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Have you always been meaning to get to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring, or Cradle to Cradle by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, but never seem to have the time? If a few friends are having the same trouble, get off your laurels and throw together a green book club
I got this idea from The Nature Conservancy's September newsletter, which features an interview with Nature Conservancy trustee Wendy J. Poulson about the success of her decade-old green book club. As soon as I read the article, I thought: What a brilliant idea!
Book clubs offer a great way for people who are interested in environmental issues to get together and discuss issues and themes that flow through the book of the month--and healthy, informed discussion can help us all become better stewards of the planet.
Every book club has a different way of selecting titles to read, but if you need a little help getting started, here are seven eco-books--from the classics to the recent releases--you'll want to think about reading.
Silent Spring (1962) by Rachel Carson
Topic: The toxic effects of pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture Why you should read it: Silent Spring is often considered the force that opened the environmental movement's floodgates. Published nearly 50 years ago, the book is still relevant today.
Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things (2002) by William McDonough and Michael Braungart
Topic: Changing manufacturing to eliminate waste
Why you should read it: Considered another groundbreaking book, Cradle to Cradle focuses on the need for changing the way we make things so a used product always has a new use that is of equal or greater value. They are often attributed with coining the term upcycling.
Tar Sands: Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent (2008) by Andrew Nikiforuk
Topic: Oil
Why you should read it: Most of the oil that is imported to the United States is from Canada's tar sands, an area where oil is extracted from the soil-to the severe detriment of the land and wildlife.
Walden (1854) by Henry David Thoreau
Topic:
Why you should read it: Chronicling Thoreau's time living in a cabin in seclusion, Walden is the quintessential book about getting lost in the woods and being one with nature. Plus, it was published 165 years ago and tree-huggers are still talking about it.
Hope for Animals and Their World: How Endangered Species Are Being Rescued from the Brink (2009) by Jane Goodall
Topic: Endangered species
Why you should read it: Jane Goodall is the face of the fight to save species on the brink of extinction. If you're at all interested in animals, read at least one of her books.
Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource (1999) by Marq de Villiers
Topic: Water resources
Why you should read it: Water is not a renewable resource, yet it is often taken for granted. De Villiers explores the history of water management, highlighting areas around the world where it is quickly becoming a scarce commodity. The book won Canada's prestigious Governor General's Literary Award for nonfiction.
The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring (2007) by Richard Preston
Topic: Discovering the ecosystem in the treetops
Why you should read it: Preston and two others who became fascinated with the tallest, oldest trees in the world come together in a shared passion to discover the secrets long-hidden in the canopy of California's massive redwoods. It's a story of journey and science that is sure to captivate.
