Books

            Climate Solutions: A Citizen’s Guide by Peter Barnes.  Chelsea Green Publishing, 2008.  Trade paperback, 93 pages.  ISBN: 978-1-60358-005-2.  Four stars.

             Peter Barnes takes a look at the climate crisis and several specific ways of addressing it.  The introductory materials emphasize the importance of this issue to our continued survival and happiness. 

Earth Day and Arbor Day are coming up.  So I’ve been reading some books about gardening and climate change and related issues, courtesy of Chelsea Green. The following book explains how to grow organic vegetables year-round in unheated or minimally heated greenhouses.

Future Scenarios: How Communities Can Adapt to Peak Oil and Climate Change by David Holmgren.  Chelsea Green, 2009.  Full-color trade paperback, 126 pages.  ISBN: 978-1-60358-089-2.  Three stars.

As the title implies, this book attempts to map out several possible paths the future could take regarding energy use and the complexity of civilization.  First it presents an overview of historic energy use and how that has affected humanity and the Earth.  Then it describes four broad types of energy future: techno-explosion, techno-stability, energy descent, and collapse. 

Biking to Work by Rory McMullan. Chelsea Green, 2008.

Greening Your Office: From Cupboard to Corporation, An A-Z Guide by Jon Clift & Amanda Cuthbert. Chelsea Green, 2008.

Chelsea Green publishes a series of guides, each featuring a different aspect of environmental awareness. These handy little booklets explain how to use energy and resources in cleaner, more efficient ways for a healthier culture and planet.

As a reviewer, I read a lot  of books.  One of my favorite presses is New Society Publishers.  They specialize in books for world improvement.  Their topics include natural building, intentional community, environmental issues, activism, education, globalization, progressive leadership, parenting, and sustainable living.