LibGuides: Green Libraries: Environmental Literature, Reading & Research

Green File Database

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Covers all aspects of human impact to the environment. Topics include global climate change, green building, pollution, sustainable agriculture, renewable energy and recycling. It provides indexing and abstracts for more than 612,000 records, as well as Open Access full text for more than 9,100 records
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Reports

State of Nature Report 2023
State of Nature uses the latest and best data from biological monitoring and recording schemes.
United Nations Climate Change
The latest climate change news

There are a huge number of reports are produced each year detailing environmental change and trends. A small selection of some of the latest publications is available here. Use our Discovery search portal to find more focussed academic journal articles, theses, books, press reports and much more.

Climate Change Reports

AR6 Synthesis Report Climate Change 2023
This Synthesis Report (SYR) of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) summarises the state of knowledge of climate change, its widespread impacts and risks, and climate change mitigation and adaptation. I
Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis
The Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science.
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
The Working Group II contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report assesses the impacts of climate change, looking at ecosystems, biodiversity, and human communities at global and regional levels. It also reviews vulnerabilities and the capacities and limits of the natural world and human societies to adapt to climate change.
Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change
The Working Group III report provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges, and examines the sources of global emissions. It explains developments in emission reduction and mitigation efforts, assessing the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long-term emissions goals
UNFCC: Global Stoocktake
The global stocktake is a critical turning point when it comes to efforts to address climate change – it’s a moment to take a long, hard look at the state of our planet and chart a better course for the future.

Environmental and 'Green' Reading Lists

We've pulled together some of the best reading in the Library from a wide range of environmental subjects to interest you. If you think there's anything that we've missed or something you'd like to recommend from our shelves, then drop us a line, we'd love to hear from you.

Cli-Fi Reading List

A selection of fiction titles dealing with the impacts of climate change and global warming
Race and Climate Reading List

Climate change divides along racial lines. Could tackling it help address longstanding injustices?

