This companion to the documentary Cowspiracy explores the impacts of the most environmentally destructive industry on the planet: animal agriculture. The award-winning documentary Cowspiracy presents alarming truths about the effects of animal agriculture on the planet. One of the leading causes of deforestation, greenhouse gas production, water use, species extinction, ocean dead-zones, and a host of other ills, animal agriculture is a major threat to the future of all species, and one of the environmental industry’s best-kept secrets. The Sustainability Secret expands upon Cowspiracy in every way. Journey with authors Kip Andersen and Keegan Kuhn as they discover one shocking statistic after another and interview leading businesses, environmental organizations, and political groups about the subject of animal agriculture and its disastrous effects. Extended transcripts, updated statistics, tips on becoming vegan, and comprehensive reading lists provide an in-depth overview of this planetary crisis and demonstrate effective ways to offset the damage through personal dietary choices. Firmly rooted in science and supporting research, The Sustainability Secret reveals the absolutely devastating environmental impact of the meat and dairy industry and offers a path to global sustainability for a growing population

    It describes their natural history, including where they live, how they gather food, their role as pollinators, and even how to attract them to your own backyard. Ideal for amateur naturalists and experts alike, it gives detailed accounts of every bee family and genus in North America, describing key identification features, distributions, diets, nesting habits, and more.Provides the most comprehensive and accessible guide to all bees in the United States and CanadaFeatures more than 900 full-color photosOffers helpful identification tips and pointers for studying beesIncludes a full chapter on how to attract bees to your backyard

    Simply turn the transparent page and rescue the animals! It's fun, it's simple and it's a gentle introduction to the importance of animal welfare. There are no words in this book so you can choose the words which are right for you. Which animals would you rescue? 50p from the sale of each book will go to the Born Free Foundation.

    Fitzpatrick, Lyanda Lynn Haupt, and Scott Weidensaul; 250 photographs. "The birds sang us back to life]]"from the Foreword An intimate yet stunning exploration of North American species, The Living Bird shares our joyful and complex relationship with birds. Through imagery and thoughtful essays, award-winning photographer Gerrit Vyn, along with leading naturalists and bird enthusiasts, takes readers on a visual and experiential journey, revealing the essence of the century-long work done by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Barbara Kingsolver remembers herself as a reluctant birder until, years later, she exalts in a special birding trip with her father. Scott Weidensaul dives into the secret lives of birds: How do flocks of birds manage to migrate thousands of miles? What determines who mates with whom? And what is the purpose of all those pretty feathers and glorious melodies? In her essay, Lyanda Lynn Haupt finds inspiration in our everyday birds as they connect us to the natural world. Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology John W. Fitzpatrick considers the threats birds face today, and some of the failuresand successesof the past. Jared Diamond underscores that it is in our hands to preserve the living birds around us. For 100 years, the Ithaca, NY-based Cornell Lab of Ornithology has researched the lives of birds, educating the public and striving for protection of species and habitat. But the Lab does more than just studyit celebrates birds through song and image, and connects people to birds, opening thousands of eyes to the natural world around us.

    But why is the demographic explosion and its effects ignored by policymakers and the media? Why do important people within the global environmental movement itself avoid the great challenges of the population issue?Isn’t it time to start talking about the equation that matters most to the future of people and the planet? Overpopulation + Overdevelopment = Overshoot.In a book as large and dramatic as the topic it covers, Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot (OVER) will ignite that conversation around the world.In an exhibit-format treatment with provocative photos from across the globe, OVER moves beyond insider debates and tired old arguments (yes, population numbers AND consumption both matter). Framed by essays from population experts Eileen Crist and William Ryerson, as well as a forward by human rights activist Musimbi Kanyoro, the heart of OVER is a series of photo essays illuminating the depth of the damage that human numbers and behavior have caused to the Earth—and which threatens humanity’s future.

