Best of
Sustainability
2020
All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis
Ayana Elizabeth JohnsonCamille T Dungy - 2020
While it's clear that women and girls are vital voices and agents of change for this planet, they are too often missing from the proverbial table. More than a problem of bias, it's a dynamic that sets us up for failure. To change everything, we need everyone.All We Can Save illuminates the expertise and insights of dozens of diverse women leading on climate in the United States--scientists, journalists, farmers, lawyers, teachers, activists, innovators, wonks, and designers, across generations, geographies, and race--and aims to advance a more representative, nuanced, and solution-oriented public conversation on the climate crisis. These women offer a spectrum of ideas and insights for how we can rapidly, radically reshape society.Intermixing essays with poetry and art, this book is both a balm and a guide for knowing and holding what has been done to the world, while bolstering our resolve never to give up on one another or our collective future. We must summon truth, courage, and solutions to turn away from the brink and toward life-giving possibility. Curated by two climate leaders, the book is a collection and celebration of visionaries who are leading us on a path toward all we can save. With essays and poems by: Emily Atkin • Xiye Bastida • Ellen Bass • Colette Pichon Battle • Jainey K. Bavishi • Janine Benyus • adrienne maree brown • Régine Clément • Abigail Dillen • Camille T. Dungy • Rhiana Gunn-Wright • Joy Harjo • Katharine Hayhoe • Mary Annaïse Heglar • Jane Hirshfield • Mary Anne Hitt • Ailish Hopper • Tara Houska, Zhaabowekwe • Emily N. Johnston • Joan Naviyuk Kane • Naomi Klein • Kate Knuth • Ada Limón • Louise Maher-Johnson • Kate Marvel • Gina McCarthy • Anne Haven McDonnell • Sarah Miller • Sherri Mitchell, Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset • Susanne C. Moser • Lynna Odel • Sharon Olds • Mary Oliver • Kate Orff • Jacqui Patterson • Leah Penniman • Catherine Pierce • Marge Piercy • Kendra Pierre-Louis • Varshini Prakash • Janisse Ray • Christine E. Nieves Rodriguez • Favianna Rodriguez • Cameron Russell • Ash Sanders • Judith D. Schwartz • Patricia Smith • Emily Stengel • Sarah Stillman • Leah Cardamore Stokes • Amanda Sturgeon • Maggie Thomas • Heather McTeer Toney • Alexandria Villaseñor • Alice Walker • Amy Westervelt • Jane Zelikova
Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World
Jason Hickel - 2020
Now we must face up to its primary cause: capitalism. Our economic system is based on perpetual expansion, which is devastating the living world. There is only one solution that will lead to meaningful and immediate change: degrowth.If we want to have a shot at surviving the Anthropocene, we need to restore the balance. We need to change how we see the world and our place within it, shifting from a philosophy of domination and extraction to one that’s rooted in reciprocity with our planet’s ecology. We need to evolve beyond the dusty dogmas of capitalism to a new system that’s fit for the twenty-first century.But what about jobs? What about health? What about progress? This book tackles these questions and offers an inspiring vision for what a post-capitalist economy could look like. An economy that’s more just, more caring, and more fun. An economy that enables human flourishing while reversing ecological breakdown. By taking less, we can become more.
The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here
Hope Jahren - 2020
A Vintage Original.Hope Jahren is an award-winning geobiologist, a brilliant writer, and one of the seven billion people with whom we share this earth. The Story of More is her impassioned open letter to humanity as we stand at the crossroads of survival and extinction. Jahren celebrates the long history of our enterprising spirit--which has tamed wild crops, cured diseases, and sent us to the moon--but also shows how that spirit has created excesses that are quickly warming our planet to dangerous levels. In short, highly readable chapters, she takes us through the science behind the key inventions--from electric power to large-scale farming and automobiles--that, even as they help us, release untenable amounts of carbon dioxide. She explains the current and projected consequences of greenhouse gases--from superstorms to rising sea levels--and the science-based tools that could help us fight back. At once an explainer on the mechanisms of warming and a capsule history of human development, The Story of More illuminates the link between our consumption habits and our endangered earth, showing us how we can use less and share more. It is the essential pocket primer on climate change that will leave an indelible impact on everyone who reads it.
How To Break Up With Fast Fashion
Lauren Bravo - 2020
It's bad news for the planet, our brains and our bank balances. We can't go on like this; our shopping habits need an overhaul.Journalist Lauren Bravo loves clothes more than anything, but she's called time on her affair with fast fashion in search of a slower, saner way of dressing. In this book, she'll help you do the same.How To Break Up With Fast Fashion will help you to change your mindset, fall back in love with your wardrobe and embrace more sustainable ways of shopping - from the clothes swap to the charity shop. Full of refreshing honesty and realistic advice, Lauren will inspire you to repair, recycle and give your unloved items a new lease of life without sacrificing your style.Because fashion belongs to everyone, but no outfit should cost us the earth.
The Family Garden Plan: Grow a Year's Worth of Sustainable and Healthy Food
Melissa K. Norris - 2020
Melissa K. Norris, fifth generation homesteader and host of the popular Pioneering Today podcast, will walk you through each step of the process, from planning your food crops and garden space to harvesting and preserving the food you grow. Even intermediate to experienced gardeners will discover dozens of new ideas. More than just practical advice, you’ll learn how gardening can contribute to a sustainable lifestyle and give you a sense of accomplishment, peace of mind, and overall joy. Make the Family Garden Plan your “grow-to” guide for good eating and greater well-being for you and your loved ones.
The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis
Christiana Figueres - 2020
How we address it in the next thirty years will determine the kind of world we will live in and will bequeath to our children and to theirs.In The Future We Choose, Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac--who led negotiations for the United Nations during the historic Paris Agreement of 2015--have written a cautionary but optimistic book about the world's changing climate and the fate of humanity.The authors outline two possible scenarios for our planet. In one, they describe what life on Earth will be like by 2050 if we fail to meet the Paris climate targets. In the other, they lay out what it will be like to live in a carbon neutral, regenerative world. They argue for confronting the climate crisis head-on, with determination and optimism. The Future We Choose presents our options and tells us what governments, corporations, and each of us can and must do to fend off disaster.
Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild
Lucy Jones - 2020
And yet nature remains deeply ingrained in our language, culture and consciousness. For centuries, we have acted on an intuitive sense that we need communion with the wild to feel well. Now, in the moment of our great migration away from the rest of nature, more and more scientific evidence is emerging to confirm its place at the heart of our psychological wellbeing. So what happens, asks acclaimed journalist Lucy Jones, as we lose our bond with the natural world--might we also be losing part of ourselves?Delicately observed and rigorously researched, Losing Eden is an enthralling journey through this new research, exploring how and why connecting with the living world can so drastically affect our health. Travelling from forest schools in East London, to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, via Poland's primeval woodlands, Californian laboratories and ecotherapists' couches, Jones takes us to the cutting edge of human biology, neuroscience and psychology, and discovers new ways of understanding our increasingly dysfunctional relationship with the earth. Urgent and uplifting, Losing Eden is a rallying cry for a wilder way of life - for finding asylum in the soil and joy in the trees - which might just help us to save the living planet, as well as ourselves, from a future of ecological grief.
A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency
Seth Klein - 2020
Canada is nowhere near meeting its climate mitigation targets, and radical change to the way we live and work must happen at high speed, but how are we ever to do this?Well, we've actually done it before. During the Second World War, Canadians and their government completely remade the economy -- retooling factories, transforming the workforce, and creating common cause among Canadians for the war effort.In A Good War, author and activist Seth Klein looks at the WWII strategies and shows how they can be repurposed today for a rapid transition. He demonstrates that this change can create jobs and reduce inequality while tackling our climate obligations. From enlisting broad public support to new economic models, from new job creation to investment in green infrastructure, Klein shows us a bold, practical policy plan for a zero-carbon Canada.
What Can I Do? My Path from Climate Despair to Action
Jane Fonda - 2020
It's too late for moderation."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 conversations 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, 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.As Annie Leonard, Executive Director of Greenpeace US and Fonda's partner in developing FDF, has declared, "Change is inevitable; by design, or by disaster." Together, we can commandeer change for the positive--but it will require collective actions taken by social movements on an unprecedented scale. The problems we face now require every one of us to join the fight. The fight for not only our immediate future, but for the future of generations to come.100% of the author's net proceeds from What Can I Do? will go to Greenpeace
The Good Ancestor: How to Think Long-Term in a Short-Term World
Roman Krznaric - 2020
Today, in an age driven by the tyranny of the now, with 24/7 news, the latest tweet, and the buy-now button commanding our attention, we rarely stop to consider how our actions will affect future generations. With such frenetic short-termism at the root of contemporary crises, the call for long-term thinking grows every day – but what is it, has it ever worked, and can we even do it?In The Good Ancestor, leading public philosopher Roman Krznaric argues that there is still hope. From the pyramids to the NHS, humankind has always had the innate ability to plan for posterity and take action that will resonate for decades, centuries, even millennia to come. If we want to become good ancestors, now is the time to recover and enrich this imaginative skill.The Good Ancestor reveals six profound ways in which we can all learn to think long-term, exploring how we can reawaken oft-neglected but uniquely human talents like ‘cathedral thinking’ that expand our time horizons and sharpen our foresight. Drawing on radical solutions from around the world, Krznaric celebrates the innovators who are reinventing democracy, culture and economics so that we all have the chance to become good ancestors and create a better tomorrow.
The Sustainable(ish) Living Guide: Everything you need to know to make small changes that make a big difference
Jen Gale - 2020
Covering every aspect of our lives from the stuff we buy and the food we eat, to how we travel, work, and celebrate. This book provides stacks of practical, down to earth ideas to slot into your daily life, alongside a gentle kick up the butt to put your newfound knowledge into action. Find out how to fit "sustainable living" into your life, in a way that works for you. Change your impact without radically changing your life and figure out the small steps you can make that will add up to make a big difference (halo not included).
The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: Futures from the Frontiers of Climate Science
Paul Behrens - 2020
Preventing it will require an unprecedented political and social response. And yet, there is still hope. Academic, physicist, environmental expert and award-winning science communicator Paul Behrens presents a radical analysis of a civilisation on the brink of catastrophe. Setting out the pressing existential threats we face, he writes, in alternating chapters, of what the future could look like at its most pessimistic and hopeful. In lucid and clear-sighted prose, Behrens argues that structural problems need structural solutions, and examines critical areas in which political will is required, including women's education, food and energy security, biodiversity and economics.
A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet
Sarah Jaquette Ray - 2020
The “climate generation”—late millennials and iGen, or Generation Z—is demanding that policy makers and government leaders take immediate action to address the dire outcomes predicted by climate science. Those inheriting our planet’s environmental problems expect to encounter challenges, but they may not have the skills to grapple with the feelings of powerlessness and despair that may arise when they confront this seemingly intractable situation. Drawing on a decade of experience leading and teaching in college environmental studies programs, Sarah Jaquette Ray has created an “existential tool kit” for the climate generation. Combining insights from psychology, sociology, social movements, mindfulness, and the environmental humanities, Ray explains why and how we need to let go of eco-guilt, resist burnout, and cultivate resilience while advocating for climate justice. A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety is the essential guidebook for the climate generation—and perhaps the rest of us—as we confront the greatest environmental threat of our time.
The Rule of Five: Making Climate History at the Supreme Court
Richard J Lazarus - 2020
Supreme Court. Richard Lazarus's compelling narrative is enlivened by colorful characters, a canny dissection of courtroom strategy, and a case where the stakes are, literally, as big as the world."--Scott Turow, author of Presumed Innocent"There's no better book if you want to understand the past, present, and future of environmental litigation."--Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth ExtinctionThe gripping inside story of how an unlikely team of lawyers and climate activists overcame conservative opposition--and their own divisions--to win the most important environmental case ever brought before the Supreme Court.When the Supreme Court announced its ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA, the decision was immediately hailed as a landmark. But this was the farthest thing from anyone's mind when Joe Mendelson, an idealistic lawyer working on a shoestring budget for an environmental organization no one had heard of, decided to press his quixotic case.In October 1999, Mendelson hand-delivered a petition to the Environmental Protection Agency asking it to restrict greenhouse gas emissions from new cars. The Clean Air Act had authorized the EPA to regulate "any air pollutant" that could reasonably be anticipated to endanger public health. But could something as ordinary as carbon dioxide really be considered a harmful pollutant? And even if the EPA had the authority to regulate emissions, could it be forced to do so?Environmentalists urged Mendelson to stand down. Thinking of his young daughters and determined to fight climate change, he pressed on--and brought Sierra Club, Greenpeace, NRDC, and twelve state attorneys general led by Massachusetts to his side. This unlikely group--they called themselves the Carbon Dioxide Warriors--challenged the Bush administration and took the EPA to court.The Rule of Five tells the story of their unexpected triumph. We see how accidents, infighting, luck, superb lawyering, and the arcane practices of the Supreme Court collided to produce a legal miracle. An acclaimed advocate, Richard Lazarus reveals the personal dynamics of the justices and dramatizes the workings of the Court. The final ruling, by a razor-thin 5-4 margin, made possible important environmental safeguards which the Trump administration now seeks to unravel.
