An in-depth study of climate change, examining historical and present-day causes and effects of rising global temperatures, as well as what people can do to combat climate change.
Part of the Odysseys in the Environment series
Each title covers current challenges facing the modern world today. Starting with a detailed table of contents the topics are introduced, then further broken down by what challenges are faced, what the future looks like, how readers can support the causes to make the situation better, and if there is an end in sight...There are red tabs that read ‘opposite’ and sometimes state a conflict or quick fact, along with gray takeaways, showing how nuance and complexity exist within each topic. Every chapter also connects the new information to readers and how they can change what they do to help the environment. For example, The War on Waste covers the decades-long plan to turn New York City’s Fresh Kills Landfill into a park...[T]he photographs that are used have a great impact. The back matter includes a selected bibliography, endnotes/glossary, websites to visit, and an index. VERDICT A slightly dense, but still important, series on current challenges we face today.
–School Library Journal, 04/01/2022
All of the books in the "Odysseys" series are written to open your eyes about the plight of our planet. In this one, the reader finds a comprehensive summary of the impact that humans are having on our Earth: from polluting the atmosphere to warming the oceans to stripping rain forests of incredible numbers of trees. The author points out examples of some of the resulting concerns, including the dying coral reefs, the continuing extinction of animals, and the high levels of greenhouse gases. Planetary warming is an ongoing problem. Although an increase of about seven degrees over the past fifty years might not seem like a lot, it is enough to have caused a steady warming of our North and South polar ices and snows. Glaciers are melting and sending more water into our waterways, which raises global water levels and puts many coastal cities and towns at risk of losing part of their land or being flooded permanently. Perhaps the most notable example of melting is Glacier National Park in Montana, where it is believed there could be no glaciers remaining by the next decade. There are many people on both sides of this problem, from people of all ages are doing their best to warn the public as what could happen in the future if nothing is done to naysayers who believe our planet is perfectly capable of repairing itself, as it has always done in previous warming situations. Which side is correct? Is there a middle ground? Read this book, and decide for yourself.
–Children's Literature, 10/06/2022