderness regions details key preservation activities, leading contributors, and historical events.
Silent Spring
Published in 2002
Discusses the reckless annihilation of fish and birds by the use of pesticides and warns of the possible genetic effects on humans.
The Field Guide to Citizen Science
How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference
Published in 2020
This hands-on guide to citizen science details how ordinary people can participate in scientific research and help change the world in meaningful ways.
3 2 1 Awesome!
20 Fearless Women Who Dared to Be Different
Published in 2020
"Instagram superstar and New York Times bestselling author of Juno Valentine and the Magical Shoes Eva Chen shines a spotlight on 20 amazing women including Megan Rapinoe, Sonia Sotomayor, Shirley Chisholm, Greta Thunberg and more! in 3 2 1 Awesome! a sassy and fun counting board book, perfect for the youngest of budding feminists. Why stick to counting on fingers and toes when you can count: 3 straight sets for Billie Jean King's historic win... 2 groundbreaking suffragettes named Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton... 1 singular, sensational YOU! With Derek Desierto's bold and vibrant art, Eva fans and readers of all ages will be transported through "herstory."" --Amazon.
Living Green
Saving Our Earth
Published in 2009
Describes means of living a more environmentally-friendly life.
The Book of Gutsy Women
Published in 2019
Hillary Rodham Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea, share the stories of the gutsy women who have inspired them--women with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there's a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book. So how did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women themselves. Civil rights activist Dorothy Height, LGBTQ trailblazer Edie Windsor, and swimmer Diana Nyad kept pushing forward, no matter what. Writers like Rachel Carson and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named something no one had dared talk about before. Historian Mary Beard used wit to open doors that were once closed, and Wangari Maathai, who sparked a movement to plant trees, understood the power of role modeling. Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai looked fear in the face and persevered. Nearly every single one of these women was fiercely optimistic--they had faith that their actions could make a difference. And they were right. To us, they are all gutsy women--leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. We do. Because if history shows one thing, it's that the world needs gutsy women.
Female Firsts in Their Fields. Science & Medicine
Published in 1999
Chronicles the lives and accomplishments of notable women working in the fields of medicine and science in general, including Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, and Margaret Mead.
What Can I Do?
My Path from Climate Despair to Action
Published in 2020
"In the fall of 2019, frustrated with the obvious inaction of politicians and inspired by Greta Thunberg, Naomi Klein, and student climate strikers, Jane Fonda moved to Washington, DC to lead weekly climate change demonstrations on Capitol Hill. On October 11, she launched Fire Drill Fridays (FDF), and has since led thousands of people in non-violent civil disobedience, risking arrest to protest for action. In her new book, Fonda weaves her deeply personal journey as an activist alongside interviews with leading climate scientists, and discussions of specific issues, such as water, migration, and human rights, to emphasize what is at stake. Most significantly, Fonda provides concrete solutions, and things the average person can do to combat the climate crisis in their community. No stranger to protest, Fonda's life has been famously shaped by activism. And now, on the eve of the next presidential election, she is once again galvanizing the public to take to the streets. Too many of us understand that our climate is in a crisis, and realize that a moral responsibility rests on our shoulders. 2019 saw atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases hit the highest level ever recorded in human history, and our window of opportunity to avoid disaster is quickly closing. We are facing a climate crisis, but we're also facing an empathy crisis, an inequality crisis. It isn't only earth's life-support systems that are unraveling. So too is our social fabric. This is going to take an all-out war on drilling and fracking and deregulation and racism and misogyny and colonialism and despair all at the same time"-- Provided by publisher.
Natural Selection
Published in 2006
Intrigued by a series of mysterious attacks on ocean wildlife, a group of scientists stumbles upon evidence of a prehistoric manta ray that has evolved into a dangerous predator and is attacking people on a remote island in the region.
Our Choice
A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis
Published in 2009
Outlines the Nobel Peace Prize-winning former vice president's comprehensive and urgent global strategy for implementing solutions to the impending environmental crisis as recommended by "Solutions Summits" scientists.
