Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. —Albert Einstein
Rachel Carson’s watershed book, Silent Spring set the stage for the modern environmental movement. The 1962 New York Times bestseller sold more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries as it raised public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment and the inextricable links between pollution and public health. Eight years later, the first Earth Day celebration occurred in the U.S. on April 22, 1970 inspired 20 million Americans to take to the streets, parks and auditoriums to demonstrate against the impacts of 150 years of industrial development. The popularity of the first Earth Day led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of first of their kind environmental laws. Fifty-two years on, Earth Day continues to be a day to demonstrate support for environmental protection and promote harmony with nature. Read on for a list of recommended reading that celebrates the importance of nature in our lives.
Earth Day Reading
- Bewilderment by Richard Powers
- Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg
- Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
- Tentacle by Rita Indiana
- The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
- The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, illustrated by Jackie Morris
- The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells
- Wisdom of the Wild by Julie C. Henry
- World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Nature and Ecology Book Clubs:
Consider selecting one of these books for an upcoming spring book club meeting or for nature lovers looking for a public club to join, check out the Eco Book Club or the Reading Rutabegas to read and discuss books about the environment, climate change, and sustainability.
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