Courtesy of Random House
I find Fall to be the most introspective of the seasons in the Northeast; and now that we've turned back the clocks in the US and Canada, it's getting dark before 6pm (at least here in NYC) and fall is becoming cooler, what better thing to do than sit down with a good green book. While I make no claim that the following eight books will give you a complete green education, or that each is necessarily the be all end all on its subject, I can guarantee that each of these will have you talking to your friends and family like a true greenie with more confidence.
Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction
Mark Maslin
If you just stare blankly when someone mentions the phrase 'atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration' or think the hockey stick graph somehow refers to the Stanley Cup then pick up yourself a copy of Global Warming: A Very Short Introduction. Part of Oxford University Press' "Very Short Introduction Series" you can pop this one in your coat pocket and brush up on climate change science and possible future global warming scenarios at your leisure. It's a couple of years old now, so some of the data has changed (some of it for the worse I might add), but it's still a good intro on the subject.
The Bridge at the Edge of the World
James Gustave Speth
When someone mentions 'the coming nexus of climate change, energy scarcity and natural resource over-consumption' do your eyes glaze over? If so and you want to make sense of it, you could probably do no better than Yale University's James Gustave Speth's latest book, The Bridge at the Edge of the World. In it Speth breaks down the host of environmental problems that will be rapidly building in intensity, coming together with the potential to fundamentally change the planet. The solution? According to Speth, a complete reevaluation of our modern political and economic institutions so that they put the environment front and center.
Big Coal
Jeff Goodell
Want to be prepared for the next time someone tries to tell you that clean coal technology is just around the corner, that the US has enough coal reserves for the next hundred gazillion years and that we should just use that to become energy independent, then make sure to check out Jeff Goodell's Big Coal. After reading it you'll likely come to the conclusion that any claim that coal is more environmentally friendly today than it was in the past "quickly turns to ash."
Twilight in the Desert
Matthew Simmons
OK, so this one isn't strictly green—at least not in the sense of some of the other books on this list. But what Matthew Simmons' Twilight in the Desert does do is open your eyes to the smoke and mirrors of calculating how much oil remains buried under the sands of Saudi Arabia, the likelihood that Saudi claims that they can continue to expand oil production are spurious, and why greater transparency in oil reserve reporting is crucial if collectively we aren't going to be sideswiped by peak oil.
Beyond Growth
Herman Daly
Don't let the fact that this is probably the most academic of all the books on this list deter you. If you want as a good a lesson in the ecological economics, sustainable development and why most current economic theory is on a collision course with ecological limits, then Herman Daly's 1996 classic Beyond Growth is a great place to start. To me this book, as well as pretty much anything Daly has written, should be required reading for anyone who cares about the future of the planet and human society.
Deep Economy
Bill McKibben
Having lived in Burlington, Vermont, for nearly 10 years, Bill McKibben's Deep Economy occupies a special place in my mind. Reading it I can picture many of the places he describes vividly: The alternative vision of how we could potentially feed ourselves represented by Burlington's Intervale farms, the local currency known as Burlington Bread, the joys of seasonal produce, the direct democracy of town meeting day. Inspirational and instructional, McKibben illustrates the challenges and potential benefits of creating more localized economies, and to crib a phrase from Daly, move beyond growthmania.
The Omnivore's Dilemma
Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan may have a newer book out, but 2006's The Omnivore's Dilemma could well become a classic in green thinking and is a perfect place to start in understanding the distinctions in methodology, philosophy and environmental impact of industrial, organic and foraged food. Again, as with Beyond Growth, probably should be required reading for anyone interested in protecting the environment, or who cares even slightly about what they eat.
Ready, Set Green
Graham Hill & Meaghan O'Neill
What would a green book recommendation list be without a plug for TreeHugger's own Ready, Set, Green? Touching on perennial TreeHugger and Planet Green topics such as greening what you eat, how you clean your home, your energy usage and your travel, there's a lot of practical info packed into its 226 pages. If you want to jump start your green life, or just check out ways to improve the small personal green steps you already take, then you this is your place to start.
This obviously isn't an exhaustive list. So Planet Green readers/viewers help each other out: What book(s) would you recommend to others to help them get a more complete green education?
One Final Thought on Buying New, Used or Borrowing
A note on linking to and purchasing books: I've linked to Amazon.com on most of these books, but don't take that as an endorsement of Amazon over any of the other bookstore chains, or more importantly, over your local bookshop.
Whenever possible I wholeheartedly encourage you to support you local book seller: A dollar spent supporting local business goes much farther in spurring your local economy than does one supporting a national or international business. So, in short, spread the love around when buying books.
And remember, the greenest option is probably not buying a new book at all, but borrowing it from your local library, and or you can't find it there, then buying a used copy.
