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While governments debate and scientists test ever-more complicated hypotheses, ordinary people all over the world are starting to notice the effects of global warming. In High Tide, British journalist Mark Lynas visits global hot spots to record people's reactions and sound a clarion call for action. Readers looking for a "we are the world" approach to climate change may be taken aback by Lynas' flat expression of the uncomfortable truth: "Every time America votes, the world holds its breath.... Climate change begins and ends in America." Lynas damns the George W. Bush administration for undermining global efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol as well as actively preventing innovation within the United States that would reduce auto and industrial emissions. But High Tide isn't the firs or the best book to do that; instead, its narrative strength is in the riveting stories of how small towns, islands, riverside cities, and rural areas are being slowly destroyed. Gardeners in England will be unable to grow heritage plant species within the next 75 years. The Alaskan permafrost is melting, as temperatures there increase "ten times faster than in the rest of the world." An entire Pacific Island nation--Tuvalu--will soon disappear beneath the rising sea, leaving its people homeless. Lynas visits Alaska, Tuvalu, Peru, China, and the east coast of the United States, documenting the lives, places, and cultures that will be lost in the decades to come. Thankfully, just when hopelessness threatens to overwhelm the reader, High Tide offers a five-step plan to mitigate the most catastrophic effects of global climate change. Every step in the plan involves action by United States citizens and their elected representatives, offering American activists and visionaries a chance to do penance for wrecking parts of the world far from our own driveways. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
A glacier disappears high in the Peruvian Andes. Floodwaters surge across the English countryside. Ten thousand Pacific Islanders begin to evacuate their homeland. A dust storm turns day into night across the Inner Mongolian plains. These events may seem unrelated, but they are not. Even as scientists and other experts debate the specifics, climate crisis is already affecting the lives of millions. In this ground-breaking book, Mark Lynas reveals the first evidence-collected during an epic three-year journey across five continents-about how global warming is hitting people's lives all around the world. From American hurricane chasers to Mongolian herders, from Alaskan Eskimos to South Sea islanders, Lynas's encounters and discoveries give us a stark warning about the even worse dangers that lie ahead if nothing is done. High Tide's message is urgent and its revelations are at once shocking and inspiring-shocking as so few of us yet realize the magnitude of what's happening, and inspiring as there is still time to avert much greater catastrophe. No one who reads this book will be able to look their children in the eyes and say 'I didn't know.'
Customer Reviews:
Global Warming.......2007-01-30
This was an interesting read--a little behind the times--but still applicable today. I rec'd an A on my report on this subject!!! Apparently I chose wisely!
Furthering the environmental dialogue, HIGH TIDE is far from a primer, ladies & gentlemen...far from it!.......2006-11-02
One of the best things I enjoyed about reading HIGH TIDE, I believe, was a remark author Mark Lynas made somewhere towards the end of this book. It's placement was entirely not the issue--perhaps even random, it was--but its content impressed upon me something vital and rather deeply, at that.
Lynas shared his initial concern over his lack of "complete scientific justification" for many of the things he was discussing with other professionals in the field. At certain points along his journey from enviro-curious to enviro-conscious, it caused him to question his overall motives, internalizing the criticisms he occasionally received from colleagues, friends, and family who began to perhaps think of him as something of a radical fundamentalist, environmentally-speaking.
Lynas told us how he felt slightly emasculated by some of the larger minds in the global environmental movement, and how if he were to take up the mantle of environmentalism, cleaner living, and self-limiting lifestyle techniques, thereby curbing his own contribution to the global carbon sink, how he'd potentially be branded by these same people a dilettante, a novice, a dabbler...even worse.
I'd have to admit that *this* was the line which clinched HIGH TIDE's premise for yours truly.
This--despite all of the fascinating accounts of Mark's globetrotting, his meanderings about the island nation of Tuvalu (itself sufficient, IMHO, for a whole book-length treatment on its own!), and his discoveries that the same Peruvian glacier which his father spied twenty years across a pristine high-altitude glacial lake had simply disappeared due to global warming--was the lone sentiment which I carted away with me from this read. It's the same one which I'll be sharing with my friends when they ask me what I've been reading of late.
