5 comments about Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth (New Catalyst Bioregional Series) (Paperback).

1. This book is about the environmental costs that humans have on our planet, especially those humans living in developed countries. The authors contend that we are using up the resources of the planet at an astounding rate, such that little will be left for generations of the future. In other words, our present lifestyle is unsustainable. The authors argue that a measure of sustainability can be calculated by adding up the resources used by a group of people, and translating this to area on the earth, which yields roughly the total amount of land needed by the group to live sustainably, or their "ecological footprint". They point out that people in developed countries tend to have much larger ecological footprints than those in developing countries, but even amongst developed countries, there are large differences, and that Americans have huge ecological footprints compared to people from most other countries. In fact, in order for everyone on Earth to live as Americans do, it would require several additional planets to provide the resources and disposal space for waste.
   
   The beginning chapters of the book define sustainability and the concept of ecological footprint. They also argue that our present practices are not sustainable. In the third chapter, we find the general idea of how an ecological footprint can be calculated, and the types of resources that need to be accounted for. The authors also run through a few examples of how footprints can be calculated on a nation by nation basis. They don't claim to have developed a conclusive method for calculating ecological footprints, especially on an individual basis, though they invite interested readers to do so on their own (there are numerous suggestions for how to do so on the Web). The last part of the book suggests some possible strategies for creating a more sustainable world. Endnotes citing sources appear following each chapter. There is a glossary, but no index. The book includes a number of black-and-white illustrations and cartoons.
   
   The authors argue that "The strength of the Ecological Footprint analysis is its ability to communicate simply and graphically the general nature and magnitude of the biophysical `connectedness' between humankind and the ecosphere." They go on to comment "Ecological Footprint analysis can estimate the balance of trade in load-bearing capacity as embodied in the energy and material flows associated with trade goods and biogeochemical cycles." These ideas are interesting and hefty- -the text is somewhat theoretical and aimed towards those who are fascinated with macroeconomics. The style of writing is not for everyone, but there are some very valid points to mull over. For example, in a box discussing efficiency gains and sustainability, the authors point out that in the past, efficiency gains have led to more consumption rather than a decrease in resource usage, so we can't rely on efficiency gains as a solution to over-consumption.



2. During the past half a century human beings have been
   multiplying at such a rate that the number of humans on Earth has
   more than TRIPPLED ! Also, the "well to do" section of humanity has been increasing constantly their desire to have a bigger and bigger share of Erth's "goodies". The unfortunate result of these two factors has DEVESTATED the Earth's environment to the point of collapse. This book, which is written in a language which anyone can understand clearly, gives an excellent account of such important items like "true sustainability", HUMAN footprint on the biosphere, and what will happen if we all do not start realizing that we have already exceeded the Earth's capacity to carry us by 200 to 300 % !! So, please READ IT !



3. Back when Rees and Wackernagel wrote Our Ecological Footprint, no one was looking at the problem in that way.
   
   Now that everyone has jumped on the "our-planet-is-finite" bandwagon, we need to be reminded that this is where it started.
   
   Much research has been done since it came out, and some of the figures will no doubt be out of date, but it still belongs in every environmentally conscious person's collection. Buy it while you can!
   
   G. Bisaillon



4. Our Ecological Footprint cuts through the talk about sustainability and introduces a revolutionary new way to determine humanity's impact on the Earth. It presents an exciting and powerful tool for measuring and visualizing the resources required to sustain our household, communities, regions and nations. Equipped with useful charts and throught-provoking illustrations, our Ecological Footprint converts the seemingly complex concepts of carrying capacity, sustainability, resource use, waste disposal, and more into a graphic form that everyone can grasp and utilize.



5. This wonderful little book presents an excellent tool for evaluating human impact on our planet. The idea is simple but the ramifications are profound. We each require a certain amount of land area to provide the wherewithal to continue living. The requisite area depends first on absolute needs and expands depending upon other consumption. This space requirement is our ecological footprint. When that idea is extended to cities or countries we can get a clear picture of a culture's impact on the planet. Using this lens we find that the North American per capita footprint is over ten times that of India with the other Western industrial nations clustered near our end of the scale. As we are often reminded, if our consumption patterns were to be implemented world wide, we would need a few extra planet's worth of land and resources. The dilemma facing us in the very near future is how to reduce our current footprint, allow space for improvement in the lives of the one billion persons living in absolute poverty, and preserve some vestige of the natural world as both an ecologic shock absorber and inspirational wellspring. The authors suggest that one way to make impact more tangible is to work from a standpoint of "fair share," our footprint size in an equitably apportioned world. They estimate that after subtracting ice caps, oceans, deserts and mountains, and setting aside current wilderness areas as critical to ecologic stability, there are 8.9 billion hectares of land on earth available for human support. Our per capita share of that number has fallen from 5-6 hectares in 1900 to 1.5 today. Americans each currently command 4.3 hectares worth of goods and services. (A daily newspaper alone consumes 10% of an individual's fair share. Commuting alone by auto is off the chart.) The good news is that standard of living and resource consumption do not move in lockstep. We can do more with less, and the whole notion of a sustainable future depends on how well and how quickly we move in that direction. The bad news is that we have to move very fast. OUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT provides a fine perspective for evaluating and changing your own lifestyle, and should be a required reference for policy makers around the globe.

2 comments about Environmentality: Technologies of Government and the Making of Subjects (New Ecologies for the Twenty-First Century).

1. Arun Agrawal's book offers a fresh approach to consider how subjectivities change, particularly in terms of how environmentalism happens at an individual and social level. Agrawal borrows from a number of different fields, including anthropology and history, to pursue these questions. His approach differs from several dominant schools that address these issues. One group of scholars, when talking about rural citizens in developing countries, assume that their needs are primarily material and antagonistic to any sense of long-term environmental care. "Environmentalist sensibilities don't make any sense unless their bellies are full" they say. Another group of scholars argues that rural women, because they rely on natural resources for their familiy's daily needs, are actually quite environmentally minded.
   
   Agrawal does not follow either of these approaches, and questions a number of their premises. To carry out his inquiry, Agrawal examines a region in India that was famous for its resistance to British forest protection during the colonial era. This area resisted British authority by lighting hundreds of deliberately set fires. Surprisingly, Agrawal now finds that a number of villages are forming their own community-based groups for forest protection, and he seeks to discover what accounts for these changes.
   
   In his explanation, Agrawal draws on Foucauldian and other post-structural thought, but does so in novel ways. He is trying to examine the process of how subjects change over time, and even over the course of one lifetime. His writing is lively and his analysis is sharp. I highly recommend this book for those interested in social change, social theory, environmentalism, and new interdisciplinary approaches.



2. This book reports a rare success story in Third World conservation: the rise of grassroots-level forest management in Kumaon, India. In the colonial period, the British tried to stop deforestation by increasingly authoritarian methods. This failed; the local countryfolk, prevented from using their forests for subsistence needs, protested more and more seriously, ultimately resorting to arson. Eventually the British got the message and eased off. Fortunately, the Indian government later built on this perception, and gave more and more management rights to the Kumaonese. They rose to the occasion, and now manage the forests reasonably well. Arun Agrawal uses a Foucauldian approach to analyze the development of local management in an extremely fine-grained, detailed, careful way. The benefit of this approach is that it has stimulated a uniquely thorough and fair ethnography. The cost of this approach is its narrow focus on government and "subjects"--there is no independent assessment of how well the forests are actually doing. One wishes for a biologist's input. Still, any success story, even relative, is welcome these days, and this book will be very useful to anyone interested in comanagement of resources or resource conservation in general. We simply have to involve local people and respect their needs, in every conservation project, and this book is notably good at detailing one way a governmental system actually did that.

5 comments about The Solar Economy: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Global Future.

1. Scheer's previous work on this matter was entitled "A Solar Manifesto". That should give you a pretty accurate idea as to his opinions on the matter. If you looking for a somewhat-balanced view of the coming renewable energy economy, look elsewhere (for example, Hawken's "Natural Capitalism"). If you looking for a neo-Luddite environmentalist rant, this book is exactly what you are looking for.
   
   There are numerous flaws in Scheer's reasoning. For example,
   
   1: He repeatedly calls lack of taxes a "subsidy".
   
   2: He ignores that the most promising photovoltaic technologies are based on things like titanium and ruthenium, which are not renewable and by his own data are in short supply. Even in the best case they are a complex technology that requires big, centralized plants to product (reasonably) cheaply.
   
   3: He a priori dismisses anything big or centralized.
   
   4: He considers a system that uses more human labor a GOOD thing.
   
   5: In 325 pages, he never mentions the cost of PV in $$/kwh, because it would undermine his point.
   