The Climate Cure: Solving the Climate Emergency in the Era of COVID-19
Tim Flannery - 2020
Although Australia’s prompt, science-led response to COVID-19 has not been perfect, it has saved tens of thousands of lives. But for decades, governments have ignored, ridiculed or understated the advice of scientists on the climate emergency.Now, in the wake of the megafires of 2020, a time of reckoning has arrived. In The Climate Cure renowned climate scientist Tim Flannery takes aim at those responsible for the campaign of obfuscation and denial that has already cost so many Australian lives and held back action on climate change.Flannery demands a new approach, based on the nation’s response to COVID-19, that will lead to effective government policies. The Climate Cure is an action plan for our future. We face a fork in the road, and must decide now between catastrophe and survival.
More Plants Less Waste: Plant-Based Recipes + Zero Waste Life Hacks with Purpose
Max La Manna - 2020
Max has inspired thousands of people across the world to rethink their approach to consumption and made it his mission to turn the tide on plastic and breathe new energy into the leftovers that are typically destined for the trash. In his first cookbook he shares 80 of his tasty, healthy recipes that will help you save money, food and eat well. Get your taste buds watering with recipes for sumptuous Spaghetti Bolognese, Crunchy Cauliflower Curry and Leftover Veggie Nachos in a Hurry just to name a few!MORE PLANTS->LESS WASTE INCLUDES: Simple, accessible ingredients that celebrate the power of plants and wholefoods at their bestAll-natural home hacks from DIY deodorant to Citrus Bomb House CleanserLife tools you need to add value to what you already own and set you on the path to living more sustainably21-day zero waste challenge
Grow Food for Free: The easy, sustainable, zero-cost way to a plentiful harvest
Huw Richards - 2020
He succeeded, and now wants to help you do the same.Grow your own food in your home garden, allotment or container and look forward to a bountiful harvest year-round. You can plant fruit and veg at home without spending a penny and Huw Richard's shows you how.Packed with tried-and-tested advice, this gardening book covers:- Finding a space to grow - in the garden or on a terrace or balcony - and sourcing the materials you need- Deciding what to grow your crops in (the ground, a raised bed, or containers)- Clear growing instructions on more than 30 species of popular annual and perennial crops- Huw Richards' 52-week journal of how he grew his own food for free for a year without spending a penny- Advice on how to go about selling your produce to raise money to expand your growing areaAuthor Huw Richards is a man on a mission. He is passionate about teaching you how to garden and grow your own food. Years of experience and trying different things has taught Huw how to garden with little money (or without a garden) and he shows you how to do the same! Grow Food for Free teaches you how to produce no-cost, low-maintenance fruit and veg - and finding low-cost ways to overcome common gardening worries. Learn about the space you need and how to prepare it, make your own compost, tackle weeds, pests, and diseases, and how to get hold of your first set of seeds! Discover strategies to expand your garden. Can't afford a raised bed? Try repurposing an old wooden pallet. Don't have money to buy lots of different seeds? Look in your kitchen cupboards for food that you can plant. This home gardening book shows you everything you need to barter, borrow, repurpose, and propagate your way to a bountiful harvest without burdening your bank balance!
Danger Days
Catherine Pierce - 2020
In poems steeped deep in the 21st century, Pierce weaves superblooms and Legos, gun violence and ghosts, glaciers and contaminant masks, urging us to look closely at both the horror and beauty of our world. As Pierce writes in “Planet,” “I’m trying to see this place even as I’m walking through it.”
Fight For Planet A
Craig Reucassel - 2020
In Fight for Planet A, the book of the ABC series of the same name, Craig Reucassel shows that it isn't as scary as we think, and we can make a difference to help protect the world for future generations.The Chaser comedian and presenter of War on Waste sets out solutions and practical day-to-day changes we can make to reduce our carbon footprint, as well as changes our governments need to make without further delay.Find out:Why 'avoid, renew, reduce and offset' should be the new Insta mantra Why solar and a thing called Green Power can cut your carbon footprint, even if underfloor heating and hydroponics are your thing How the government's substantial investment in discussion papers means we lag behind most of the world when it comes to low-emission cars How electric cars have more grunt than your average muscle car Why Australians pay coal mining companies more than $1 billion a year 'to help with their diesel bills' How long we could power our homes on the emissions generated by our favourite cuts of beef.Featuring a few shocking statistics to make you sit up and take notice, plus many more pro-active tips and strategies for everyday Australians who want to make a difference, Fight for Planet A is for anyone who has no Planet B - which is most of us.
Investing To Save The Planet: How Your Money Can Make a Difference
Alice Ross - 2020
Together, we can and must act now' Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States 'Everyone's savings account and pension can meaningfully contribute. Ross tells us how in this clear, easy to understand yet transformative book' Christiana Figueres, Founding Partner, Global Optimism and Former Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 'I can't imagine a more important book at the moment. A detailed, action-oriented guide on how to make our money matter and save us and the planet we live on' Richard Curtis, Writer, Director, Co-Founder of Red Nose Day and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate Investing responsibly is one of the most powerful ways that you can fight climate change. No longer a niche sector for rebel fund managers, conscious investing has the potential to raise huge sums of money to the companies and organisations on the front line fighting the climate crisis and make investors positive returns in the process. In this essential introduction to green investing, Alice Ross shows you how you can turn your savings and pensions, however big or small, into a force for change. You will learn: - Which sectors are leading the charge by developing cutting-edge solutions; from smart farming to renewable energy- How to cut through 'alphabet soup' jargon and identify 'greenwashing' - The ways you can maximise your economic power and hold those you're investing in to account 'Changing the way that we invest is one of the most powerful levers we have for solving climate change. This hugely interesting and immensely practical book not only explains why changing how we invest is so critically important but also provides a set of powerful tools for actually doing it' Rebecca Henderson, John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University and author of Reimagining Capitalism 'Explains the power you have, through your investment choices, to accelerate the path toward a sustainable clean energy future. Read this book and be empowered to create a better future for the planet' Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor, Penn State University, author of The New Climate War
Wild Your Garden: Create a sanctuary for nature
Jim and Joel Ashton - 2020
The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen
Lindsay Miles - 2020
What you buy, cook and eat has a much bigger impact than the bag you carry it in. Inspiring, practical and above all simple, The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen is designed for busy people who want to make simple changes without rethinking their whole lives.Lindsay Miles, of Treading My Own Path and Less Stuff, will help you to: Avoid single-use packaging, even at the supermarket.Switch up your daily staples to reduce your carbon footprint.Make the most of your pantry, fridge and freezer to avoid food waste.Confidently adapt recipes to use what you have.There really might be such thing as a (waste) free lunch.