It's hard not to admire Lynas, folks.
Global travel is tough on the sojourner. It doesn't matter who's footing the bill, m'kay, so let's just dismiss the commonly held belief that travel is amazing uf you're not the one paying for it. That's poppycock! These days, intercontinental travel is pure hell, and it's not been made any easier by the state of the world we live in...and I'm talking air travel, exclusively.
In essence, the person who does the travelling is forced to adjust to time zones, potential linguistic barriers, radical temperature shifts, lingering political effects, and in poor Mark's case, what can be best described as a "near-death experience."
In vivid detail, Mark describes how he ignored his own best advice regarding too rapid high-altitude ascent in the Andes, with thank goodness only remotely-disastrous consequences.
Mark spun around the globe, literally, spanning every hemisphere: north, south, east, and west. He bore the brunt of the climactic travails and the ravages of their overall toll on his own body, to deliver up this compelling piece of too-true non-fiction.
It does get depressing at a stage. Though not due to Mark's entertaining authorial style. It has more to do with the vagaries of of the Kyoto Protocol's acceptance (as in, what does it MEAN?), and what its various stipulations and evasive phraseologies will in fact, entail (concretely, in other words) when the time comes to implement things rigidly. And, like Lynas and other climatologists have long since been evangelizing--and they've already purchased jars of white talcum powder to mask just how blue in the face they really are from preaching to us the vital message--the reckoning is certainly coming.
In the British edition of the book, there's this great section toward the end where Mark is himself being interviewed about the latest developments *since* his publication of HIGH TIDE. In what could be best described as "I told you so," things indeed had tumbled precipitously since the 2004 publication year. We had Katrina in New Orleans, the tsunami in Southeast Asia, and restrictions on population flow between Tuvalu and New Zealand as part of those latter two countries' "special [population] arrangement."
SIX DEGREES, Mark's announced next book, will only be better, but only because it will be more vivid, more viseral, and more hard-hitting, as more and more people will identify with its descriptions...all because more people will have been directly affected by the things that Mark's been writing about all along.
Think of all he's seen, done, heard about, and learned in the interim--not to mention the "degree" to which he'd internalized the things he'd seen and heard during his travels. How much better he's improved, though the overall global prognosis has gotten terribly worse.
I'm looking forward to getting my hands on a copy. But "looking forward" is too passive.
Like I said in the subject heading, this is certainly no primer, kids! For a first effort, it's challenged a heck of a lot of preconceived notions, and caused wide swathes of people to start talking. In this reviewer's hands, that's a heck of a lot more than I can say for some other people who don't walk the proverbial talk.
--ADM in Prague
Sobering stories but naive solutions.......2006-03-04
Mark Lynas traveled around the world to find tangible symptoms of global warming. He found them indeed, and some of them are truly heartbreaking. From the Pacific islanders who are preparing to abandon their island home, to the Alaskans in crazy, tilting houses over a foundation of melting permafrost, to the author's own flooding England, the stories hit home. It's hard to deny global warming after this.
But Lynas, like many environmental activists, falls flat on his solutions. For example, he says that because burning any more oil will worsen warming, "there should be a worldwide halt to the exploration and development of new oil, coal and gas reserves, because even existing reserves should never be burned as fuel." In his fear of warming, Lynas doesn't consider the immediate human suffering that such a rash course would create. It seems like he doesn't know--or doesn't care--how much our society relies on oil, not only for 90% of our transportation but for much of our food, pharmaecuticals, and other life-critical applications. For civilization to continue, we need a gradual, orderly draw-down from fossil fuels, not a crashing halt.