   6: He repeatedly insults everyone who isn't in his camp. The word "blind" must appear a hundred times in this work.
   
   I think the greatest example of Scheer's muddled thinking is the final sentence of the book.
   
   "Renewable resources will bring a new era of wealth-creating economic development - initiated not by bureaucratic fiat, but by the free choices of individuals".
   
   I think many people would agree with this. Now, if Scheer hadn't spent the previous two chapters describing in detail the many bureaucratic fiats he wanted in order to enforce his ends upon free people, he may actually finished his book with a coherent point.
   
   From a little earlier...
   
   "Instead [eco-taxation proposals] must be founded on a clearly articulated strategy to drive nuclear and fossil fuel out of the market...
   
   At least he is honest.



2. The first time I tried to read this book, it confused me so much I had to put it down for a year. The author mixes a paragraph or two of insight and vision within pages of example and data. On, this my second, read I am doing better by skimming past the long lists of examples.
   I would love to see this book boiled down to about 20 pages, with another 20 of optional documentation.
   What the author does for the reader is lay out the foundation of the modern energy system, and its hidden costs. In great detail. Then he addresses the technical aspect of several different forms of "solar" or renewable energy technologies, and their potential.
   I am learning quite a bit, even if I have to take it in small doses



3. All economic activity relies on the physical and chemical conversion of materials from one form into another, and the conversion of fuels into the energy need to distribute and consume the resultant products.
   
   Energy and raw materials are the fundament of our economies.
   
   World energy consumption show that 32 per cent is generated by burning crude oil, 25 per cent by burning coal, and 17 per cent by burning natural gas. Five per cent comes from nuclear fuels, and another 14 per cent from combustion of biomass, and hydroelectricity accounts for 6 per cent of all energy consumption.
   
   Current trends indicate the world wide burning of fossil fuels is likely to flare by 50 percent between 1990 and 2010.
   
   Is Nuclear energy life threatening? No. New pebble reactors will provide safe energy and safeguard against the possibility a critical chain reaction. France is building a new experimental fusion reactor and if successful could move the world into a hydrogen society. Long-term the world has infinite energy.
   
   Scheer wants an immediate shift away from "life threatening fossil fuel resource trap" Solar=Hydrogen=electrical, "Only with the transition to renewable resources, and thus to a solar global economy can economic logic and with it the future path of economic development be radically altered."
   
   Fallacy #1: Sheer says, increases in productivity and efficiency must stabilize resource consumption at its current level. Energy stabilize needs to be replaced with energy expansion. Life gets better as more energy becomes available. Energy consumption will only increase, increasing many fold over the next decade. Allocative efficiency favors big business and restricts competition.
   
   Fallacy #2: Sheer says, "as reserves of crude oil, natural gas and certain strategically important minerals approach exhaustion, resource crisis are becoming more intense." Who has economic control? Who sets the prices for crude? And in the end Who will pay for them? It takes time to migrate from one energy source to another. Large capital investment is required to build infrastructure. The point of no return begins as banks and corporations begin building the new energy future. Energy shortages are short term crisis that push innovation and adoption of newer and cheaper fuels. Capitalist use their profits from a crisis to build the new infrastructure and world keeps on running.
   
   Fallacy #3. Sheer says, "Energy and mineral resources are found in relatively few locations around the globe". Wow, amazing fear factor. In the 70s and 80s the US reduced dependancy on foreign oil by 50% before oil became cheap again. Today, the US and Canada represent a vast empty quarter of oil in the form of shale and tar. Canada is becoming an important source of oil. Wyoming will be developed as a new Texas oil source. Cheaper oil extraction system will become popular and make accessible oil in the western hemisphere.
   
   Sheer is the realist. Sheer responses "but which the modern techno-pundits now imbue with bright promise) has been dazzled by partial, faddishly exaggerated and overgeneralized reports of the actual developments". Change requires risk. Innovation surges and falls before maturing.



4. I liked this book, it gets a bit heavey and technical at times and I indeed had to have a breather once or twice, but it is one of the few books I wanted to read again and had too. I was already a convert to living off grid in Spain with solar and wind energy and this book a surprise Xmas gift from my son only strenghed my renewable off grid living decision. Im no eco warrior or green fanatic Im just ahead of the game, this book lets you know how little of everything we have left not just oil and coal and gas but every metal and mineral we take for granted. Our throw away society is flushing this planet down the pan. Our response till its too late is like the drunk i the pub, mines a pint please, goodbye leave the light on it will turn its self off !



