Schilthuizen takes a look at how the urban environment influences the evolution of animals and plants. He shows that evolution can happen rather quickly, within a few generations, rather than over thousands of years. He also shows that humans are a part of the environment and not separate from it. Each chapter is fairly short with numerous fascinating examples, making this a quick and interesting reading experience. Also recommended: Inheritors of the Earth: How Nature Is Thriving in an Age of Extinction by Chris D. Thomas

TITLE:  The Journeys of Trees: A Story about Forests, People, and the Future

AUTHOR:  Zach St. George

DATE PUBLISHED:  July 2020

FORMAT:  Hardcover

ISBN-13:  9781324001607

______________________

DESCRIPTION:

"Forests are restless. Any time a tree dies or a new one sprouts, the forest that includes it has shifted. When new trees sprout in the same direction, the whole forest begins to migrate, sometimes at astonishing rates. Today, however, an array of obstacles—humans felling trees by the billions, invasive pests transported through global trade—threaten to overwhelm these vital movements. Worst of all, the climate is changing faster than ever before, and forests are struggling to keep up.

A deft blend of science reporting and travel writing, The Journeys of Trees explores the evolving movements of forests by focusing on five trees: giant sequoia, ash, black spruce, Florida torreya, and Monterey pine. Journalist Zach St. George visits these trees in forests across continents, finding sequoias losing their needles in California, fossil records showing the paths of ancient forests in Alaska, domesticated pines in New Zealand, and tender new sprouts of blight-resistant American chestnuts in New Hampshire. Everywhere he goes, St. George meets lively people on conservation’s front lines, from an ecologist studying droughts to an evolutionary evangelist with plans to save a dying species. He treks through the woods with activists, biologists, and foresters, each with their own role to play in the fight for the uncertain future of our environment.

An eye-opening investigation into forest migration past and present, The Journeys of Trees examines how we can all help our trees, and our planet, survive and thrive.  "

____________________________

REVIEW:

In a combination of science reporting and travel writing, St George provides a fascinating look at the history and nature of forests, how people interact with them and what the future holds for them.  An overarching theme of the book is the migration of forests (or lack thereof) from one area to another.  A delightful reading experience.

Top 5 Colleges in India for Environmental Science

The world needs more environmental science graduates today. With a lot of demand in the environmental science sector, the prospects of students getting jobs in the same field have increased tremendously. If we talk about the best environmental science colleges in India, then there are plenty of colleges. We researched to bring you the best of the colleges in front of you. You can get admission to any of the courses provided by the institute related to environmental science.

Institute of Environment Education & Research, Bharati Vidyapeeth, Pune

Bharati Vidyapeeth in Pune is dedicated to providing the best and quality based education to the students who get admission here. The main goal of college is to provide exposure to the students regarding the fieldwork so that they turn out to be better environmentalists. The college has produced many students who have taken up very reputed jobs after completion of the degree in the same.

Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

Banaras Hindu University has a separate department dedicated to environmental studies. It is a prestigious university. No matter what course you join in the department, you will come out to be well informed and well educated. The placements of the university are great as compared to small colleges that provide the degree but education is not good there. 

Parul University, Vadodara

Parul University in Vadodara has made a special impact in the field of environmental studies. The faculty in the university is really good and the teachers aim to provide quality education to students. The environment at the university is studious and you can find students studying everywhere. So, if you need a serious study environment, you can choose Parul University for getting a degree in environmental studies.

Shoolini University, Solan

Located in the beautiful valley of Himachal Pradesh, Shoolini University is ace at providing education. It is mandatory for students to attend classes. The theoretical knowledge is imparted to the students in the classrooms and the fieldwork takes place outside in the natural environment. The placement cell of Shoolini University is expanding every year and more and more companies are visiting the campus to hire the students.

Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi

Jawaharlal Nehru University needs no introduction as it is one of the best universities in India. With a degree in environmental studies from this university, you can reach heights in your career. With stability in a career, it also promises a high salary package since your joining of the job.

The admissions to all of the colleges mentioned above open at almost the same time every year. You may want to visit the website for complete details. If you have any queries regarding the course or the fees, you can contact the help desk by calling or writing an email. All your problems will be solved. A career in environmental studies has many options. You can choose to work in a position of interest. So, to have a career of your choice, apply for admission in the environmental science course today.

