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Fueling Mexico: Energy and Environment, 1850–1950 (Studies in Environment and History)
By Germán Vergara. 2021
Around the 1830s, parts of Mexico began industrializing using water and wood. By the 1880s, this model faced a growing…
energy and ecological bottleneck. By the 1950s, fossil fuels powered most of Mexico's economy and society. Looking to the north and across the Atlantic, late nineteenth-century officials and elites concluded that fossil fuels would solve Mexico's energy problem and Mexican industry began introducing coal. But limited domestic deposits and high costs meant that coal never became king in Mexico. Oil instead became the favored fuel for manufacture, transport, and electricity generation. This shift, however, created a paradox of perennial scarcity amidst energy abundance: every new influx of fossil energy led to increased demand. Germán Vergara shows how the decision to power the country's economy with fossil fuels locked Mexico in a cycle of endless, fossil-fueled growth - with serious environmental and social consequences.Integrated Research on Disaster Risks: Contributions from the IRDR Young Scientists Programme (Disaster Risk Reduction)
By Rajib Shaw, Riyanti Djalante, Mizan B. F. Bisri. 2021
This book is a collection of works written by young scientists involved in the Integrated Disaster Risk Research (IRDR). Integrated…
Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) is a decade-long research programme co-sponsored by the International Science Council (merged by International Council for Science (ICSU), the International Social Science Council (ISSC), and the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). It is a global, multi-disciplinary approach to dealing with the challenges brought by natural disasters, mitigating their impacts, and improving related policy-making mechanisms. The book examines multidisciplinary research and actions related to disaster risk reduction internationally. The Integrated Research on Disaster Risk (IRDR) Young Scientists programme is: • A sub-programme within IRDR which promotes capacity building of young professionals and encourages them to undertake innovative and need-based research which makes science–policy and science–practice linkages stronger. • IRDR Young Scientists Programme was started in late 2016. Currently, it is a community of 115 young researchers from over 40 countries after 3 batches of application. • IRDR network and partners provide academic advice and training courses, workshops, and programmes for IRDR young scientists. • IRDR young scientists contribute to innovative research in the field of disaster risk reduction and participate in conferences and/or social media as the ambassador of IRDR. The book is of interest to researchers and scholars in the field of governance of sustainability and environmental governance. Postgraduate students will benefit this book within courses on environmental governance, on climate change governance, and on transformation and social change processes. Societal actors in climate change adaptation and other environmental governance fields on local, national, and international levels can benefit from the focus on societally relevant findings in the past 10 years of research on adaptiveness.A Climate in Chaos: and how you can help
By Neal Layton. 2020
You've probably heard about climate change. At least I hope you have - because it's REALLY IMPORTANT. It affects all…
of us living on Planet Earth right now, and everyone and everything that will live on our planet in the future.Our world is warming up, and it's a big problem. Award-winning author-illustrator Neal Layton is here to explain what climate change is, what's causing it and why it's dangerous for animals and humans alike. But he's also FULL of ideas for how you can help! From eating lots more veggies to walking and cycling and thinking carefully about what we need to buy, A Climate in Chaos will get young readers excited about how they can make a difference to keep Planet Earth happy.This brilliant non-fiction picture book, illustrated in Neal's trademark collage style, is perfect for readers aged 5-7 who love nature and want to help the environment.Also available in this series: A Planet Full of Plastic.The Bird Way: A New Look at How Birds Talk, Work, Play, Parent, and Think
By Jennifer Ackerman. 2020
'A celebration of the dizzying variety of bird life and behaviour, one that will enthral birders and non-birders alike' The…
ObserverFrom the New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds, a radical investigation into the bird way of being, and the recent scientific research that is dramatically shifting our understanding of birds. 