A Delicate Balance
Constructing a Conservation Culture in the South Carolina Lowcountry
Published in 2012
Global Warming and the Sweetness of Life
A Tar Sands Tale
Published in 2018
The authors embark on a series of road trips to the tar sands of northern Alberta in order to gain a better perspective on one of the world's largest industrial sites.
Natural Wonders
Published in 2011
"Discusses the damage to natural wonders and how to best preserve them"--Provided by publisher.
Industrialized Nature
Brute Force Technology and the Transformation of the Natural World
Published in 2002
Living the Confidence Code
Published in 2020
Confidence is your fuel. It turns your thoughts into action; your dreams into reality. The best way to understand confidence and learn how to harness its secret powers is to see it in action for yourself. So take a look at these thirty stories of real girls. From Bali to Brazil, South Africa to Seattle, Australia to Afghanistan, these girls are pursuing their passions, struggling and stumbling, but along the way figuring out how to build their own special brand of confidence. These inspiring stories prove that no matter who you are--or how old you are--nothing is out of reach when you decide to try. Join this growing, global community of powerful girls and ask yourself: What would you like to do once you tap into your confidence? How will you write your story?--page 4 of cover.
This Changes Everything
Capitalism Vs. the Climate
Published in 2014
"Klein argues that climate change isn't just another issue to be neatly filed between taxes and health care. It's an alarm that calls us to fix an economic system that is already failing us in many ways. Klein ... builds the case for how massively reducing our greenhouse emissions is our best chance to simultaneously reduce gaping inequalities, re-imagine our broken democracies, and rebuild our gutted local economies"-- Provided by publisher.
No is Not Enough
Resisting Trump's Shock Politics and Winning the World We Need
Published in 2017
"Remember when it all seemed to be getting better? Before Trump happened? What went wrong, and what can we do about it? Naomi Klein - scourge of brand bullies, disaster capitalists and climate liars - shows us how we got to this surreal and dangerous place, how to stop it getting worse and how, if we keep our heads, we can seize the opportunity to make it better. She reveals how Trump is not a freakish aberration, but an extension of the most powerful trends of the last century: celebrity and CEO-worship, Vegas and Guantanamo, soft porn and hard power, fake news and vulture bankers, all rolled into one. His election was not a peaceful transit but a corporate takeover, by people who've knowingly harmed people, societies and our planet. Now their deliberate shock tactics are generating wave after wave of crises, designed to disorientate us and stop us fighting back. This book is the toolkit for shock resistance, giving all of us what we need (including tips such as 'how to jam the brand' and 'kill your inner Trump') to win the argument and right their wrongs. Don't let them get away with it."-- Provided by publisher.
Rachel Carson and the Environmental Movement
Published in 2004
Discusses author and marine biologist Rachel Carson's efforts to protect the environment, from her childhood nature outings in Pennsylvania through the impact of her 1962 book, "Silent Spring."
John Muir, America's First Environmentalist
Published in 2006
A biography of John Muir, naturalist and founder of the Sierra Club, whose travels, speeches and writings led directly to the creation of the Yosemite National Park in 1890 and other national parks that followed.
John Muir, America's Naturalist
Published in 2003
Presents an overview of the life of the naturalist who founded the Sierra Club and was influential in establishing the national park system.
Rachel Carson
Preserving a Sense of Wonder
Published in 2004
A biography of Rachel Carson interspersed with her own memorable quotes.
We Rise
The Earth Guardians Guide to Building a Movement That Restore the Planet
Published in 2017
"Beginning with the empowering story of the Earth Guardians and how Xiuhtezcatl has become a voice for his generation, We Rise explores many aspects of effective activism and provides step-by-step information on how to start and join solution-oriented movements. With conversations between Xiuhtezcatl and well-known activists, revolutionaries, and celebrities; practical advice for living a more sustainable lifestyle; and ideas and tools for building resilient communities, We Rise is an action guide on how to face the biggest problems of today, including climate change, fossil fuel extraction, and industrial agriculture."--Publisher website.
John Muir
Naturalist and Explorer
Published in 2003
A short biography of man who founded the Sierra Club, from his Scottish roots to his boyhood in the Wisconsin wilderness, his travels to California, and his work as a naturalist.
