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A Stargazing Program for Beginners: A Pocket Field Guide (Astronomer's Pocket Field Guide)
by Jamie CarterSets out a simple month-by-month program to reveal all of the night sky's biggest and most beautiful secrets in just one year - and with only a few hours of stargazing each month By investing just an hour a week and $50 in binoculars, it's possible to learn a few simple techniques and quickly gain a real insight into the night sky's ever-changing patterns - and what they tell us about Earth, the seasons and ourselves. Searching more for a learned appreciation of nature and our exact place within the cosmos than academic scientific knowledge, science and travel writer Jamie Carter takes the reader on a 12 month tour of the night sky's incredible annual rhythms that say so much about Earth. During the journey he learns about the celestial mechanics at work in the skies above that are - to the beginner - almost beyond belief. As well as the vital constellations and clusters, and the weird and wonderful nebulas, he searches out "dark sky destinations" across the globe that help increase knowledge and give a new perspective on familiar night sky sights. On the journey he witnesses a solar eclipse and grapples with star-charts, binoculars, smartphone apps, telescopes, spots satellites and attempts basic astro-photography. By year's end, the reader will be able to glance at the night sky from anywhere on the planet and tell what direction he or she is facing, what time it is, where all the planets are and even where the Galactic Center Point is.
Starlight Adventure: Book 6 (Fairy Forest School #6)
by Olivia BrookA magical fairy school series about helping animals and looking after nature, from the publisher of the best-selling series, Rainbow Magic!Poppy Merrymoss is taking part in the Starlight Dance Show with her best friends Ninad and Rose. They're so excited to perform in the magical toadstool ring with their new firefly friends, Zip and Zap. But before the big performance, mean Lady Nightshade puts an evil spell on the forest, making it night time forever! All the forest animals are confused and exhausted without day and night to guide them. Poppy and her friends must help the animals and make things right. Will they fix day and night before the big show? Have you read Poppy Merrymoss's other adventures, Fairy Forest School: The Raindrop Spell, Fairy Forest School: Baby Bunny Magic, Fairy Forest School: The Snowflake Charm, Fairy Forest School: Lily Pad Rescue and Fairy Forest School: Red Panda Riddle?
Starlight Detectives
by Alan HirshfeldDiscover magazine "Top 5 Summer Read"Scientific American "Recommended" feature review"A masterful balance of science, history and rich narrative." -Discover magazine"Starlight Detectives is just the sort of richly veined book I love to read-full of scientific history and discoveries, peopled by real heroes and rogues, and told with absolute authority. Alan Hirshfeld's wide, deep knowledge of astronomy arises not only from the most careful scholarship, but also from the years he's spent at the telescope, posing his own questions to the stars." -DAVA SOBEL, author of A More Perfect Heaven: How Copernicus Revolutionized the Cosmos and LongitudeIn 1929, Edwin Hubble announced the greatest discovery in the history of astronomy since Galileo first turned a telescope to the heavens. The galaxies, previously believed to float serenely in the void, are in fact hurtling apart at an incredible speed: the universe is expanding. This stunning discovery was the culmination of a decades-long arc of scientific and technical advancement. In its shadow lies an untold, yet equally fascinating, backstory whose cast of characters illuminates the gritty, hard-won nature of scientific progress.The path to a broader mode of cosmic observation was blazed by a cadre of nineteenth-century amateur astronomers and inventors, galvanized by the advent of photography, spectral analysis, and innovative technology to create the entirely new field of astrophysics. From William Bond, who turned his home into a functional observatory, to John and Henry Draper, a father and son team who were trailblazers of astrophotography and spectroscopy, to geniuses of invention such as Léon Foucault, and George Hale, who founded the Mount Wilson Observatory, Hirshfeld reveals the incredible stories-and the ambitious dreamers-behind the birth of modern astronomy.Alan Hirshfeld, Professor of Physics at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and an Associate of the Harvard College Observatory, is the author of Parallax: The Race to Measure the Cosmos, The Electric Life of Michael Faraday, and Eureka Man: The Life and Legacy of Archimedes.
