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BOOKS

All Book descriptions are from Amazon.com
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Cradle
to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William
McDonough & Michael Braungart
Paper or plastic? Neither, say William McDonough and Michael
Braungart. Why settle for the least harmful alternative when we
could have something that is better--say, edible grocery bags!
In Cradle to Cradle, the authors present a manifesto calling for
a new industrial revolution, one that would render both traditional
manufacturing and traditional environmentalism obsolete. Recycling,
for instance, is actually "downcycling," creating hybrids
of biological and technical "nutrients" which are then
unrecoverable and unusable. The authors, an architect and a chemist,
want to eliminate the concept of waste altogether, while preserving
commerce and allowing for human nature. They offer several compelling
examples of corporations that are not just doing less harm--they're
actually doing some good for the environment and their neighborhoods,
and making more money in the process. Cradle to Cradle is a refreshing
change from the intractable environmental conflicts that dominate
headlines. It's a handbook for 21st-century innovation and should
be required reading for business hotshots and environmental activists.
--Therese Littleton
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Plan
B 3.0 by Lester R. Brown
In this updated edition of the landmark Plan B, Lester Brown outlines
a survival strategy for our early twenty-first-century civilization.
The world faces many environmental trends of disruption and decline,
including rising temperatures and spreading water shortage. In
addition to these looming threats, we face the peaking of oil,
annual population growth of 70 million, a widening global economic
divide, and a growing list of failing states. The scale and complexity
of issues facing our fast-forward world have no precedent.
With Plan A, business as usual, we have neglected these issues
overly long. In Plan B 3.0, Lester R. Brown warns that the only
effective response now is a World War II-type mobilization like
that in the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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Silent
Spring by Rachel Carson
Silent Spring, released in 1962, offered the first shattering look
at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental
awareness that still exists. Rachel Carson's book focused on the
poisons from insecticides, weed killers, and other common products
as well as the use of sprays in agriculture, a practice that led
to dangerous chemicals to the food source. Carson argued that those
chemicals were more dangerous than radiation and that for the first
time in history, humans were exposed to chemicals that stayed in
their systems from birth to death. Presented with thorough documentation,
the book opened more than a few eyes about the dangers of the modern
world and stands today as a landmark work. |
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365
Ways to Save the Earth by Philippe Bourseiller
Throughout his award-winning photographic career, Philippe Bourseiller
has recorded the splendors of untamed nature, from the immensities
of the ice floe to the fury of the volcano, from the vast open spaces
of Patagonia to the aridity of the Sahara. This experience has given
him unique insight into both the richness and the fragility of our
environment. In 365 Ways to Save the Earth, he takes the reader
on a daily journey through our planet, revealing its hidden face.
For every day of the year he presents a stunning photograph and
a simple, environment-friendly action that enables the reader to
participate in the protection of planet Earth. Philippe Bourseiller
is a true field photographer whose talents as a climber, caver,
and diver enable him to move easily through the extreme environments
that he frequents and, as we see in these pages, return with extraordinary
images. |
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The
Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook: 77 Essential Skills
To Stop Climate Change by David de Rothschild
The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook is the official
companion volume to the Live Earth concerts, 24 hours of nonstop
concerts broadcast from around the world on July 7, 2007. The book
presents 77 essential skills for stopping climate change--and for
living through it. It is a fun, compelling, and sly deconstruction
of a survival guide (think Boy Scouts of America crossed with WorldChanging
atop the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook) that offers equal
parts tongue-in-cheek suggestions, practical advice, factual information,
and bluesky dreaming of ways to save the world. Each skill is presented
on a spread featuring a bright, full-color instructional illustration,
a brief introduction to the skill and its core ideas, a set of instructions,
spin-off ideas, and scientific and environmental facts. The book
also includes a resource guide that provides useful resources for
the eco-conscious reader. |
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When
Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff
Masson and Susan McCarthy
Animals do in fact lead emotional lives, according to Masson. He
has managed to find hundreds of anecdotes from the published works
and field studies of such noted behaviorists as Jane Goodall, Dian
Fossey, and Cynthia Moss that support his theory. It seems that,
despite the fact that anthropomorphism is among the worst of scientific
taboos, these respected scientists cannot help but notice the similarities
between human and animal behavior. Chapters are organized by topic,
such as fear, love, grief, and even compassion and beauty. An index
provides access by species and by personal name of both people and
animals. An excellent resource in psychology, this title will also
be a useful addition for animal research. Its clear and conversational
style makes it interesting for general readers as well. A well-documented,
compelling, and thought-provoking defense of animal emotions. |
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