Best of
Environment

1994

Naturalist


Edward O. Wilson - 1994
    He traces the trajectory of his life—from a childhood spent exploring the Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida to life as a tenured professor at Harvard—detailing how his youthful fascination with nature blossomed into a lifelong calling. He recounts with drama and wit the adventures of his days as a student at the University of Alabama and his four decades at Harvard University, where he has achieved renown as both teacher and researcher.As the narrative of Wilson's life unfolds, the reader is treated to an inside look at the origin and development of ideas that guide today's biological research. Theories that are now widely accepted in the scientific world were once untested hypotheses emerging from one man's broad-gauged studies. Throughout Naturalist, we see Wilson's mind and energies constantly striving to help establish many of the central principles of the field of evolutionary biology. The story of Edward O. Wilson's life provides fascinating insights into the making of a scientist and a valuable look at some of the most thought-provoking ideas of our time.

Dear Children of the Earth


Schim Schimmel - 1994
    She writes to express her love for each and every child and asks for their love and appreciation in return. In her own words, and with all of her heart, Mother Earth enfolds children with love and entrusts them with her protection.

The Future Eaters: An Ecological History of the Australasian Lands and People


Tim Flannery - 1994
    Penetrating, gripping, and provocative, this book combines natural history, anthropology, and ecology on an epic scale. Illustrations.

Savage Dreams: A Journey into the Landscape Wars of the American West


Rebecca Solnit - 1994
    A century later—1951—and about a hundred and fifty miles away, another war began when the U. S. government started setting off nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site, in what was called a nuclear testing program but functioned as a war against the land and people of the Great Basin. Savage Dreams is an exploration of these two landscapes. Together they serve as our national Eden and Armageddon and offer up a lot of the history of the west, not only in terms of Indian and environmental wars, but in terms of the relationship between culture—the generation of beliefs and views—and its implementation as politics.

The Wild Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures


Lee Stetson - 1994
    Each included adventure has been selected to show the extent to which Muir courted and faced danger, i.e. lived "wildly, " throughout his life. From the famous avalanche ride off the rim of Yosemite Valley to his night spent riding out a windstorm at the top of a tree to death-defying falls on Alaskan glaciers, the renowned outdoorsman's exploits are related in passages that are by turns exhilarating, unnerving, dizzying and outrageous.

Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect


David W. Orr - 1994
    Orr focuses not on problems in education, but on the problem of education. Much of what has gone wrong with the world, he argues, is the result of inadequate and misdirected education that:alienates us from life in the name of human dominationcauses students to worry about how to make a living before they know who they areoveremphasizes success and careersseparates feeling from intellect and the practical from the theoreticaldeadens the sense of wonder for the created worldThe crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. It is, first and foremost, an educational challenge. The author begins by establishing the grounds for a debate about education and knowledge. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values. He follows with a presentation of principles for re-creating education in the broadest way possible, discussing topics such as biophilia, the disciplinary structure of knowledge, the architecture of educational buildings, and the idea of ecological intelligence. Orr concludes by presenting concrete proposals for reorganizing the curriculum to draw out our affinity for life.

An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field


Terry Tempest Williams - 1994
    Williams weaves her observations in the naturalist field and her personal experience--as a woman, a Westerner, and a Mormon--into a resonant manifesto on behalf of the landscapes she loves, making clear as well that, through our disregard of this world, we have lost an essential connection to our deepest selves.

The Condor's Shadow: The Loss And Recovery Of Wildlife In America


David S. Wilcove - 1994
    Describing the cycles of loss and recovery that have changed many ecosystems in the past 50 years, the author considers both habitat destruction and pollution, as well as the introduction of exotic animals and reforestation that is underway nationwide.

Rachel Carson: Witness for Nature


Linda Lear - 1994
    This definitive, long-overdue biography shows how Carson, already a famous nature writer, became a reluctant reformer. It is a compelling portrait of the determined woman behind the publicly shy but brilliant scientist and writer.

