EARTH DAY RESOURCESCLIMATE ON THE WEB
Earth Day official site: Earth Day has a rich selection of websites. We chose the “countdown to 2020” option for a representative story. Plot your own course through their wealth of material! Bookmark your favorites, and return often for ideas and activities. Let us know if you have recommendations to include here. 350.org: Co-founded by American environmentalist Bill McKibben and a group of students from Middlebury College in Vermont. Like the Earth Day web complex, this site falls into the category of “too large to describe.” Forge your own path, and let us know if there are spots you particularly enjoy. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC): – The IPCC offers an interesting, ongoing roadmap to climate science; they released The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C in October 2018, Climate Change and Land in August 2019, and The Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate in September 2019. The panel is currently outlining its sixth summary assessment report. Visit their website for an overview of their work since the Paris accords of 2015 and extending, in this phase, through 2022. Please help us build this section by suggesting your favorite sites. A few ideas: CoolEarth site Environmental Defense Fund Moms Clean Air Force BOOKS Arboretum America: A Philosophy of the Forest (2003) by Diana Beresford-Kroeger – The author is both a leading bioscientist and one of the planet’s last keepers of druid lore. The goal of her book is both lofty and down to earth: the salvation of the planet---by planting trees. Few books touch on so many aspects of trees, including ways to use them in garden design. Arboretum Borealis: A Lifeline of the Planet by Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2010) . "Far from being a simple narrative, the book discusses the incredible contribution each tree makes to the planet, where and how to plant them, and the environments where they are most complementary." ---Monika Carless, EcoFarm & Garden Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015)– "As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on “a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise” … Elizabeth Gilbert Climate of Hope by Michael Bloomberg and Carl Pope (2017) – An appeal for local action, with chapters that cover energy, green living, transportation and travel, capitalism and investing, and adapting to the new normals. DrawDown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming, ed. by Paul Hawken (2017) – The 100 most substantive solutions to reverse global warming, based on meticulous research by leading scientists and policymakers around the world. More From Less by Andrew McAfee (2019) – For those who’d like a more optimistic read, Dr. McAfee, Co-director of the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, argues that need to do more of what we’re already doing: streamlining market-based economies around the world through the creative use of technology. America—a large, high-tech country that accounts for about 25% of the global economy—is now generally using less of most resources year after year, polluting the air and water less, emitting fewer greenhouse gases, and replenishing endangered animal populations. And America is not alone. Nature's Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard by Doug Tallemy (to be published February 3, 2020) Tallamy's third book, Nature's Best Hope, makes the best case yet for the importance of re-establishing native plant landscapes everywhere. "Homegrown National Park," as he calls it, "will be the largest cooperative conservation project ever conceived or attempted." Sacred Seed by Global Peace Initiative of Women (GPIW) and Dr. Vandana Shiva (2014) – Tenderly created from original writings of mystics, shamans, monastics, and priests, and featuring vibrant photos, this book bears witness that the Earth is alive, and establishes that only by working together with the earth—with its wonder and mystery—can we help in its healing and regeneration and once again bring meaning back into the world. Seeding a Common Future by Vandana Shiva and Kartikey Shiva (April, 2020) – As two of the world’s most important activists, the authors have exposed the destructive effects of the corporate monopolization of agriculture, fought to defend biodiversity and food democracy, and revealed the links between ecology, gender, and poverty. This book is their powerful manifesto. Seeds on Ice: Svalbard and the Global Seed Vault by Cary Fowler (2016) – The inspiring story of the Global Seed Bank, which contains a precious global treasure. An abandoned mine in the Norwegian permafrost houses the largest and most diverse seed collection ever assembled: more than a half billion seeds comprising the world’s most prized crops, a safeguard against catastrophic starvation. To Speak for the Trees by Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2019) – Canadian botanist, biochemist and visionary Diana Beresford-Kroeger's startling insights into the hidden life of trees have sparked a quiet revolution in how we understand our relationship to forests. In this captivating account of how her life led her to these illuminating and crucial ideas, she shows us how forests can not only heal us but save the planet. SO MANY BOOKS! For another wonderful list, see the titles at Grow Native Mass. There is almost no overlap with the resources listed here. MAGAZINES TIME Magazine, “Special Climate Issue, 2050: HOW EARTH SURVIVED” (Sept 23, 2019) DOCUMENTARY FILMS An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore (2003) – A groundbreaking call to action. As one reviewer said, “good planets are hard to find; don’t blow it.” Available on Amazon prime. Before the Flood (2016); Ice on Fire (2019), by Leonardo DiCaprio Call of the Forest by Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2016) Available on Amazon prime. Deep Sea (2006) by Howard Hall Planet Ocean (2012) by Yann Arthus-Bertrand Seed: The Untold Story (2017) by Taggart Siegal and Jon Betz – With an all-star cast of world seed experts. PODCASTS, BLOGS, NEWSLETTERS Reversing Climate Change: Reading Nutrient Density to Improve the Quality of Our Food NATIVE PLANT NURSERIES AND SEED SOURCES A new and up-to-date list of native plant nurseries and seed sources was released in November, 2019 at the new website of Grow Native Massachusetts. NONPROFITS AND CONSERVATION Bionutrient Food Association Ecological Landscape Alliance Grow Native Massachusetts Native Plant Trust (Garden in the Woods) NOFA (Northeast Organic Farming Association) Mass CARLISLE CLIMATE ACTION Path to Zero Emissions: Creating a Sustainable Carlisle |