Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2015 - Science & Technology — Earth Science — Environmental Studies

Vince's book is about ordinary people who are dealing imaginatively with local ecological-social systems in a world assaulted by ecosystem cascades, global climate change, and volatile economies.  Rather than bemoaning their fate, the diverse people Vince encounters on her travels are actively adapting their lives to the self-organizing, emergent states that are spontaneously appearing during the "epic-making times" of the Anthropocene.  As Vince asserts, humans are an adaptable species: this seems confirmed by her encounters with the inspirational visions and concrete achievements of so many people.  Her approach is to synthesize the many different ways that people are segueing into the "heart of the planet we made."  Each of the nine chapters focuses on a particular setting: atmosphere, mountains, rivers, farmlands, oceans, deserts, savannas, rocks, and cities.  Vince's experiences are a powerful antidote to the doom and gloom proffered by the news media and many environmental and academic groups.  This book is not about saving Earth; it is about saving humanity.  With its engaging, thought-provoking narratives, this volume will expand, or perhaps fundamentally change, readers' views about the planet's emerging future.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

The author is a physics-trained environmental scientist who describes his evolution from initial skepticism about Al GoresAn Inconvenient Truth to a conviction that climate change is one of the greatest threats to the human race.  The book includes the best available short account of the history of climate science and describes climate change models and controversies in brief but incisive and well-illustrated detail.  The main focus is the baffling fact that, in spite of the 97 percent consensus in peer-reviewed climate science literature, most Americans are unconcerned about climate change, are in denial, or rank global warming low among their priorities.  Nuccitelli contrasts the astounding accuracy of early climate models with inconsistencies and erroneous claims in statements by contrarian scientists, whose views, he argues, are supported more by ideology than by facts.  The consensus gap is explained in part by the way American and British media cover controversial subjects; for example, conservative media such as theWall Street Journal overrepresent climate contrarians.  On the other side, unwittingly counterproductive debunkers of climate denial produce the overkill backfire effect.  Such mistakes by climate campaigners are emphasized inDont Even Think about It (CH, Apr'15, 52-4229).  Nuccitelli's book is particularly valuable for its succinct treatment of key disputes without the heated rhetoric.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through professionals and practitioners.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Earths inhabitants found themselves in a precarious and dangerous placeteetering on the edge of seen and unseen disaster of their own making.  In this well-written, accessible book, paleobiologist Barnosky (Univ. of California, Berkeley) provides an informed perspective of Earths past mass extinctions and the lessons that can be learned from them to understand the present crises.  In an all too familiar story, Barnosky chronicles how anthropogenic environmental change leading to habitat reduction/fragmentation and dramatic declines in natural animal and plant populations from overfishing, overhunting, and agricultural practices is driving the ongoing extinctionon a scale not seen since the demise of the dinosaurs some 65 million years ago.  The author is an optimist who suggests a way through the present crisis: implement reasonable and responsible resource management and sustainable agricultural and energy practices along with habitat restoration and conservation biology.  It can be done.  This is a must read for college students and a well-informed citizenry.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.

Glacial ice is a threatened water resource.  Despite the fact that glaciers, as they freeze and melt, provide a steady supply of water for many living creatures and also serve as flood control, glacial and periglacial areas are given little or no protection from climate warming and industrial and transportation activities.  In this insightful book, Taillant (executive director of the Argentina-based Center for Human Rights and Environment) details the politics and the ecological importance of this ice form, which holds three quarters of the earths fresh water, often in high mountain areas.  He discusses the situation in Argentina, where gold and copper mining in the high elevations was abruptly threatened by Argentina's national glacier protection act (the world's first legislation aimed at protecting this resource), which was unanimously approved by Argentina's Congress in 2008.  This minimum-standards law required presidential approval within ten days to become effective, but mining companies such as Barrick Gold convinced president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner to veto the law.  The environment secretary was ultimately convinced to help draft more mining-friendly legislation, and the glacier protection law was officially passed in 2010.  Taillent tracks both the science and politics of glaciers in this interesting book, keeping readers in suspense and hoping for a happy ending.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

This would be a profoundly depressing book if it were not written so very well.  Journalist/author Kolbert, e.g.,Field Notes from a Catastrophe, CH, Dec'06, 44-2169) describes, often via personal experiences, the devastation humanity has inflicted on the natural world, producing a sixth mass extinction in the long history of life.  She sets the context with some of the best and most accurate accounts, for a popular audience, of the previous catastrophes and then presents several case studies of ecosystem collapse caused by human depredations, accidental or intentional.  The modern stories range from the extinction of the great auk to a heartbreaking account of recent mass mortality among North American bats.  The bright thread that nonetheless shines through the gloomy narrative is the response of some dedicated scientists to these events.  Many have devoted their lives to understanding the complex, varied mechanisms of this biodiversity disaster, contributing solutions to save at least a few endangered species and communities.  The author tells their stories so well that the book reads as an adventure suspense tale.  The science is detailed, accurate, up-to-date, and accessible to any educated readership.  This important book is valuable for all library collections.Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries.