Best of
Environment

1991

Window


Jeannie Baker - 1991
    "The effect human beings have on the landscape around them is the theme of Baker's most recent tour de force....The artist's multimedia collage constructions are, as ever, fascinating in their realistic detail and powerfully convey the dramatic message.."--Horn Book.

Introduction to Permaculture


Bill Mollison - 1991
    216-page Softcover.Introduction to Permaculture is an updated and revised version of the first two permaculture books, Permaculture One (Mollison and Holmgren, 1978) and Permaculture Two (Mollison, 1979), and replaces them. New material by Bill Mollison and Reny Mia Slay has been inserted, along with excerpts from Permaculture: A Designers' Manual and information taken from permaculture design courses taught by Bill Mollison (1981, 1986) and Lea Harrison (1985). Some of the illustrations in this book have appeared in Permaculture Two and Permaculture: A Designers' Manual.

Nature's Metropolis: Chicago and the Great West


William Cronon - 1991
    By exploring the ecological and economic changes that made Chicago America's most dynamic city and the Great West its hinterland, Mr. Cronon opens a new window onto our national past. This is the story of city and country becoming ever more tightly bound in a system so powerful that it reshaped the American landscape and transformed American culture. The world that emerged is our own.Winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize

Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place


Terry Tempest Williams - 1991
    That same season, The Great Salt Lake began to rise to record heights, threatening the herons, owls, and snowy egrets that Williams, a poet and naturalist, had come to gauge her life by. One event was nature at its most random, the other a by-product of rogue technology: Terry's mother, and Terry herself, had been exposed to the fallout of atomic bomb tests in the 1950s. As it interweaves these narratives of dying and accommodation, Refuge transforms tragedy into a document of renewal and spiritual grace, resulting in a work that has become a classic.

Ancient Futures: Learning from Ladakh


Helena Norberg-Hodge - 1991
    This gripping portrait of the western Himalayan land known as “Little Tibet” moves from the author’s first visit to idyllic, nonindustrial Ladakh in 1974 to the present, tracking profound changes as the region was opened to foreign tourists, Western goods and technologies, and pressures for economic growth. These changes in turn brought generational conflict, unemployment, inflation, environmental damage, and threats to the traditional way of life. Appalled by these negative impacts, the author helped establish the Ladakh Project (later renamed the International Society for Ecology and Culture) to seek sustainable solutions that preserve cultural integrity and environmental health, while addressing the Ladakhis’ hunger for modernization. This model undertaking effectively combines educational programs for all social levels with the design, demonstration, and promotion of appropriate technologies such as solar heating and small-scale hydro power. Examining how modernization changes the way people live and think, Norberg-Hodge challenges us to redefine our concepts of “development” and “progress.” Above all, Ancient Futures stresses the need to carry traditional wisdom into the future—our urgent task as a global community.

The Moon by Whale Light and Other Adventures Among Bats, Penguins, Crocodilians and Whales


Diane Ackerman - 1991
    In a rare blend of scientific fact and poetic truth, the acclaimed author of A Natural History of the Senses explores the activities of whales, penguins, bats, and crocodilians, plunging headlong into nature and coming up with highly entertaining treasures.

World as Lover, World as Self


Joanna Macy - 1991
    A blueprint for social change, World as Lover, World as Self shows how we can reverse the destructive attitudes that threaten our world.

Winter: Notes from Montana


Rick Bass - 1991
    Bass and his friend Elizabeth discovered the Yaak valley in northwest Montana. It was remote -- with no electricity or phone service, only erratic radio reception, and reachable by a gravel-and-dirt road that required four-wheel drive. There was one saloon, a general store and a handful of year-round residents. The nearest town, Libby, was 40 miles away. As caretakers of a defunct hunting lodge, the couple settled into their winter idyll. Bass writes exuberantly about their season in the wilderness: blizzards, woodchopping, wildlife, the occasional social gatherings at the Dirty Shame Saloon. He speaks to the wildness and freedom of valley people, the slow-motion quality of life, and the the physical and psychological hardships of wilderness living. This charming celebration will give readers a fresh perception of winter.