How to Give Up Plastic
A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time
Published in 2019
"An accessible guide to the changes we can all make--small and large--to rid our lives of disposable plastic and clean up the world's oceans. It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to fully biodegrade, and there are around 12.7 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. At our current pace, in the year 2050 there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish, by weight. These are alarming figures, but plastic pollution is an environmental crisis with a solution we can all contribute to. How to Give Up Plastic is a straightforward guide to eliminating plastic from your life. Going room by room through your home and workplace, Greenpeace activist Will McCallum teaches you how to spot disposable plastic items and find plastic-free, sustainable alternatives to each one. From carrying a reusable straw, to catching microfibers when you wash your clothes, to throwing plastic-free parties, you'll learn new and intuitive ways to reduce plastic waste. And by arming you with a wealth of facts about global plastic consumption and anecdotes from activists fighting plastic around the world, you'll also learn how to advocate to businesses and leaders in your community and across the country to commit to eliminating disposable plastics for good"-- Provided by publisher.
Eaarth
Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
Published in 2010
McKibben's earliest warnings about global warming went largely unheeded. In this book, he argues that we can meet the challenges of a new "Eaarth"--still recognizable but suddenly and violently out of balance--by building the kind of societies and economies that can hunker down, concentrate on essentials, and create the type of community that will allow us to weather trouble on an unprecedented scale.
Oil and Honey
The Education of an Unlikely Activist
Published in 2013
"Bill McKibben is not a person you'd expect to find handcuffed in the city jail in Washington, D.C. But that's where he spent three days in the summer of 2011, after leading the largest civil disobedience in thirty years to protest the Keystone XL pipeline. A few months later the protesters would see their efforts rewarded when President Obama agreed to put the project on hold. And yet McKibben realized that this small and temporary victory was at best a stepping-stone. With the Arctic melting, the Midwest in drought, and Sandy scouring the Atlantic, the need for much deeper solutions was obvious. Some of those would come at the local level, and McKibben recounts a year he spends in the company of a beekeeper raising his hives as part of the growing trend toward local food. Other solutions would come from a much larger fight against the fossil-fuel industry as a whole. Oil and Honey is McKibben's account of these two necessary and mutually reinforcing sides of the global climate fight--from the absolute center of the maelstrom and from the growing hive of small-scale local answers to the climate crisis. With characteristic empathy and passion, he reveals the imperative to work on both levels, telling the story of raising one year's honey crop and building a social movement that's still cresting"-- Provided by publisher.
Climate Change and Climate Modeling
Published in 2011
"Provides students with a solid foundation in climate science, with which to understand global warming, natural climate variations, and climate models. As climate models are one of our primary tools for predicting and adapting to climate change, it is vital we appreciate their strengths and limitations. Also key is understanding what aspects of climate science are well understood and where quantitative uncertainties arise. This textbook will inform the future users of climate models and the decision-makers of tomorrow by providing the depth they need, while requiring no background in atmospheric science and only basic calculus and physics. Developed from a course that the author teaches at UCLA, material has been extensively class-tested and with online resources of colour figures, Powerpoint slides, and problem sets, this is a complete package for students across all sciences wishing to gain a solid grounding in climate science"-- Provided by publisher.
How to Do Nothing
Resisting the Attention Economy
Published in 2019
"When the technologies we use every day collapse our experiences into 24/7 availability, platforms for personal branding, and products to be monetized, nothing can be quite so radical as . . . doing nothing. Here, Jenny Odell sends up a flare from the heart of Silicon Valley, delivering an action plan to resist capitalist narratives of productivity and techno-determinism, and to become more meaningfully connected in the process"-- Provided by publisher.
The Life Project
The Extraordinary Story of 70,000 Ordinary Lives
Published in 2016
"In March 1946, scientists began to track thousands of children born in one cold week. No one imagined that this would become the longest-running study of human development in the world, growing to encompass five generations of children. Today they are some of the best-studied people on the planet, and the simple act of observing human life has changed the way we are born, schooled, parent, and die. This is the tale of these studies and the remarkable discoveries that have come from them. Touching almost every person in Britain today, they are one of our best-kept secrets."
