Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
The climate is warming. Humans are destroying habitats and spreading environmental toxins. Nature is on the run. As humans accelerate global warming while laying waste to the environment to erect cities and roads and clear wilderness for farmland, animals and plants flee to the margins--on scattered nature reserves, between major highways, or among urban sprawl. And when even these places become too hot and inhospitable, they're left with only one path to survival: an often harrowing journey toward the poles in search of refuge as they race to find a new home in a warming world.
Tropical zones lose their inhabitants, beavers are settling in Alaska, and gigantic shoals of fish disappear--just to reappear in front of foreign coastlines. Sea creatures move an average of 45 miles a year, land creatures an average of 11 miles. Some animals, such as fish, beavers, and butterflies, make haste; less mobile species, such as corals, and especially plants, and those already at the poles, including polar bears, have nowhere to go.
Acclaimed environmental journalist Benjamin von Brackel shows us which species are moving where, tracing their often awe-inspiring long-distance journeys and celebrating their remarkable resilience. But the lengths plants and animals must go is as tragic as it is inspirational, revealing entire species teetering on the brink of extinction. The dramatic consequences of climate change couldn't be clearer: We've destroyed our planet and left the living things all around us with one last chance at survival.
Synopsis
Harrowing journeys of animals and plants--fleeing skyrocketing temperatures and mega-droughts--reported from the frontlines of the greatest migration of species since the Ice Age
As humans accelerate global warming while laying waste to the environment, animals and plants must flee to the margins: on scattered nature reserves, between major highways, or among urban sprawl. And when even these places become too hot and inhospitable, wildlife is left with only one path to survival: an often-formidable journey toward the poles as they race to find a new home in a warming world. Tropical zones lose their inhabitants, beavers settle in Alaska, and gigantic shoals of fish disappear--just to reappear along foreign coastlines.
Award-winning environmental journalist Benjamin von Brackel traces these awe-inspiring journeys and celebrates the remarkable resilience of species around the world. But the lengths these plants and animals must go to avoid extinction are as alarming as they are inspirational: Sea animals--like fish--move on average 45 miles a decade to cooler regions, while land animals--like beavers and butterflies--move 11 miles. As even the poles of the Earth heat up, we're left with a stark and irreversible choice: Halt the climate emergency now, or face a massive die-off of species, who are increasingly left with nowhere else to go.
Synopsis
As humans accelerate global warming while laying waste to the environment, animals and plants must flee to the margins: on scattered nature reserves, between major highways, or among urban sprawl. And when even these places become too hot and inhospitable, wildlife is left with only one path to survival: an often-formidable journey toward the poles as they race to find a new home in a warming world. Tropical zones lose their inhabitants, beavers settle in Alaska, and gigantic shoals of fish disappear--just to reappear along foreign coastlines.
Award-winning environmental journalist Benjamin von Brackel traces these awe-inspiring journeys and celebrates the remarkable resilience of species around the world. But the lengths these plants and animals must go to avoid extinction are as alarming as they are inspirational: Sea animals--like fish--move on average 45 miles a decade to cooler regions, while land animals--like beavers and butterflies--move 11 miles. As even the poles of the Earth heat up, we're left with a stark and irreversible choice: Halt the climate emergency now, or face a massive die-off of species, who are increasingly left with nowhere else to go.