Dear Greenpeace


Simon James - 1991
    Full of imagination and humour, with clear illustrations which will appeal to the under fives.

Mutual Causality in Buddhism and General Systems Theory: The Dharma of Natural Systems


Joanna Macy - 1991
    Here for the first time the concepts and insights of general systems theory are presented in tandem with those of the Buddha. The interdependence of all beings provides the context for clarifying both the role of meditative practice and guidelines for effective action on behalf of the common good. (Suny Series, Buddhist Studies) (SUNY Series in Buddhist Studies)

Wild Food Plants of Australia


Tim Low - 1991
    It is presented in a concise, convenient form to facilitate quick and ready reference in the field. Tim Low has provided a truly reliable guide to our edible flora, making identification easy. Thus it is a perfect companion for bushwalkers, naturalists, scientists and, with emphasis on wild food cuisine, gourmets. Low describes more than 180 plants - from the most tasty and significant plant foods of southern and eastern Australia to the more important and spectacular inland and tropical foods. Distribution maps are provided with each description plus notes on how these plants were used in the past and can be used today. Beautifully illustrated with colour photographs and line drawings there is also a guide to poisonous and non-poisonous plants, and information on introduced food plants, the nutrients found in wild food plants, on bush survival, and how to forage for and cook with wild plants.

Autogeddon


Heathcote Williams - 1991
    A campaigning narrative poem with an anthology of prose writings on the devastating effect of the motor car on our lives.

Brother Eagle, Sister Sky


Chief Seattle - 1991
    He believed that all life on earth, and the earth itself, is sacred. A moving and compelling plea for an end to man's destruction of nature.

The Idea of Wilderness: From Prehistory to the Age of Ecology


Max Oelschlaeger - 1991
    An intellectual history, it draws together evidence from philosophy, anthropology, theology, literature, ecology, cultural geography, and archaeology to provide a new scientifically and philosophically informed understanding of humankind’s relationship to nature. Oelschlaeger begins by examining the culture of prehistoric hunter-gatherers, whose totems symbolized the idea of organic unity between humankind and wild nature, and idea that the author believes is essential to any attempt to define human potential. He next traces how the transformation of these hunter-gatherers into farmers led to a new awareness of distinctions between humankind and nature, and how Hellenism and Judeo-Christianity later introduced the unprecedented concept that nature was valueless until humanized. Oelschlaeger discusses the concept of wilderness in relation to the rise of classical science and modernism, and shows that opposition to “modernism” arose almost immediately from scientific, literary, and philosophical communities. He provides new and, in some cases, revisionist studies of the seminal American figures Thoreau, Muir, and Leopold, and he gives fresh readings of America’s two prodigious wilderness poets Robinson Jeffers and Gary Snyder. He concludes with a searching look at the relationship of evolutionary thought to our postmodern effort to reconceptualize ourselves as civilized beings who remain, in some ways, natural animals.

Whisper from the Woods


Victoria Wirth - 1991
    . . Listen to the woods. In this elegant edition, Victoria Wirth and Scott Banfill reveal for us the secret lives of woodland trees. Wirth's sparse, honest text narrates the eternal cycle of nature--birth, growth, death, and joyous rebirth--through the events that occur to a generation of trees. Beautifully detailed and passionately dramatic, Banfill's breathtaking paintings imbue the trees with character and personality. Full color.

The Natural History of Puget Sound Country


Arthur R. Kruckeberg - 1991
    This thoughtful and eloquent natural history of the Puget Sound region begins with a discussion of how the ice ages and vulcanism shaped the land and then examines the natural attributes of the region--flora and fauna, climate, special habitats, life histories of key organisms--as they pertain to the functioning ecosystem. Mankind's effects upon the natural environment are a pervasive theme of the book. Kruckeberg looks at both positive and negative aspects of human interaction with nature in the Puget basin. By probing the interconnectedness of all natural aspects of one region, Kruckeberg illustrates ecological principles at work and gives us a basis for wise decision-making.The Natural History of Puget Sound Country is a comprehensive reference, invaluable for all citizens of the Northwest, as well as for conservationists, biologists, foresters, fisheries and wildlife personnel, urban planners, and environmental consultants everywhere. Lavishly illustrated with over three hundred photographs and drawings, it is much more than a beautiful book. It is a guide to our future.