Land Preservation
Published in 2004
Discusses how human use of land and increasing population have threatened natural landscapes and describes the establishment of national parks as a means of preserving these resources.
Southeastern Wetlands
A Guide to Selected Sites in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky
Published in 1997
Listening to Crickets
A Story About Rachel Carson
Published in 1993
Examines the life of the marine biologist and science writer whose book "Silent Spring" changed the way we look at pesticides.
Even More Fantastic Failures
True Stories of People Who Changed the World by Falling Down First /|cwritten by Luke Reynolds.
Published in 2020
"There is a lot of pressure in today's society for kids to succeed, but failing is a part of learning how to be a successful person. In his teaching career, Luke Reynolds saw the stress and anxiety his students suffered, whether it was over grades, fitting in, or simply getting things right the first time. Even More Fantastic Failures is a second installment in Reynolds a personal campaign to show kids it's ok fall down or make a mistakes, just so long as you try, try again! Even More Fantastic Failures once again show's students that their mistakes and failures do not define their whole lives but help them grow into their potential. Kids will read about a host of inspiring, courageous, and diverse people who have accomplished--or still are accomplishing--big things to make this world a better place. Reynolds explores the many ways well-known people have failed both before and after succeeding and kids will come to understand that failure is a large component of success. A wide-range of stories from Greta Thunberg, Barack Obama, Nick Foles, Emma Gonzalez, Beyonce, Ryan Coogler, John Cena, Socrates, even the Jamaican national women's soccer team, prove that the greatest mistakes and flops can turn into something amazing. Intermixed throughout the fun profiles, Reynolds spotlights great inventions and scientists, powerful events and the people who started them in both sidebars and Flop Files. A new feature called "Off the Page and On the Screen" showcases failures and success in the stories presented in literature and film. Reynolds's engaging, youthful voice pulls kids into each anecdote much in the same way bestselling Girls Who Rocked the World and Boys Who Rocked the World do, making the teaching moments feel more like a friend just retelling a story. And again each profile includes advice on how to come back from your own flops and move forward to succeed"--|cProvided by publisher.
Coral Reef
Published in 1996
Describes the physical features of a coral reef, its community of plants and animals, and environmental threats.
Resist!
Peaceful Acts That Changed Our World
Published in 2020
"A non-fiction look at how activists and artists throughout history have used peaceful protests to change the world for the better"-- Provided by publisher.
Wild in the City
Published in 1996
Wild creatures are portrayed in bright and appealing pictures that combine unique perspectives with lively details, inviting a closer look. "Nature Notes" at the end of the book offer further information on each animal for children curious to learn more.
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference
Published in 2020
"The groundbreaking speeches of Greta Thunberg, the young climate activist who has become the voice of a generation, including her historic address to the United Nations"-- Provided by publisher.
Our House is on Fire
Scenes of a Family and a Planet in Crisis
Published in 2020
"When climate activist Greta Thunberg was eleven, her parents, Malena and Svante, and her little sister, Beata, were facing a crisis in their own home. Greta had stopped eating and speaking, and her mother and father had reconfigured their lives to care for her. Desperate and searching for answers, her parents discovered what was at the heart of Greta's distress: her imperiled future on a rapidly heating planet. Steered by Greta's determination to understand the truth and generate change, they began to see the deep connections between their own suffering and the planet's. Written by a remarkable family and told through the voice of an iconoclastic mother, Our House Is On Fire is the story of how they fought their problems at home by taking global action. And it is the story of how Greta decided to go on strike from school, igniting a worldwide rebellion." -- From back cover.
A Terrible Thing to Waste
Environmental Racism and Its Assault on the American Mind
Published in 2019
Demonstrates how environmental racism influences the racial IQ gap and explains what needs to be done to remedy its effects on marginalized communities.
Save Energy and Cut Your Bills
Published in 2010
Presents practical advice on ways to cut energy consumption and costs in one's home by reducing fuel and electricity use and generating energy.
Our House is on Fire
Greta Thunberg's Call to Save the Planet
Published in 2019
Tells the story of Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenage climate activist who has sparked a worldwide student movement and is demanding action from world leaders who refuse to address climate change.