Environment Books

Stockholm Conference 1972

Eco-Library - The Environment

Reviews for Books on The Environment

Ecobeetle is your green webpage with the Eco-Library, highlighting the best in books on the Environment, Outdoors & Nature.

Conservation Books	Environment Books	Fauna Books
Field Guides	Flora Books	Hiking & Camping Books
Natural History	Outdoor Recreation Books	Travel Guides
Books for Kids	Bird Guides	New Releases

Reef

Written by Scubazoo

Published by DK Publishing

Reefs around the world are extremely vital yet fragile habitats for thousands of species of fish, invertebrates and reptiles. These giant organisms offer protection, food and a home to almost 25% of all marine fish. The brilliant, bright and expansive book, Reef, written by Scubazoo and published by DK Publishing is an excellent journey through the seas amongst these magnificent structures. This incredible volume offers brilliant color underwater photographs, many larger-than-life, that take the reader down into these fragile and beautiful systems. The photographic team Scubazoo is a group of dedicated professionals whose expertise and drive make Reef shine. Reef includes a DVD of spectacular underwater video footage, which is National Geographic/Blue Planet quality; this is a tremendously valuable bonus. Reef, written by Scubazoo and published by DK Publishing is a wonderful addition to any marine enthusiasts or conservationist’s library and draws a brilliant focus on these very important yet extremely threatened ecosystems.

DK Eyewitness Books – Weather

DK Eyewitness Books – Oil

Published By DK Publishing, Inc

DK Publishing continues its excellent Eyewitness Books series which introduce children to adult subjects with 2 new publications; Weather and Oil. Weather is a well organized, interesting and comprehensive look at the world’s weather. Filled with exciting and descriptive color photos it is a gem of a volume that will strike a chord with young scientists, stormchasers and children eager to learn. Oil is another typical Eyewitness treasure, taking the child reader on a unique journey on the history and science behind oil, its many uses, how vital it is in so many different ways and more importantly how we can alternately do without it. These DK volumes include clip-art cds as well as large wall-charts that would be perfect for a classroom or school library. Oil and Weather would make great resources for schools and they continue the excellent standard of preventing science to children in a clear and concise manner. DK Eyewitness Books are simply fantastic.

DK Oceans Atlas

Published By DK Publishing, Inc

With climate changes on the horizon and the subject of global warming and it’s effects making almost daily headlines, young readers are taking an active interest in these subjects and publishers like DK are there to provide comprehensive and fun books covering these themes for kids to easily enjoy. DK Oceans Atlas takes an informative look at every aspect of the planet’s oceans in a light yet thorough manner. Filled with beautiful, exciting color photos and graphics as well as insightful acetate overlays, DK Oceans Atlas is an excellent book. Included in this volume is an interactive CD-ROM for the reader to also explore. DK once again provides an excellent resource for a young audience, filled with great photos, comprehensive and concise. DK Oceans Atlas is recommended for all children to read, explore and enjoy.

DK Experience

Extreme Weather

Published By DK Publishing, Inc

The natural forces of our planet can be extremely powerful and amazing. Hurricanes, monsoons and tornados batter and terrify our coasts, plains and cities with often catastrophic results. Take a journey with the Earth’s violent weather systems with the great new DK experience – Extreme Weather. Extreme Weather published by DK Publishing, Inc is an informative, exciting and bold trip, filled with excellent facts, colorful photos and produced in an easy to follow manner that will capture any child’s attention. The DK experience – Extreme Weather is a superlative resource and a book that scientifically curious children will happily and readily enjoy.

A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship

by The Izaak Walton League of America

Published By The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company

Conservation and protection of the environment has becoming one of the leading issues in society today and the cleanliness and vitality of our water systems is essential to the health of our local ecosystems. In many cases, the rivers, streams and creeks in our neighborhoods have seen generations of abuse and neglect. Through dedication and hard work many individuals and groups are reversing this trend and revitalising these important systems. A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship by The Izaak Walton League of America and published by The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company is an excellent resource that covers the basics of stream enhancement and stewardship. It is a simple easy to follow handbook that explains the science of stream systems, how to assess the systems health and the paths and programs to follow to revitalize your local creeks, rivers and streams. A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship offers many descriptive and accurate diagrams as well as a comprehensive glossary of terms. It is an invaluable one of a kind tool that will make watershed conservation and protection easier for individuals and groups. Rarely does an effort come along that supplies such a vital need and enables so much positive work to be brought forth. A Handbook for Stream Enhancement & Stewardship by The Izaak Walton League of America and published By The McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company is an exceptional reference manual.