    It is also peculiarly British in that it is deeply rooted in the British class system. Grouse shooting is big business, backed by powerful, wealthy lobbying groups, with tendrils running throughout British society.Inglorious makes the case for banning driven grouse shooting. Mark Avery explains why he has, after many years of soul-searching, come down in favor of an outright ban. There is too much illegal killing of wildlife, such as Buzzards, Golden Eagles, and, most egregiously of all, Hen Harriers; and, as a land use, it wrecks the ecology of the hills. However, grouse shooting is economically important, and it is a great British tradition. All of these, and other points of view, are given fair and detailed treatment and analysis, with testimony from a range of people on opposite sides of the debate.The book also sets out Avery's campaign with Chris Packham to gain support for the proposal to ban grouse shooting, culminating in "Hen Harrier Day," timed to coincide with the "Glorious" 12th. Ever controversial, Mark Avery is guaranteed to stir up a debate about field sports, the countryside, and big business in a book that all conservationists will want to read.

    Pollutants from toxic pesticides seep through the rich soils of rural Punjab, where a “Cancer Train” shuttles droves of farmers sick with chemical poisoning to oncology centers in foreign states. Sixty percent of the population lives without access to potable water. India’s ecosystem is on a precipice.In Elemental India, Meera Subramanian explores this environmental catastrophe through the five elements that make the building blocks of life—earth, water, fire, air, and ether. Her journey through this country home to 17.5% of the world’s population, and over two thousand ethnic groups, is hopeful. She reveals the modest triumphs of ordinary men and women who struggle to preserve India’s crumbling environment. Kanhaiya has spent the twenty-five years in semi-arid Rajasthan, helping villagers revive rainwater-harvesting practices and resuscitate their land from pervasive drought; Vibhu was the first to notice a baffling and dramatic decline in India’s vulture population in the 1990s and has since devoted his life to rescuing the species from extinction; Pinki Kumari campaigns against over-population and poverty by teaching young adolescents the fundamentals of sexual health in Bihar, a region in the north of India with one of the nation’s highest fertility rates and a notorious reputation for violence.In these stories, Subramanian looks for answers—for a country smothering under cloud of smog so vast that it is visible from outer space; for a country that is now the world’s clearest example of environmental catastrophe. Elemental India beautifully and memorably captures the conflict between humanity and its natural world.

    Each book introduces a species of animal in danger somewhere in the world and invites readers inside a rescue center that helps them. Photos by award–winning wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas give readers a rare view of the animals and the high level of care they receive.Koala Hospital features a koala rescue center in Australia. It shows why koalas are in danger, how they come to be in the sanctuary, and the process of healing and rehabilitating koalas for return to the wild. Koala Hospital also focuses on the people who work at the rescue center and how they aid the animals.Other special features include a map showing the rescue center and the koala’s native habitat range, as well as an index, glossary, and author Q&A based on common questions from kids. An author’s note at the end introduces readers to small-scale ways that even they can help save koalas.Informational text features: table of contents, photographs with captionsA portion of the royalties from sales of this book will be donated to the Koala Hospital.

    Most people believe in its inherent value as enthusiastically and uncritically as medieval peasants believed in heaven and hell. Our faith in progress drives the popular insistence that peak oil and climate change don't actually matter—after all, our lab-coated high priests will surely bring forth yet another miracle to save us all.Unfortunately, progress as we've known it has been entirely dependent on the breakneck exploitation of half a billion years of stored sunlight in the form of fossil fuels. As the age of this cheap, abundant energy draws to a close, progress is grinding to a halt. Unforgiving planetary limits are teaching us that our blind faith in endless exponential growth is a dangerous myth.After Progress addresses this looming paradigm shift, exploring the shape of history from a perspective on the far side of the coming crisis. John Michael Greer's startling examination of the role our belief systems play in the evolution of our collective consciousness is required reading for anyone concerned about making sense of the future at a time when we must seek new sources of meaning, value, and hope for the era ahead.John Michael Greer is a scholar of ecological history and an internationally renowned futurist whose blog, The Archdruid Report, has become one of the most widely cited online resources dealing with the fate of industrial society. He is the author of over thirty books, including Green Wizardry and The Long Descent.

