By Suneet Bhatt •
August 10, 2009
The formula is simple, and the story has been written and rewritten a million times over. Take Scott Harrison from Charity: Water, who was so moved by his visit to West Africa that he was inspired to start an organization dedicated to providing clean water to people in Africa, and now, the world. Or the story of Rachel Carson, author of Silent Spring, who was raised on a farm in Pennsylvania and went on to lay the foundation for the environmental movement of the 60’s and 70’s.
These stories share one common thread–empathy. Those inspired to make change connect with their cause empathically, by having immersed themselves in the environment they ultimately choose to support. Their drive and their accomplishments are sustainable because they are empaths.
By Nayelli Gonzalez •
December 17, 2008
Sometimes life imitates art. In Karen Dionne’s new thriller novel Freezing Point, melting icebergs are viewed as both the solution to the global water crisis and the source of man-made apocalyptic horror. In reality, giant melting icebergs raise global sea levels and unleash frozen methane gases into the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to recently discovered NASA satellite data, more than 2 trillion tons of land ice in Greenland, Antarctica and Alaska have melted since 2003 and have caused alarming global climate changes.
So melting icebergs are not just the stuff of fiction. Yet, one hopes that what transpires in Freezing Point (think toxic drinking water, corporate monopolies of icebergs and large-scale eco-terrorism) never becomes reality.
In our conversation, Karen Dionne, who wrote a Huffington Post column titled “Can a Novel Change the World?”, spoke with me about the power of the written word, killer rats, and environmental activism:
How did you become interested in the global water crisis?
My interest in water issues goes back pretty far. My husband and I were part of the “back to land” movement in the ‘70s. We wanted to not be so dependent on the system, so we lived in nature, grew our own food, got our water from nearby wells. I remember reading the book Silent Spring and one thing I took away from it is that there is no pristine place left on earth. I learned that DDT was showing up in bird eggs and that toxins were everywhere. For my generation, it was an awakening of how severe the problem was. So I’ve always been concerned about what man is doing to the environment.
By Robin Shreeves •
September 25, 2008
What a scary thought. Why would anyone ever want to ban The Lorax? In 1989, the Laytonville, CA Unified School District tried to do just that. They challenged the book based on someone’s belief that it criminalizes the foresting industry.
Why am I bringing you 20 year old news? There’s two reasons.
The first is that the American Library Associations Banned Books Week starts this Saturday, September 27th. Banned Books Week
emphasizes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them.
What does book banning have to do with sustainability. A whole lot.
Many times people want to ban books that scare them. Or they want to ban books that go against their agenda. Or they want to ban books that contradict their religious beliefs.