Always, Rachel: The Letters of Rachel Carson and Dorothy Freeman 1952-64-The Story of a Remarkable Friendship (Concord Library)


Rachel Carson - 1994
    An intimate collection of letters from the woman who sparked the modern environmental movement. "What is revealed in this selection of letters is the extraordinary, private person of Carson and her relationship with Freeman, the nature-loving, homebody friend of her later years. . . . It is not often that a collection of letters reveals character, emotional depth, personality, indeed intellect and talent, as well as a full biography might; these letters do all that."-Doris Grumbach, The New York Times Book Review

The Firecracker Boys: H-Bombs, Inupiat Eskimos, and the Roots of the Environmental Movement


Dan O'Neill - 1994
    However, the plan was blocked by a handful of Eskimos and biologists who succeeded in preventing massive nuclear devastation potentially far greater than that of the Chernobyl blast. The Firecracker Boys is a story of the U.S. government's arrogance and deception, and the brave people who fought against it-launching America's environmental movement. As one of Alaska's most prominent authors, Dan O'Neill brings to these pages his love of Alaska's landscape, his skill as a nature and science writer, and his determination to expose one of the most shocking chapters of the Nuclear Age.

A Naturalist in Florida: A Celebration of Eden


Archie Carr - 1994
    This book - which includes some of his essays - is full of details and anecdotes about the flora, fauna, and humans that have inhabited Florida's colourful landscape.

The Illustrated History of the Countryside


Oliver Rackham - 1994
    Oliver Rackham's book tells the many-layered story of the British landscape using landscape photography and a series of photographic essays, describing eight of the author's walks within areas of natural beauty.

A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time


J.B. Jackson - 1994
    Jackson, a pioneer in the field of landscape studies, here takes us on a tour of American landscapes past and present, showing how our surroundings reflect important changes in our culture. Because we live in urban and industrial environments that are constantly evolving, says Jackson, time and movement are increasingly important to us and place and permanence are less so. We no longer gain a feeling of community from where we live or where we assemble but from common work hours, habits, and customs. Jackson examines the new vernacular landscape of trailers, parking lots, trucks, loading docks, and suburban garages, which all reflect this emphasis on mobility and transience; he redefines roads as scenes of work and leisure and social intercourse—as places, rather than as means of getting to places; he argues that public parks are now primarily for children, older people, and nature lovers, while more mobile or gregarious people seek recreation in shopping malls, in the street, and in sports arenas; he traces the development of dwellings in New Mexico from prehistoric Pueblo villages to mobile homes; and he criticizes the tendency of some environmentalists to venerate nature instead of interacting with it and learning to share it with others in temporary ways. Written with his customary lucidity and elegance, this book reveals Jackson's passion for vernacular culture, his insights into a style of life that blurs the boundaries between work and leisure, between middle and working classes, and between public and private spaces.

Fall to Violence: Original Sin in Relational Theology


Marjorie Hewitt Suchoki - 1994
    "Discusses the theological foundation of sin, its structures, responses to sin, guilt, freedom, forgiveness and transformation." -Catholic Women's Network

Look To The Mountain: An Ecology Of Indigenous Education


Gregory Cajete - 1994
    Conservation/American Indian Culture. An important contribution to the body of indigenous cultural knowledge and a way to secure its continuance.

Ocean Warrior: My Battle to End the Illegal Slaughter on the High Seas


Paul Watson - 1994
    He has stood in the path of oncoming icebreakers to protect seal nurseries, and overturned the law that shielded hunters of baby seals from protest and active intervention to stop slaughter. He is the environmentalist who scathingly referred to Greenpeace, an organization he helped found, as "the Avon ladies of the environmental movement." Now he owns a submarine.Why? Paul Watson's unswerving mission is to publicize -- and stop -- the atrocities committed against the creatures who inhabit the world's oceans.His life story is one of a man with more than the courage of his convictions -- time and time again he has risked his life for his beliefs. He rammed the Sierra, a whaling vessel whose masters illegally slaughtered 25,000 whales; he sailed up to a whale processing plant in the former Soviet Union and calmly snapped photographs when confronted with armed guards; he drove a Cuban fishing boat off the Grand Banks to protect the depleted cod population and he founded the radical and confrontationalist Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, after he became disillusioned with Greenpeace tactics.Ocean Warrior is the story of Paul Watson's conservation career -- an amazing chronicle of bravery, horrifying slaughter and international intrigue. A story of passion and principles, it will not easily be forgotten by anyone who cares about the fate of our oceans -- or our planet.