'There is the mammal way and there is the bird way.' This is one scientist's pithy distinction between mammal brains and bird brains: two ways to make a highly intelligent mind. But lately, scientists have taken a new look at bird behaviours they've previously dismissed as anomalies. What they're finding is upending the traditional view of how birds live, how they communicate, forage, court, survive. They're also revealing the remarkable intelligence underlying these activities, abilities we once considered uniquely our own - deception, manipulation, kidnapping, infanticide, but also, ingenious communication between species, collaboration, altruism and play. Some of these behaviours are biological conundrums that seem to push the edges of - well - birdness: A mother bird that kills her own infant sons, and another that selflessly tends to the young of other birds. Young birds that devote themselves to feeding their siblings and others so competitive they'll stab their nestmates to death. Birds that give gifts and birds that steal, birds that dance or drum, that paint their creations or paint themselves, and birds that summon playmates with a special call - and may hold the secret to our own penchant for playfulness and the evolution of laughter. Drawing on personal observations, the latest science, and her bird-related travel around the world, Ackerman shows there is clearly no single bird way of being. In every respect, in plumage, form, song, flight, lifestyle, niche, and behaviour, birds vary. It's what we love about them.'Biologist and bestselling author Jennifer Ackerman knows what she's talking about . . . Chapter by meatily evidence-based chapter, she lays out the assumptions that underpin our understanding of birds - and then pecks them apart . . . Her knack for catching the personalities of different species in gorgeous, playful prose further collapses comfortable barriers between the human and the birdlike . . . More than it is a book about birds - and it is, indisputably, a book about birds - The Bird Way is about diversity and tolerance. A little bird told me that's just what we need in 2020' Daily Telegraph, ***** (Five Stars)'Jennifer Ackerman is not a field researcher, but with her eye for a great story she converts the scientific findings of others into popular books. The real joy of her book is its close attention to some of the specialists of the region . . . Ackerman is also alive to the humour at play in field research' Mark Cocker, The SpectatorWhisky Island: A Portrait of Islay and its whiskies
By Andrew Jefford. 2004
This is a reissue edition of the previously published title Peat Smoke and Spirit (9780747245780), published in 2005.'This is not…
simply an appreciation of whisky, but a voyage into the history and geography of a tiny Scottish island' Daily Mail Those who discover malt whisky quickly learn that the malts made on the Isle of Islay are some of the wildest and most characterful in the malt-whisky spectrum. In Whisky Island, Islay's fascinating story is uncovered: from its history and stories of the many shipwrecks which litter its shores, to the beautiful wildlife, landscape and topography of the island revealed through intimate descriptions of the austerely beautiful and remote countryside. Interleaved through these different narrative strands comes the story of the whiskies themselves, traced from a distant past of bothies and illegal stills to present-day legality and prosperity. The flavour of each spirit is analysed and the differences between them teased out, as are the stories of the notable men and women who have played such a integral part in their creation.Forest: A See to Learn Book (See to Learn #1)
By Kate Moss Gamblin. 2019
Forest: A See to Learn Book is the first book in a series of non-fiction picture books for very young…
children, using lyrical phrasing to encourage a sensitive perception of the natural world and a caring connection with it.Through gentle questions, the text asks young readers to consider what they see and experience in the forest through the seasons — animal tracks, tiny creatures in the soil, birds soaring in the sky above, towering trees, shade and dappled sunlight — drawing local connections alongside those of a global sensibility.Stunningly beautiful illustrations show a child and grownup exploring the forest, appreciating its beauty, learning its secrets and enjoying moments of wonder, all first steps toward developing a lifelong awareness of our interconnectedness to the Earth and our impact on the environment.Key Text Featuresauthor’s noteCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.Big Lonely Doug: The Story of One of Canada’s Last Great Trees
By Harley Rustad. 2018
In the tradition of John Vaillant’s modern classic The Golden Spruce comes a story of the unlikely survival of one…
of the largest and oldest trees in Canada.On a cool morning in the winter of 2011, a logger named Dennis Cronin was walking through a stand of old-growth forest near Port Renfrew on Vancouver Island. He came across a massive Douglas fir the height of a twenty-storey building. Instead of allowing the tree to be felled, he tied a ribbon around the trunk, bearing the words “Leave Tree.” The forest was cut but the tree was saved. The solitary Douglas fir, soon known as Big Lonely Doug, controversially became the symbol of environmental activists and their fight to protect the region’s dwindling old-growth forests.Originally featured as a long-form article in The Walrus that garnered a National Magazine Award (Silver), Big Lonely Doug weaves the ecology of old-growth forests, the legend of the West Coast’s big trees, the turbulence of the logging industry, the fight for preservation, the contention surrounding ecotourism, First Nations land and resource rights, and the fraught future of these ancient forests around the story of a logger who saved one of Canada's last great trees.What Milly Did: The Remarkable Pioneer of Plastics Recycling
By Elise Moser. 2016
The extraordinary story of the woman who made plastics recycling possible. Milly Zantow wanted to solve the problem of her…
