Comment from Nancy Hansen Merbitz, Ph.D.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:48 pm

I would also recommend Naomi Klein's book, _The Shock Doctrine". It's about economic policies, the history (tragic history) of radical capitalism, and what the future could look like under different policies. I think it's directly relevent to how change could happen, including front and center: change in energy and conservation policies.

Comment from Mike Kernagis
November 25th, 2008 at 3:04 pm

Hello,

I'm writing to strongly recommend that "Homes for a Changing Climate – Passive Houses in the U.S." be added to your list of recommended reading. The Passive House standard is probably the most rigid building energy standard in the world, conserving a whopping 90% of a building's space heating and cooling costs. The science is solid. The economics are solid. They can be build a broad variety of climates. They can be single- or multi-family dwellings, institutions, or commercial buildings. They can be new or retrofit.
From TheUnion.com:
"This lull in construction is a tremendous opportunity for the more progressive contractors to educate themselves in passive house concepts, ensuring that, in the future, they can contribute to reducing locally generated greenhouse gases and pollution.(See more at http://www.passivehouse.us.)"

More information on the book is available at:
http://www.passivehouse.us/passiveHouse/PassiveHouseBook.html

Thanks for your time and the work you do,

Mike Kernagis
Passive House Institute US

Comment from George Marshall
November 25th, 2008 at 3:21 pm

From a World of Madness to a World of Sanity: Guides for Action by George R. Marshall
http://www.trafford.com/02-0265#goto4
190 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #02-0265; ISBN 1-55369-452-X; US$24.95, C$24.95, EUR17.50, £12.50
The positive actions people are taking to create a better world that act as positive models for all of us. Is it possible for us to establish a Sane Society? Is each of the following a realistic goal or an oxymoron: Inspiring Education, Honest Communication, Compassionate Community, Humanistic Economics, Moral Politics, Ethical business, and Enlightened Military? These are the chapter headings.

Comment from Dawn Morris
November 25th, 2008 at 3:40 pm

Hi,

I's like to recommend a book by the CEO of Stonyfield Farm. This company, and many others mentioned in the book, centers its mission around its impact upon the environment.
The message is that companies can be profitable while at the same time creating state of the art "green" facilities.

Stirring it up : how to make money and save the world, by Gary Hirshberg.
Publication Info. New York : Hyperion Audiobooks, 2008.

It's a must read for every business owner!

Thanks for working so hard to change America's environmental paradigm!

Very truly yours,

Dawn Morris

Comment from neosapiens
November 25th, 2008 at 3:43 pm

"Small is Profitable" and "Winning the Oil Endgame" by Amory Lovins, et. al., are two books well worth reading.
You can download WTOE for free. http://www.oilendgame.com/
Given the short time-horizon we have to really get going on reducing CO2 emissions, the findings in "Small is Profitable" provides a compelling case for rolling out a multitude of small renewable power generators and tackling efficiency as our main focus in the energy area. WTOE shows how to make use of what we already know how to do to be able to get off of oil.

Comment from Misanthropic Scott
November 25th, 2008 at 4:21 pm

The Weather Makers – Tim Flannery: Details the reality of anthropogenic climate change. What is known, what is not, what we must do, and what can and cannot be saved.

Under A Green Sky – Peter D. Ward. This book is about mass extinctions. There have been 5 major ones, plus the one we’re in and causing today. One is known to be caused by a cometary impact 65.3 million years ago. The author is one of the scientists who proved that. Now he is presenting excellent evidence that the others were not caused by impact. The causes of the others are shocking and scary as hell. Go ahead … Guess.

Also, please go to CarbonTax.org. I know EDF has stated that a cap and trade system is better. However, cap and trade is harder to implement and benefits Wall St. rather than working Americans. A carbon tax is simpler, possibly more effective, and will reduce all of our income tax bills rather than making Wall St. executives wealthier.

Hasn't Wall St. been responsible for enough of late? Do we want to trust them with the lives of most of the living beings on the planet? I don't.

