Lovelock's, the vanishing face of Gaia

For anyone interested in the people who contributed in various ways to the development of the field, 2008’s Fixing Climate authors Robert Kunzig and Professor Wallace Broecker tell a comprehensive, entertaining and broadly informative story of the history of climate science. (They also offer a technologically demanding and probably unrealistic ‘fix’ for carbon dioxide pollution: capture, convert and bury it.)

Last year’s The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability by American professor James Gustave Speth is a critique of capitalism’s glorification of excessive economic growth and its role in creating an unregulated and destructive corporate agenda which, he argues, has given rise to today’s global ecological problems. Speth’s ‘bridge’ to a sustainable future involves reining in the system while moving away from consumer values.

Considered the ‘father’ of the environmental movement by many and a nutcase by others for his development of Gaia theory, scientist James Lovelock earlier in the year released his latest and, he claims (at age ninety), his last, book. Vanishing Face of Gaia reveals his current view of the climate crisis: the planet will survive but humanity’s fate is uncertain. For those interested in learning more about Lovelock, John and Mary Gribbin have written an ‘official’ biography: He Knew He Was Right: The Irrepressible Life of James Lovelock and Gaia, also published this year.

The Worldwatch Institute’s release State of the World 2009: Into a Warming World (from the State of the World series) discusses global warming and some of the options on the table at the moment to tackle the issue – for example, a section is devoted to agriculture/land use as a way to reduce warming – can be downloaded from their website.

Considered by some to be a fringe publication, Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown (now in its 3rd edition, the 4th edition is due out later this year) suggests, as hinted in the title, a radical and sobering solution to the effects of global warming that may not be feasible yet will get you thinking. Download the book for free at Brown’s Earth Policy website.

Finally, energy economist Steven Stoft’s recent book Carbonomics: How to Fix the Climate and Charge It to OPEC gives a fairly even discussion of the proposed energy/climate policies that are under current U.S. governmental consideration or that will soon be law. Stoft looks to the past to find a future solution to oil dependency, rather than resigning himself, and the world, to it.

Author Ken Hickson

To the rescue comes Ken Hickson, journalist, consultant, author, and governor of WWF Australia, and creator of the weekly ABC Carbon Newsletter. His latest book endeavours to bring all the critical information on climate change together in one place in order to put everyone on the same page, so to speak.

Entitled The ABC of Carbon, the author explores carbon’s role in its myriad forms; from diamonds to coal, from trees to books, from Bucky Balls to biofuels and beyond. Hickson’s work also encompasses notable events in climate history, key players, businesses new and old, scientific terms, places of interest and so much more.

With web references for each entry, further research can be done, but most significantly, you can verify the information for yourself rather than relying on second or third-hand knowledge as you would with other publications.

For a taste of what’s inside the virtual covers of this eclectic mix, read on:

A is for Arrhenius Svante, winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, who first coined the term ‘greenhouse effect’ in 1895 for his theory of the effects of carbon dioxide on climate.

G is for Gothenburg, a Swedish city aiming to be carbon free by 2050 by encouraging in part the use of tram-transport; the city’s energy company is also working with Volvo on building the first zero-carbon factory in the world.

N is for Neco, Australia’s premier online eco store, selling only those high quality products that are proven to be superior to existing products currently available.

V is for VegieCars, promoting the carbonfriendly use of waste vegetable oils in cars to reduce carbon output while waiting for the next generation of transport.

A book which covers 26 chapters of alphabetised topics would be hard to classify as anything but an encyclopaedia, yet this compendium is neither dry nor dull: the topics are short, concise, and couched in everyday language. Ken Hickson has created a carbon primer, giving readers the ability to intelligently understand, and therefore engage in, one of the most crucial dialogues of our time.

The ABC of Carbon is available online at the pre-publishing discount price of $25. It will also be available in future from selected bookshops.

Green Travel is divided into 6 sections: North America & Caribbean, Central & South America, Europe, Africa & the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia (including Australia, New Zealand and Fiji).  Each section has about 15 or so destinations (hotels, resorts, or lodges) such as  “Hoopoe Yurt Hotel, Spain” or “Serengeti Under Canvas, Tanzania”.

Along with a discussion of each resort and local activities is an Ecofile.  This is a twist on traditional guidebook information, so as well as rooms and rates, the Ecofile includes the carbon emissions from your flight, the cost to offset them, plus a ‘5-leaf’ (instead of 5-star) rating system of Environmental and Social Responsibility for each locale.

What makes the destinations so interesting is the human-interest angle.  The Chalalan Ecolodge in Bolivia, for example, is the result of the Tacana people’s efforts to stop illegal logging in their forests using the power of ecotourism.  They built the lodge as a way to protect the forests, and their traditional lifestyle, from destruction.   Run entirely by Tacanas from the nearby village, the Chalalan Ecolodge is solar-powered, while all waste is composted or recycled.

Also included in each section are special features of green interest.  You’ll find chapters on cycling routes in Scotland, sea-kayaking in Baja, the Gnaoua World Music Festival in Morocco, and ‘Voluntourism’ and wildlife conservation in Botswana, among others.  Ethical travel dilemmas – articles on issues such as whether to hire a car or give to beggars – are also discussed.  With plenty of glossy colour photographs, and so many fascinating destinations, it will be hard to choose just one of these guilt-free holidays.

Green Travel is due out April 29, so be ready to go green this winter!

Relocating from the barren Arizona desert, the Kingsolver/Hopp family (author Barbara, daughters Camille and Lily, and partner Steven) begins a new life in the greener pastures of farm country Appalachia. Their yearlong goal: to have a profound relationship with the food that sustains them by eating only that which the family grows or which their friends and neighbours provide.

During this year, the family of four is gradually altered from naive consumers to savvy, aware partners in food. Taking the journey with them, the reader will find inspiration to make their own cheese, bake their own bread, buy local produce — perhaps even plant something of their own in the back yard.

From the first days of laying down the ground rules (no imported fruit, even in winter), to the final, miraculous birth of turkey eggs, Kingsolver has created an amusing, well-written documentary of a family’s educational and transformative journey. Not light-hearted, the author tackles serious subjects such as genetically modified produce, the case for home dairies, the struggles of small-scale farmers, government restrictions and global warming. Yet these vital threads are woven neatly into the story without being overwhelming to the reader.

The book, like their endeavour, is a family affair. Teenage daughter Camille presents the reader with another perspective through her anecdotal sidebars (“Eating my sister’s chickens”) and offers tasty recipes (“Pumpkin soup in its own shell”). Meanwhile Steven, an environmental studies teacher, dishes out short pieces on pesticides, politics, mad cow disease, urban gardens, and much more.

At the end of the book are references, resources and pertinent organisations which, while mostly U.S.-based, have websites so overseas readers will find plenty of useful information. Visit the family’s website (here), for local food resources, reader stories, and more recipes.