Deeply depressing and not for casual readers, but older students will find this an informative introduction to a serious...
An experienced science writer explains the growing phenomenon of dead zones in the world's waters, describing their effects, their likely causes, and efforts to reduce their spread.
Hand focuses on the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin and the Gulf of Mexico, but she also touches on the Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, and other areas around the world. She selects relevant information and organizes her material clearly, introducing the problem with some personal stories and including quotations from scientists throughout. In straightforward expository prose, she explains why oxygen is necessary in water and connects its disappearance to the increased cultivation of corn and the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers. She mentions other causes as well, including natural ones, oil spills, and global warming. In a chapter called “Success and Failure” she describes efforts at decreasing nutrient runoff and restoring wetlands before offering some hypotheses about why these efforts have not been as successful as people had hoped. Her language is often technical but appropriate to the subject. Photographs are well-captioned, but these explanations are made less legible by the design decision to print some of them directly on the image and the rest in a tiny red font.
Deeply depressing and not for casual readers, but older students will find this an informative introduction to a serious environmental issue. (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4677-7573-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2015
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a...
Will the world end in a bang or a whimper? Unless pre-empted by human-induced disaster or one of many scientifically possible catastrophic scenarios, life on Earth will end a billion years from now in a sizzle.
Predicting the end of the world is an old story, argues the author, presenting evidence in brief surveys of eschatologies from the world's major religions and mythologies of ancient civilizations. Miller also notes how end-of-world scenarios have captured humanity's imagination in their frequent appearances in science-fiction novels and motion pictures. (Disappointingly, the reasons for this ongoing fascination are not explored.) A chapter about imminent predictions for 2012 explains the Mayan prophecy and a theory about a phantom planet called Nibiru crashing into Earth. Another chapter examines pseudoscientific end-of-world theories such as planetary alignment and pole shifts. The primary focus is on scientifically plausible scenarios: self-destruction through nuclear war or continued environmental exploitation; humanity wiped out by a pandemic; an asteroid or comet strike destroying Earth.
Attractively designed and handsomely illustrated, this informative text introduces teens to many intriguing angles on a high-interest topic that should inspire many to further explore the subject. (chronology, glossary, bibliography, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7613-7396-4
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 16, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2011
A chilling look at a timely topic.
The rapid melting of Arctic ice has opened a new frontier for international competition or cooperation.
The book opens with a dramatic scene, as three men in a submersible search for a hole in the ice above the North Pole location on the ocean floor where they’ve just planted a Russian flag. McPherson goes on to describe the changes in polar ice cover that are encouraging exploration and allowing access to previously inaccessible energy resources. Subsequent chapters describe new, shorter ocean passages, the jockeying for territory as nearby nations lay claim and others look for ways to get involved, and the likely difficulties of development. Native peoples, whose livelihoods and cultures are inextricably connected to this harsh environment, have to make difficult choices, and the melting of the ice sheet over Greenland offers new opportunities as well as potential for disaster. McPherson’s clear explanations and balanced approach encourage reflection; there are no easy answers. Given that the burning of fossil fuels contributes to global warming, should the newly accessible oil and gas be extracted and added to the world’s supply? Does the North Pole belong to one or another nearby nation or to the world? Is it even possible to develop this area without spoiling it? Maps, photographs and a thoughtful design add to the package.
A chilling look at a timely topic. (source notes, glossary, bibliographies, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4677-2043-4
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Twenty-First Century/Lerner
Review Posted Online: Aug. 11, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2014
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