Heaven is Under Our Feet


Don Henley - 1991
    Filled with moving, personal essays by concerned celebrities and thinkers, edited by Don Henley and Dave Marsh, it is a call to arms for anyone who cares about the environment and the future of the earth.

Wings for My Flight: The Peregrine Falcons of Chimney Rock, Updated Edition


Marcy Cottrell Houle - 1991
    With no phone or running water, she and her research parmer immerse themselves in the study of a pair of endangered peregrine falcons that return to their ancestral nesting site on Chimney Rock.Coming to know these birds intimately while sharing their home, Houle develops an abiding devotion to them. She observes their breathtaking flight, their indomitable character, and their urgent will to survive.Before me a peregrine falcon emerged from the cliff with a fierce beauty; with utmost ease and perfect control it spun in a dizzying dive to the earth. Talons outstretched, it lightly grazed the object of its attention -- a trespassing prairie falcon who had slipped across the peregrine's invisible territorial line.... Its flight was a gust of pure energy.While conducting her research, Houle learns that Chimney Rock is the site of an Anasazi ruin slated for commercial development. She meets the unexpected resistance and hostility of townspeople who resent the obstacle the endangered birds pose to potential tourist dollars. Houle uncovers the depth and complexity of the issue that leads this community -- and so many others like it in today's growing world -- to an angry impasse. With compassion, insight, and fairness, Houle explores the dilemma between environmentalists and developers, both of whom value the land, but in different ways.Wings for My Flight is the story of one biologist who, through the help of another species, comes to a greater understanding of her own. As a Colorado press, Pruett Publishing is proud to reissue thisaward-winning book that addresses issues vital to Coloradans and Westerners.

The Rediscovery of North America


Barry Lopez - 1991
    This provocative and superbly written book gives a true assessment of Columbus's legacy while taking the first steps toward its redemption. Even as he draws a direct line between the atrocities of Spanish conquistadors and the ongoing pillage of our lands and waters, Barry Lopez challenges us to adopt an ethic that will make further depredations impossible. The Rediscovery of North America is a ringingly persuasive call for us, at long last, to make this country our home.

Common-Sense Pest Control: Least-Toxic Solutions for Your Home, Garden, Pets and Community


William Olkowski - 1991
    Here are remedies for ridding lawns, gardens, and trees of destructive invaders.

Desierto: Memories of the Future


Charles Bowden - 1991
    Desierto brings his method to a new pitch of mournful lyricism and visionary power.

The Sagebrush Ocean: A Natural History of the Great Basin


Stephen Trimble - 1991
    His photographs capture some of the most spectacular but least-known scenery in the western states. The Great Basin Desert sweeps from the Sierra to the Rockies, from the Snake River Plain to the Mojave Desert. "Biogeography" would be one way to sum up Trimble's focus on the land: what lives where, and why. He introduces concepts of desert ecology and discusses living communities of animals and plants that band Great Basin mountains—from the exhilarating emptiness of dry lake-beds to alpine regions at the summits of the 13,000-foot Basin ranges.This is the best general introduction to the ecology and spirit of the Great Basin, a place where "the desert almost seems to mirror the sky in size," where mountains hold "ravens, bristlecone pines, winter stillness—and unseen, but satisfying, the possibility of bighorn sheep." Trimble's photographs come from the backcountry of this rugged land, from months of exploring and hiking the Great Basin wilderness in all seasons; and his well-chosen words come from a rare intimacy with the West.