    A must-have for anyone interested in these amazing creatures." —Irene M. Pepperberg, Professor at Harvard University and author of Alex & Me: How a Scientist and a Parrot Discovered a Hidden World of Animal Intelligence—and Formed a Deep Bond in the Process "If you like parrots then you'll love this book. From their evolutionary past to their modern-day love lives, Parrots of the Wild presents a suitably captivating read. I thought I knew a lot about parrots--until I delved into these pages." —Tony Juniper, author of What Has Nature Ever Done for Us? and Spix’s Macaw: The Race to Save the World’s Rarest BirdParrots of the Wild explores recent scientific discoveries and what they reveal about the lives of wild parrots, which are among the most intelligent and rarest of birds. Catherine A. Toft and Tim Wright discuss the evolutionary history of parrots and how this history affects perceptual and cognitive abilities, diet and foraging patterns, and mating and social behavior. The authors also discuss conservation status and the various ways different populations are adapting to a world that is rapidly changing. The book focuses on general patterns across the 350-odd species of parrots, as well as what can be learned from interesting exceptions to these generalities. A synthetic account of the diversity and ecology of wild parrots, this book distills knowledge from the authors’ own research and from their review of more than 2,400 published scientific studies. The book is enhanced by an array of illustrations, including nearly ninety color photos of wild parrots represented in their natural habitats. Parrots of the Wild melds scientific exploration with features directed at the parrot enthusiast to inform and delight a broad audience.

    "What's the Buzz?" celebrates the magic of bees--from swarming to dancing to making honey--and encourages readers to do their part to keep the hives alive. All over the world, bee colonies are dwindling, but everyone can do something to help save the bees, from buying local honey to growing a bee-friendly garden.

    The Shark and the Albatross is the story of these journeys of discovery, of his encounters with animals and occasional enterprising individuals in remote and sometimes dangerous places. His destinations include the far north and the far south, from Svalbard, Alaska, the remote Atlantic island of South Georgia, and the Antarctic, to the wild places of India, China, and the United States. In all he finds and describes key moments in the lives of animals, among them polar bears and penguins, seals and whales, sharks and birds, and wolves and lynxes.John Aitchison reveals what happens behind the scenes and beyond the camera. He explains the practicalities and challenges of the filming process, and the problems of survival in perilous places. He records touching moments and dramatic incidents, some ending in success, others desperately sad. There are times when a hunted animal triumphs against the odds, and others when, in spite of preparation for every outcome, disaster strikes. And, as the author shows in several incidents that combine nail-biting tension with hair-raising hilarity, disaster can strike for film-makers too.

    In Resurrection Science, journalist M. R. O'Connor explores the extreme measures scientists are taking to try and save them, from captive breeding and genetic management to de-extinction. Paradoxically, the more we intervene to save species, the less wild they often become. In stories of sixteenth-century galleon excavations, panther-tracking in Florida swamps, ancient African rainforests, Neanderthal tool-making, and cryogenic DNA banks, O'Connor investigates the philosophical questions of an age in which we play god with earth's biodiversity.Each chapter in this beautifully written book focuses on a unique species--from the charismatic northern white rhinoceros to the infamous passenger pigeon--and the people entwined in the animals' fates. Incorporating natural history and evolutionary biology with conversations with eminent ethicists, O'Connor's narrative goes to the heart of the human enterprise: What should we preserve of wilderness as we hurtle toward a future in which technology is present in nearly every aspect of our lives? How can we co-exist with species when our existence and their survival appear to be pitted against one another?

    This timely book provides an overview and analysis of the most influential of these trends. Approachable and concise, it is intended for readers sympathetic to the project of changing our ways of thinking about and interacting with animals yet relatively new to the variety of philosophical ideas and figures in the discipline. It uses three rubrics--identity, difference, and indistinction--to differentiate three major paths of thought about animals. The identity approach aims to establish continuity among human beings and animals so as to grant animals equal access to the ethical and political community. The difference framework views the animal world as containing its own richly complex and differentiated modes of existence in order to allow for a more expansive ethical and political worldview. The indistinction approach argues that we should abandon the notion that humans are unique in order to explore new ways of conceiving human-animal relations. Each approach is interrogated for its relative strengths and weaknesses, with specific emphasis placed on the kinds of transformational potential it contains.