It might comfort Lynas to know that we'll have to get off oil anyway even without global warming, because cheap oil is fast running out. Those remaining reserves will be so much more difficult and expensive to pump than our oil today that we'll never even have a chance to use them up. And just as supply peaks, there's rising demand from China and India. $10 a gallon gas will get us off oil more quickly than fear of warming. But then our society will face other problems--including potential political collapse--that will make it all the more difficult to deal with warming. For more realistic talk on energy, I'd look to books on "peak oil" such as James Howard Kunstler's "The Long Emergency" or Richard Heinberg's "Power Down."
Lynas is just as naive in his approach to politics, assuming that if people--especially Americans, who emit most greenhouse gases--learn the facts, they'll all start thinking and acting like greenies. Yet we all know that the biggest barrier to stopping global warming is not lack of scientific knowlege or even popular awareness, but economic and political short-sightedness. The rich don't want to change their ways, and they'll use power, influence, and corruption to preserve their wealth, warming be damned. For a more nuanced look, try the Ehrlichs' "One with Nineveh." They talk about changes in government and business that will have to happen to save the earth, showing a much more complete understanding of the human-nature equation than does Lynas, who sees retreating glaciers more clearly than he sees expanding markets.
An example of the postmodern intellectual deterioration.......2005-11-24
Mark Lynas is a person who has no idea about nature, science, and technology. But he has received a lot of money to travel. So he has traveled to various places and decided to become a kind of "concerned journalist".
The advantage is that you don't have to know science, history, or anything else to become a concerned journalist. If you get the money, everything is fine.
While he is not interested about the actual dynamics of weather and climate at various places, he is extremely interested in the "political applications" of the climate data. His book is full of various conspiratory theories involving the oil companies, the Bush administration, the Kyoto protocol, and other things.
He experiences a flood in Great Britain. (A lot of boring details about the train schedule and other things are included.) What is the reason? Climate change, of course. No, he is not interested in the actual statistical distribution of the floods.
Also, Alaska is too hot for him. It is, in fact, "baked". What is the reason? Climate change, silly.
There are several more anecdotes like that. The beauty of the islands in the Pacific ocean will disappear, he argues. And look at the red clouds in China and the hurricanes. Or the heat in Peru. All these things are caused by climate change, he writes.
Instead of a single rational idea or a piece of research, he offers you contacts to various soft eco-terrorist organizations. The number of people whose intellectual standards resemble those of Mr. Lynas will undoubtedly increase for years to come. And these people who know absolutely nothing but who want to influence absolutely everything will be flooding the market with similar books like this one.
Fast and Loose Facts don't equal Truth.......2005-05-17
It's hard to know where to start to demolish this shaky structure! Perhaps the foundation? The plain truth is that there is no global warming evident during the past 100 years when anthropogenic forces should have really been at their worst. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has more than doubled in that era, but the earth cooled a tiny bit! The only thing I can say is that one robin does not make a spring and a few years of [what seems to short-lived humans!] extra warmth or drought or rain or cold does not constitute a trend in climate. Back off a bit and look at thousand year cycles if you want to know about climate. Lynas has done a good job of finding the "low-hanging fruit" that always gets picked first, but he certainly has not investigated and used his brain to analyze data and reach adult conclusions. File this book with the rest of the fables such as Chicken Little and the Falling Sky. It doesn't rate any stars at all!
Book Description
This complete guide to 150 species of ducks, geese, and swans provides color illustrations of all major plumages and subspecies and offers informative details on voice, population, distribution, range, habits, and habitats--for beginners and experts.
Customer Reviews:
Great waterfowl identification guide.......1999-10-27
"Waterfowl : An Identification Guide to the Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World" is a wonderful guide for waterfowl identification, with beautiful colored plates of all 155 species of ducks, geese, and swans. A really nice book for everyone who likes wild waterfowl. The only thing I miss are the screamers which are also a part of the anseriformes (waterfowl).
Poor reprint quality ruins a great series.......1999-01-28
Make a plate-by-plate comparison of the new Waterfowl or Shorebirds guides with the original hardcover editions and you'll see that the sofcover illustrations look like cheap color photocopies. All of the subtlety and detail that made the originals the best field guides of their kind has been lost. Save your money for the used bookstores.
