Science Ecology

In recent years, scientists have hypothesized life-forms that can only be called "weird": organisms that live off acid rather than water, microbes that thrive at temperatures and pressure levels so extreme that their cellular structures should break down, perhaps even organisms that reproduce without DNA. Some of these strange life-forms, unrelated to all life we know, might be nearby: on rock surfaces in the American southwest, hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, or even in our own bodies. Some, stranger still, might live in Martian permafrost, swim in the dark oceans of Jupiter's moons, or survive in the exotic ices on comets.

While examining the history of our planet and actively exploring our present environment, science journalist Michael Tennesen describes what life on Earth could look like after the next mass extinction.

Welcome to the savage and surprising world of Zoo Story, an unprecedented account of the secret life of a zoo and its inhabitants, both animal and human. Based on six years of research, the book follows a handful of unforgettable characters at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo: an alpha chimp with a weakness for blondes, a ferocious tiger who revels in Obsession perfume, and a brilliant but tyrannical CEO known as El Diablo Blanco.

The sixth "mass extinction event" in the history of planet Earth is currently under way, with over two hundred species dying off every day. The cause of this seismic event is also the source of the single biggest threat to human life: our own inventions. But for all our talk about sea levels and biotechnology, do we really know what our future will actually look like? Will our immune systems be attacked by so-called super bugs, always evolving, and more easily spread than ever? Will the disappearance of numerous species cripple the biosphere?

Six days after giving birth, a polar bear named Aurora got up and walked away from her den at the Columbus Zoo, leaving her tiny squealing cub to fend for herself. Hours later, Aurora still hadn’t returned. The cub was furless and blind, and with her temperature dropping dangerously, the zookeepers entrusted with her care felt they had no choice: They would have to raise one of the most dangerous predators in the world by hand. Over the next few weeks, a group of veterinarians and zookeepers worked around the clock to save the cub, whom they called Nora.

生命とは、進化とは、遺伝とは、死とは、多様性とは、生き延びるために必要な生存戦略とは――。

Within the next three years, Juliet Blaxland's home will be demolished, and the land where it now stands will crumble into the North Sea. In her numbered days living in the Easternmost House, Juliet fights to maintain the rural ways she grew up with, re-connecting with the beauty, usefulness and erratic terror of the natural world. A stunning memoir, describing a year on the easternmost edge of England, and exploring how we can preserve delicate ecosystems, and livelihoods, in the face of rapid coastal erosion and environmental change.

人類は今、新たな進化の段階に突入している。産業革命は社会を変えたが、IT革命は人間の心を変えようとしているのだ。

Der neue Hörbuch-Spaziergang mit dem Lieblingsförster der Deutschen: verblüffende Phänomene und spannende Zusammenhänge. "In unseren Genen ist das Band zu den grünen Riesen noch intakt", sagt Peter Wohlleben - und tritt in seinem neuen Hörbuch den Beweis an. Die Natur ist dem modernen Mensch nur scheinbar fremd geworden, nach wie vor verbindet ihn ein starkes Band mit ihr. Ein Beispiel? Menschliche Reaktionen auf chemische Botenstoffe der Bäume: Unser Blutdruck ändert sich nachweislich, wenn wir im Wald sind.

Wir glauben heute, unsere Welt sei weitgehend erforscht: So wie die Erde bis in die entlegenen Regionen hinein vermessen ist, sei fast alles irgendwann von irgendwem analysiert, erklärt, entschlüsselt und beschrieben worden, man müsse nur in dem Wust von Informationen herausfinden, wann und von wem. Doch die Landkarte des menschlichen Wissens weist erstaunlich viele weiße Flecken auf. Selbst auf Gebieten, auf denen wir das nicht vermuten würden, gibt es eine Fülle ungeklärter Fragen.

Each of those worlds - or continents - evolved, and continues to evolve, its own way of life. From the jungle of the Congo or the majestic Himalayas to the densely populated wilds of Europe or the comparatively isolated Australasia, Seven Worlds, One Planet explores the natural wonders that give each of our continents its distinct character. Following the animals that have made these iconic environments their home, it discovers spectacular wildlife stories that reveal what makes each of these seven worlds unique.