    From Robert Jay Lifton to Marion Woodman, A. Thomas McLellan to Judith V. Jordan, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi to June Singer, and James Hillman to Mary Pipher, the thinkers in America on the Couch discuss violence, addiction, the environment, capitalism and consumerism, politics and power, and the soul of America. The result is a uniquely comprehensive, wide-ranging, and compelling kaleidoscope of insights into the psychodynamics of a hegemon in peace and at war, as it confronts the shadows of the American century and charts its way into an uncertain, multi-polar future.Featuring:Stephen AizenstatJohn BeebeBonnie BrightGary S. BobroffMihaly CsikszentmihalyiPhilip CushmanLarry DeckerRaymond De YoungEdward EdingerMichael EigenStephen J. FosterCharles GrobBud HarrisA. Chris HeathJames HillmanJudith V. JordanDonald KalschedRobert J. LangsLinda Schierse LeonardHarriet LernerRobert Jay LiftonA. Thomas McLellanThomas MooreGinette ParisMary PipherErnest RossiAndrew SamuelsErel ShalitJune SingerThomas SingerLawrence StaplesMurray SteinCharles B. StrozierPaul WachtelKaren B. WalantMarion WoodmanLuigi Zoja

    In Resurrection Science, journalist M.R. O’Connor explores the extreme measures that scientists are taking to try and save them, from captive breeding and translocating genetically rare individuals to frozen zoos and de-extinction. Each chapter in this beautifully written book focuses on a unique species and the people entwined in its fate.

    In The Annihilation of Nature, three of today’s most distinguished conservationists tell the stories of the birds and mammals we have lost and those that are now on the road to extinction. These tragic tales, coupled with eighty-three color photographs from the world’s leading nature photographers, display the beauty and biodiversity that humans are squandering.Gerardo Ceballos, Anne H. Ehrlich, and Paul R. Ehrlich serve as witnesses in this trial of human neglect, where the charge is the massive and escalating assault on living things. Nature is being annihilated, not only because of the human population explosion, but also as a result of massive commercial endeavors and public apathy. Despite the well-intentioned work of conservation organizations and governments, the authors warn us that not enough is being done and time is short for the most vulnerable of the world’s wild birds and mammals. Thousands of populations have already disappeared, other populations are dwindling daily, and soon our descendants may live in a world containing but a minuscule fraction of the birds and mammals we know today.The Annihilation of Nature is a clarion call for engagement and action. These outspoken scientists urge everyone who cares about nature to become personally connected to the victims of our inadequate conservation efforts and demand that restoration replace destruction. Only then will we have any hope of preventing the worst-case scenario of the sixth mass extinction.

    And once, born nearly a thousand years after the tree first took root, there was a girl named Julia, who was called Butterfly.When exploring her beloved forest, Butterfly wandered into a grove of ancient trees. One tree had broken branches and a big blue "X" on the side. It was going to be chopped down. Butterfly climbed up into the tree. A tree wouldn't be cut down if it had a person living in it. This is the story of Julia Butterfly Hill and Luna, the redwood tree she lived in for two years, never once coming down. That is, not until Luna's future was safe.

    Collard III challenges society's negative views toward natural forest fires. By focusing on the research of biologist Richard Hutto, Collard reveals the complex relationships between fire and thriving plant and animal communities. The book especially focuses on the heavy use of burned forests by dozens of bird species and debunks the idea that burned forests are worthless wastelands. Besides delivering a powerful environmental message, Fire Birds couldn't be more timely. With record numbers of acres burning every year, pressure to suppress wildfires and "salvage log" burned forests has never been greater. Stunning photographs and clear text deliver the message that recent fire policies have been backfiring badly.

    Now expanded to include species found in Angola, Zambia and Malawi, it has also been extensively revised to include: • the most recent research and taxonomy• revised distribution maps and many new images• colour-coded grouping of families• spoor and size icons• skull photographs, grouped for easy comparison• detailed descriptions of each species, offering insight into key identification characters, typical behaviour, preferred habitat, food choice, reproduction and longevity.