Steve Madge delivers again.......1998-11-22
Maybe i'm a little biased but this is a great book.However trying to find a copy was something of a wild goose chase
Excellent for the birdwatcher or waterfowler.......1998-10-03
Waterfowl: An Identification Guide - This identification guide is part of a series of similar books each targeted at a particular family of birds such as shorebirds, seabirds, sparrows, etc. These guides are designed for the serious bird watcher, but the volume on waterfowl is an excellent reference for the waterfowler who wants to increase his knowledge and understanding of these wonderful birds. Most species are illustrated in juvenile, eclipse adult and breeding adult plumage for males (drakes) and females (hens). Range maps and detailed text descriptions are included for every species of waterfowl in the world. Descriptions include methods of distinguishing birds that are similar.
Customer Reviews:
Wondeful for kids and adults both.......2006-08-09
My wife and I took turns reading this book to our 5-year-old daughter, and we loved it.
The basic story of the Ugly Duckling should be familiar to most readers, but Napoli develops that core into a truly charming novel. "Ugly" is driven away from the other ducks for being different. He spends the next year encountering other animals, friends and foes alike, until he finally discovers who he is.
Napoli never talks down to her readers, as some childrens' books do. From page one, there's an almost brutal honesty to the story. Ugly is attacked by the other ducks, then his own mother tells him to leave, for his own safety as well as the protection of her other ducklings. Ugly tries to brush off his injuries, to show that he's okay so he doesn't have to leave his mother. His efforts fail, but the scene is a powerful one, with genuine emotion.
At the same time, there's a delightful sense of fun throughout the book. Whether it's Ugly's mother counting her eggs ("One, two, three, many, many, many more, so many...") or the wallaby boxing with Ugly, the book made us laugh any number of times.
Best of all, you learn a great deal about Australian animals. For my daughter, a true animal-lover, this was a chance to learn without feeling lectured. Who knew a wombat's backside could be so dangerous?
It's rare for us to find a book that we love as much as our daughter did. This one's a keeper.
The Ugly Duckling Story With A Twist!.......2006-02-02
As you might have guessed from the title and cover, UGLY is the ugly duckling story revisited but with a Tasmanian twist. In this version, the ugly duckling is helped by inhabitants of Tasmania on his journey to discovering the truth about himself.
We first meet Ugly while still in his shell, trying to be hatched. His mother keeps assuring doubting ducks that this egg is completely normal and will hatch into a lovely, perfect duckling. This doesn't happen, and so everyone calls him "Ugly."
In a painful paragraph, Ugly's mother finally has to order him out of the flock and send him off on his own before the other ducks attack him. On his lonely journey, Ugly meets a wallaby who carries him around on his back.
After leaving the wallaby, Ugly teams up and lives with a wombat, snuggling happily into the tunnels the wombat has dug. Ugly even loves to sleep in the wombat's pouch, which is usually reserved for baby wombats. Once, when Wombat is out of her tunnel, a quoll begins to attack her. (A quoll, in case you've never heard of one, is about the size of a dog, has a reddish-brown spotted body and a bushy tail.) Ugly sees and hears what is happening, and bravely sticks his head out of the tunnel and takes a big bite out of the quoll's tail, saving Wombat's life.
After several other adventures with different Tasmanians, human and animal, Ugly is finally taken by a friendly, lovely Tasmanian possum to a lamentation of black Tasmanian swans. What they tell him will forever change the way he views himself.
UGLY might have been a bit more interesting if author Donna Jo Napoli had given more details about the various Tasmanian animals, which most readers know little about. It is especially suitable for younger readers who may have just started reading longer books.
