An unflinching investigation of the false promises of land sparing, exposing how its illusory successes mask the failures of green capitalism For two decades, the concept of land sparing, the claim that agricultural intensification can spare land by preventing forest clearing for agricultural expansion, has dominated tropical forest conservation. Land sparing policies transform landscapes and livelihoods with the promise of reconciling agricultural development with environmental conservation. But that land sparing promise is false. Based on six years of research on agrarian frontiers in Indonesia, Brazil, and Bolivia, this book traces where and how land sparing becomes policy and charts the social and ecological effects of these political contests. Gregory M. Thaler explains why land sparing appears successful in some places but not in others and reveals that success as an illusion achieved by displacing deforestation to new frontiers. The failure of land sparing exposes a harsh truth behind assurances of green capitalism: capitalist development is ecocide.

Existential Threat. Climate change is the biggest existential crisis that humankind has faced. In the last 100 years, we have ruined the carbon cycle using fossil fuels, namely, coal, petroleum, and natural gas to build our civilization not taking into account the catastrophic impacts of climate change can cause. We are already seeing a record of floods, hurricanes, wildfires and droughts since the temperature rise is already at 1.5 degrees Celsius. We need to reduce our greenhouse effect by half by 2030 and reach the zero-carbon economy by 2050 to limit the temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius. Even though our lives depend on it, most of us don't know about the causes and how we will be able to tackle this existential threat. This book gives you alternative answers on what steps governments, companies and individuals need to take. Greenhouse Effects and Global Warming. According to Elon Musk: "Ruining the carbon cycle is the dumbest experiment in history". Life on earth built its balance in 4.5 billion years, and human-induced fossil fuel emissions caused the carbon dioxide density to increase from 300 to 420 ppm in less than 100 years resulting in the heat to be trapped in the atmosphere, and the average temperature to increase 1.5 degrees Celsius. We need to keep it at 2 degrees Celsius level. The Biggest Opportunity. We are at a turning point. Climate change solutions also make economical sense, which is what governments, and corporations are completely aware. Now is the time to phase out the fossil fuel production and consumption and gain full momentum to the green zero-carbon economy such as geothermal, wind power, solar electricity, nuclear fusion, and biomass. Fortunately, renewable sources along with the available technologies, and upcoming innovations are all in line to create the sustainable future economy. Successful Models. Arguably, the biggest challenge that the humanity has ever overcome as one species is the Ozone depletion through the Montreal Protocol, which was signed by 197 countries. Now, the Ozone layer is fully recovering as chlorofluorocarbons are banned by all countries, and it's estimated to fully recover by 2050. The Montreal Treaty and other successful technologies and innovations can be used as a success model that also represents what we are able to achieve when we unite. The New Economy. It's inevitable that we will be feeling the impacts of climate change for the decades to come since we keep filling the atmosphere with greenhouse gases. However, we have every reason to be extremely hopeful since all the countries signed the Paris Agreement, they come together each year to improve the progress via COP meetings, and we have new, and upcoming technologies such as Tokamak nuclear fusion, solid state batteries, complete electrification of vehicles, and concentrated solar power that can realize the zero-carbon economy by the 2050 deadline. Learn what climate change exactly is and how we will be able to tackle it in the next few decades. This book will bring you the information and insight for you to see how governments, companies and individuals can take orchestrated actions.

In the spirit of "An Inconvenient Truth," John Javna and his 14-year-old daughter, Sophie, offer 50 environmentally inspired, kid-powered approaches to reducing waste and improving the world.

A pacifists timely and passionate manifesto addressing the issue of global warming. Utopia, as Ratzlaff explains, is not some unattainable oasis but rather a world without war and with a balanced global habitat that can sustain future generations. [R]ank and file Americans need to be able to comprehend what global warming is all about, the author writes, in order to grasp what will happen if we fail to take immediate steps to combat it. The book is not a scientific treatise bogged down with academic language, but rather a pacifists simple approach to solving one of the worlds most difficult dilemmas. Employing a minimum of hard data to explore melting ice caps, rising sea levels, changing weather patterns and ocean currents, Ratzlaff effectively illustrates the cause-and-effect relationship between human activity and the planets well-being. While Al Gore answered the hows and whys of global warming in An Inconvenient Truth, Ratzlaff illustrates the imminent need for vast governmental and political changes, and he explains the consequences of ignoring the obvious threat to our planet. The author states that one of the biggest problems with the currentapproach to global warming is the tendency of advocates to ignore the significant role of population growth. Additionally, at the roots of global warming lay nationalism, religious wars and the military-industrial complexRatzlaff outright blames governments and corporations for the current situation. After demonstrating the various successes of the United Nations in heading off global conflicts, the author concludes that the UN is the only organization capable of becoming a fully empowered international governing body. Yet handcuffed by its current structure, it can do nothing more than cast environmental resolutions that are often ignored. Unlike other books that attempt to tackle major global issues, rather than pointing out the problems and offering no solutions, Ratzlaff rounds out each of the seven steps with definitive alternatives in his If I Were President summaries. A thorough yet easy-to-comprehend take on global warming. KIRKUS REVIEWS