5. As another reviewer has pointed out this book will not be easy going for everyone. A lot of it written in rather a dry style and is dense with good points. i.e. it is not written in the style of a popular science book. On the other hand this is what makes it so interesting and convincing in its arguments.
   
   The other thing I liked about it was that it takes a very broad view of different energy sources and considers their implications at every level. One of the main points is that when considering the efficiency of an energy source one should account for the energy wasted at every stage of the supply chain rather than the amount of energy going into and coming out of the generation plant. For example the supply chain for coal is Mining - Refining - Shipping - Coal-fired power station - National grid (high voltage) - NG (medium voltage) - Distribution (low voltage). Many of these are energy intensive processes. The supply chain for nuclear is even worse. Compare that to the on-site generation solar supply chain: PV installation - Distribution (indefinitely at no further cost). Many of the true costs of the fossil fuel supply chain is not paid by the consumer or even by the companies involved in supply. The author also considers the social costs involved, which many people seem to be willing to ignore.
   
   There are also some good insights into the oil industry. The most interesting one that comes to mind is how the oil using industries are dependent on each other for the cheap prices of oil. When crude oil is refined the proportions of different products cannot be varied to a great degree. A certain proportion will be kerosene for plane fuel, a certain proportion will be for automobile fuel, a certain proportion usable by the chemicals industry and so on. If the demand for automobile fuel decreases due to efficient engines and the demand from other industries stays the same then the other industries oil prices will go up to cover the cost. This gives the reason for the chemicals industry's opposal to fuel duty. This gives all oil using industries an incentive to keep their demand in line with everybody else's i.e. steadily increasing.
   
   An inspiring book that doesn't rely on its writing style. It gets by purely on its ideas.

No comments about Conservation Is Our Government Now: The Politics of Ecology in Papua New Guinea (New Ecologies for the Twenty-First Century).

4 comments about In the Shadow of the Mountain: The Spirit of the CCC.

1. Although expecting a technical manual on the role of the Civilian Conservations Corps in the "New Deal" era, I was pleasently surprised at the direction this book takes. "In the Shadow of the Mountain" is a first person narative of life in two separate CCC camps, one on the east coast and one on the west. This book provides plenty of insight into the accomplishments of the CCC and of the daily life of its members. I highly recommend this book to those interested in the political and economic history of the Great Depression and beyond.



2. Mr. Hill does an excellent job of weaving the personal narratives of the "We Can Take It" boys with the potentially dry historical subject of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Not only do I now understand how the boys lived, what they did, how they felt, etc., but also how, why, and when the program began. It's a rich part of our history and one that each generation should know about. This is a book each family needs to include in their family library!



3. I became interested in learning more about the CCC when so many of the National and State parks that I visit had displays lauding the accomplishments of the CCC. Over 65 years later we're still enjoying the fruits of their labor! This book was my first attempt at reading more about them and I wasn't disappointed.
   
   Mr. Hill does a very good job describing his own personal experiences, those of his personal CCC buddies, and adds several other brief first-person accounts at the end. All together, the reader gets a good overall taste for what camp life was like and the tremendous accomplishments of this civilian army (some examples: 38,087 vehicle bridges, 83,548 miles of telephone lines, 5.9 million erosion check dams, 2.2 billion trees planted, 6.3 million mandays fighting forest fires). Woven throughout is a sense of just how brillant this government program was during the desperate times of the Depression--the CCC was simply a spectacular win-win for everyone.
   
   Overall, there seems to be a lack of good detailed histories and first-person accounts about the CCC. I cannot figure out why--so many lives were benefically influenced by the CCC and their successes are almost innumerable. "In the Shadow" was a great place to start learning more about the "We can take it" boys and has only whetted my appetite for more.



4. This book should be required reading for every high school student. In the Shadow of the Mountain gives our generation an appreciation for the price that was paid by a great generation before us.
   JER

No comments about Climate Change: What's Your Business Strategy? (Memo to the CEO).

No comments about Ecological Economics and Sustainable Development, Selected Essays of Herman Daly (Advances in Ecological Economics).

3 comments about Ecotourism and Sustainable Development, Second Edition: Who Owns Paradise?.

