Sustainable development
Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect
by David Orr
In Earth in Mind, David W. Orr argues that much of what has gone wrong with the world is the result of inadequate and misdirected education. The crisis we face, Orr explains, is one of mind, perception, and values. He describes the problems of education from an ecological perspective, and challenges the "terrible simplifiers" who wish to substitute numbers for values.
The Future of Life
by Edward Osborne Wilson
The eminent Harvard naturalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Edward Wilson marshals all the prodigious powers of his intellect and imagination in this impassioned call to ensure the future of life. Opening with an imagined conversation with Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond, he writes that he has come "to explain to you, and in reality to others and not least to myself, what has happened to the world we both have loved." Based on a love affair with the natural world that spans 70 years, Wilson combines lyrical descriptions with dire warnings and remarkable stories of flora and fauna on the edge of extinction with hard economics. How many species are we really losing? Is environmentalism truly contrary to economic development? And how can we save the planet? Wilson has penned an eloquent plea for the need for a global land ethic and offers the strategies necessary to ensure life on earth based on foresight, moral courage, and the best tools that science and technology can provide. -- Lesley Reed
Life Counts: Cataloging Life on Earth
by Michael Gleich, Dirk Maxeiner, Michael Miersch, and Fabian Nicolay
The internationally acclaimed Life Counts shows why we must preserve the plant’s biodiversity: if we don't, scientists predict, the earth may lose the ability to support its inhabitants within the next fifty years. Through breathtaking color illustrations and lively narration, readers learn that each animal on earth plays a role essential to the life of the planet and, in surprising ways, human economies and health.
Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth
by Mathis Wackernagel and William Rees
The book sets out a simple approach to calculating the environmental load of a particular activity; or the impact of an individual, city or even country, using the concept that the amount of resources used and waste created can be equated to a given area of land—an ‘ecological footprint’. The ideas and arguments are presented in an easy to read and understandable style, making accessible a powerful analytical tool for estimating environmental loads of for instance food, housing, transportation, consumer goods and services.
State of the World 2003
by Worldwatch Institute
In State of the World 2003, the Worldwatch Institute's award-winning research team provides concerned citizens and national leaders with comprehensive analysis of the global environmental problems we face, together with detailed descriptions of practical, innovative solutions, like charting the most environmentally sound path to a hydrogen-fueled economy, or accelerating the rapidly growing conversion of farmers worldwide to organic farming and sustainable agriculture. Written in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.
Sustainable Planet: Solutions for the Twenty-first Century
by Juliet B. Schor and Betsy Taylor
In Sustainable Planet, some of the best known writers on sustainable living—Juliet Schor, Bill McKibben, Mary Pipher, Herman Daly, Vicki Robin, and William McDonough—write about how we might change the way we live. Looking at issues as diverse as consumerism, overwork, lack of spirituality, loss of community, alienation from nature, and unsustainable development, the authors dissect the problems plaguing our society and offer practical advice about how to change the way we live.
Vital Signs 2003: The Trends That Are Shaping Our Future
by Worldwatch Institute
Its cool appraisal of our planet makes all other works of reference look trivial. This is not a book of gloom and doom. This is a book of clear analysis and possible solutions.
Worldchanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century
by Alex Steffen (Author), Al Gore (Foreword), Bruce Sterling (Introduction)
Worldchanging is poised to be the Whole Earth Catalog for this millennium. Written by leading new thinkers who believe that the means for building a better future lie all around us, Worldchanging is packed with the information, resources, reviews, and ideas that give readers the tools they need to make a difference. Brought together by Alex Steffen, co-founder of the popular and award-winning web site Worldchanging.com, this team of top-notch writers includes Cameron Sinclair, founder of Architecture for Humanity, Geekcorps founder Ethan Zuckerman, sustainable food expert Anna Lappé, and many others. Renowned designer Stefan Sagmeister brings his extraordinary talents to Worldchanging, resulting in a book that will challenge readers to personally redefine the conversation about the future.