The Joyful Environmentalist
Isabel Losada - 2020
And to do this wholeheartedly, energetically and joyfully.’ Finally! A book about saving our planet that is fast, funny and inspiring too. Isabel doesn’t bother with an examination of the problem but gets right on with the solutions. Her aim: to look for every single way that we can take care of the planet; how we live and work, travel, shop, eat, drink, dress, vote, play, volunteer, bank – everything. The feel-good book of the year for anyone who loves nature and knows that one person can make a HUGE difference. ‘This is the joy we need in our lives.’ - George Monbiot ‘She gave my spirit a lift and my feet somewhere to stand.’ - Sir Mark Rylance ‘Practical and realistic as well as visionary.’ - Dr Rowan Williams ‘A manifesto of brilliant advice offered with humility and good grace. A practical guide to empower us all.’ - Isabella Tree ISABEL LOSADA is the bestselling author of six previous books including The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment.
Manifesto: How a maverick entrepreneur took on British energy and won
Dale Vince - 2020
This book is a joy to romp through, which is good, because its final chapter is the important truth we all need to hear and understand if we are to survive this mess we've made" - Chris Packham"I found Manifesto enthralling, thought-provoking and I learnt so much from it. Nor had I any idea that we had our own Archimedes living in The Cotswolds." - Jilly Cooper
How one maverick entrepreneur took on UK energy...
and won.
Dale Vince never intended to start a business. Driven by a passion for sustainability, he left school aged 15 and became a New Age traveller, living for free in a wind-powered double decker bus. But after building his first wind turbine, he realised that to change the world he needed to be on the grid, not off it. In 1996 he founded green energy company Ecotricity based on principles of social, financial and environmental sustainability, and changed the landscape of UK energy forever. Since then, Dale has been appointed a UN ambassador for climate issues, become the owner of the first ever vegan football club, and amassed a fortune of over £120 million built on sustainability. He has also been a vocal supporter of Extinction Rebellion which, like Ecotricity, is based in Stroud. In this book, he shares his single-minded and uniquely purpose-orientated approach to business, with lessons learned from experience that will speak to any fledgling entrepreneur. This is the story of a man whose unwavering mission to help save the environment has driven him all the way to the top, and a powerful manifesto for anyone who wants to change the world.
The Great British Sewing Bee: Sustainable Style
Caroline Akselson - 2020
ABC for Me: ABC Earth-Friendly Me: From Action to Zero Waste, here are 26 things a kid can do to care for the Earth!
Christiane Engel - 2020
Pairing aspects of eco-friendly living with each letter of the alphabet, ABC Earth-Friendly Me is not only perfect for teaching young children their ABCs, but also for encouraging them to be aware of the impact they have on the environment. The content empowers young children, showing them that even their small choices make a big difference. And the engaging illustrations and simple concepts introduce children to an eco-friendly lifestyle. To help, kids can plant flowers for pollinating bees, eat more fruits and vegetables, share or swap old toys, help their parents air-dry laundry, and learn about animals and their habitats. Environmental terms throughout, such as "pollination," "biodegradable," "pollution," and "preservation," have easy-to-understand, kid-friendly definitions in the back of the book. And a spread elaborating on additional things kids can do, such as riding a bike, creating a new toy from old stuff, and hunting for a unique pre-owned item at the thrift store, are easy and fun ways to help out! ABC Earth-Friendly Me shows that every member of the family—even the smallest one—can protect our planet Earth. This is the perfect book to inspire the next generation of eco-conscious kids, while teaching them the alphabet at the same time. Learning the ABCs has never been so green and so much fun! With endearing illustrations and mindful concepts, the ABC for Me series pairs each letter of the alphabet with words that promote big dreams and healthy living.
Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet
Tom Hunt - 2020
Tom explains his manifesto of: Eat for Pleasure; Eat Whole Foods; Eat the Best Food You Can, referencing the latest research and guidelines, but in a clear and conversational manner. Following with delicious recipes, which are divided into Breakfasts, Slow Lunches & Suppers, A New Way with Salads, Family Meals & Feast Plates, Sweet Treats and Larder essentials, and then sub-divided into seasons - these are inventive recipes to enjoy with friends and family. Tom's recipes are easy to make, delicious to eat and his important message is clear - eat well, waste nothing.' - The Guardian Tom's approach reflects a deep understanding and respect for all that goes into making something taste delicious - the ecology, the community and the cooking. His book is an exciting continuation of his fight for good food. I can't wait to read it. - Dan Barber If we could all live and eat a little more like Tom the world and the food chain would be in much better shape. - Anna Jones
Fixation: How to Have Stuff without Breaking the Planet
Sandra Goldmark - 2020
Our individual relationship with our stuff is broken. In each of our homes, some stuff is broken. And the strain of rampant consumerism and manufacturing is breaking our planet. We need big, systemic changes, from public policy to global economic systems. But we don’t need to wait for them. Since founding Fixup, a pop-up repair shop that brought her coverage in The New York Times, Salon, New York Public Radio, and more, Sandra Goldmark has become a leader in the movement to demand better “stuff.” She doesn’t just want to help us clear clutter—she aims to move us away from throwaway culture, to teach us to reuse and repurpose more thoughtfully, and to urge companies to produce better stuff. Although her goal is ambitious, the solution to getting there is surprisingly simple and involves all of us: have good stuff, not too much, mostly reclaimed, care for it, and pass it on.Fixation charts the path to the next frontier in the health, wellness, and environmental movements—learning how to value stewardship over waste. We can choose quality items designed for a long lifecycle, commit to repairing them when they break, and shift our perspective on reuse and “preowned” goods. Together, we can demand that companies get on board. Goldmark shares examples of forward-thinking companies that are thriving by conducting their businesses sustainably and responsibly. Passionate, wise, and practical, Fixation offers us a new understanding of stuff by building a value chain where good design, reuse, and repair are the status quo.
Food and Climate Change Without the Hot Air: Change Your Diet: The Easiest Way to Help Save the Planet
S.L. Bridle - 2020
This accessible description of how food and climate change are connected, inspired by the author's former mentor David Mackay (Sustainable Energy without the Hot Air), steers clear of emotive words to focus on facts. (The e-book version is free, thanks to funding from the University of Manchester.) From breakfast to lunch, snacks to supper, Professor Bridle outlines the climate impact of the food we eat, how food production contributes to climate change and how climate change impacts food production.