Ecological Gardening: Your Path to a Healthy Garden


Marjorie Harris - 1991
    In her witty and accessible style, Marjorie Harris – who has been an organic gardener since the 1960s – encourages the Canadian gardener to get back to basics. With information updated for today’s society, Ecological Gardening shows how little use pesticides and chemicals are when making a lush and abundant garden. In 1992, when the book was first published, gardening ecologically was a choice – now, it’s absolutely a matter of proper stewardship. With a society intent on leaving as small a footprint on the earth as possible, there is no better time than now for this important and vital book.

Hand-Taming Wild Birds at the Feeder


Alfred G. Martin - 1991
    In this engaging book. Al Martin explains the techniques he developed over more than fifty years to gain the trust of wild birds. Many of Al's visitors, young and old alike, experienced the thrill of birds landing on them to receive the food they had been trained to expect! And readers of this book may look forward to similar experiences.

California's Changing Landscapes: Diversity and Conservation of California Vegetation


California Native Plant Society - 1991
    Enjoy a wide range of high quality drawings and beautiful color and black-and-white photographs of California's plants and landscapes. Learn the history of how California's vegetation has changed due to human activities over the past two centuries. Travel from seaside to the Eastern Sierra, observing the interaction of groups of plants species as they form communities. Discover how plants were used by native Californians in pre-European times. See three possible futures fo California's plant cover, including successful examples of plant restoration.

Last Stand: Logging, Journalism, and the Case for Humility


Richard Manning - 1991
    Manning's articles won his paper an award, but cost him his job. This courageous book is his story as well as a report on the destruction of America's woodlands and its cover-up.

Kansas Wildlife


Joseph T. Collins - 1991
    Because of its central location, Kansas is a meeting ground for North American animals. Six hundred ten species of land animals—birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians—live in or pass through Kansas. Boreal animals from the colder northern climes traverse the state on their way south; western creatures migrate east from the Rockies or reside in our arid grasslands; southern wildlife pushes north into Kansas on its way back from winter quarters or settles permanently in our Red Hills; and eastern species invade our deciduous forests. In Kansas Wildlife four of the state's best wildlife photographers combine 130 photographs to create a colorful sampler of the state's biodiversity—from delicate Cricket Frogs to ponderous Bison, from stately Great Blue Herons to madcap Chickadees, from cautious Ornate Box Turtles to high-strung Prairie Rattlesnakes.

Good Earth Art: Environmental Art for Kids


MaryAnn F. Kohl - 1991
    Featuring more than two hundred projects, this guide offers ideas for painting and drawing, sculpture and mobiles, collage and printing, weaving and crafts, and handmade art supplies, all to emphasize recycling and natural materials.

Basic Principles of Membrane Technology


Marcel Mulder - 1991
    Biological membranes are hardly used in industrial applications, but separations with synthetic membranes have become increasingly important. Today, membrane processes are used in a wide range of applications and their numbers will certainly increase. Therefore, there is a need for well educated and qualified engineers, chemists, scientists and technicians who have been taught the basic principles of membrane technology. However, despite the growing importance of membrane processes, there are only a few universities that include membrane technology in their regular curricula. One of the reasons for this may be the lack of a comprehensive textbook. For me, this was one of the driving forces for writing a textbook on the basic principles of membrane technology which provides a broad view on the various aspects of membrane technology. I realise that membrane technology covers a broad field but nevertheless I have tried to describe the basic principles of the various disciplines. Although the book was written with the student in mind it can also serve as a first introduction for engineers, chemists, and technicians in all kind of industries who wish to learn the basics of membrane technology.

Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science


Gilbert M. Masters - 1991
    This work presents all the major categories of environmental pollution, with coverage of current topics such as climate change and ozone depletion, risk assessment, indoor air quality, source-reduction and recycling, and groundwater contamination.

It Zwibble And The Greatest Clean Up Ever!


Lisa V. Werenko - 1991
    Nowit is up to the dinosaur fairy to clean up the mess--and show his friends howto recycle trash. Full color.

Endangered Mountain Animals


J. David Taylor - 1991
    Describes the characteristics and importance of mountains, examines the plight of ten endangered animals that inhabit mountains, and explores what is being done to protect them.