Social Ecology

Why spend countless hours indoors in front of screens when being in nature feels so good? In learning why and how to nurture our emotional connection with nature, we can also regenerate the ecosystems on which we depend for our survival. Renewal explores the science behind why being in nature makes us feel alive and helps us thrive.

A leading ecologist argues that if humankind is to survive on a fragile planet, we must understand and obey its iron laws. Over the past century, our species has made unprecedented technological innovations with which we have sought to control nature. From river levees to enormous one-crop fields, we continue to try to reshape nature for our purposes - so much so it seems we may be in danger of destroying it.

"Our Choice gathers in one place all of the most effective solutions that are available now and that, together, will solve this crisis. It is meant to depoliticize the issue as much as possible and inspire readers to take action - not only on an individual basis but as participants in the political processes by which every country, and the world as a whole, makes the choice that now confronts us." (Al Gore, from the Introduction)

The Blue Communities Project is dedicated to three primary things: that access to clean, drinkable water is a basic human right; that municipal and community water will be held in public hands; and that single-use plastic water bottles will not be available in public spaces. The movement has been growing around the world for a decade. In Whose Water Is It, Anyway?, renowned water justice activist Maude Barlow recounts her own education in water issues as she and her fellow grassroots water warriors woke up to the immense pressures facing water in a warming world.

Natur- und Artenschutz sind in aller Munde, aber ein Aspekt, der unsere Natur massiv bedroht, wird dabei meist außer Acht gelassen: Die Lichtverschmutzung – das künstliche Licht, das unsere Städte und Dörfer erhellt. Alle Rhythmen der Natur sind letztlich abhängig vom Wechsel zwischen Tag und Nacht. Fällt dieser Wechsel weg, weil die Nacht verschwindet, dann hat das gravierende Folgen. Vögel singen in allzu heller Umgebung mitten in der Nacht.

Artists have learnt to pay attention. The rest of us spend most of our time on auto-pilot, rushing from place to place, our overfamiliarity blinding us to the marvellous, life-affirming phenomena of our world. But that doesn't have to be the case. In his typical engaging style, Will Gompertz takes us into the minds of artists - from contemporary stars to old masters, the well-known to the lesser-so, and from around the world - to show us how to look and experience the world with their heightened awareness.

The ocean sustains life on our planet, from absorbing carbon to regulating temperatures. But as we exhaust the resources on land, its reserves are increasingly dredged and extracted to fuel new industry. Today we are facing two urgent challenges at sea: massive environmental destruction, and spiraling inequality in the ocean economy. Chris Armstrong reveals how existing governing institutions are failing to respond to the most pressing problems of our time.

Authors Paul Warde, Libby Robin, and Sverker Sörlin trace the emergence of the concept of the environment following World War II, a period characterized by both hope for a new global order and fear of humans' capacity for almost limitless destruction. It was at this moment that a new idea and a new narrative about the planet-wide impact of people's behavior emerged, closely allied to anxieties for the future. With the rise of "the environment", the authors argue, came new expertise, making certain kinds of knowledge crucial to understanding the future of our planet.

Discover the fascinating details of life under the pharaohs—and their extraordinary legacy—in this comprehensive guide to Egypt's ancient civilization.

"With its concept of the 'viral editor' (now transformed, in our harsher decade, into 'viral inquisitor'), 'Human as Media' remains mandatory reading for anyone wishing to understand the disruptions of the digital." – Martin Gurri, author of "The Revolt of the Public." "Terrific book! Miroshnichenko is a media ecologist in the truest sense, analyzing the effect of technology on what it means to be human. This is an important book in a world where our apps are learning about us every time we touch a screen, and it is essential reading for anyone who has come to suspect that our ...

Peak Everything addresses many of the cultural, psychological and practical changes we will have to make as nature rapidly dictates our new limits. This latest book from Richard Heinberg, author of three of the most important books on Peak Oil, touches on the most important aspects of the human condition at this unique moment in time.

A combination of wry commentary and sober forecasting on subjects as diverse as farming and industrial design, this book tells how we might make the transition from The Age of Excess to the Era of Modesty with grace and satisfaction....

Dès sa première édition, en 2012, cet œuvre a été la première à décrire la dimension mondiale des alternatives économiques, démocratiques et écologiques mises en place par la société civile. Elle a séduit toute une génération qui se reconnaît dans cette invention d'un nouveau monde et a reçu le Prix 2013 du Livre de l'Environnement. Avec cette 2ème édition, enrichie de nouvelles alternatives, l'auteure poursuit son voyage.

A valuable discovery under the world's second-largest temperate wetland and in the traditional lands of the Cree and Ojibway casts light on the growing conflict among resource development, environmental stewardship, and Indigenous rights. In this colorful tale, Virginia Heffernan draws on her bush and newsroom experiences to illustrate the complexities of resource development at a time when Indigenous rights are becoming enshrined globally.

With information on problems both large and small, Chelsea Clinton breaks down the concepts of health, hunger, climate change, endangered species, and bullying so that readers can understand the world around them and how they can make a difference in their own lives, as well as in their communities and the world at large.

Deep in the heart of the Amazon, the city of Rondon do Pará, Brazil, lived for decades in the shadow of land barons, or fazendeiros, who maintained control of the region through unscrupulous land grabs and egregious human rights violations. They razed and burned the jungle, expelled small-scale farmers and Indigenous tribes from their lands, and treated their farmhands as slaves—all with impunity.

Long before the phrase 'climate change' was a universal catchphrase, His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was studying the impact of industrialization on the environment. Now in this fascinating cross-discipline work, the Prince of Wales calls upon his years of research and explores the way in which mankind must work to restore the delicate balance with nature that we've lost in the centuries since the industrial revolution began.

In this fascinating book, Terry O'Connor explores a distinction that is deeply ingrained in much of the language that we use in zoology, human-animal studies, and archaeology - the difference between wild and domestic. For thousands of years, humans have categorized animals in simple terms, often according to the degree of control that we have over them, and have tended to see the long story of human-animal relations as one of increasing control and management for human benefit.

2021 ist ein Jahr der Zäsur. Mit der Bundestagswahl endet nach 16 Jahren die Ära Merkel, und in einer historischen Entscheidung stärkt das Bundesverfassungsgericht die Freiheitsrechte der jüngeren Generation. Die Ökologie steht nun endlich im Zentrum aller Zukunftsfragen: Wirtschaft, Verkehr, Ernährung, aber auch Wissenschaft, Journalismus und Politik - elementare Bereiche der Gesellschaft müssen neu gedacht werden. Große Umbrüche stehen bevor. Und es hängt viel davon ab, ob wir gemeinsame Lösungen finden.

Temperatures are rising all over the world, leading to wildfires, droughts, animal extinctions, and ferocious storms - climate change is real. But how did we get to this state, and what can we do next? What if we could work to protect the planet, while also taking action to make life fairer and more equal for the people who live on it? We can - if we're willing to change everything.

Did ancient India witness the Great Flood? Why did the Buddha give his first sermon at Sarnath? How did the Europeans map India? Combining scholarship with sparkling wit, Sanjeev Sanyal sets out to explore how India's history was shaped by its geography - answering questions you may have never thought to ask. Moving from geological and genetic origins to present-day Gurgaon, Land of the Seven Rivers is riveting, wry, and full of surprises.