Turning to Earth: stories of ecological conversion

By E. Marina Schauffler

Published by University of Virginia Press

'Turning to Earth: stories of ecological conversion' by E. Marina Schauffler (University of Virginia Press) proposes that we must change our inner ecology - the spiritual beliefs and ethical values that guide our actions - before we can restore the health of our outer ecology - the collective web if life and elemental matter. In other words, we need to change our attitude before we will protect our environment. There is little doubt that humans have wrought massive change to the earth and a fundamental change in attitude is required. (E. O. Wilson nicely summarized the dilemma in The Future of Life). But don't look to this book to provide much guidance on how to make pragmatic change. Turning the Earth is more of a plea for change than a map on the best route and it reaches into the depths of human spirit in pursuit of this ideal.

Forests in Peril

by Hazel R. Delcourt

Published by McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company

Forests in Peril by Hazel R. Delcourt offers a rare look into the history of North America’s forests. Through the eyes of a paleobotanist the author describes the changing pattern of tree distribution in the United States over the last 100,000 years. This book reads like both a memoir of the author’s career and a history lesson. The author takes the unique approach of revealing the knowledge of her field by taking us step by step through the process of discovering each piece of information. By describing the process by which the scientific community learned from their discoveries, the reader is able to more fully understand the mechanisms driving the present distribution of plants. By describing the process of collecting samples in the field, analyzing samples in the lab, interpreting data and borrowing from mentors and pioneers in her field the reader is taken on a journey of discovery. By looking into the past, the author foretells the future of plant distribution given the adaptability of various plant species to present rates of human expansion and global climate change. Appealing to any reader interested in paleobotany, natural history and conservation of natural resources, Forests in Peril is a fascinating read.

The Ghost with Trembling Wings: Science, Wishful Thinking, and The Search for Lost Species

by Scott Weidensaul

North Point Press

Every year, thousands of species go extinct. Or at least, scientists think they have gone extinct. A few species seem to hang on unnoticed living in anonymity until someone stumbles on them. Scott Weidensaul in The Ghost with Trembling Wings (North Point Press, NY, 2002) takes the reader on a fascinating voyage into remote and not so remote corners of the planet to seek out the bizarre, the mythical, out-of-place creatures and species reported missing.

The Extinction Club

By Robert Twigger

Published by William Morrow & Co.

The legendary deer known as the Milu, was thought to be extinct until a Basque missionary, Pere David stumbled upon them in the Chinese emperor's private park in the second half of the 19th century. Pere David smuggled a specimen to Europe igniting in the process, a clamour among several European nations to acquire a live animal. Eventually the Boxer rebellion led to the deer's extirpation from China but a herd survived in England on the private estate of the 11th Duke of Bedford. Robert Twigger's tale is a mix of whimsical, sometimes cheeky romps through history, and modern day divergences into the meaning of truth, myths and evolution.

Larding the Lean Earth :

Soil and Society in Nineteenth Century America

by Steven Stoll

Published by Hill and Wang

When we think of the conservation movement in America, our minds are drawn to people such as John James Audubon, John Muir, Henry David Thoreau, and Aldo Leopold. Although these men wrote with passion about conservation, the political movement had deeper roots. In his original and thought provoking book, Steven Stoll proposes that conservation thought emerged as a political force in the 19th century exploitation of the land. Two forces emerged - the improvers of the land who believed that farming practices must be used to sustain the soil, - and the emigrants who kept moving to new untouched wilderness as their land gave out. Today, most of the arable land is cultivated and much of it in North America is maintained by technology. Larding the Lean Earth explores how technology has come to dominate the agricultural landscape. It is a must read for anyone interested in the history of conservation, and anyone close to the land.

Cradle to Cradle : Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Micheal Braungart

Waste. We all create waste indirectly and directly as consumers on the planet Earth. We recycle right? Return our bottles and cans and recycle our newspapers and have the best of intentions to re-use and reduce. Is it enough and is it the right way to go? Most products are designed for one use only and recycling in most cases results in downcycling, producing gradually lower and lower quality products that need to be treated and developed with great cost and energy to eventually end up in a landfill in another form. It is a cradle to grave mentality and it is time for a new way to think. Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Micheal Braungart enlightens us on eco-efficiency and the necessity to become more symbiotic with nature. Their idea is that industries and products should follow the thought that ‘waste equals food’ as it does in the natural world. Ants and cherry trees don’t have landfills, they each have their vital part in the ecosystem using the resources at hand and the energy from the sun. McDonough and Braungart are well respected and honoured environmentalists and their book, Cradle to Cradle is a must read. It is thought provoking and intelligent and will give you insights into some telling aspects of our consumerism which all of us should be aware. This book will also give you hope for there are many people and corporations that are embracing this system of eco-efficiency and if you read Cradle to Cradle it will make you want to rise up and join them. Cradle to Cradle is also eco-efficiently produced with plastic resins and inorganic fillers. It is durable, water-proof and can easily be recycled (It is a proto-type for a technical protein, made to be broken down and reused indefinitely). No trees were harmed in producing this book so read it guilt-free.