town’s full landfill and ended up creating a global recycling standard — the system of numbers you see inside the little triangle on plastics. This is the inspiring story of how she mobilized her community, creating sweeping change to help the environment. On a trip to Japan in 1978, Milly noticed that people were putting little bundles out on the street each morning. They were recycling — something that hadn’t taken hold in North America. When she returned to Sauk City, Wisconsin, she discovered that her town’s landfill was nearing capacity, and that plastic made up a large part of the garbage. No one was recycling plastics. Milly decided to figure out how. She discovered that there are more than seven kinds of plastic, and they can’t be combined for recycling, so she learned how to use various tests to identify them. Then she found a company willing to use recycled plastic, but the plastic would have to be ground up first. Milly and her friend bought a huge industrial grinder and established E-Z Recycling. They worked with local school children and their community, and they helped other communities start their own recycling programs. But Milly knew that the large-scale recycling of plastics would never work unless people could easily identify the seven types. She came up with the idea of placing an identifying number in the little recycling triangle, which has become the international standard. Milly's story is a glimpse into the early days of the recycling movement and shows how, thanks to her determination, hard work and community-building, huge changes took place, spreading rapidly across North America. Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.An Owl at Sea
By Susan Vande Griek. 2019
The extraordinary, true story of an owl stranded on the deck of an oil rig one hundred miles from shore,…
and the Good Samaritans who shepherded it home.This is the true story of a Short-eared Owl that plummeted onto the deck of an oil rig in the North Sea, one hundred miles from shore. Weak and tired, it huddled on the deck until riggers provided it with a makeshift shelter and fresh meat to eat. When a helicopter arrived to transport some of the workers back home, they took the owl with them, handing it over to the Scottish SPCA. A few weeks later the owl was strong enough to be released into the countryside.Susan Vande Griek’s gentle prose poem describes this unusual encounter with a creature from the wild with curiosity and wonder. Ian Wallace’s stunning watercolors show gorgeous seascapes, the subtle beauty of the owl, and the oil rig and its workers, creating compelling visual contrasts.An author’s note includes information about the Short-eared Owl, a bird found in the Americas, Europe and Asia, whose numbers may be in decline due to loss of habitat.Key Text Featuresauthor’s notefurther readingsourcesCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.5Explain major differences between books that tell stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide reading of a range of text types.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.3Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.The Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow
By Jan Thornhill. 2018
“The content encourages us to reflect upon and evaluate the relationship between human beings and animals. This book leaves us…
with admiration for this feisty bird and hope for our world.” — Friends Journal Behold the most despised bird in human history!So begins Jan Thornhill’s riveting, beautifully illustrated story of the House Sparrow. She traces the history of this perky little bird, one of the most adaptable creatures on Earth, from its beginnings in the Middle East to its spread with the growth of agriculture into India, North Africa and Europe. Everywhere the House Sparrow went, it competed with humans for grain, becoming such a pest that in some places “sparrow catcher” became an actual job and bounties were paid to those who got rid of it.But not everyone hated the House Sparrow, and in 1852, fifty pairs were released in New York City. In no time at all, the bird had spread from coast to coast. Then suddenly, at the turn of the century, as cars took over from horses and there was less grain to be found, its numbers began to decline. As our homes, gardens, cities and farmland have changed, providing fewer nesting and feeding opportunities, the House Sparrow’s numbers have begun to decline again — though in England and Holland this decline appears to be slowing. Perhaps this clever little bird is simply adapting once more.This fascinating book includes the life history of the House Sparrow and descriptions of how the Ancient Egyptians fed it to the animals they later mummified, how it traveled to Great Britain as a stowaway on ships carrying Roman soldiers, and how its cousin, the Eurasian Tree Sparrow, was almost eradicated in China when Mao declared war on it. A wealth of back matter material is also supplied.Key Text Featuresmapglossaryreferencesresourcesfurther informationCorrelates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.3Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.7Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.2Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.Climate Change Revised Edition: A Groundwork Guide (Groundwork Guides)
By Shelley Tanaka. 2012