The Starling: The perfect Christmas gift for bird lovers (The Bird Biography Series)
by Stephen Moss‘Stephen Moss delights once more - lyrical and informative by turns, he conjures - with breathless eloquence - another feathered beauty of our skies.’ Benedict Allen'An engrossing compilation of ornithological tidbits, cultural anecdotes, literary quotes and well chosen historical artwork’ BBC Wildlife, *Books of the Year*Uncover the life of starlings through this beautiful guide to these majestic and gregarious birds from the bestselling author of The Owl, The Robin, The Wren, and The Swan. Even with its exquisite iridescent plumage and magical gift to mimic both human and natural sounds, this common garden bird can often be overlooked. But as they unite in their thousands to display their unique ability to perform dazzling aerial manoeuvres known as murmurations, starlings are nothing short of breathtaking. This is the captivating story of how starlings have shaped our world, from influencing agriculture and inspiring musicians such as Mozart and writers such as Shakespeare, to their impact as an invasive species in North America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.With beautiful illustrations throughout, and an expert guide to the most magnificent murmurations in the UK, this eye-opening biography reveals the hidden secrets of one of our most talented and luminous birds.
Starry Eyes
by Jenn Bennett<p>Ever since last year’s homecoming dance, best friends-turned-best enemies Zorie and Lennon have made an art of avoiding each other. It doesn’t hurt that their families are the modern day, Californian version of the Montagues and Capulets. <p>But when a group camping trip goes south, Zorie and Lennon find themselves stranded in the wilderness. Alone. Together. <p>What could go wrong? <p>With no one but each other for company, Zorie and Lennon have no choice but to hash out their issues via witty jabs and insults as they try to make their way to safety. But fighting each other while also fighting off the forces of nature makes getting out of the woods in one piece less and less likely. <p>And as the two travel deeper into Northern California’s rugged backcountry, secrets and hidden feelings surface. But can Zorie and Lennon’s rekindled connection survive out in the real world? Or was it just a result of the fresh forest air and the magic of the twinkling stars?</p>
Starry Skies and Fireflies
by Jenny Meyerhoff Éva ChatelainThe fifth book in the Friendship Garden series finds Anna and her friends sleeping under the stars in the garden’s first-ever urban campout!Calling all campers! The Friendship Garden is having a summer sleepover under the stars! Get ready for: 1. Ooey, gooey s’mores 2. Toasty camp fires 3. Ghosts?? Anna is excited for an end-of-summer party with her friends, but she is NOT excited for creepy stories. Anna doesn’t like the dark…or being scared! But her buddies at the Friendship Garden want to tell ghost stories and play scary games! And Anna doesn’t want to look like a ‘fraidy cat, so she decides that she’ll just skip the party instead. Can Anna’s friends convince her that being scared is sometimes fun? Or will she miss out on the Friendship Garden’s party of the year?
Stars in Your Hand: A Guide to 3D Printing the Cosmos
by Kimberly Arcand Megan WatzkeAn illustrated guide to exploring the Universe in three dimensions.Astronomers have made remarkable discoveries about our Universe, despite their reliance on the flat projection, or 2D view, the sky has offered them. But now, drawing on the vast stores of data available from telescopes and observatories on the ground and in space, astronomers are using 3D technology to go beyond a flattened view of the cosmos. In Stars in Your Hand, Kimberly Arcand and Megan Watzke offer an illustrated guide to exploring the Universe in three dimensions, with easy-to-follow instructions for creating models of stars and constellations using a 3D printer and 3D computer imaging. Stars in Your Hand and 3D technology make learning about space an adventure. Intrigued by the stunning images from high-powered telescopes? Using this book, you can fly virtually through a 3D spacescape and hold models of cosmic objects in your hand. Arcand and Watzke outline advances in 3D technology, describe some amazing recent discoveries in astronomy, reacquaint us with the night sky, and provide brief biographies of the telescopes, probes, and rovers that are bringing us so much data. They then offer images and instructions for printing and visualizing stars, nebulae, supernovae, galaxies, and even black holes in 3D. The 3D Universe is a marvel, and Stars in Your Hand serves as a unique and thrilling portal to discovery.
