Tag Archives: Ecology

Nuclear energy : what everyone needs to know / Charles D. Ferguson

Call number: TK9145 .F47 2011

Originally perceived as a cheap and plentiful source of power, the commercial use of nuclear energy has been controversial for decades. Worries about the dangers that nuclear plants and their radioactive waste posed to nearby communities grew over time, and plant construction in the United States virtually died after the early 1980s. The 1986 disaster at Chernobyl only reinforced nuclear power’s negative image. Yet in the decade prior to the Japanese nuclear crisis of 2011, sentiment about nuclear power underwent a marked change. The alarming acceleration of global warming due to the burning of fossil fuels and concern about dependence on foreign fuel has led policymakers, climate scientists, and energy experts to look once again at nuclear power as a source of energy. In this overview, the author provides an account of the key facts about nuclear energy. What is the origin of nuclear energy? What countries use commercial nuclear power, and how much electricity do they obtain from it? How can future nuclear power plants be made safer? What can countries do to protect their nuclear facilities from military attacks? How hazardous is radioactive waste? Is nuclear energy a renewable energy source? Featuring a discussion of the recent nuclear crisis in Japan and its ramifications, he addresses these questions and more.

The end of country : dispatches from the frack zone / Seamus McGraw

Call number: HD9502 .U53 P4533 2012

“Susquehanna County, in the remote northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, is a community of stoic, low-income dairy farmers and homesteaders seeking haven from suburban sprawl–and the site of the Marcellus Shale, a natural gas deposit worth more than one trillion dollars. In The End of Country, journalist and area native Seamus McGraw opens a window on the battle for control of this land, revealing a conflict that pits petrodollar billionaires and the forces of corporate America against a band of locals determined to extract their fair share of the windfall–but not at the cost of their values or their way of life. Rich with a sense of place and populated by unforgettable personalities, McGraw tells a tale of greed, hubris, and envy, but also of hope, family, and the land that binds them all together.”–Publisher description.

American grown : the story of the White House kitchen garden and gardens across America / Michelle Obama

Call Number: SB466 .U7 W4835 2012

Through telling the story of the White House Kitchen Garden, First Lady Michelle Obama explores how increased access to healthful, affordable food can promote better eating habits and improve health for families and communities across America. Mrs. Obama will describe how Sasha and Malia were the catalysts for change for their family’s eating behavior which inspired her national initiative to address childhood obesity and resulted in the idea to plant a vegetable garden on the South Lawn, the first since Eleanor Roosevelt’s Victory Garden. American Grown will be inspirational and instructive and will provide ideas for readers to get involved and join the movement to create community gardens, support local farmers markets, create school gardens, and start urban gardens, as well as other ways that they can make small changes to achieve big results and create healthy eating habits. Since entering the White House, Mrs. Obama has emerged as a passionate advocate for healthful eating and exercise. In February 2010 she launched Let’s Move!, a nationwide initiative to address the epidemic of childhood obesity by empowering parents and caregivers with information, improving food quality in schools, increasing access to healthy, affordable food, and encouraging increased physical activity. American Grown will speak to these issues which Mrs. Obama has strongly advocated for, in particular, making better food choices. It will also include practical ideas, recipes, and resources as well as tips on how to begin a garden of any size, anywhere and how to support local farmers’ markets. Filled with gorgeous full-color photography, American Grown will include stunning photos of the White House garden and Mrs. Obama throughout the seasons, as well as other community and school gardens from around the country.

(From Google Books)

Plastic-free : how I kicked the plastic habit and you can too / Beth Terry

Call Number: TD196 .P85 T47 2012

Like many people, Beth Terry didn’t think an individual could have much impact on the environment. But while laid up after surgery, she read an article about the staggering amount of plastic polluting the oceans and decided then and there to kick her plastic habit. Now she wants to teach you how you can too. In her quirky and humorous style—well known to the readers of her popular blog, My Plastic-Free Life—Terry provides personal anecdotes, stats about the environmental and health problems related to plastic, and personal solutions and tips on how to limit your plastic footprint.

Terry includes handy lists and charts for easy reference, ways to get involved in larger community actions, and profiles of individuals—Plastic-Free Heroes—who have gone beyond personal solutions to create a change on a larger scale. Plastic-Free also includes chapters on letting go of eco-guilt, strategies for coping with overwhelming problems, and ways to relate to other people who aren’t as far along on the plastic-free path. Both a practical guide and the story of a personal journey from helplessness to empowerment, Plastic-Freeis a must-read for anyone concerned about the ongoing health and happiness of themselves, their children, and the planet.

(From Google Books)

It’s a jungle out there! : 52 nature adventures for city kids / Jennifer Ward

Call number: GV191.63 .W36 2011

Just because you live in the city doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy nature. This compact guide offers 52 nature-focused explorations, adventures, observations, and games that can help you and your child connect to nature while living in the city. While it may be hard to see nature through the traffic, buildings, and busyness of the city, there is still much of the natural world to explore when you turn your gaze to the cracks in the sidewalk, the trees on the street, or the green spaces that your city offers. Become an urban birder, make your own man vs. wild observations, and discover the not-so-hidden pockets of nature in your neighborhood. For children ages 4 to 8.(From Amazon)

6. Get Great Gardening Tips

Container Gardening : 250 Design Ideas & Step-by-Step Techniques is for people who don’t have space or time for traditional gardening and who need expert advice on choosing and using plants and containers to create their own garden, large or small. At long last, this is a smart and sensible gardening guide from the most trusted name in gardening. Compiled from the pages of Fine Gardening magazine, Container Gardening will inspire readers with dramatic plant combinations as well as provide step-by-step techniques to plant and care for containers under all conditions.

The Rain Garden Planner : Seven Steps to Conserving and Managing Water in the Garden  encourages the homeowner to conserve water by restoring natural processes that filter and return water to groundwater reservoirs. Learn the installation and maintenance of rain gardens. The Rain Garden Planner provides garden plans and plant lists for different conditions and styles, including wildlife habitat, a pretty cottage border, and a formal garden. It also discusses community gardens, ways that individuals can do their part in conservation, and provides many resources for further information. Rain gardens to suit any style or size of property are within the reach of anyone. Create a beautiful and enjoyable home garden while saving water and the natural environment.

Waterlife DVD

Tracking number: 49 EP

The film tells the epic story of the Great Lakes by following the cascade of its water from northern Lake Superior to the Atlantic Ocean, through the lives of some of the 35 million people who rely on the lake for survival. Providing earth with 20% of its surface fresh water and its third largest industrial economy, the Great Lakes are a unique and precious resource under assault by toxins, sewage, invasive species, evaporating water and profound apathy. They are also one of the planet’s great preserves of extraordinary wilderness beauty and a bounty of unique species.