Nature Interrupted: The Science of Environmental Chain Reactions

Stille, Darlene. Nature Interrupted: The Science of Environmental Chain Reactions. 2009. 48p. ISBN 978-0-7565-3949-8. Available at 577.21 STI on the library shelves.

Every step that we take can eventually create a large problem down the road. That is the theme of this book. We powered the industrial revolution with coal, a reliable source of heat, but in the process released enough carbon in the atmosphere to effect global climate changes. We genetically modified corn to be resistant to insects, but the pollen released by these new plants began killing other plants and insects. We increased the yield of agricultural lands by employing fertilizer, but the runoff from storms transported some of it in rivers and lakes, killing fish and transforming otherwise thriving environments into dead zones.

We as a society need to plan better what reactions might occur to environmental challenges. Every solution can solve a problem at present, but can lead to bigger problems down the road. Only by adopting stringent measures to determine outcomes can we ensure that today’s solutions are not tomorrow’s problems. After all, we are all interconnected to planet Earth.