"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children."  ~Native American Proverb

"I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; I will not refuse to do the something I can do." - Helen Keller

"Every choice we make can be a celebration of the world we want!" - Frances Moore Lappe

It's easy to become depressed & disheartened when looking at all the pollution, extinction, destruction & disregard for the natural world. Fortunately, everyone of us has enormous power in the choices we make every day. We can all make choices that nurture & promote a healthy, sustainable, harmonious planet. Here are some resources to learn more.

WEBSITES - NON-FICTION - FICTION

WEBSITES

Circle of Life
www.circleoflife.org/
Be inspired. Get educated. Take action! COL, started by Julia Butterfly Hill, is dedicated to transforming “the way humans interact with the Earth and with all living beings.”

Earth 911
www.earth911.org
Find out where to recycle practically anything & find out about some environmental issues.

Ecological Footprint Quiz
www.myfootprint.org
Take the quiz to find out how much space your lifestyle requires.

Grist
www.grist.org
An online magazine of environmental news & commentary.

I Buy Different
www.ibuydifferent.org
You have the power to make the earth a better place because of what you buy. Find out how. Find out why.

Student Environmental Action Coalition
www.seac.org/
“A grassroots coalition of students and youth environmental groups working together to protect our planet and our future.”

Sierra Student Coalition
www.ssc.org/
The student-run arm of the Sierra Club.

Teen Ink - Environment
www.teenink.com/Environment/
Teens concerned about the earth share essays & other writing on environmental ideas, solutions & issues.

Youth for Environmental Sanity
www.yesworld.org
“Helping outstanding young leaders build a better world.”

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NON-FICTION
(Click on a book cover to reserve the title.)

Ill Nature: Rants & Reflections on Humanity and Other Animals
by Joy Williams (179.1 WIL)
Impassioned essays on Nature.

Material World: A Global Family Portrait
by Peter Menzel (OS 306.85 MEN)
A collection of photos of families from all around the world displaying all of their household possessions in front of their houses. The photos and brief biographical sketches in the book provide readers with a unique look at consumer lifestyles across the planet.

Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things
by John Ryan (333.71 RYA)
Follows a day in the life of an average person living in the United States and shares the secret lives of your food, your clothes, and the things you play with.

One Makes the Difference: Inspiring Actions that Change Our World
by Julia Butterfly Hill (333.72 HIL)
Offers practical tips for environmentally sound living.

Never Cry Wolf
by Farley Mowat (599 MOW)
A man, alone on the tundra, must decide the fate of those who have been called bloodthirsty, marauding killers.


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FICTION
(Click on a book cover to reserve the title.)

The Monkey Wrench Gang
by Edward Abbey (FIC ABBEY)
The cult classic that raised American awareness of environmentalism. A group of environmentalists will stop at nothing to save the land they cherish.

Feed
by M.T. Anderson (YA ANDERSON)
Titus thinks nothing of his “feed,” the computer chip in his brain that gives marketers & the government 24/7 access to his mind, until he meets someone who has lived without one.

Blood Lure
by Nevada Barr (MYST BARR)
A research project studying grizzly bears turns into a hunt for a brutal killer.

Saving the Planet and Stuff
by Gail Gauthier (YA GAUTIER)
What happens when a 21st century, mall-loving teenage guy finds himself living with ‘60s radical environmentalists?

Flush
By Carl Hiaasen (YA HIAASEN)
Noah and Abbey have to save their dad because he's, well, sunk a casino boat for dumping waste into the water. No one believes that the boat was polluting the water. It's up to Noah and Abbey to find the proof.

Hoot
by Carl Hiaasen (YA HIAASEN)
If it weren't for a bully mashing his head against the window one day, Roy would never have had the adventure of a lifetime.

The Maze
by Will Hobbs (YA HOBBS)
What does it feel like to leap off a cliff and soar in a hang glider? To raise fledgling condors and release them into the wild? To outwit the sinister local yahoos who want to kill the giant, endangered birds?

Prodigal Summer
by Barbara Kingsolver (FIC KINGSOLVER)
"Everything alive is connected to every other by fine, invisible threads. Things you don't see can help you plenty, and things you try to control will often rear back and bite you, and that's the moral of the story."

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind
by Hayao Miyazaki (YA GRAPHIC MIYAZAKI)
In a world nearly destroyed by ecological disaster, Nausicaa must try to negotiate peace between kingdoms battling over the world’s few remaining resources.

Rain Dance
by Skye Kathleen Moody (MYST MOODY)
Fish & Wildlife Agent Venus Diamond tracks poachers & the killer of a timber executive.

All Over Creation
by Ruth Ozeki (FIC OZEKI)
Prodigal daughter Yumi’s return home throws her in the midst of a conflict between a group of anti-biotech activists (including her parents) and pro-biotech forces (including her former lover).

My Ishmael
by Daniel Quinn (FIC QUINN)
Who knew you could learn how to transform the world—and yourself—from a telepathic gorilla?

The Beasties
by William Sleator (YA SLEATOR)
Doug & his sister meet the “Beasties,” who want them to help them wage war against humans who are destroying their home. And, oh, yeah, can I have some of your body parts, too?

The Last Lobo
by Roland Smith (YA SMITH)
A friendly visit to Jake’s grandfather turns into a battle to save an endangered wolf.

The Gospel According to Larry
by Janet Tashjian (YA TASHJIAN)
Can one guy change the world…and get the girl?

The Weirdo
by Theodore Taylor (YA TAYLOR)
Sam never imagined that she would join forces with the tortured soul called “The Weirdo” to search for a killer who stalks innocent victims through the murky & dangerous waters of the swamp.

The Family Tree
by Sheri Tepper (FIC TEPPER)
What happens when Nature decides to fight back?

Green Thumb
by Rob Thomas (YA THOMAS)
Boy genius meets evil scientist in a tropical jungle full of intelligent trees.

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