"In a riveting investigation of the science and ecology of wildfires, journalist M. R. O'Connor ventures into some of the oldest, most beautiful, and remote forests in North America to explore the powerful and ancient relationship between trees, fires, and humans. Along the way, she describes revelatory research in the fields of paleobotany and climate science to show how the world's forests have been shaped by fire for hundreds of millions of years....

"What is an easy, actionable way to put excess atmospheric carbon back in the ground and reduce our contributions to emissions and food waste? By creating our own "climate victory gardens." We now recognize that plots in towns and cities are critical to supporting planetary diversity, and by instituting organic, regenerative practices and growing some of our own food, we can sequester carbon as well as shift toward living in a more ecologically responsible...

"Harvey. Maria. Irma. Sandy. Katrina. We live in a time of unprecedented hurricanes and catastrophic weather events, a time when it is increasingly clear that climate change is neither imagined nor distant -- and that rising seas are transforming the coastline of the United States in irrevocable ways. In this highly original work of lyrical reportage, Elizabeth Rush guides readers through some of the places where this change has been most dramatic,...

"Over millions of years, organisms in Antarctica--one of the most extreme environments on Earth--have evolved in amazing ways that enable them to thrive on the ice, in the ice, and under the ice. How is climate change affecting the creatures that live in this frozen world? Even in the intensely cold, windy, and dry environment of Antarctica, a wide variety of wildlife--from the massive swarms of krill in the Southern Ocean to the throngs of penguins...

"In his enthusiastic explorations and fervent writing, Michael J. Yochim "was to Yellowstone what Muir was to Yosemite. . . . Other times, his writing is like that of Edward Abbey, full of passion for the natural world and anger at those who are abusing it," writes foreword contributor William R. Lowry. A legendary hiker and an avid backpacker, Yochim worked for the National Park Service for three decades. In 2013 Yochim was diagnosed with ALS (Lou...

Closer to the North Pole than to the Arctic Circle, on an island in a remote Norwegian archipelago, lies a vast global seed bank buried within a frozen mountain. At the end of a 130-meter long tunnel chiseled out of solid stone is a room filled with humanity's precious treasure, the largest and most diverse seed collection ever assembled: more than a half billion seeds containing the world's most prized crops, a safeguard against catastrophic starvation....

"An exploration of seaweed's role in marine ecosystems and climate change solutions"-- "Imagine forests where you can float weightlessly among schools of fish. Huge green pastures where sea turtles graze. Forests that capture carbon from seawater and breathe out oxygen. The answers to many of our planet's problems may lie underwater, in these forests of seaweed. Celebrated nonfiction author Anita Sanchez takes readers on a tour of seaweed forests,...

A tour of some of the world's most iconic and endangered species, and what we can do to save them. Climate change and habitat destruction are not the only culprits behind so many animals facing extinction. The impact of consumer demand for cheap meat is equally devastating and it is vital that we confront this problem if we are to stand a chance of reducing its effect on the world around us. * We are falsely led to believe that squeezing animals into...

A compelling global exploration of nature and survival as seen via a dozen species of trees that represent the challenges facing our planet, and the ways that scientists are working urgently to save our forests and our future. The world today is undergoing the most rapid environmental transformation in human history -- from climate change to deforestation. Scientists, ethnobotanists, indigenous peoples, and collectives of all kinds are closely studying...