Green Libraries Week Reading List

A selection of reading from the 2023 Green Libraries Week

Ebooks - a seklction of associated reads from our shelves

The Economical Environmentalist by Prashant Vaze
ISBN: 9781844078073
Publication Date: 2009-10-14
Reducing your carbon emissions in an economic down-turn can be challenging, but saving the planet doesn't have to cost you more. Tough economic times need not relegate concerns for the planet to the back burner.The author is an environmental economist trying to live a low-carbon life in London. He worked for 15 years in the UK's Office of Climate Change, the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit and the Department of the Environment. So far so good. But he has kids. A family to visit in India. A hectic job. In distilling and building on his own experience of trying to live a low carbon life, he helps us navigate the choices that confront us all - families, singletons, pensioners - when making decisions about what to eat, what to buy, how to travel and how to keep warm in the era of climate change and economic turmoil. He works out the sums and lets us know which choices will make the biggest difference, and which are false savings.His book is an irreverent but seriously rigorous reference guide to low-cost, low-carbon living for everyone - in any location - in tough times. It's brimming with up-to-date information on current and future technologies, tips and ideas for every budget on how to spend the least for the biggest carbon reduction gain and insight from the experiences of people trying to live low-carbon lives.
Everyday Lifestyles and Sustainability by Fabricio Chicca (Editor); Robert Vale (Editor); Brenda Vale (Editor)
ISBN: 9781138693876
Publication Date: 2018-03-09
The impact of humanity on the earth overshoots the earth¿s bio-capacity to supply humanity¿s needs, meaning that people are living off earth¿s capital rather than its income. However, not all countries are equal and this book explores why apparently similar patterns of daily living can lead to larger and smaller environmental impacts. The contributors describe daily life in many different places in the world and then calculate the environmental impact of these ways of living from the perspective of ecological and carbon footprints. This leads to comparison and discussion of what living within the limits of the planet might mean. Current footprints for countries are derived from national statistics and these hide the variety of impacts made by individual people and the choices they make in their daily lives. This book takes a ¿bottom-up¿ approach by calculating the footprints of daily living. The purpose is to show that small changes in behaviour now could avoid some very challenging problems in the future. Offering a global perspective on the question of sustainable living, this book will be of great interest to anyone with a concern for the future, as well as students and researchers in environmental studies, human geography and development studies.
Greeniology 2020 by Tanya Ha
ISBN: 9780522858549
Publication Date: 2011-10-01
Do you want to live well, be green and make a difference? There's never been a better time to reduce your personal impact on the environment and prepare for change as our society moves towards sustainability. With topics covering everything from green cleaning and eco-fashion to growing food and saving energy and water, Greeniology 2020 is a practical, fun guide to changing your lifestyle for a healthier home and healthier planet. Award-winning environmentalist and television presenter Tanya Ha provides green living advice, tips and ideas for the beginner and committed tree-hugger alike. They will compel you to change your life, and to be part of the solution to our planet's problems. Find out how to- - Reduce the impact of your lifestyle and help the planet flourish - Make your home more comfortable all year round - Save money on energy and water bills - Go green at work, and - Make your home safer and healthier for your family
Dictionary of Sustainability by Margaret Robertson
ISBN: 9781138690820
Publication Date: 2017-05-10
The Dictionary of Sustainability provides clear and accurate definitions of the extensive vocabulary that has developed in this emerging and interdisciplinary field, saving considerable time from searching through the massive quantity of information of differing degrees of quality that is available through the Internet. Providing authoritative definitions of standard terms used by scholars and practitioners it provides a clear and thorough conceptual framework and ensures those delving into topics for the first time, or returning to them, can quickly find what they need. It also contains careful use of cross-references, and includes several expanded entries to provide readers with nuanced understanding of important topics. The dictionary will be essential reading for all students studying sustainability topics, as well as a handy reference for practitioners wanting to make a sustainable difference in the workplace. 　
Green Education by Julie Newman (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412996860
Publication Date: 2011-06-28
Green Education: An A-to-Z Guide explores the environmental movement's proliferation in the field of education, from elementary school classroom efforts to the university curriculum to building sustainable campuses. Focusing on the critical role of education in building a sustainable future, approximately 150 signed entries, written by scholars and experts in a variety of disciplines, examine school and college courses in green education, the structures of educational institutions, the challenges of reducing their ecological footprint, administrative policies, green campus organizations, and student and faculty participation. Vivid photographs, searchable hyperlinks, numerous cross references, an extensive resource guide, and a clear, accessible writing style make the Green Society volumes ideal for classroom use as well as for research.
Green Cities by Nevin Cohen (Editor)
ISBN: 9781412996822
Publication Date: 2011-06-28
Via 150 signed articles, Green Cities: An A-to-Z Guide provides an overview of the key concepts that urban planners, policy makers, architects, engineers, and developers use to understand the sustainability dimensions of the urban environment. It identifies cities that have taken steps to become greener and discusses the strategies they have used; it also reviews broad concepts associated with green cities. Cities face enormous environmental challenges, and the entries in this volume, from case studies of greener cities to discussions of green urban design, infrastructure, and processes, can help us transform our cities into healthier, sustainable communities in which a growing urban population can thrive. Vivid photographs, searchable hyperlinks, numerous cross references, an extensive resource guide, and a clear, accessible writing style make the Green Society volumes ideal for classroom use as well as for research.Learn more about the Green Series or request a free 30-day online trial to this title at www.sagepub.com/greenseries
Cooler Smarter by The Union of Concerned Scientists; Seth Shulman; Jeff Deyette; Brenda Ekwurzel; David Friedman; Margaret Mellon; John Rogers; Suzanne Shaw
ISBN: 9781610911924
Publication Date: 2012-04-25
How can each of us live Cooler Smarter? While the routine decisions that shape our days--what to have for dinner, where to shop, how to get to work--may seem small, collectively they have a big effect on global warming. But which changes in our lifestyles might make the biggest difference to the climate? This science-based guide shows you the most effective ways to cut your own global warming emissions by twenty percent or more, and explains why your individual contribution is so vital to addressing this global problem. Cooler Smarter is based on an in-depth, two-year study by the experts at The Union of Concerned Scientists. While other green guides suggest an array of tips, Cooler Smarter offers proven strategies to cut carbon, with chapters on transportation, home energy use, diet, personal consumption, as well as how best to influence your workplace, your community, and elected officials. The book explains how to make the biggest impact and when not to sweat the small stuff. It also turns many eco-myths on their head, like the importance of locally produced food or the superiority of all hybrid cars. The advice in Cooler Smarter can help save you money and live healthier. But its central purpose is to empower you, through low carbon-living, to confront one of society's greatest threats.
Black and Green by Jamal Ali
ISBN: 9780761847212
Publication Date: 2009-08-13
This book is a call to action for the Black community to join the green movement. The book offers insights, ideas, and strategies that demonstrate how Black people can benefit from and fuel the go-green effort.
Monitoring Biodiversity by E. Carina H. Keskitalo (Editor); Anna Allard (Editor); Alan Brown (Editor)
ISBN: 9781032015934
Publication Date: 2023-03-22
This book is an exciting reappraisal of the role and practice of biodiversity monitoring, showing how new technologies and software applications are rapidly maturing and can both complement and maintain continuity with the best practice in traditional field skills. Environmental monitoring is a key component in a large number of national programmes and constitutes an important aspect of understanding environmental change and supporting policy development. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, Monitoring Biodiversity begins by discussing monitoring as an established field and examines the various budgetary and technological challenges. It examines different methodologies, the variation between countries, and the design features relevant to understanding monitoring systems created for new policy goals or different funding situations. The huge variety of methods revealed across 18 chapters, which vary from statistical designs to remote sensing, interviews, surveys, and new ways of stacking and combining data and thematic information for visualization and modelling, underlines just how mature and multifaceted the modern practice of monitoring can be. It concludes with several problem-based chapters that discuss the design and implementation of environmental monitoring in specific scenarios such as urban and aquatic areas. All chapters include key messages, study questions, and further reading. With a focus on Europe but with international relevance, Monitoring Biodiversity will be an essential resource for students at all levels of environmental monitoring, assessment, and management.
Climate Change Epistemologies in Southern Africa by Jörn Ahrens; Ernst Halbmayer
ISBN: 9781032018522
Publication Date: 2023-07-01
This book investigates the social and cultural dimensions of climate change in Southern Africa, focusing on how knowledge about climate change is conceived and conveyed. Despite contributing very little to the global production of emissions, the African continent looks set to be the hardest hit by climate change. Adopting a decolonial perspective, this book argues that knowledge and discourse about climate change has largely disregarded African epistemologies, leading to inequalities in knowledge systems. Only by considering regionally specific forms of conceptualizing, perceiving, and responding to climate change can these global problems be tackled. First exploring African epistemologies of climate change, the book then goes on to the social impacts of climate change, matters of climate justice, and finally institutional change and adaptation. Providing important insights into the social and cultural perception and communication of climate change in Africa, this book will be of interest to researchers from across the fields of African studies, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, political science, climate change, and geography.