Revised and updated edition Scientists have been warning the world about global warming for almost three decades. But the rest…
of us are only now starting to get the message. The planet is warming at an unusually rapid rate, and this warming is largely being caused by human activity. Shrinking glaciers, thawing permafrost, erratic weather and threatened freshwater supplies are already affecting the lives of people around the globe, and the worst is yet to come. The crisis is real, but there is little consensus about how to confront the problem, not only because the science is complex, but because the economic, political and social implications of taking action are vast, far-reaching and unsettling. And despite the urgency, climate change deniers seem to be more vocal than ever. This revised and updated edition includes the most recent scientific findings while addressing the main issues. What is happening, and how did we get here? What is the basic science behind climate change? What is going to happen in the future? And, most important, why is it so hard for us to accept what is going on, and what can we do about it? Charts, maps, a glossary, an index and suggestions for further reading accompany the text.Gorillas in the Mist
By Dian Fossey. 1983
Dian Fossey's classic account of four gorilla families - one of the most important books ever written about our connection…
to the natural worldFor thirteen years Dian Fossey lived and worked with Uncle Bert, Flossie, Beethoven, Pantsy and Digit in the remote rain forests of the volcanic Virunga Mountains in Africa, establishing an unprecedented relationship with these shy and affectionate beasts.In her base camp, 10,000 feet above sea-level, she struggled daily with rain, loneliness and the ever-constant threat of poachers who slaughtered her beloved gorillas with horrifying ferocity. African adventure, personal quest and scientific study, GORILLAS IN THE MIST is a unique and intimate glimpse into a vanishing world and a vanishing species.The Brief Life of Flowers
By Fiona Stafford. 2018
The beauty of flowers is well known, inspiring creative minds from Botticelli to Beatrix Potter. But they've also played a…
key part in forming the past, and may shape our future.Roses and thistles have served as symbols of monarchs, dynasties and nations. We wear poppies to remember the First World War, but it was the elderflower that treated its wounded soldiers. A rose might mend a broken heart, and sunflowers may just save our planet. At once enchanting and intriguing, The Brief Life of Flowers reveals how even the most ordinary of flowers have extraordinary stories to tell.Saving Species
By Jess French. 2018
Tigers, orangutans, pangolins, polar bears, fin whales, bees ... there are so many incredible animals that need saving! Join vet,…
conservationist and children's TV presenter Dr Jess French and take a trip around the world to meet 38 of the most extraordinary creatures on the planet. From the endangered animals we all know and love, like tigers, polar bears, orangutans and rhinos, to the less familiar pangolin, kakapo and vaquita, see these amazing creatures up close in their natural habitats. Visit jungles, mountains, rivers and coral reefs and learn about the threats to these species' survival, as well as the remarkable conservation efforts that are being undertaken to save them.Illustrated in a stunning graphic artwork style, this beautiful gift book is sure to inspire future conservationists and animal lovers of all ages.The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature's Great Connectors
By David George Haskell. 2017
The author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Forest Unseen visits with nature’s most magnificent networkers — trees “Here is…
a book to nourish the spirit. The Songs of Trees is a powerful argument against the ways in which humankind has severed the very biological networks that give us our place in the world. Listen as David Haskell takes his stethoscope to the heart of nature - and discover the poetry and music contained within.” -- Peter Wohlleben, author of The Hidden Life of TreesDavid Haskell’s award-winning The Forest Unseen won acclaim for eloquent writing and deep engagement with the natural world. Now, Haskell brings his powers of observation to the biological networks that surround all species, including humans. Haskell repeatedly visits a dozen trees around the world, exploring the trees’ connections with webs of fungi, bacterial communities, cooperative and destructive animals, and other plants. An Amazonian ceibo tree reveals the rich ecological turmoil of the tropical forest, along with threats from expanding oil fields. Thousands of miles away, the roots of a balsam fir in Canada survive in poor soil only with the help of fungal partners. These links are nearly two billion years old: the fir’s roots cling to rocks containing fossils of the first networked cells. By unearthing charcoal left by Ice Age humans and petrified redwoods in the Rocky Mountains, Haskell shows how the Earth’s climate has emerged from exchanges among trees, soil communities, and the atmosphere. Now humans have transformed these networks, powering our societies with wood, tending some forests, but destroying others. Haskell also attends to trees in places where humans seem to have subdued “nature” – a pear tree on a Manhattan sidewalk, an olive tree in Jerusalem, a Japanese bonsai– demonstrating that wildness permeates every location. Every living being is not only sustained by biological connections, but is made from these relationships. Haskell shows that this networked view of life enriches our understanding of biology, human nature, and ethics. When we listen to trees, nature’s great connectors, we learn how to inhabit the relationships that give life its source, substance, and beauty.Flourish