" On dit que les territoires nous façonnent. J’avais dix ans quand j’ai compris que le dérèglement climatique menaçait mon univers entier, et toutes mes histoires de famille, dont les glaciers renferment le souvenir. " Camille Étienne a grandi dans un espace en voie de disparition. Dans un de ces lieux où le danger est déjà réel, concret. Face à un effondrement d’une telle ampleur, il est aisé de sombrer dans la paralysie. Mais, nous dit-elle, « notre impuissance est une construction qui ne nous appartient pas », et qui sert ceux qui exercent et jouissent pleinement de leur pouvoir.

Nachhaltigkeit mit Zukunft: Wie man wirklich umweltbewusst leben kann. Zwei Hühner, eine Ente und ein paar Pflanzen: Viel mehr hat Corentin de Chatelperron nicht im Gepäck, als er für vier Monate auf eine schwimmende Bambusplattform in Thailand zieht. Sein Ziel: Mit kreativen Low-Tech-Lösungen eine eigene Biosphäre schaffen und als Selbstversorger leben. Völlig autonom, ohne Supermärkte, Konservennahrung oder fließendes Wasser. In seinem Buch Living for Future lässt der Franzose seine Leser an dem außergewöhnlichen Experiment teilhaben.

Solar Energy for Apartments: How to Go Solar in Apartments and Small Homes by Cameron Crawford is your essential guide to making renewable energy a reality in urban living. Whether you’re a first-time renter, a long-term resident, or a small homeowner, this resource empowers you to embrace sustainable living with confidence.

Julene Bair has inherited part of a farming empire and fallen in love with a rancher from Kansas' beautiful Smoky Valley. She means to create a family, provide her son with the father he longs for, and preserve the Bair farm for the next generation, honoring her own father's wish and commandment, "Hang on to your land!" But part of her legacy is a share of the ecological harm the Bair farm has done: each growing season her family - like other irrigators - pumps over two hundred million gallons out of the Ogallala aquifer.

Part of a series of guides to the US State and National Parks, this is a must for both visitors and residents who want to enjoy the wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities in these two states. Follow in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark and early Native Americans, as Oregon and Washington's numerous parks, forests, and historic sites are visited in detail. This book focuses on each area's rich history and unique geographical features.

"Our Choice gathers in one place all of the most effective solutions that are available now and that, together, will solve this crisis. It is meant to depoliticize the issue as much as possible and inspire readers to take action - not only on an individual basis but as participants in the political processes by which every country, and the world as a whole, makes the choice that now confronts us." (Al Gore, from the Introduction)

In January 2006, a month or two after my father died, I thought I saw him again - a momentary impression of an old man, a little stooped, setting off for a walk in his characteristic fawn corduroys and shabby quilted jacket. After teenage rifts it was walking that brought us closer as father and son, and this ghost of Dad has been walking at my elbow since his death, as I have ruminated on his great love of walking, his prodigious need to do it - and how and why I walk myself.

Extinción nos revela con evidencia científica la crisis ecológica y climática que atraviesa nuestro planeta. En los próximos cincuenta años 4000 millones de personas vivirán en zonas no aptas para la producción de alimentos. Para 2080 América del Sur estará en una sequía extrema. El 60% de los mamíferos y el 70% de las aves son criados para alimentar humanos.

Il mare: culla della vita, meraviglia della natura capace di dividere come di unire. Da sempre i poeti ne cantano lo splendore e la forza, e popoli interi l'hanno solcato nel corso dei millenni. Ancora oggi offre cibo, lavoro ed energia a metà della popolazione mondiale. Abbiamo chiamato Terra il nostro pianeta, eppure il 71 per cento della sua superficie è ricoperto da distese d'acqua, che nelle loro profondità ospitano l'80 per cento delle specie viventi; esse regolano il clima, producono il 50 per cento dell'ossigeno che respiriamo e assorbono un terzo dell'anidride carbonica prodotta dall'uomo.