Rewild Your Garden: Create a Haven for Birds, Bees and Butterflies
Frances Tophill - 2020
Whether you have a small balcony or a large open space, discover the joys of welcoming natural ecosystems back into your garden - along with a host of new visitors.
The Star in the Sycamore: Discovering Nature’s Hidden Virtues in the Wild Nearby
Tom Springer - 2020
Soil Science for Gardeners: Working with Nature to Build Soil Health
Robert Pavlis - 2020
Yet untangling the soil food web and optimizing your soil health is beyond most gardeners, many of whom lack an in-depth knowledge of the soil ecosystem. Soil Science for Gardeners is an accessible, science-based guide to understanding soil fertility and, in particular, the rhizosphere - the thin layer of liquid and soil surrounding plant roots, so vital to plant health.Robert Pavlis, a gardener for over four decades, debunks common soil myths, explores the rhizosphere, and provides a personalized soil fertility improvement program in this three-part popular science guidebook. Coverage includes:Soil biology and chemistry and how plants and soil interactCommon soil health problems, including analyzing soil's fertility and plant nutrientsThe creation of a personalized plan for improving your soil fertility, including setting priorities and goals in a cost-effective, realistic time frame.Creating the optimal conditions for nature to do the heavy lifting of building soil fertilityWritten for the home gardener, market gardener, and micro-farmer, Soil Science for Gardeners is packed with information to help you grow thriving plants.
The Green New Deal and Beyond: The Road from Climate Emergency to Ecological Reality
Stan Cox - 2020
To make it happen, the plan will require a national mobilization on a scale not seen since World War II. But will it be enough to prevent disaster? Scientists now warn that we have little time to eliminate greenhouse emissions. To do what's required, Stan Cox urges readers to embrace the Green New Deal but go beyond it in order to stop global warming before it's too late. In clear and accessible language, Cox explains why we must abolish the use of fossil fuels on a clear timetable, and reduce over-production and over-consumption--points not mandated by the GND. By starting now to find creative ways in which we can live in a lower-energy society, Cox writes, we as individuals and communities can play key roles in bringing about the necessary transformation."In The Green New Deal and Beyond, Stan Cox presents a smart, sane, and plausibly optimistic alternative to abandoning all hope."--David Owen, author of Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World "A searing and provocative critique of our growth-based oil economy. Stan Cox suggests remedies that should ignite lively discussion and intense debate, which is sorely needed. A must-read for those who care about our shared planetary future."--Mary Evelyn Tucker, Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, co-author, Journey of the Universe"Stan Cox isn't just another member of the chorus speaking truth to power about climate change. He has the courage, intelligence and resolve in this vital book to speak truth to the half-formed plans that are currently being offered as a balm to the crisis. The difficult truth is that there's going to need to be radical change in the way we all live our lives. With analysis as crystal clear as his prose, Cox explains why. His is a warning well worth heeding, and sharing, while we still have time."--Raj Patel, author of A History of the World in Seven Cheap Things: A Guide to Capitalism, Nature, and the Future of the Planet
The Regenerative Life: Transform Any Organization, Our Society, and Your Destiny
Carol Sanford - 2020
Pay attention, please. I have no z-e-r-o doubt that The Regenerative Life will be a solid-gold winner. --Tom Peters The world often falls short of how we'd like it to be, and our ability to make even just a little difference can seem limited. Sometimes it feels like you need to be a super-hero to achieve anything meaningful. But what if by re-conceiving what you do, you could change the world for the better?In THE REGENERATIVE LIFE, Carol Sanford shows you how to fundamentally change the roles you play in society, enabling you to do more than you ever believed possible; grow yourself and others, provide astounding innovations for your clients, children and students, generate extraordinary social returns, become more creative, and bring new life and opportunity to everything around you. THE REGENERATIVE LIFE teaches you to see your roles differently: stripping away all preconceptions of how it should be done, understanding what your role is at its core, and building yourself back up to become something new; something so grounded, inspiring, and resilient, it can change the world.
Third Culture Kids of the World: Exploring Sustainable Travel Mindsets
Priyanka Surio - 2020
Sustainability classes in Bali. Desert camping in Morocco. English instruction in India. They're typical travel experiences for third culture kids and global citizens, members of a diverse travel class that values mindfulness and sustainability over comfort and convenience.
Third Culture Kids of the World: Exploring Sustainable Travel Mindsets
follows do-good globetrotter and third culture kid Priyanka Surio on an intercontinental odyssey to attain global citizenship.Guided by stories from international scholars and activists, travel industry experts and influencers, tour guides and tourists, this book explores and answersWhat truths can I uncover about the world and myself by traveling?How can I give back or leave more positive footprints behind?What is sustainable travel? And how do I do it?How can I share my expanded worldview with those at home?And more... If better travel is essential to building a better world for all cultures, Third Culture Kids of the World is an inspirational and instructional roadmap for our journey.
Boro & Sashiko, Harmonious Imperfection: Practicing the Art of Traditional Japanese Mending & Stitching
Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby - 2020
"Shibaguyz" Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby invite you to try your hand at boro, the traditional Japanese art of mending and quilting, and more than 30 authentic sashiko designs. Stitching lessons are true to tradition, inspired by historical works by Japanese masters. This guide in sashiko and boro includes patterns, stitch how-tos, and needle-threading and knotting tips. Put your handwork to good use with 9 contemporary projects like a sashiko sampler wallhanging, reversible knot bag, or a kimono-inspired jacket! With step-by-step instructions, even beginners can embrace the art of visible mending. - Hand sew 30+ authentic sashiko patterns with best-selling authors the Shibaguyz - Resurrect the traditional art of boro (mending textiles) with 9 useful projects like jackets, bags, and home decor - Read stitch charts, mark fabrics, and thread your needle with tips from the pros
World Wide Waste - How digital is killing our planet—And what we can do about it
Gerry McGovern - 2020
Digital is not green. Digital costs the Earth. Every time I download an email I contribute to global warming. Every time I tweet, do a search, check a webpage, I create pollution. Digital is physical. Those data centers are not in the Cloud. They’re on land in massive physical buildings packed full of computers hungry for energy. It seems invisible. It seems cheap and free. It’s not. Digital costs the Earth.