Start Now!: You Can Make a Difference
by Chelsea ClintonFor the youngest activists among us, a book geared just for them full of facts, stories, and tips on how to change the world, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Chelsea Clinton. <P><P>What can I do to help save endangered animals? How can I eat healthy? Why do I need to cover my mouth when I cough? What do I do if I'm being bullied? <P><P>With information on problems both large and small, Chelsea Clinton breaks down the concepts of health, hunger, climate change, endangered species and bullying, so that readers can understand the world around them, and how they can make a difference in their own lives, as well as in their communities and the world at large. With comic drawings to illustrate Clinton's words, photographs of real live kids who are making a difference today, and lists of ways to get involved, this book is the perfect introduction to young activists who want to make the world a better place. <P><P>A book equally important and welcome for any elementary school kid, the Cub Scout and Girl Scout set, and for moms who want to raise socially active children. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
Starting Over: A Country Year and A Book of Bees
by Sue HubbellA pair of memoirs about a woman starting her life over as a beekeeper in the Ozarks, from &“a latter-day Henry Thoreau with a sense of the absurd&” (Chicago Tribune). Taken together, the &“steadily eloquent&” national bestseller, A Country Year, and its follow-up, A Book of Bees, a New York Times Notable Book, offer a moving and fascinating chronicle of Sue Hubbell&’s seasonal second life as a commercial beekeeper (The Washington Post). Alone on a small Missouri farm after the end of a thirty-year marriage, Hubbell found a new love—of the winged, buzzing variety. Left with little but the commercial beekeeping and honey-producing business she started with her husband, Hubbell found solace in the natural world, as well as in writing about her experience. In evocative vignettes, she takes readers through the seasonal cycle of her life as a beekeeper, offering exquisitely rendered details of hives, harvests, and honey, while also reflecting on deeper questions. As the New York Times wrote: &“The real masterwork that Sue Hubbell has created is her life.&”
Starved Rock State Park (Postcard History Series)
by Nancy Hill BartaStarved Rock State Park is located midway between Ottawa and LaSalle. The park has more than 2,630 acres that include 18 beautiful canyons and waterfalls. One of the largest Native American encampments, the Grand Village of the Kaskaskia was located near Starved Rock. Fr. Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet are believed to be the first white men to have set eyes upon the rock. Ren©-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, built Fort St. Louis on the rock. Legend has it that a band of Illinois Indians starved to death while seeking refuge from its enemies on the rock, hence the name Starved Rock. Starved Rock State Park has remained virtuallyunchanged through the years as its history is told through the author's vintage postcards.
Starved Rock State Park: The Work of the CCC Along the I&M Canal
by Charlene Giardina Dennis H. CreminVisitors to Starved Rock State Park are often struck by the grandeur of its rustic lodge. They marvel at its massive fireplace and hand-hewn logs. Yet few realize that this structure is a tangible reminder of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which in the 1930s provided work for young men left unemployed by the Great Depression. Starved Rock Lodge was one of the biggest projects of the "CCC boys" along the Illinois and Michigan Canal, but it was far from the only one. Working as a team and living in camps from Willow Springs to La Salle-Peru, they built facilities that transformed the old canal into what became the I&M Canal State Trail (1974) and the nation's first National Heritage Corridor (1984). President Franklin D. Roosevelt's nation-wide program preserved the landscape from the ravages of soil erosion, flooding, and deforestation. In the process, the young men built beautiful parks, buildings, and shelters that we use and admire today.