Comment from Patch
November 25th, 2008 at 4:42 pm

No suggestion on a book but I do have a link (hope I’m allowed to do that) that will take about 20 minutes to read.
It’s about a plant that that is stronger than cotton, softer and lasts longer. Will grow in all 50 states requires no pesticides or herbicides. 1 acre of this plant will provide as much paper pulp as 4 acres of trees and it’s better paper. The list goes on and on and on about the wonders of this plant; to bad it’s HEMP the male marijuana plant.
You people really want to help the environment, push for legislation to change the retarded laws and allow farmers to grow Hemp.
http://www.thc-ministry.net/untoldstory/

Comment from Rainer Dammers
November 25th, 2008 at 4:43 pm

What can be more convincing than a successful billionaire who had made his fortune in oil putting his stakes now solely on a future of energy independence for America with a large focus on Wind and Solar and Natural gas to drive the remaining larger vehicles.
From a businessman who is extraordinarily humble yet is considered one of the world’s most visionary, T. Boone Pickens "The First Billion Is the Hardest" is both a riveting account of a life spent pulling off improbable triumphs and a report back from the front of the global energy and natural-resource wars—of vital interest to anyone who has a stake in America’s future.

Comment from SNFHAWKINS
November 25th, 2008 at 4:51 pm

We need to have a Green eco-cabinet member in the white house

Comment from sejn
November 25th, 2008 at 4:52 pm

I suggest there be a press release which logically counters the Heritage Foundation's insane proclamations by merely expressing the correct scientific data available.

Comment from Sally Adams
November 25th, 2008 at 4:55 pm

A simple and rapid solution to the energy crisis, global warming, and the auto industry lies in the pages of ecology genius, David Blume's book: Alcohol Can Be a Gas.

Comment from hawkeye
November 25th, 2008 at 5:51 pm

My book entitled "Fort Hickok A Green Community" speaks of ways to save fuel by producing and consuming items within a region rather than hauling them half across the contintent. It also shows how to create those green jobs that are so badly needed in rural America and even gives
consumption and production stats to help one size a given operation to a locale or region. There is nothing fancy abut the concepts involved, just good common sense and a little hard work. It is available at amazon.com.

Comment from sarah wiseman
November 25th, 2008 at 6:16 pm

My recommendation makes the case for seeing any of our improvement plans in terms of the relationships they make possible or undermine in their surroundings. And the author makes very clear what kinds of relationships (patterns) are indispensable to desirable towns and cities, starting at the level of the town, then the local economies, and moving down to the house. James Howard Kunstler's 1995 book, "The Geography of Nowhere: The Rise and Decline of America's Manmade Landscape," describes how this land was derailed from any policies to which a concept of public use and public committedness was integral. What's missing is the forgotten way of designing such that "the whole built environment consisted not of things . . . but only of relationships between and within other relationships" p. 250. If cities and towns were delightful, self-sustaining places to live, work, and play, we could move back and wean ourselves off of our dependence on the car. But first, we need to rewrite most of the zoning laws and redesign aspects of our towns and cities.

Comment from Patrick
November 25th, 2008 at 7:00 pm

I highly recommend "Alcohol Can Be A Gas" by David Blume. David is an expert on organic farming and permaculture. He shows how alcohol (ethanol) can be made from numerous sources and how we can grow our fuel with very little modification to current internal combustion engine technology and how other countries (Brazil & Sweden) have weaned themselves from this frightening oil addiction that we find ourselves hamstrung by.
Go to http://www.alcoholcanbeagas.com/?bid=2&aid=CD106&opt and get your copy today!