Renewable Energy: A Very Short Introduction
Nick Jelley - 2020
Affordable and adequate sources of power that do not cause climate change or pollution are crucial; and renewables provide the answer. Wind and solar farms can now provide the cheapest electricity in many parts of the world. Moreover, they could provide all of the world's energy needs. But while market forces are fast helping the transition from fossil fuels to renewables, there are opposing pressures, such as the USA's proposed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and the vested interests in fossil fuels.This Very Short Introduction describes the main renewable sources of energy- solar, wind, hydropower, and biomass- as well as the less well-developed ones- geothermal, tidal, and wave. Nick Jelley explains the challenges of integrating renewables into electricity grids, and the need for energy storage and for clean heat; and discusses the opportunities in developing countries for renewable energy to empower millions. He also considers international efforts and policies to support renewables and tackle climate change; and explains recent innovations in wind and solar energy production, battery storage, and in the emerging power-to-gas provision for clean heating. Throughout, he emphasises what renewable energy can deliver, and its importance in tackling climate change, and in improving health, welfare, and access to electricity.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Plastic Free: The Inspiring Story of a Global Environmental Movement and Why It Matters
Rebecca Prince-Ruiz - 2020
Starting with a small group of people in the city of Perth, the Plastic Free July movement has grown into a 250-million strong community across 177 countries, empowering people to reduce single-use plastic consumption and create a cleaner future.This book explores how one of the world's leading environmental campaigns took off and shares lessons from its success. From narrating marine-debris research expeditions to tracking what actually happens to our waste to sharing insights from behavioral research, it speaks to the massive scale of the plastic waste problem and how we can tackle it together. Interweaving interviews from participants, activists, and experts, Plastic Free tells the inspiring story of how ordinary people have created change in their homes, communities, workplaces, schools, businesses, and beyond.It is easy to feel overwhelmed in the face of global environmental problems and wonder what difference our own actions could possibly make. Plastic Free offers hope for the future through the stories of those who have taken on what looked like an insurmountable challenge and succeeded in innovative and practical ways, one step--and one piece of plastic--at a time.
This Book Will (Help) Cool the Climate: 50 Ways to Cut Pollution, Speak Up and Protect Our Planet!
Isabel Thomas - 2020
Become an eco-warrior, not an eco-worrier, with 50 PRACTICAL TIPS to really make a difference!
Our planet is in peril and it needs your help! But the good news is that there are loads of easy ways that you can make a difference. From lift-sharing to switching body sprays, there are so many things you can do to help fight climate change. Complete with myth-busting boxes and counter arguments to put climate-deniers in their place, this is a one-stop guide to transform eco-worried kids into eco-activists. Funny, engaging, practical and timely, it's the ideal book to help readers navigate the world in the greenest possible way, and to really make a difference.Also available: This Book Is Not Rubbish: 50 Ways to Ditch Plastic, Reduce Rubbish and Save the World!
What Do We Know and What Should We Do about Social Mobility?
Lee Elliot Major - 2020
A definitive study. - Martin Wolf, Chief Economics Commentator, The Financial Times In this vital new book, Britain's first Professor of Social Mobility Lee Elliot Major and Stephen Machin, reveal the causes of the UK's low social mobility, explain why it's getting worse, and outline how we reverse this worrying trend, before it's too late. It covers the history of social mobility in the UK, explores international comparisons, analyses the recent 'dark age' of declining absolute mobility, and investigates issues such as how family traits affect inter-generational mobility. The authors then outline what it is we should do about this pressing issue. Calling for a fundamental shift in debates about social mobility and arguing that only by establishing general principles of fairness in society can we agree the major policy reforms that can make Britain a more mobile and just society for all.
Home by Natural Harry: DIY recipes for a tox-free, zero-waste life
Harriet Birrell - 2020
It is a modern reference for anyone who wants to ditch their joyless supermarket habit, reduce plastic waste, and save money and the world. Home by Natural Harry considers every room of the house (stain remover for the laundry, shower cleaner in the bathroom, dish liquid in the kitchen) and presents alternatives to shop-bought cleaning products, as well as a comprehensive chapter on body care (from toothpaste to shampoo to foaming hand wash). Readers will also be treated to a handful of recipes for Harriet's favorite money-saving kitchen staples including oaty seed loaf, coconut yoghurt, and pickled veg. Home by Natural Harry celebrates a slower, more frugal and thoughtful life—the joys of which people the world over are learning to respect and embrace.
Rebuilding Earth: Designing Ecoconscious Habitats for Humans
Teresa Coady - 2020
This explosion in population is predicted to place further stress on our environment, deplete our natural resources, and lead to increases in anxiety and depression due to overcrowding. In this visionary and uplifting book, Teresa Coady offers readers new hope. Rebuilding Earth is her blueprint for designing and building the cities, buildings, and homes of tomorrow, resulting in more conscious, sustainable, and humane living. Coady shows us how we can shift from an outdated Industrial-Age framework to a more humane, Digital-Age framework. This revolutionary approach will enable communities to harness various forms of green energy and reduce the amount of material needed to build infrastructure while contributing to a healthier planet (and society). We can then experience a new sense of purpose, health, and happiness. Meaningful and lasting change, the author tells us, can only come through designing interconnected communities that are vibrant, resilient, and communal. Unlike most predictions of doom and gloom, Coady presents a refreshingly optimistic view of humanity and its future. This book will appeal to those in the construction, design and development finance industries, as well as anyone interested in improving their lives through understanding the connections between the environment and health.
Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living
Kris Bordessa - 2020
In these beautifully illustrated pages, Kris Bordessa offers DIY lovers an indispensable home reference for sustainability in the 21st century, using tried-and-true advice, 50 enticing recipes, and step-by-step directions for creating fun, cost-efficient projects that will bring out your inner pioneer. Filled with 340 color photographs, this relatable, comprehensive book contains time honored-wisdom and modern know-how for getting back to basics in a beautiful, accessible package.
Solved: How the World's Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis
David Miller - 2020
We cannot wait for national governments to agree on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage the average temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees. In Solved, David Miller argues that cities are taking action on climate change because they can - and because they must. Miller makes a clear-eyed and compelling case that, if replicated at pace and scale, the actions of leading global cities point the way to creating a more sustainable planet. Solved: How the World's Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis demonstrates that the initiatives cities have taken to control the climate crisis can make a real difference in reducing global emissions if implemented worldwide. By chronicling the stories of how cities have taken action to meet and exceed emissions targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, Miller empowers readers to fix the climate crisis. As much a "how to" guide for policymakers as a work for concerned citizens, Solved aims to inspire hope through its clear and factual analysis of what can be done - now, today - to mitigate our harmful emissions and pave the way to a 1.5-degree world.