Starved Rock State Park: An Illinois Treasure
by Lee Mandrell DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell“Capture[s] the spirit and nature of the park without showing more than footprints from the park’s 2.5 million visitors per year.” —The Times (ShawLocal.com)Nestled along the Illinois River, Starved Rock State Park is a favorite destination no matter the season. This National Historic Landmark boasts a landscape filled with tall bluffs, elegant trees, and wildflower-adorned hills, perfect for the adventurer inside us all.In Starved Rock State Park: An Illinois Treasure, photographers Lee Mandrell and DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell showcase the beauty and grandeur of this Illinois state park. With photos of twisting forest trails, plunging canyons, and lakes veiled in mist, they uncover this land piece by piece. Hike to take in the view at Lover’s Leap Overlook or relish the waterfalls that come roaring out from canyons with names like “Wildcat” and “St. Louis.” Come explore this park thriving with life. From hawks soaring across crisp blue skies and snakes slinking over bramble to folksy log cabins and meadows of black-eyed Susans, there is a little something for everyone.With 120 high-quality color photos and an appreciation of the finer details in life, Starved Rock State Park will transport you to a land rich with history and wonder.
Starved Rock State Park: An Illinois Treasure
by Lee Mandrell DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell“Capture[s] the spirit and nature of the park without showing more than footprints from the park’s 2.5 million visitors per year.” —The Times (ShawLocal.com)Nestled along the Illinois River, Starved Rock State Park is a favorite destination no matter the season. This National Historic Landmark boasts a landscape filled with tall bluffs, elegant trees, and wildflower-adorned hills, perfect for the adventurer inside us all.In Starved Rock State Park: An Illinois Treasure, photographers Lee Mandrell and DeeDee Niederhouse-Mandrell showcase the beauty and grandeur of this Illinois state park. With photos of twisting forest trails, plunging canyons, and lakes veiled in mist, they uncover this land piece by piece. Hike to take in the view at Lover’s Leap Overlook or relish the waterfalls that come roaring out from canyons with names like “Wildcat” and “St. Louis.” Come explore this park thriving with life. From hawks soaring across crisp blue skies and snakes slinking over bramble to folksy log cabins and meadows of black-eyed Susans, there is a little something for everyone.With 120 high-quality color photos and an appreciation of the finer details in life, Starved Rock State Park will transport you to a land rich with history and wonder.
State and Discrimination: Other Side of the Cold War
by Lynn TurgeonThe author studies affirmative action efforts in four countries: two superpowers - the United States and the Soviet Union - and two non-superpowers - Canada and Hungary. Drawing on his knowledge of diverse societies, the author weighs the evidence to evaluate whether popular pressure for affirmative action is greater in the superpower than in the non-superpower nations. The book presents facts about the nature and historic development of state policy in the advanced capitalist and socialist countries, and raises insights that run counter to the common wisdom.
State of Disaster: A Historical Geography of Louisiana’s Land Loss Crisis
by Craig E. ColtenState of Disaster: A Historical Geography of Louisiana’s Land Loss Crisis explores Louisiana’s protracted efforts to restore and protect its coastal marshes, nearly always with minimal regard for the people displaced by those efforts. As Craig E. Colten shows, the state’s coastal restoration plan seeks to protect cities and industry but sacrifices the coastal dwellers who have maintained their presence in this perilous place for centuries. This historical geography examines in turn the adaptive capacity of those living through repeated waves of calamity; the numerous disjointed environmental management regimes that contributed to the current crisis; the cartographic visualizations of land loss used to activate public coastal policy; and the phases of public input that nevertheless failed to give voice to the citizens most impacted by various environmental management strategies. In closing, Colten situates Louisiana’s experience within broader discussions of climate change and recovery from repeated crises.