Physical Hydrology


S. Lawrence Dingman - 1994
    Calculus and calculus-based physics are prerequisites. Physical Hydrology provides a comprehensive modern scientific treatment of hydrology. It combines a qualitative, conceptual understanding of hydrologic processes, an introduction to the quantitative representation of those processes and an understanding of approaches to hydrological measurements and the uncertainties involved in those measurements. Numerous worked examples and exercises are included throughout to help assimilate concepts, consider implications of relations developed in the text, and apply concepts to local conditions. Physical Hydrologys organization and coverage are intended to make it suitable as a reference work for scientists already working in the field, as well as an introduction to hydrology for scientists in related fields.

The State of Humanity


Julian L. Simon - 1994
    More than fifty scholars from all over the world present new, concise and accessible accounts of the present state of humanity and the prospects for its social and natural environment. The subjects range from deforestation, water pollution and ozone layer depletion to poverty, homelessness, mortality and murder. Each contributor considers the present situation, historical trends, likely future prospects, and the efficacy or otherwise of current activity and policy. The coverage is worldwide, with a particular emphasis on North America. The State of Humanity is a magnificent and eye-opening synthesis of cultural, social, economic and environmental perspectives. It will interest all those - including geographers, economists, sociologists and policy makers - concerned to understand some of the most pressing problems of our time.

African American Art and Artists


Samella Lewis - 1994
    For this edition she has provided a new chapter on art of the last decade. Handsomely and generously illustrated, this book reveals a rich legacy of work by African American painters, sculptors, and graphic artists."Art historical scholarship is greatly advanced by Samella Lewis's African American Art and Artists in that it foregrounds the work of artists who have been influencing the texture of art in the United States during the last two decades of the 20th century. Throughout African American Art and Artists, Lewis interrogates the issue of identity by presenting the biographical sketch, which locates the individual artistic personality within a specific cultural background with its own peculiar dynamics, giving a face to two cities of Black American art. Without polemics Lewis presents women artists—Edmonia Lewis to Allison Saar—as principal players in constructing an African American visual arts legacy. Here Lewis sufficiently defines the visual arts in order that they may assume their rightful place alongside African American music, literature and folklore as cultural expressions that have helped to give American culture its distinct character."—from the foreword by Floyd Coleman, Harvard University.

Secrets of the Nest


Joan Dunning - 1994
    From the two-ton nest of an eagle to the tiny knot-like nest of a hummingbird, Dunning examines the diverse habitats and sizes of birds' nests. This is an inviting book that peeks inside a remarkable natural place and shows both the evolution of birds and the methods they use to nurture and protect their eggs.

From Eco-Cities to Living Machines: Principles of Ecological Design


Nancy Jack Todd - 1994
    Since 1969 with the founding of New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod, the Todds have become known world-wide for their leadership in the restoration of pure water, bioremediation of wild aquatic environments, food production, and urban design. In this new book, the Todds further develop the idea of Eco-cities, designs for integrating agriculture and flowing pure water into green urban settings and introduce Living Machines, a family of technologies for purifying wastewaters to tertiary quality effluent without chemicals. Provocative and grounded firmly in the principles of biodiversity, the Todds' work encompasses site-specific technological interventions and systems-wide ecological planners and designers, environmental economists, and systems-based engineers working to change the way we utilize production, technology, water and energy.