Perhaps it is not possible to experience all the mysterious sounds, the unfamiliar smells, and the spectacular sights of a tropical rainforest without ever visiting one. But this exhilarating and honest book comes wondrously close to taking the reader on such a journey. Bruce M. Beehler, a widely traveled expert on birds and tropical ecology, recounts fascinating details from twelve field trips he has taken to the tropics over the past three decades. As a researcher, he brings to life the exotic rainforests and the people who inhabit them; as a conservationist, he makes a plea for better ways of managing rainforestsa resource that the world cannot do without. Drawing on his experiences in Papua New Guinea, India, Madagascar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Panama, and the Ivory Coast, Beehler describes the surprisesboth pleasant and unpleasantof doing science and conservation in the field. He explains the role that rainforests play in the lives of indigenous peoples and the crucial importance of understanding local cultures, customs, and politics. The author concludes with simple but tough solutions for maintaining rainforest health, expressing fervent hope that his great-grandchildren and others may one day also hear the rainforest whisper its secrets.

International development policy is responsible for much of the destruction of Central and Latin American rainforests. This explores how indigenous women are at last turning their voices to action, demanding grassroots strategies as the solution.

This report is a socioeconomic and political analysis of environmental sustainability in terms of the present state of the environment, what we can do to reverse the negative trends, and what the current and potential barriers are. First, it offers a background of the issue through a historical perspective. How we got here has a lot to do with how previous generations behaved towards the environment. Similarly, how we behave will determine the kind of environment future generations will have to contend with. It looks at the dynamics likely to impact the balance of nature. Also, because understanding what is biodiversity and why is it important are essential in order to grasp the concept of sustainability, this report looks at the types of ecosystems that form the biosphere and brings an answer to this important question, “Is the Maximum sustainable yield (MSY) concept a fallacy?” Moreover, the importance of cities is a key factor in environmental sustainability. So, the report shows the pros and cons of cities in both the preservation of the environment and the conservation of its biodiversity. The social, economic, and political analyses use the latest data and views from experts, scientists, and scholars alike and also the views of the common people. The result is that all three levels have positives and negatives and so, none of them should be individually prioritized over the other two. To tackle this dilemma, the report offers an alternative: an inclusive, pluralistic, and global approach which aims at motivating all stakeholders – from rich and poor countries – and people from all walks of life to work together towards a common goal and common interests. Such an approach, says the report should be bottom-up instead of top-down, that is, the needs of local populations, especially those closer to biodiversity, must come first before those of large corporations. However, while in the present and short terms, this approach may be successful, in the long term or a distant future, there are reasons to be skeptical for the environment is constantly changing and generations are different from one another. And that is very important because what constitutes the cornerstone of environmental sustainability is this: the present use of natural resources should not be harmful to future generations. Therefore, the report looks into the future. While acknowledging that, in terms of environmental sustainability, predicting the future is a daunting task – because it is better to think that the future is now – the report shows how we can prepare a soft landing for our great grand-children by laying the groundwork for them. We can accomplish this last task because we still have time.

Planet Earth is f**ked. Decades of gas-guzzling and plastic parasites have brought the Earth to its knees. Entire species are disappearing, the icecaps are melting and forest fires are raging like never before. Basically, we've really messed the place up. Packed full of easy-to-digest climate truths and IFLScience's trademark witty humour, How to F**king Save the Planet is your essential handbook to global warming and climate change. Learn how to successfully argue with climate-deniers, why micro-plastic pollution means that polar bears can no longer get boners and why the Paris Climate Agreement is really important. Written by Jennifer Crouch with global go-to science site IFLScience, let this book guide, infuriate and inspire you into getting up off your arse and actually doing something to save the world!

A series of photocopiable activity files that provide opportunities to help develop active learning and critical thinking skills.