Comment from Charles Pierce, Australia
November 25th, 2008 at 8:44 pm

20 years ago I had a book published on different economic concepts to point the way to a sustainable world economy. Someone who liked the book recently contacted me to suggest that I update and re-publish it as a blog. She set up the blog, and the book is now complete on the blog in a series of postings. There are now also additional pieces on global warming and on President Bush. Here is the link:

http://www.economicsforaroundearth.com

With all good wishes,
Charles Pierce

Comment from Joe Hemes
November 25th, 2008 at 9:06 pm

Please add 350.org to your list
Read Bill McKibben's Deep Economy
join for CO2 control with
sustainable and renewable energies
thanks for helping the green revolution,
joe

Comment from Mel Harte
November 25th, 2008 at 9:38 pm

" COOL THE EARTH, SAVE THE ECONOMY: Solving the Climate Crisis is EASY "

by John and Mary Ellen Harte, 2008. available as a free download at:

http://www.CoolTheEarth.US

Written by a noted environmental scientist and his biologist wife, this readable, comprehensive resource book defines global warming, discusses its many consequences, reviews and assesses the various technologies and policies being used to solve the climate crisis, and proposes a plan to reduce current carbon emissions by 75% by 2030 using feasible, acceptable and accessible technologies and policies — without cap and trade, a carbon tax, carbon sequestration or expanded nuclear power. Want more details? Download it and start reading now, and then spread the word! Use it as an educational resource!

Over 700 have already downloaded it, while others are using it as a resource for their classes. Join in!

Comment from Jennifer Kirkpatrick
November 25th, 2008 at 10:39 pm

I would like to recommend the books "The Long Emergency; Surviving the End of Oil, Climate Change, and Other Converging Catastrophes of the Twenty-First Century" by James Howard Kunstler, and "Hell and High Water" by Joseph Romm. They both paint a vivid picture of what this Planet faces if we fail to act, and act soon.

Comment from chris christensen
November 25th, 2008 at 10:59 pm

I recommend Dire Predictions by Mann & Kump (DK Books). Lots of pictures, graphs and other good info to help you learn about the problem.

Comment from Kris B.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:02 am

My goodness, I'm surprised that APOLLO'S FIRE: Igniting America's Clean Energy Economy, by Congressman Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Bracken Hendricks (Island Press, 2007) hasn't appeared on your list. Rep. Inslee has a fine record of green initiatives, and Hendricks founded the Apollo Alliance. He is currently a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, and a consultant on climate and energy to the Obama Transition Team.

Comment from Dennis
November 26th, 2008 at 5:28 am

I would recommend "the deniers' by Lawrence Solomon – it talks about how scientists are attacked anytime they don't agree with the status quo of most scientists – even if their credentials are impeccable. Very interesting reading -

Comment from Mark Holland
November 26th, 2008 at 10:42 pm

We must deny Constitutional freedom to all those who oppose our agenda.

Comment from The Quadfather
November 28th, 2008 at 10:46 am

It's funny how opposing posts disappear on this website, giving the appearance of unanimous agreement. Mr Holland, you made a very scary statement. Constitutional rights are God given. Men will defend them.

Comment from Misanthropic Scott
November 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

The Weather Makers – Tim Flannery: Details the reality of anthropogenic climate change. What is known, what is not, what we must do, and what can and cannot be saved.

Comment from Misanthropic Scott
November 28th, 2008 at 2:59 pm

Under A Green Sky – Peter D. Ward. This book is about mass extinctions. There have been 5 major ones, plus the one we’re in and causing today. One is known to be caused by a cometary impact 65.3 million years ago. The author is one of the scientists who proved that. Now he is presenting excellent evidence that the others were not caused by impact. The causes of the others are shocking and scary as hell. Go ahead … Guess.