The State of Fire: Why California Burns
by Obi KaufmannHow do we live with fire? From the creator of The California Field Atlas, a book of stewardship, resilience, and hope.Fire is an essential part of California's ecology. Humans have been using it to shape the California landscape for thousands of years. But today many Californians' relationship to fire is one of fear. Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, now asks: How do we live with fire? What makes fire essential to a healthy and biodiverse Golden State, and how do we benefit from its teachings? With the same solution-minded ethic as his much-admired The State of Water: Understanding California's Most Precious Resource, Kaufmann presents fire as a force of regeneration rather than apocalypse. He considers the long history of ecological burns, the varied ways fire behaves across the state, and the lessons we can learn from California's largest fires of recent decades.Packed with Kaufmann's signature watercolor maps and paintings, The State of Fire confronts one of California's most pressing social and ecological challenges. From this maelstrom Kaufmann emerges to share a deepened love for the natural world—and a refreshingly hopeful vision of California's future.
State-of-the-Art Indonesia Energy Transition: Empirical Analysis of Energy Programs Acceptance
by Dinita SetyawatiThis book discusses how people can come together to address current energy justice and access poverty problems by examining the relationship between energy systems and society in diverse energy sources. The novelty of this book is that this is the only complete guide for readers who wish to understand the status of Indonesia’s energy transition and renewable energy development. Energy programs that are explored are the ones prioritized by government administrations, including coal, nuclear power, solar energy, green electricity, and geothermal energy. Based on extensive fieldwork and empirical data, the book combines insights from historical data on energy subsidies and economic diversification, current empirical data on social acceptance of new energy technologies, and contemporary studies that forecast the implications of the transition to the coal industry and fossil fuel subsidies. It asks how Indonesia has enacted policies that support energy transition. How do the public and civil society view those policies? What are the implications for broader themes and discussions on energy sources, technology, systems, policies, and service? Strategies are suggested to advance a sustainable transition in the developing world that will mitigate developmental risks associated with the transition away from fossil fuels while encouraging decision making in a sustainable and socially just manner. This book is an informative and engaging read for a general audience as well as a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and students in environmental and energy studies.
The State of the Earth: Environmental Challenges on the Road to 2100
by Paul K. ConkinAn assessment of where we are, where we&’re headed, and what we need to do before it&’s too late: &“Instructive, well-researched, and easy-to-read.&” —John T. Ackerman, Strategic Studies Quarterly This era of staggering scientific and technological innovations, with major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, commerce, and communications, seems to document unparalleled human achievement. Yet when we examine the long-term implications, it becomes clear that the delicate environmental balance that sustains life on this planet is under serious threat, and the past century may be remembered not as a period of great progress but as one marked by unrestrained consumption and failure to come close to a sustainable use of the earth&’s limited natural resources. In The State of the Earth, noted historian Paul K. Conkin provides a comprehensive analysis of the many environmental hazards that humans must face in this still-young century. Our activities have threatened the survival of many plants and animals, created scarcities in cultivatable soils and water needed for irrigation, used up a large share of fossil fuels, polluted air and water, and most likely created conditions that will lead to devastating climate changes. This is an invaluable resource for those who desire a broad yet thorough and scientifically informed introduction to present environmental challenges.
State of the Wild 2008-2009: A Global Portrait of Wildlife, Wildlands, and Oceans (State of the Wild #2)
by Eva Fearn Ward WoodsState of the Wild is a biennial series that brings together international conservation experts and writers to discuss emerging issues in the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Each volume in the series combines evocative writings with a fascinating tour of conservation news highlights and vital statistics from around the world. One-third of each volume focuses on a topic of particular concern to conservationists working to protect wildlife and our last wild places. This 2008-2009 edition considers the integration of wildlife health, ecosystem health, human health, and the health of domestic animals--a "One World-One Health" approach to disease and conservation. This focus is complemented with essays clustered into sections that address other key issues--conservation of species; conservation of wild places; people, culture, and conservation; and the art and practice of conservation. Essays cover a broad range of topics, from restoring biodiversity on the prairies to mapping the state of the oceans to the conservation impacts of lawlessness and coca cultivation in Colombia. Essay contributions come from people directly involved in on-the-ground conservation efforts and offer a unique and valuable perspective on often-overlooked topics. State of the Wild's accessible approach educates a wide range of audiences while at the same time presenting leading-edge scientific overviews of hot topics in conservation. Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essays from eminent authors and experienced scientists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.