By Willow Crossley. 1956
Inspired by wild and wayward floral styles, Willow Crossley creates natural and original arrangements, from cabbage rose to cow-parsley, the…
book will range from glorious garlands and pretty posies to stunning centrepieces for a banquet or soiree. Flourish demonstrates how easy it is to transform a handful of fresh cuttings into arrangements to decorate your home throughout the year. Arranged by season, Spring covers foxgloves, cowslips and snake head fritillaries, while Summer offers bouquets of roses to rosemary and Autumn includes arrangements of crab apples, chocolate cosmos and clematis flowers. For Winter, Willow draws from ivy, moss and snowberries, whilst also demonstrating how to make an Old Man's Beard- a giant wreath of beautiful white and snow-coloured flowers. This is an original and stylish guide to decorating your home with interesting seasonal blooms and foliage; be it a relaxed lunch table or an elaborate dinner soiree, there is something for every taste and occasion.The Art of Urban Astronomy: A Guide to Stargazing Wherever You Are
By Abigail Beall. 2019
Did you know that stars are seasonal? That Orion is one of the brightest constellations? That a single day on…
Venus is longer than an entire year on Venus? Space has captivated mankind since the beginning of time. Fifty years ago, Neil Armstrong became the first man to step on the moon and since then our knowledge of astronomy has continued to expand. With so many mysteries yet to be solved, science journalist Abigail Beall takes readers on an astonishing journey though the landscape of space. In The Art of Urban Astronomy, you will be guided through the seasons and learn about the brightest stars and constellations, the myths and legends of astronomy and how to identify star clusters and galaxies with just your eyes or a pair of binoculars. For urban dwellers wrapped up in the rush and bustle of the city, it can be calming and truly valuable to take the time simply to stop, look and reconnect with nature. Packed full of seasonal star charts, constellation charts and fascinating facts, this is the perfect guide for those who have looked up at the night sky and don't know where to begin. After reading this book, you'll never look up in the same way again.How Did I Get Here?
By Philip Bunting. 2019
This is the unathorised biography of you. Charting your incredible journey from Big Bang to birth (in about the time…
it takes to eat your breakfast), Philip Bunting's hilarious and one of a kind history of evolution was created to raise more questions than it answers. Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Chris Haughton.An Ode to Darkness
By Sigri Sandberg. 2019
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE THE STARS?'Look at a satellite image of the Earth. Where it was once as dark…
as night, it is now lit up like a Christmas tree. If you zoom in on a city, you'll see floodlights, neon lights, car lights, and streetlamps. If you zoom in even further, to your own bedroom, you might see lamps and TV, tablet, and phone screens.Humans have always struggled with the dark, but isn't it light enough now? What is all this artificial light doing to us and everything else that lives? What is it doing to our sleep patterns and rhythms and bodies?AN ODE TO DARKNESS explores our intimate relationship with the dark: why we are scared of it, why we need it and why the ever-encroaching light is damaging our well-being. Under the dark polar night of northern Norway, journalist Sigri Sandberg meditates on the cultural, historical, psychological and scientific meaning of darkness, all the while testing the limits of her own fear.The Lost Orchard: A French chef rediscovers a great British food heritage
By Raymond Blanc. 2019
'Blanc set about the most thorough apple-tasting and cooking project I have heard of . . . [The Lost Orchard]…
condenses the highlights, his love letters to the forgotten apple breeds.' The Times'I began to dream about an orchard filled with thousands of fruit trees... Today we have an orchard with over 150 ancient varieties of apple. Each one has its heritage in a village or a county that used to thrive on that particular variety. They tell the story not only of what we have lost in Britain but also what we could regain.'Over the past seven years, Raymond Blanc has planted an orchard of 2,500 trees in the grounds of his hotel-restaurant in Oxfordshire. Yielding about 30 tonnes of fruit for his kitchen each year, it is full of ancient and forgotten varieties of British apples and pears, along with walnut trees, quince, medlars, apricots, nectarines, peaches, plums, damsons and cherries. A further 600 heritage fruit trees have been added from Raymond's home region of Franche-Comté in France. The Lost Orchard is a love letter to each of these varieties, complete with beautiful black and white drawings, photographs of Belmond Le Manoir and fascinating information and anecdotes about each fruit, along with recipes and stories.