Comment from Paul Kangas
November 29th, 2008 at 2:19 am

Solar powered houses work 365 days a year. They cost the same price to build as a box home.
Solar homes give you freedom from oil & coal. Oil causes war. Coal destroys the air. Focus on building the future now.
Building solar homes is a better form of action against the war machine. Do not waste your time chanting. Coal is dead. Time to move on & build the solar homes the world is yearning for. If you are serious about stopping the wars, then do something to stop the use of coal & oil, by building solar powered homes today.
The way solar powered homes work, 365 days a year is, they use 7 forms of power: Berm. The house is built into the earth so it absorbs heat from the Earth in the winter, to maintain 55 F, even in the coldest weather, or hottest area. Then by adding passive solar, south facing windows, you can raise the temperature in the winter. Humans in a building raises the temperature 5%. Vents on the roof, cool the house down to 55 F in hot weather. By adding black pipes, you heat water year round. By adding photo voltaic & batteries, you have lights & power year round, to run dish washers, clothes dryers & charge your electric car.
March against the war Sat., March 21, 11am, SF Civic Center.
America needs to build 1 million new solar homes each year, to break the cycle of oil wars. Today each box home uses 9 tons of coal, each year, just to turn on the lights. Most of our electricity today comes from coal. Burning coal releases vaporized uranium into the air. Clean coal is more dangerous than nuclear power. Reconditioning old homes, by adding solar, costs more than building new solar homes from scratch. Reconditioning is just slavery. By building yourself a new solar home, this is the best way to stop the war. Build the new peace movement by building houses.
Paul Kangas 415 368 8581 paul8kangas@mac.com You tube: paul8kangas

Comment from Paul Kangas
November 29th, 2008 at 2:30 am

I have written a book on how we build solar powered homes.

It is called The Birth of the Cool, by Paul Kangas

These home pay for themselves in 7 years.

Basically, how solar power gives you money, is

the money you save from not buying energy, helps you pay off

your new home. Just like if you had a tenant. The sun is

your new business partner & tenant. You become a stand

alone decentralize, solar power plant. You do not need to

buy electricity from Big Power, that has a 90 acre solar

farm in Nevada. Then we do not need to install expensive

new transmission lines across the US. More money save.

The sun gives power directly to the people.

Paul Kangas

Comment from Richard Bailey
November 30th, 2008 at 4:00 pm

I strongly recommend "Fixing Climate" by W.S. Broecker and R. Kunzig, published by Hill and Wang, N.Y., 2008.

How much volume would be needed to liquefy and store the 29 gigatons of carbon dioxide from the world's fossil fuel burning every year? In a little over 16 years, it would fill Lake Erie! Of course it would have to be pressurized and held deep in the ocean or earth. The authors describe in detail the options, advantages and disadvantage of how this could be done. The scale is immense, but if we don't want a world of 560 ppm carbon, we need to get started, now.

Comment from Rachelle Trautner
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:18 pm

I really learned a lot from the following books:

1) The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawkins (http://www.amazon.com/Ecology-Commerce-Paul-Hawken/dp/0887307043/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228245353&sr=1-1)

2) Natural Capitalism by Paul Hawken, Amory Lovins, and L. Hunter Lovins (http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Capitalism-Creating-Industrial-Revolution/dp/0316353000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228245402&sr=1-1)

3) Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough, Michael Braungart (http://www.amazon.com/Cradle-Remaking-Way-Make-Things/dp/0865475873/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228245402&sr=1-2)

There are so many great ideas. We just need a leader to help us realize them…and of course, the people's movements to convince the leaders we need them!

Comment from tomh
December 5th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

The book that woke me up was

* Paul Roberts' "End of Oil", still relevant even if it was published in 2005. Roberts also recently published

* "End of Food" which is an equally important topic that he covers beautifully.

* Michael Pollan's "Omnivore's Dilemma" is great, and his more recent

* "In Defense of Food" is very accessible

* William McDonough's "Cradle to Cradle" is an important book to help understand sustainability.

* Amory Lovins' "Winning the Oil End Game" is tight, readable and downloadable (see comment above for link). Lovins and RMI have a distinct and worthy approach to solving big problems.

* Robert Kennedy's "Crimes Against Nature" will make your blood boil, but it's a fantastic book.

But of all the books I have read, none has had a stronger effect than

* Lester Brown's "Plan B 3.0". I encourage anyone here who has not to take the effort (and getting through the first section is hard) and read this book.

Oh and one other, if you're looking for some non-fiction to take your mind off reality, I enjoyed reading

* James Kunstler's "World Made By Hand" is fun … well, as fun as a post-apocalyptic book can be