TITLE:  Inconvenient Facts: The Science That Al Gore Doesn't Want You to Know

AUTHOR:  Gregory Wrightstone 

DATE PUBLISHED:  2017

FORMAT:  Paperback

ISBN-13:  9781545614105

_________________________

DESCRIPTION:

"You have been inundated with reports from media, governments, think tanks and “experts” saying that our climate is changing for the worse and it is our fault. Increases in droughts, heat waves, tornadoes and poison ivy—to name a few—are all blamed on our “sins of emissions” from burning fossil fuels and increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Yet, you don’t quite buy into this human-caused climate apocalypse. You aren’t sure about the details because you don’t have all the facts and likely aren’t a scientist. Inconvenient Facts was specifically created for you. Writing in plain English and providing easily understood charts and figures, Gregory Wrightstone presents the science to assess the basis of the threatened Thermageddon.

The book’s 60 “inconvenient facts” come from government sources, peer-reviewed literature or scholarly works, set forth in a way that is lucid and entertaining. The information likely will challenge your current understanding of many apocalyptic predictions about our ever dynamic climate.

You will learn that the planet is improving, not in spite of increasing CO2 and rising temperature, but because of it. The very framework of the climate-catastrophe argument will be confronted with scientific fact.
Arm yourself with the truth. "

_____________________________

REVIEW:

Wrightstone is a geoscientist who had questions concerning the science behind climate-change alarmism and so went on an exploration of the methods and results of the climate scientists, as well as what was actually reported as scientific fact.  He also takes a look at the long-term climate changes the Earth has undergone to put the current climate in perspective, as opposed to the rather short term (a few decades) perspective taken by climate activists, politicians and the media.  He takes a look at what was predicted in terms of climate and what has actually occurred.  Carbon dioxide, ocean acidification, droughts, famine, heat-waves, weather anomalies, polar bears etc are all covered.  This is a short, fascinating, easy-to-understand book that is packed full of relevant graphs, charts and diagrams; along with pages of scientific references.  

I especially recommend this book to those people who feel helpless, depressed or panicked in the face of the impending climate catastrophe.  Using an evidence based approach, Wrightstone helps illustrate that things aren't nearly as bad as the media makes it out to be.  Wrightstone provides the information (and the references for additional information) and allows the reader to draw their own conclusion.  I just wish this book was longer and more details, but as an introduction, it works quite well.

TITLE:  The Snowflake: Winter's Frozen Artistry

AUTHOR:  Kenneth Libbrecht & Rachel Wing

DATE PUBLISHED:  2015

FORMAT:  Hardcover

ISBN-13:  9780760348475

____________________________

DESCRIPTION:

"Take a deeper look at the unique, hidden beauty of winter with the world's foremost snowflake expert.

From ten thousand feet above the Earth, a snowflake begins its fall. Its journey starts when ice forms around a nucleus of dust and is blown by the winds through clouds where the crystals blossom into tiny ice stars. Because it weighs next to nothing, a snow crystal may take hours to fall--finally landing where Caltech physicist Kenneth Libbrecht can use microphotography to record the tiny, intricate, frozen artistry of the snowflake. In The Snowflake: Winter's Frozen Artistry, Libbrecht teams with author Rachel Wing to create the most fascinating book on snowflakes ever published. This book defines the art and science of snowflakes for generations.

Join Libbrecht and Wing as they charmingly chronicle the creation of snow crystals, both in nature and in the laboratory. The Snowflake: Winter's Frozen Artistry touches the hand of Mother Nature, showing incredible microphotography of individual snow crystals from all over the world. The book tells the history of snowflake observations mixed with an entertaining blend of tales of hunting snowflakes, snowflakes in literature and art, and the science of snowflakes, to bring a flurry of delightful snowflakes into the hands of warm-bodied humans everywhere. With this captivating book, we can better appreciate snowflakes, winter's frozen artistry."

____________________________

REVIEW:

This book has dense with full-colour photographs of various types of snowflakes and water-crystals.  The book is also informative and well-written, explaining how snowflakes form and what variables effect their appearance.  A lovely introduction to snowflakes.