I was introduced to this online anthology from the Union of Concerned Scientists by SustainLane's Creation Care contributors Dr. Matthew and Nancy Sleeth of Blessed Earth ministry, which serves as an educational nonprofit to inspire and equip faith communities to become better stewards of the earth. The have a great website and newsletter!
Here's what the Union of Concerned Scientists and Penguin Classics have to say about:
Thoreau's Legacy: American Stories About Global Warming - An Online Anthology
"Following in a uniquely American tradition of environmental writing begun by Henry David Thoreau and continued by great writers from Rachel Carson to E. O. Wilson, Thoreau's Legacy enhances our appreciation of the world around us and galvanizes support to preserve it for future generations. The 67 pieces of writing and art in the anthology are drawn from nearly 1,000 submissions about beloved places, animals, plants, people, and activities at risk from a changing climate and the efforts that individuals are making to save what they love. A foreword on global warming by the well-known author Barbara Kingsolver helps to set the context."
More About the Book
"Global warming is changing the world around us in ways that can be subtle or overwhelming. These changes, and the steps people are taking to respond to them, are explored in refreshing ways by the 67 contributors to this new anthology. The writers selected for Thoreau's Legacy include scientists, students, grandparents, activists, veterans, journalists, evangelical Christians, artists, and businesspeople. Their muses are as diverse as their backgrounds.
We see the changes in New England's natural beauty through the eyes of an observant ninth-grader. We learn how pollution and a warming climate are affecting the Yakama Indians' way of life. We follow a family whose faith has led them on a journey to protect the planet. We look into the fearsome eyes of an old polar bear crossing the Alaskan ice. And we get a useful if painful lesson from a New Orleans native who can never go home again and who worries about the future of other American cities. These are just a few of the many personal accounts about climate change in this insightful and timely collection.
As Barbara Kingsolver says in her foreword, to find hope in our future "we must radically reconsider the power relationship between humans and our habitat." Thoreau's Legacy is one step toward understanding this vital relationship, the latest entry in a history of moving reflections on America's natural beauty.
Launch the interactive book to read the anthology now, or explore the site to learn about the forthcoming hardcover and e-book versions and what you can do to help address climate change." To order the book, click here.