Dunwoody Pond: Reflections on the High Plains Wetlands and the Cultivation of Naturalists


John Janovy Jr. - 1994
    Indeed, the mysteries ripple well beyond the pond's edge, where budding scientists stoop over their specimens, and one question in particular intrigues John Janovy: What makes these otherwise normal young people want to study parasites? The parasites that Janovy peers at in Dunwoody Pond, living their intricate lives on or in beetles, damselflies, frogs, toads, fish, and tiny crustaceans, are no less interesting and involved than the lives of the young scientists he observes in their pursuit of these microorganisms. An exploration of a small farm pond in Nebraska, the creatures that inhabit it, and the people who study them, this engaging book captures the spirit of scientific inquiry at its source. Janovy, a celebrated scientist, naturalist, and teacher, introduces us to five of his most gifted students at critical junctures in their scientific careers. As we watch these young people at work and learn about the fascinating microscopic universe that preoccupies them, we also learn firsthand about the curiosity, wonder, and excitement that animate scientific practice. As closely observed and warmly written as all of John Janovy's works, Dunwoody Pond is, above all, a highly original and insightful meditation on the nature of science itself.

Regenerative Design for Sustainable Development


John Tillman Lyle - 1994
    John Lyle has written the best book nowavailable on the theory and practice of sustainability . . .essential reading for natural resource professionals, architects, planners, educators, environmentalists, and the general public.--David W. Orr, Professor and Chair Environmental Studies Program, Oberlin College.John Lyle has written a splendid book, Regenerative Design forSustainable Development. It is perfectly topical; it is committedto the unity of art and science, design and planning, man andnature. It is itself exemplary, and it is a repository of exemplaryadaptations. It has carried the environmental movement to a newthreshold of ecological planning and design. It should be widelyread and employed. --Ian L. McHarg, FASLA.In these times of widespread urban stress and regional disruption, the cogent thoughts of John Tillman Lyle on sustainable cities areon target and highly constructive. They are must reading forplanning professionals and all concerned citizens. --John OrmsbeeSimonds, FASLA.More designers need to broaden their horizons in the way John Lylehas put forth in this book. In general, there are far too few landplanners, landscape architects, or architects who have any workingprocedure that approximates what sustainable design entails. Thisbook provides important historical background and contemporaryexperience to help guide the way.--Pliny Fisk III, Center forMaximum Potential Building Systems.From the despoliation of our rivers and lakes by industrial runoffto the destruction of our atmosphere by sulphur emissions and CFCs, production cycles based on a one-way flow of materials and energyhave pushed us to the brink of environmental collapse. It is timefor a change, and in this groundbreaking book, John Tillman Lyleoffers us a blueprint for implementing that change.This book provides civil engineers, architects, land developmentplanners, and others with practical, realistic approaches toreversing this deadly course. Throughout, the emphasis is on provenregenerative practices for water use, land use, energy use, andbuilding design. Most importantly, it provides ways to reestablishconnections between people and nature, between art and science, andbetween technology and daily life.

High Odyssey


Gene Rose - 1994
    "The true story of Orland Bartholomew's Mt. Whitney - Yosemite expedition- one of America's great mountaineering adventures."--from the bottom of the front jacket.

Daughters of the Pacific


Zohl de Ishtar - 1994
    Radical testimonies from indigenous Pacific women on vital issues affecting their future, from nuclear experimentation and the impact of tourism to oceanic pollution and more.

Tankers Full of Trouble: The Perilous Journey of Alaskan Crude


Eric Nalder - 1994
    On a 2,400-mile voyage aboard the Arco Anchorage, Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Nalder exposes the peril the crew faces at every turn--temperatures of minus 70 degrees, waves 80 feet high, gas poisoning, explosions, and safety systems that don't work.

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living (Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook)


John Schaeffer - 1994
    Clean technologies such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel fuel are soaring in popularity. Real Goods Solar Living Source Book—Special 30th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living, and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. This fully updated edition includes brand-new sections on Peak Oil, climate change, relocalization, natural burial, biodynamics, and permaculture. It also boasts the latest product listings and completely rewritten and expanded chapters on: Land and shelter Natural building Passive solar Biofuels Sustainable transportation Grid-tied photovoltaics Solar hot water systems Plus, over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, solar sizing worksheets, and much more Whether you’re a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the new sourcebook puts the latest research and products at your fingertips—all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality. John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods, the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable-energy products. Now merged with Gaiam, Real Goods has converted over sixty thousand homes to solar energy since 1978, when it sold the very first photovoltaic module in America. Real Goods hosts the annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

Oil Spill!