--- Reviewed by Robert M. Oksner
A Book for Fairytale Lovers of Any Age.......2006-01-30
Though this book may be written for a younger audience, the story is touching all over again. Donna Jo Napoli has once again succeeded in giving a fresh voice to an old tale. "Ugly" is a quick read for older audiences and well worth the time spent. Younger audiences will feel new sympathy for the little "duckling" as he makes his way through the world with an assortment of odd friends.
Average customer rating:
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Whose Chick Are You?
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ASIN: 0060825146
Release Date: 2007-01-23 |
Book Description
Tap!
Peck!
Crack!
Pop!
A chick hatches out of its egg, but who does it belong to? No one seems to know—not Goose (Honk!), not Duck (Quack!), not Hen (Cluck!), not Bird (Chirp!). Not even Little Chick (croo? croo?).
But Little Chick's parents know, and—as sharp observers will delight in noting—they've been swimming nearby all along.
Customer Reviews:
spring!.......2007-03-11
Mama and Daddy swan leave the nest to look for food. While they are gone their egg hatches! All the creatures in the pond can't figure out how it belongs to! It isn't long before the swans are back and they lay claim to their chick! They meet for the first time!
Customer Reviews:
The authoritative reference on No. American Waterfowl.......2000-02-22
This comprehensive research resource contains all information you could possibly want for all waterfowl that appear in the wild on this continent. It is not, and does not read like, a novel. It is straight facts in a logical and thorough layout. This book will be highly prized by hunters, bird watchers and any one else interested in the identification and unique behavior patterns of waterfowl.
Color plates of adults and chicks of both sexes in all color phases, plus juveniles for geese are included. Species identification, migration ranges and patterns, adult and juvenile sizes, breeding territories and behavior, population trends, food habits for all species and major races (11 races of Canada geese - it is incorrect to call them "Canadian") are covered in depth.
I particulary enjoyed the coverage of rare migrating species such as Baikal Teal, Eurasian Green-winged Teal and European wigeon.
I own the 1976 version of this book and will be purchasing the current updated version soon. This has been by far the most valuable waterfowl and wildlife book I own. The main updateable content of this book is current population numbers and trends as these vary widely from year to year.
Product Description
Learn about and identify Minnesota waterfowl using Stan Tekiela's field guide. The full-page, color photos are incomparable and include insets of winter plumage, color morphs and more. Plus, with the easy-to-use format, you don't need to know a bird's name or classification in order to easily find it in the book. Using this field guide is a real pleasure. It's a great way for anyone to learn about ducks, geese, swans and more.
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- North American Ducks, Geese and Swans
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North American Ducks, Geese and Swans
Ruth Soffer
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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ASIN: 0486291650 |
Book Description
Learn about native waterfowl while coloring over 40 full-page plates. Detailed, accurate illustrations depict a rich array of species in their natural habitat: trumpeter swan, Canada goose, common loon, ruddy duck, mallard duck, northern shoveler, wood duck, hooded merganser, and many more. Informative captions.
Customer Reviews:
North American Ducks, Geese and Swans.......2000-10-17
Great detail on this coloring book my 6 year old loves it.
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Waterfowl: Ducks, Geese and Swans of the World
Frank S. Todd
Manufacturer: Harcourt
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ASIN: 0150040369 |
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A First Look at Ducks, Geese, and Swans (1st Look at Series)
Millicent Ellis Selsam , and
Joyce Hunt
Manufacturer: Walker & Company
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0802769756 |
Book Description
Imagine it has been nearly two hundred years since hunters killed the last of the trumpeter swans living in the eastern part of North America. Now that the birds are protected by law, scientists hope to return the birds to their former range in the East. However, trumpeter swans must learn their migration routes from their parentsso scientists are taking on the role of parent swans in the Trumpeter Swan Migration Project, teaching cygnets to follow ultralight aircraft in an effort to reintroduce a migrating population to the Atlantic coast.
Customer Reviews:
Project Ultraswan.......2003-01-16
This is an incredible book for all ages!! The pictures are beautiful and the text very educational. What a great project(Trumpeter Swan Migration Project) to be involved with. This book is very high quality for a small price!!!!
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