Special thanks to Jeff Mitchell for the following post!
Earth Day is April 22. This year, approximately 120 states plan to sign the Paris Agreement on Earth Day, expressing a worldwide commitment to mitigate climate change. Nearly 200 countries—including both developed and developing nations—negotiated the deal within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and it’s intended to mark the beginning of the end of over 100 years of relying on fossil fuels as the primary engine of economic growth. The Paris Agreement aims to limit the global average temperature to less than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, as well as enhance our ability to adapt to adverse impacts of climate change and encourage countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible. Supporters consider it a milestone towards reducing global warming due to its ambitious scope and its widespread support and collaboration.
Considering Earth Day’s grassroots beginnings in 1970 as a day to rally and raise public awareness over pollution, it is remarkable it’s now considered the day to demonstrate international solidarity and action for the environment. The Earth Day Network, a nonprofit organization that coordinates Earth Day activities, collaborates with more than 17,000 partners and organizations in 174 countries and estimates over 1 billion people will participate in Earth Day activities. And of course, many participants are young students with a big stake in keeping our planet livable!
Younger readers can harbor a strong sense of curiosity and compassion for the natural world, and often students carry their inspiration from Earth Day activities at school beyond the classroom. Lerner Digital offers several titles and formats for eco-minded readers interested in the well-being of our land, air, animals, and water. Here are just a few:
One of Lerner Digital’s Interactive Book titles, Earth Day Every Day, provides emerging readers an enhanced experience, featuring three audio speeds synched with word and phrase highlighting, interactive tools, a quiz and activities. On Earth Day, we find ways to help the Earth. Trina plants trees with her class. She forms an Earth Day club with her friends. What can you do to make every day Earth Day? Do your part to be a planet protector! Discover how to reduce, reuse, recycle, and more with Tyler and Trina in the Planet Protectors series, part of the Cloverleaf Books™ collection. These nonfiction picture books feature kid-friendly text and illustrations to make learning fun!
Part of Lerner Digital’s renowned Audisee line, Meltdown! is available as an eBook with audio and sentence highlighting, bringing this fascinating account of a recent environmental disaster and its impact to life for reluctant readers.
Japan. March 11, 2011. 2:46 P.M. The biggest earthquake in Japan’s history—and one of the world’s five most powerful since 1900—devastated the Tohoku region, 320 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of Tokyo. It triggered a huge tsunami that left crippling damage in its wake. More than 13,000 people drowned, and thousands of buildings and homes were reduced to rubble.
As people assessed the damage, they made the most frightening discovery of all: the Fukushima #1 nuclear power plant was seriously damaged and three of its six reactors were heading for meltdowns. Workers tried desperately—but unsuccessfully—to save them. Explosions and fires released radioactivity into the air. Within days the Japanese government declared a 20-kilometer (12-mile) evacuation zone. The future of the plant, the long-term health of those exposed to radiation, and the effects on the environment remained uncertain.
Learn more about this massive catastrophe as Dr. Fred Bortz examines both the human tragedy and the scientific implications of the nuclear meltdown. Compare this disaster to similar nuclear events in the United States and in Ukraine, and move ahead with Dr. Bortz as he explores the global debate about the future of nuclear power and alternative sources of energy.
“This clear and wide-ranging introduction to essential energy issues has much to offer.” —Kirkus Reviews
Available as an eBook, How Can We Reduce Transportation Pollutionis part of the Searchlight Books™ collection, a series that sheds light on an important question—What Can We Do about Pollution? Informative text, compelling photos, and engaging captions will help you find the answer! Vehicles such as cars, trucks, planes, and ships create much of the pollution in our environment. But did you know that engineers have developed cars that don’t produce any pollution at all? Or that good city planning greatly reduces the amount of pollution being produced? See what you can do to reduce transportation pollution.
