Books and Movies

[NONFICTION] [NOVELS]
[MOVIES]

Nonfiction Books

Silent Spring by Rachel Carson  

This classic describes the widespread ecological degradation from pesticides. Still relevant.

an-inconvenient_truth_image

An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore

Gore’s groundbreaking, battle cry of a follow-up to the bestselling Earth in the Balance.

The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery  

Flannery’s theory is that all of us contribute to the changes in climate due to our environmental practices … and we have the knowledge to avoid the ultimate catastrophe.

Red Sky at Morningby James Gustave Speth 

Speth, Dean of the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, says that although the planet is in a state of crisis, it is not too late to make effective, even dramatic, changes on a domestic level.

You Can Prevent Global Warming (and Save Money!): 51 Easy Ways  
by Jeffrey Langholz and Kelly Turner

Most Americans are concerned about global warming, but feel helpless to do anything. This book gives practical, simple ways to help.

Cadillac Desert: The American West and Its Disappearing Water by Marc Reisner 

The Amazon review says it best: “The definitive history of water resources in the American West, and a very illuminating
lesson in the political economy of limited resources anywhere.

Global Warming: Personal Solutions for a Healthy Planet by Chris Spence
 

A plain language guide for the average American about global warming and how individuals can make a difference.

High Tide: The Truth About Our Climate Crisis by Mark Lynas  

British reporter Lynas says, “Every time America votes, the world holds its breath…. Climate change begins and ends in America.” Political, but timely.

Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet Tomorrow’s Energy:
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet
by
Peter Hoffmann
 

The word hydrogen conjures
images of devastating bombs and burning zeppelins (the Hindenburg) for most of us, but it inspires visionaries like Peter Hoffmann to picture clear skies and safer roads. Hoffmann’s book Tomorrow’s Energy traces the history of the volatile gas and explores options for its use as fuel.
   

Thin Ice: Unlocking the Secrets of Climate in the World’s Highest
Mountains
by Mark Bowen
 

Science writer and mountaineer Bowen details the way the planet’s temperature is regulated, and how the climate is being disrupted by global warming. This book is out in August, 2006, but you can preorder

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: Waking Up to Personal and Global Transformation by Thom Hartmann  

Originally published in 1998, updated and revised in 2004. Called a “fundamental handbook of the environmental activist movement.” Whew!

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference  
by Malcolm Gladwell

Popular sociologist and writer Gladwell explains how word-of-mouth social epidemics begin and build. Fascinating read and important for those aiming to change the world.

The Biology of Belief  
by Bruce Lipton, PhD.

A well-written, highly readable book about cellular communication in the body and how they’re are affected by our thoughts. Makes the scientific link between mind and matter.

Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth by John Robbins 

A classic about the impact of our food production system on the environment and our own health.

A Language Older than Words
by Derrick Jensen 

This memoir/meditation is poetic, and “breaks and mends the readers heart.” The authors personal story is compelling as an analogy for our relationship with the environment – and how we can heal it.

The Rebirth of Nature: The Greening of Science and God by Rupert Sheldrake 

Sheldrake urges us to move beyond a mechanistic view of nature.

back to top

Novels

Dune by Frank Herbert 

A must-read for Sci-fi fans and the beginning of a loooooong series of books. Rich, detailed examination of resource management and mismanagement. In this case, the precious resource is spice, but substitute water, ozone, or coral reefs for relevancy.

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut 

One of Vonnegut’s very best novels – it starts on the day of the Hiroshima bombing, and explores how mankind self-destructs. Fantasy?

Big Ice by Christopher Bonn Jones 

A lone man faces extremists plotting to force a environmental disaster.

The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy  
by Douglas Adams

A classic. Funny, irreverent, and scarily realistic. A cosmic construction team obliterates Earth in order to build a freeway.

My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn  

An amazing, odd novel. An unnamed narrator studies under a telepathic gorilla – who tells him all about man’s beginnings and impact on Earth. Read it.

back to top

Movies

Global Warming: The Signs and the Science
 

A PBS documentary narrated by Alanis Morissette.

On The Beach 

In 1964, nuclear war wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere, but one American submarine finds a temporary safe haven in Australia, where despair is growing despite the Aussie’s best efforts. A 1959 message film from Stanley Krame

Soylent Green  

This 1973 classic takes place in the future (2022), and it’s not pretty. Over-population and unbearable temperatures force all sorts of dramatic situations.

Dune 

We recommended the book, and we recommend the film.

The Day After Tomorrow 

Jake Gyllenhaal and Dennis Quaid star in this 2004 drama about a climatologist trying to savethe world from abrupt global warming.


Winged Migration 

Birds live on the land, in the water, and in the sky – and this gem of a movie combines breathtaking birds-eye views with little commentary. Watch it in awe.

A.I.  

Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law star in a Stephen Spielberg motion picture. The polar ice caps have melted and coastal cities are under water. But humans adapt, in part by creating realistic robots.  

Baraka 

Another visual masterpiece with a tribal soundtrack. Image and music combine to show us how we’re all connected. Trippy.

Waterworld 

One of the simplest – and most expensive – movie sets ever. The flat, calm, weatherless sea provides a constant backdrop in this 1995 Kevin Costner film about the descendants of those who have survived the melting of the ice caps.

back to top