A Wild Love for the World: Joanna Macy and the Work of Our Time
Stephanie Kaza - 2020
In this collection of writings, leading spiritual teachers, deep ecologists, and diverse writers and activists explore the major facets of Macy’s lifework. Combined with eleven pieces from Macy herself, the result is a rich chorus of wisdom and compassion to support the work of our time.“Being fully present to fear, to gratitude, to all that is—this is the practice of mutual belonging. As living members of the living body of Earth, we are grounded in that kind of belonging. Even when faced with cataclysmic changes, nothing can ever separate us from Earth. We are already home.”— Joanna Macy
The Book of Boro: Techniques and Patterns Inspired by Traditional Japanese Textiles
Susan Briscoe - 2020
Learn about the history of boro and how it is being revived for a new audience using contemporary fabrics including denim, linen and shibori tie dye as well as sashiko and other embroidery stitches.The word boro comes from the Japanese boroboro meaning something tattered or repaired. It refers to textiles that have been mended or patched together for utilitarian, not decorative, purposes to make the fabric stronger and warmer, and to mend torn and threadbare areas.The techniques section includes a short stitch directory with traditional stitches (running stitch and applique) and contemporary stitches (herringbone stitch, blanket stitch, chain stitch and whipped running stitch). Other techniques include instructions on improvisational patchwork; applique: raw, turned edge and reverse; darning techniques and methods for distressing and ageing fabrics to achieve an authentic boro finish. We also look at how boro is being revived for a new audience using contemporary fabrics including denim, linen and shibori tie dye as well as sashiko and embroidery threads. The techniques section includes a short stitch directory with traditional stitches (running stitch and applique) and contemporary stitches (herringbone stitch, blanket stitch, chain stitch and whipped running stitch). Other techniques include: Instructions on improvisational patchwork Applique: raw and turned edges and reverse Darning Methods for distressing and ageing your finished boro
The Case for Climate Capitalism: Economic Solutions for a Planet in Crisis
Tom Rand - 2020
On one hand, we cannot possibly transition off fossil fuels without the financial might and entrepreneurial talent market forces alone can unlock. On the other, without radical changes to the way markets operate, capitalism will take us right off the climate cliff.Rejecting the old Left/Right ideologies, Rand develops a more pragmatic view capable of delivering practical solutions to this critical problem. A renewed capitalism harnessed to the task is the only way we might replace fossil fuels fast enough to mitigate severe climate risk. If we leave our dogma at the door, Rand argues, we might just build an economy that survives the century.
SUMMARY of The Deficit Myth By Stephanie Kelton: Modern Monetary Theory and the Birth of the People's Economy
BlinkRead - 2020
Brands on a Mission: How to Achieve Social Impact and Business Growth Through Purpose
Myriam Sidibe - 2020
Readers will learn from the real experts in the field: how Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, built purpose into the DNA of his company; what keeps Alan Jope (new CEO, Unilever) and Emmanuel Faber (CEO, Danone) awake at night; and how brand developers from Durex, Dove, Discovery and LIXIL have made choices and the reasons behind them. In this book you will learn how a soap brand Lifebuoy taught one billion people about hygiene, how a beer is tackling gender-based violence, and how a toothpaste is tackling school absenteeism amongst many others. Renowned experts like Peter Piot (Director, London School of Health and Tropical Medicine), Michael Porter (Professor, Harvard School of Business), Jane Nelson (Director, Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School) and Susie Orbach (leading feminist and formerly professor, London School of Economics) also share examples, data and their everyday experiences of helping corporates create a culture of purpose. And leading NGOs and UN experts like Lawrence Haddad (Executive Director, GAIN) and Natalia Kanem (Executive Director of UNFPA) will recount how the public and private sector have worked together to create an accelerated path to reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.The book provides a clear pathway of how to take brands through the journey of developing impactful social missions and driving business growth, and is an essential guide for both managers and students alike.
Why French Women Wear Vintage: And Other Secrets of Sustainable Style
Alois Guinut - 2020
As Paris-based style-coach Aloïs Guinut explores in this invaulable book, French women have a lot to teach us about how to cherish the planet without sacrificing your style:- Know what works for you.- Buy less and buy better.- Mix vintage items with a few wisely chosen modern pieces.- Look after what you have and make it last.- Seek out quality fabrics that don't poison the environment.
Anthropocene Psychology: Being Human in a More-than-Human World (Concepts for Critical Psychology)
Matthew Adams - 2020
Through a series of strange encounters between human and nonhuman worlds, Adams argues for the importance of cultivating attentiveness to the specific and situated ways in which the fates of multiple species are bound together in the Anthropocene. Throughout the book this argument is put into practice, incorporating everything from Pavlov’s dogs, broiler chickens, urban trees, grazing sheep and beached whales, to argue that the Anthropocene can be good to think with, conducive to a seeing ourselves and our place in the world with a renewed sense of connection, responsibility and love.Building on developments in feminist and social theory, anthropology, ecopsychology, environmental psychology, (post)humanities, psychoanalysis and phenomenology, this is fascinating reading for academics and students in the field of critical psychology, environmental psychology, and human–animal studies.
The New Systems Reader: Alternatives to a Failed Economy
James Gustave Speth - 2020
But what does this mean? And what would it entail? The New Systems Reader highlights some of the most thoughtful, substantive, and promising answers to these questions, drawing on the work and ideas of some of the world's key thinkers and activists on systemic change. Amid the failure of traditional politics and policies to address our fundamental challenges, an increasing number of thoughtful proposals and real-world models suggest new possibilities, this book convenes an essential conversation about the future we want.
Biomimicry and Business: How Companies Are Using Nature's Strategies to Succeed
Margo Farnsworth - 2020
Other books have described biomimicry, its uses, and its benefits. This book is the first to show readers how they can successfully bring biomimicry and bioinspired design into their companies based on what other businesses have already achieved.Fashioned through storytelling, this book blends snapshots of five successful companies - Nike, Interface, Inc., PAX Scientific, Sharklet Technologies, and Encycle - which decided to partner with nature by deploying biomimicry. The book details how they discovered the practices, introduced them to staff, engaged in the process, and measured outcomes. The book concludes with challenges for readers to determine their own next steps in business and offers practical and useful resources to get there.By revealing the stories of each professional's journey with lessons they learned, then providing resources and issuing a challenge and pathway to do business better, this book serves as a tool for entrepreneurs, seasoned professionals, and students to emulate nature's brilliance, apply it at work, and contribute to a healthier, more prosperous world.
