Earth Day: Climate Change

The 2020 Read Across RI Book, Rising is both a highly original work of lyric reportage and a haunting meditation on how to let go of the places we love. With every passing day, and every record-breaking hurricane, it grows clearer that climate change is neither imagined nor distant--and that rising seas are transforming the coastline of the United States in irrevocable ways. In Rising, Elizabeth Rush guides readers through some of the places where this change has been most dramatic, from the Gulf Coast to Miami, and from New York City to the Bay Area. For many of the plants, animals, and humans in these places, the options are stark: retreat or perish in place. Weaving firsthand testimonials from those facing this choice--a Staten Islander who lost her father during Sandy, the remaining holdouts of a Native American community on a drowning Isle de Jean Charles, a neighborhood in Pensacola settled by escaped slaves hundreds of years ago--with profiles of wildlife biologists, activists, and other members of these vulnerable communities, Rising privileges the voices of those too often kept at the margins.

This title examines how climate change affects individuals and society, investigates how people are working to respond and adapt to climate change, and analyzes the controversies and conflicting viewpoints surrounding the issue. Features include a glossary, selected bibliography, websites, source notes, and an index, plus a timeline and essential facts. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

As a fixture in recent headlines, the Earths climate has commanded much attention. While environmental and atmospheric conditions in large part determine the climate of a region, the impact of human activity has increasingly become a significant factor as well. This is especially true concerning significant climate changes, commonly known as global warming. New technologies and an ever-expanding population have contributed to worldwide climate shifts in ways that are harmful to the planet. The factors affecting climate, the various climate classification systems, and international responses to global warming are all carefully considered in this volume.

Although it's a buzzword used by politicians, scientists, and even religious figures, the concept of climate change is a confusing one. Through expert analysis, informational text, and excerpts from public documents, readers are introduced to the subject of climate change and how it is affecting the world around us. Take Action boxes encourage teens to engage in environmental activism.

This title presents the history of climate change. Vivid text details how early studies of greenhouse gases and climate models led to our modern understanding of Earth's climate. It also puts a spotlight on the brilliant scientists who made these advances possible. Useful sidebars, rich images, and a glossary help readers understand the science and its importance. Maps and diagrams provide context for critical discoveries in the field. Aligned to Common Core Standards and correlated to state standards. Essential Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing.

With its soaring azure sky and stark landscapes, the American Southwest is one of the most hauntingly beautiful regions on earth. Yet staggering population growth, combined with the intensifying effects of climate change, is driving the oasis-based society close to the brink of aDust-Bowl-scale catastrophe. In A Great Aridness, William deBuys paints a compelling picture of what the Southwest might look like when the heat turns up and the water runs out.