It was World Environment Day on 5 June. Verity and Ellanya in Lower V have looked at the books on environment in the library and have selected these as recommendations. All of them – and more- on this important subject are available in the senior school library.
Recommendations by Verity Lower V
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
No One is Too Small to Make a Difference is a collection of impactful speeches made by Greta Thunberg to people and parliaments around the world. Greta Thunberg is a name that many people have heard of – and for good reason. She has influenced many of us to take action for our planet against climate change. Originally, she did this by sparking strikes composed of school children who believed more needed to be done against climate change, and later by giving speeches to the UN, world environmental forum, British parliament and many more places. This book is a compilation of some of these speeches. I would recommend this book as Greta Thunberg at our age has still managed to write such powerful speeches that deserve to be heard.
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for an Endangered Planet by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
The Book of Hope, which received a Templeton Prize in 2021, contains the works of Jane Goodall, most famous for her campaigns as a naturalist and her encounters with the Gombe chimpanzees. The “godmother of our generation,” along with her co-author, Douglas Abrams, provides us with a ‘survival guide’ to save our planet. Jane emphasises that, in order to change nature, we need to change human nature itself; I recommend this book as it proves as a perfect read for those who want to change their view of our world through optimism.
Recommendations by Ellanya Lower V
What on Earth…? Poems with a Conservational Theme, Edited by Judith Nicholls, Illustrated by Alan Baker
What on Earth…? is a poetry anthology, teeming with life, where Nicholls, a popular children’s poet supplies answers to what on Earth is happening to our planet. Addressed to teachers, students and general readers, the book features a vast array of cultures and eras to delve into while paying ode to literary geniuses, such as William Blake’s familiar favourite, “The Tyger.” This collection weaves fact with fantasy to offer imaginative interpretations of the world, keeping you engaged from verse to verse. Moreover, it serves as a bridge between our connection to nature and poetry as a powerful storytelling device, while inflicting emotion, making this an eye-opening and exciting recommendation for readers alike.
There Is No Planet B: A Handbook for the Make or Break Years by Mike Berners-Lee
Berners-Lee’s There Is No Planet B offers a lighthearted, engaging and accessible perspective regarding the concerns we should have as humans, who are growing seemingly more powerful, yet blunder into disaster. He emphasises we have a chance to live better than ever through his comprehensive starter guide to deal with the hindrances we’ve placed on our planet. He answers pressing questions from “when a seabass is not a seabass” to “why sun is better than rain,” and even to, whether “we drive technology growth, or does it drive us;” he guides the reader in a constant train-of-thought. He has crunched the numbers, and There Is No Planet B captures our interests entirely on what we can actually do to help humanity – and the planet.