Sustainability

The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet by Jeff Goodell - Book Review

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The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet By Jeff Goodell Cover Image
$29.00
ISBN: 9780316497572
Availability: Click Title for IN STORE Location
Published: Little, Brown and Company - July 11th, 2023

The irony didn't escape me. As I sat soaking up the sun after a week of rainy days, Goodell's words really struck me: "All in all, it's no surprise that people are confused about when heat crosses the boundary from something that feels good to something that can kill you". This book in a nutshell. Through personal interviews, stories of devastating human and planetary tragedies, and peppered with scientific analysis, Goodell lays before the reader the myriad ways that rising global temperatures are affecting all life on Earth. Yet it's not necessarily a doomsday tale as the title might lead you to think, but rather a call to all of us to do what we can in the fight for climate justice. ~ Reviewed by Lauren Singer


Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World by John Vaillant - Book Review

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Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World By John Vaillant Cover Image
$32.50
ISBN: 9781524732851
Availability: Click Title for IN STORE Location
Published: Knopf - June 6th, 2023

Largely taking place during the Fort McMurray wildfires, the center of Canada’s multibillion-dollar petroleum industry, we are shown how the desire for money and fossil fuels has out-weighed our need to preserve our planet. A woman seeing the fire continues to carry on with her daily errands; a dry cleaner confirming pickup time for a customer while on the phone with his wife warning her to leave the neighborhood as the fire approaches; the police chief briefing the public but giving no other advisement other than "be cautious"; Vaillant shows how we as a society have grown desensitized and, to a point, indifferent to how our world continues to heat up and burn around us. The science behind the wildfires is fascinating and the overwhelming evidence that human activity is truly to blame for our hotter world is, frankly, horrifying to face. The book is written in an easy-to-read style while still being a narrative story that paints the full picture in your mind. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in learning about our relationship with oil and fire. ~ Reviewed by Arielle Baldwin


Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change by Thane Gustafson - Book Review

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Klimat: Russia in the Age of Climate Change By Thane Gustafson Cover Image
$39.95
ISBN: 9780674247437
Availability: Click Title for IN STORE Location
Published: Harvard University Press - October 27th, 2021

A really enlightening and fascinating read. Gustafson establishes for the reader the current situation, relevant historical considerations, and significant contributors to the future circumstances. All together we receive a knowledgeable and clear picture and are left to consider the broader implications of the thoughts and considerations shared here. ~ Reviewed by Arabella Peterson


Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis by Alice Bell - Book Review

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Our Biggest Experiment: An Epic History of the Climate Crisis By Alice Bell Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9781640094338
Availability: Special Order
Published: Counterpoint - September 21st, 2021

Academic in its tone and intent, this book is a fascinating look at climate change and the logic and reason that got us here. Working at the intersection of history and science, this book is thorough, clear-eyed, and well written. ~ Reviewed by Arabella Peterson


Pastoral Song: A Farmer's Journey by James Rebanks - Book Review

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Pastoral Song: A Farmer's Journey By James Rebanks Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9780063073272
Availability: IN WAREHOUSE - Usually Ships in 3-7 Business Days
Published: Custom House - August 3rd, 2021

I cannot truly verbalize how important I think this book is. Not only is it poetic, and beautiful in it’s setting, but it explains how we got to where we are in our collective climate disaster, specifically through the past few generations of farmers. Not so long ago, our farmers were able to work with the land, and could care deeply about the wildlife they shared it with, common practices enabled them to thrive hand in hand. Then chemicals became commonly applied to the land and so began the vicious cycle of monocrop farming on a grand scale. What this led to, is the death of wildlife, the soil itself and the diversity of food crops, which brought everything to its knees. The genius of Rebank’s book is that it so beautifully describes how quickly we got here, and so, if the collective will is strong enough, how quickly we can return, to not only the idyll, but the way of life, not only for us, but our wildlife, and ultimately our planet. A must read for all! ~ Reviewed by Becky Doherty


Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth by Tony Hiss - Book Review

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Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth By Tony Hiss, E. O. Wilson (Introduction by) Cover Image
By Tony Hiss, E. O. Wilson (Introduction by)
$28.00
Email or call for price.
ISBN: 9780525654810
Published: Knopf - March 30th, 2021

In bits and pieces, and in sweeping acts, movements are afoot to retain, restore, and reconnect the immense wilderness of our planet. Hiss makes the stakes clear, and through his world-wide travels, finds cause for optimism that Mother Earth may be saved. ~ Reviewed by Mike Hare


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