Melvin A. Berger - 1994
    "A good introduction to the subject."––BL. 1994 "Pick of the Lists" (ABA)Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children 1995 (NSTA/CBC)

Soul of Nature


Georgianne Cowan - 1994
    -- Simple Living

Wastewater Microbiology


Gabriel Bitton - 1994
    This classic reference has now been updated to focus more exclusively on issues particular to wastewater, with new information on fecal contamination and new molecular methods. The book features new methods to determine cell viability/activity in environmental samples; a new section on bacterial spores as indicators; new information covering disinfection byproducts, UV disinfection, and photoreactivation; and much more. A PowerPoint of figures from the book is available at ftp: //ftp.wiley.com/public/sci_tech_med/was....

The Bat House Builder's Handbook, Completely Revised and Updated


Merlin D. Tuttle - 1994
    This new edition has been completely revised to incorporate the latest research on improving the success rates for bat houses. It updates the original bat house plans and includes a new "rocket box" design, along with mounting suggestions, tips for experimentation, frequently asked bat house questions, and information about bats most likely to use bat houses.

Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard methods for amphibians


W. Ronald Heyer - 1994
    The contributors discuss each procedure, along with the circumstances for its appropriate use. In addition, they provide a detailed protocol for each procedure's implementation, a list of necessary equipment and personnel, and suggestions for analyzing the data.The data obtained using these standard methods are comparable across sites and through time and, as a result, are extremely useful for making decisions about habitat protection, sustained use, and restoration—decisions that are particularly relevant for threatened amphibian populations.

The Tree of Time: A Story of a Special Sequoia


Kathy Baron - 1994
    Tracing the life of one special sequoia that lived for over 2,000 years, it shows the stages of development of the tree in relation to important events in world history. When the Tree of Time is only a seedling, Hannibal and his elephants are crossing the Alps. While the sequoia grows, humankind progresses from wooden-wheeled chariots and rock paintings to space ships on the moon and computers. Children will be captivated by the parade of events illustrated here, and there’s an informative time-line of world history that runs throughout the book. The reader is left with a real appreciation for the remarkable age of the Tree of Time and giant sequoias generally.

For Everything There Is a Season


Frank C. Craighead Jr. - 1994
    Recommended for fans of Mardie Murrie. I had just spent a week in the Teton Science School at a nature journaling class when I found this gem of a book. For me it was inspirational. May you read and enjoy. I read the edition available in 1997 (now reprinted...identical).I'm so sorry to have never met this author, or Mardie Murrie.

Energy In World History


Vaclav Smil - 1994
    Changes in the fundamental sources of energy, and in the use of energy sources, are a basic dimension of the evolution of society. Our appreciation of the significance of these processes is essential to a fuller understanding of world history.Vaclav Smil offers a comprehensive look at the role of energy in world history, ranging from human muscle-power in foraging societies and animal-power in traditional farming to preindustrial hydraulic techniques and modern fossil-fueled civilization. The book combines a vast historical sweep with cross-cultural comparisons and is enhanced by illustrations and accessible quantitative material. Students and general readers alike will gain an understanding of energy's fundamental role in human progress.Smil illuminates the role played by various means of harnessing energy in different societies and provides new insights by explaining the impact and limitations of these fundamental physical inputs—whether it is in the cultivation of crops, smelting of metals, waging of war, or the mass production of goods. While examining the energetic foundations of historical changes, Energy in World History avoids simplistic, deterministic views of energy needs and recognizes the complex interplay of physical and social realities.

Earthkeepers: Observers and Protectors of Nature


Ann T. Keene - 1994
    From Aristotle to Wangari Maathai, they were born with appreciation and respect for the wonder of the natural world. They were born to be Earthkeepers.

Environmental Psychology: An Interdisciplinary Perspective


Russell Veitch - 1994
    Also of interest in Environmental Biology, Environmental Law and Environmental Studies. Explores current issues, empirical research and literature central to the relationship between human behavior and the environment. Written in a conversational tone, and from an interdisciplinary perspective, the authors discuss applications of environmental psychology and strategies for environmental problem-solving.