1. Ecotourism has been promoted as a mechanism to solve the world's environmental problems and social issues. It is marketed as a salve for the bruised consciences of carbon-spewing but sensitive travelers. But, at times, the label is used by lodges, tours and companies that are camouflaging their tourism-as-usual approach.
   
   Martha Honey, a former investigative reporter who lived for 20 years in developing countries, researched the realities of ecotourism and wrote the definitive book on the topic. Originally released in 1999 by Island Press, Ecotourism and Sustainable Development: Who Owns Paradise? provided readers with a clear understanding of what ecotourism can contribute to conservation, communities and economies. In addition, the book was also a guide to enticing lodges and fascinating places that a conscientious global citizen might want to visit and support.
   
   The second edition of Honey's book has just been released by Island Press and will be a welcome addition to the library of any thoughtful traveler. Part history and part guidebook like the first edition, this new version covers the major changes in the travel industry as ecotourism has become part of the mainstream vernacular. Honey's fine writing covers the evolution and definition of ecotourism in an accessible fashion in addition to giving up-to-the-minute information about selected destinations in seven locales around the world.
   
   This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the intersection between tourism, conservation, social justice and sustainable economies.
   
   Sandra Tassel
   Look at the Land Inc
   Conservation Consultants



2. Dr. Honey has composed another authoritative book on this critical topic, and I highly recommend it for anyone seeking to learn more about the impacts of one of the largest industries in the world. For those of us already working to minimize the negative impacts of the tourism industry, this second edition will bring you fully up to speed on the many developments in this dynamic field.
   
   There is a lot of hearsay out there when it comes to ecotourism, the environment and communities, but Dr. Honey's writing is clearly well researched and truly authoritative.



3. Since it was first published nine years ago, Martha Honey's Ecotourism and Sustainable Development has become an indispensible resource for students, researchers, and professionals working in conservation and sustainable development. Now, an updated version has just come out, similar to its predecessor, but 100 pages longer.
   
   With many years of experience as an investigative journalist, Honey knows how to hunt down and interrogate a wide range of sources, ask difficult questions, formulate independent opinions, and provide cogent critiques. None of this has changed in the new edition. What has changed is her conviction that ecotourism, while not a panacea, can indeed support conservation of nature and culture, social and economic development, and equitable democratic societies.
   
   Following the same format as earlier, she begins with a comprehensive definition of ecotourism; a critical description of all the players in the tourism industry - especially those engaged in ecotourism; and an examination of the many issues and challenges facing the industry today. Most interesting and valuable, both for readers of the first edition and those new to the field, are the discussions of recently emerging ecotourism concepts, tools and issues.
   
   The second part of the book offers case studies of seven countries (or smaller destinations), each with fascinating examples of how the government, private tour operators, national parks, communities, indigenous and/or marginalized peoples and international entities interact in the name of ecotourism. Probably most interesting for many North American readers, is addition of a chapter on ecotourism in the United States.
   
   As its predecessor, Honey's book is highly engaging and full of provocative questions and challenges. As answers are found, the fields of ecotourism and sustainable development, as well as people, habitats and cultures around the world, are sure to benefit.

1 comments about The Business Guide to Sustainability: Practical Strategies and Tools for Organizations.

1. THE BUSINESS GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY: PRACTICAL STRATEGIES AND TOOLS FOR ORGANIZATIONS addresses a myriad of issues, from tools and frameworks to common practices and how average individuals can help move an organizational structure towards sustainable practices. Chapters range from operating a building efficiently to handling senior management and government agencies. Serious business libraries and management-level readers interested in sustainability will relish it.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

2 comments about The Farmers' Market Book: Growing Food, Cultivating Community (Quarry Books).

1. By the end of the first chapter, this book had moved me enough to take a break from the reading and write a thankyou note to the authors. Bloomington, IN hosts one of the country's great farmer's markets and the academics turned market vendors who wrote the book weave a wonderful story of not only their experiences, but a well researched history of farm markets in general and the larger vision of local food systems.
   
   Highly recommended, a beautifully created and very readable book.



2. I recommend this work highly. I have been researching farmers' markets for several years and ordered this book thinking it would give me some ideas of how Bloomington's market was organized. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book was much wider in scope. The history of farmers markets around the world was especially interesting and well written. (The author, by the way, is an English professor). Also included are stories of farmers and growers, relationships at farmers markets, trials of growing crops and more. The photographs are excellent and the book is a joy to read. Useful for anyone interested in farmers markets or growing good food.