    Twenty-two thousand years ago, someone carved a life-sized image of Atlantic salmon in the floor of a cave in southern France. Salmon were painted on rocks in Norway and Sweden. The salmon’s effortless leaping and ability to survive in both river and sea led the Celts to mythologize the salmon as holder of all mysterious knowledge, gained by consuming the nine hazelnuts of wisdom that fell into the Well of Segais. The President's Salmon presents a rich cultural and biological history of the Atlantic salmon and the salmon fishery, primarily revolving around the Penobscot River, the last bastion for the salmon in America and a key location for the preservation of the species.

    Too social and sagacious to be objects, too strange to be human, too captive to truly be wild, but too wild to be domesticated—where do elephants fall in our understanding of nature?In Wildlife in the Anthropocene, Jamie Lorimer argues that the idea of nature as a pure and timeless place characterized by the absence of humans has come to an end. But life goes on. Wildlife inhabits everywhere and is on the move; Lorimer proposes the concept of wildlife as a replacement for nature. Offering a thorough appraisal of the Anthropocene—an era in which human actions affect and influence all life and all systems on our planet— Lorimer unpacks its implications for changing definitions of nature and the politics of wildlife conservation. Wildlife in the Anthropocene examines rewilding, the impacts of wildlife films, human relationships with charismatic species, and urban wildlife. Analyzing scientific papers, policy documents, and popular media, as well as a decade of fieldwork, Lorimer explores the new interconnections between science, politics, and neoliberal capitalism that the Anthropocene demands of wildlife conservation.Imagining conservation in a world where humans are geological actors entangled within and responsible for powerful, unstable, and unpredictable planetary forces, this work nurtures a future environmentalism that is more hopeful and democratic.

    Readers of this incredible anthology will gain a fresh look at the lives of some well-beloved species, as well as those lesser-known. Filled with intimate details from each contributor’s journey, as well as inspiration for those of us who may never make it into the jungles of South America or the grasslands of Africa, No More Endlings is the perfect read for anyone interested in wildlife, conservation, and a good story. Educators will appreciate the scientific sections that accompany each chapter, and those exploring a career or volunteer opportunities in the conservation realm will especially find this book relevant as it highlights the realities of working in the field. Chapter authors, ranging from National Geographic Explorers, to college professors and internationally recognized conservationists and activists, will inspire readers to take action and ensure a world with no more endlings.To learn more, visit: www.allisonhegan.com

    The activities include: tracking skills; wildlife spotting; foraging for wild food and cooking outdoors; how to light a fire safely (with adult supervision); stargazing, including star maps; outdoor games; nature chase; how to mimic birdsong; how to make whistles and peashooters from elder stems; how to make plaster-cast animal tracks: nature collections and making art from nature finds. With full-page pictures, vignettes, captions and a glossary at the back, this is the book you need when you go out in the park or countryside.

    In Malaysia there is a dense forest called "Asia's Amazon." This story concerns Rajana, a girl of the Iban tribe who lives near the forest.

    These parks and reserves are set apart to forever remain in contrast to those places where human activities, technologies, and developments prevail. But even as the biodiversity crisis accelerates, a growing number of voices are suggesting that protected areas are passé. Conservation, they argue, should instead focus on lands managed for human use—working landscapes—and abandon the goal of preventing human-caused extinctions in favor of maintaining ecosystem services to support people. If such arguments take hold, we risk losing support for the unique qualities and values of wild, undeveloped nature.Protecting the Wild offers a spirited argument for the robust protection of the natural world. In it, experts from five continents reaffirm that parks, wilderness areas, and other reserves are an indispensable—albeit insufficient—means to sustain species, subspecies, key habitats, ecological processes, and evolutionary potential. Using case studies from around the globe, they present evidence that terrestrial and marine protected areas are crucial for biodiversity and human well-being alike, vital to countering anthropogenic extinctions and climate change. A companion volume to Keeping the Wild: Against the Domestication of Earth, Protecting the Wild provides a necessary addition to the conversation about the future of conservation in the so-called Anthropocene, one that will be useful for academics, policymakers, and conservation practitioners at all levels, from local land trusts to international NGOs.