State of the Wild 2010-2011: A Global Portrait (State of the Wild #3)
by Eva Fearn Ward WoodsState of the Wild is a biennial series that brings together international conservation experts and writers to discuss emerging issues in the conservation of wildlife and wild places. Each volume in the series combines evocative writings with a fascinating tour of conservation news highlights and vital statistics from around the world. One-third of each volume focuses on a topic of particular concern to conservationists. This 2010-2011 edition considers how destabilization and war affect wildlife and wild places. Only recently has the international community begun to appreciate the cost of conflict--simmering tension, war, and reconstruction--on the natural world. This special section examines the role that conservation plays in the context of human conflict considering issues such as, Can the work of saving wildlife and wild places help ameliorate tensions? Can conservation deepen political understanding? Can conservation help in post-conflict situations? The book's twenty essays are intermixed with poetry and beautiful photos that capture our connection to the wild. State of the Wild's accessible approach educates a wide range of audiences while at the same time presenting leading-edge scientific overviews of hot topics in conservation. Uniquely structured with magazine-like features up front, conservation news in the middle, and essays from eminent authors and experienced scientists throughout, this landmark series is an essential addition to any environmental bookshelf.
State of the World (State of the World)
by The Worldwatch The Worldwatch InstituteCities are the world's future. Today, more than half of the global population--3. 7 billion people--are urban dwellers, and that number is expected to double by 2050. There is no question that cities are growing; the only debate is over how they will grow. Will we invest in the physical and social infrastructure necessary for livable, equitable, and sustainable cities?In the latest edition of State of the World, the flagship publication of the Worldwatch Institute, experts from around the globe examine the core principles of sustainable urbanism and profile cities that are putting them into practice. State of the World first puts our current moment in context, tracing cities in the arc of human history. It also examines the basic structural elements of every city: materials and fuels; people and economics; and biodiversity. In part two, professionals working on some of the world's most inventive urban sustainability projects share their first-hand experience. Success stories come from places as diverse as Ahmedabad, India; Freiburg, Germany; and Shanghai, China. In many cases, local people are acting to improve their cities, even when national efforts are stalled. Parts three and four examine cross-cutting issues that affect the success of all cities. Topics range from the nitty-gritty of handling waste and developing public transportation to civic participation and navigating dysfunctional government. Throughout, readers discover the most pressing challenges facing communities and the most promising solutions currently being developed. The result is a snapshot of cities today and a vision for global urban sustainability tomorrow.
State of the World 1998: A Worldwatch Institute Report On Progress Toward A Sustainable Society (State of the World)
by The Worldwatch InstituteIn this fifteenth edition of State of the World, Lester R. Brown and the Worldwatch research team look at the environmental effects of continuing economic growth as the economy outgrows the earth's ecosystem. As the global economy has expanded from $5 trillion of output in 1950 to $29 trillion in 1997, its demands have crossed many of the earth's sustainable yield thresholds
State of the World 1999: A Worldwatch Institute Report On Progress Toward A Sustainable Society (State of the World)
by The Worldwatch InstituteWritten in clear and concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World presents a view of our changing world that we cannot afford to ignore.
State of the World 2000: A Worldwatch Institute Report On Progress Toward A Sustainable Society (State of the World)
by The Worldwatch InstituteState of the World 2000 shines a sharp light on the great challenge our civilization faces: how to use our political systems to manage the difficult and complex relationships between the global economy and the Earth's ecosystems. If we cannot build an environmentally sustainable global economy, then we have no future that anyone would desire.
State of the World 2001
by The Worldwatch InstituteFrom the thinning of the Arctic sea ice to the invasion of the mosquito-borne West Nile virus, State of the World 2001 shows how the economic boom of the last decade has damaged natural systems. The increasingly visible evidence of environmental deterioration is only the tip of a much more dangerous problem: the growing inequities in wealth and income between countries and within countries, inequities that will generate enormous social unrest and pressure for change.