Indigenous Environmental Justice
Karen Jarratt-Snider - 2020
With connections to traditional homelands being at the heart of Native identity, environmental justice is of heightened importance to Indigenous communities. Not only do irresponsible and exploitative environmental policies harm the physical and financial health of Indigenous communities, they also cause spiritual harm by destroying land held in a place of exceptional reverence for Indigenous peoples. With focused essays on important topics such as the uranium mining on Navajo and Hopi lands, the Dakota Access Pipeline dispute on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, environmental cleanup efforts in Alaska, and many other pertinent examples, this volume offers a timely view of the environmental devastation that occurs in Indian Country. It also serves to emphasize the importance of self-determination and sovereignty in victories of Indigenous environmental justice. The book explores the ongoing effects of colonization and emphasizes Native American tribes as governments rather than ethnic minorities. Combining elements of legal issues, human rights issues, and sovereignty issues, Indigenous Environmental Justice creates a clear example of community resilience in the face of corporate greed and state indifference.
Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure
Katie Treggiden - 2020
As natural resources dwindle, designers are exploring the potential of increasingly plentiful waste streams to become the raw materials of the future. A new book celebrates 30 optimistic and enterprizing designers, makers and manufacturers who use waste as their primary resource, offering a rare glimpse into the world they inhabit. Accompanying these profiles, six in-depth and thematic essays explore the societal, cultural and environmental implications of their work. Contents: Introduction; Fashion Waste; Food Waste; Industrial Waste; Plastic Waste; Domestic Waste; Bibliography.
Organic Book of Compost: Easy and Natural Techniques to Feed Your Garden
Pauline Pears - 2020
Ecocide: Kill the Corporation Before It Kills Us
David Whyte - 2020
The existential threat of climate change is now a reality. The world has never been more vulnerable. Yet corporations are already planning a life beyond this point. The business models of fossil fuel giants factor in continued profitability in a scenario of a five-degree increase in global temperature. An increase that will kill millions, if not billions. This is the shocking reality laid bare in a new, hard-hitting book by David Whyte. Ecocide makes clear the problem won't be solved by tinkering around the edges, instead it maps out a plan to end the corporation's death-watch over us. This book will reveal how the corporation has risen to this position of near impunity, but also what we need to do to fix it.
Pluriversal Politics: The Real and the Possible
Arturo Escobar - 2020
Reflecting on the experience, philosophy, and practice of indigenous and Afro-descendant activist-intellectuals and on current Latin American theoretical-political debates, Escobar chronicles the social movements mobilizing to defend their territories from large-scale extractive operations in the region. He shows how these movements engage in an ontological politics aimed at bringing about the pluriverse—a world consisting of many worlds, each with its own ontological and epistemic grounding. Such a politics, Escobar contends, is key to crafting myriad world-making stories telling of different possible futures that could bring about the profound social transformations that are needed to address planetary crises. Both a call to action and a theoretical provocation, Pluriversal Politics finds Escobar at his critically incisive best.
Making Climate Policy Work
Danny Cullenward - 2020
Many now hope that growing public concern will lead to greater policy ambition, but the most widely promoted strategy to address the climate crisis - the use of market-based programs - hasn't been working and isn't ready to scale.Danny Cullenward and David Victor show how the politics of creating and maintaining market-based policies render them ineffective nearly everywhere they have been applied. Reforms can help around the margins, but markets' problems are structural and won't disappear with increasing demand for climate solutions. Facing that reality requires relying more heavily on smart regulation and industrial policy - government-led strategies - to catalyze the transformation that markets promise, but rarely deliver.
Power After Carbon: Building a Clean, Resilient Grid
Peter Fox-Penner - 2020
The electricity industry has responded with necessary but wrenching shifts toward renewables, even as it faces unprecedented challenges and disruption brought on by new technologies, new competitors, and policy changes. The result is a collision course between a grid that must provide abundant, secure, flexible, and affordable power, and an industry facing enormous demands for power and rapid, systemic change.The fashionable solution is to think small: smart buildings, small-scale renewables, and locally distributed green energy. But Peter Fox-Penner makes clear that these will not be enough to meet our increasing needs for electricity. He points instead to the indispensability of large power systems, battery storage, and scalable carbon-free power technologies, along with the grids and markets that will integrate them. The electric power industry and its regulators will have to provide all of these, even as they grapple with changing business models for local electric utilities, political instability, and technological change. Power after Carbon makes sense of all the moving parts, providing actionable recommendations for anyone involved with or relying on the electric power system.
Fresh Kills: A History of Consuming and Discarding in New York City
Martin V. Melosi - 2020
From 1948 to 2001, it was the main receptacle for New York City's refuse. After the 9/11 attacks, it reopened briefly to receive human remains and rubble from the destroyed Twin Towers, turning a notorious disposal site into a cemetery. Today, a mammoth reclamation project is transforming the landfill site, constructing an expansive park three times the size of Central Park.Martin V. Melosi provides a comprehensive chronicle of Fresh Kills that offers new insights into the growth and development of New York City and the relationship among consumption, waste, and disposal. He traces the metamorphoses of the landscape, following it from salt marsh to landfill to cemetery and looks ahead to the future park. By centering the problem of solid-waste disposal, Melosi highlights the unwanted consequences of mass consumption. He presents the Fresh Kills space as an embodiment of massive waste, linking consumption to the continuing presence of its discards. Melosi also uses the landfill as a lens for understanding Staten Island's history and its relationship with greater New York City. The first book on the history of the iconic landfill, Fresh Kills unites environmental, political, and cultural history to offer a reflection on material culture, consumer practices, and perceptions of value and worthlessness.
Climate Action Challenge: A Proven Plan for Launching Your Eco-Initiative in 90 Days
Joan Gregerson - 2020
Infowhelm: Environmental Art and Literature in an Age of Data
Heather Houser - 2020
Infowhelm analyzes how artists transform the techniques of the sciences into aesthetic material, repurposing data on everything from butterfly migration to oil spills and experimenting with data collection, classification, and remote sensing. Houser traces how artists ranging from novelist Barbara Kingsolver to digital memorialist Maya Lin rework knowledge traditions native to the sciences, entangling data with embodiment, quantification with speculation, precision with ambiguity, and observation with feeling. Their works provide new ways of understanding environmental change while also questioning traditional distinctions between types of knowledge. Bridging the environmental humanities, digital media studies, and science and technology studies, this timely book reveals the importance of artistic medium and form to understanding environmental issues and challenges our assumptions about how people arrive at and respond to environmental knowledge.