Stephanie Sammartino McPherson, a former teacher and freelance newspaper writer, enjoys writing about science and the human interest stories behind major discoveries. Stephanie and her husband Richard live in Virginia but also call California home.
Adding this title to a collection will help bring new excitement to
the debate on climate change. International controversy among
superpowers is discussed. With billions of dollars at stake, there
are those for whom their way of life means more than money. Without
its being preachy, students are educated about the salient issues
pertaining to environmentally sustainable energy versus global
warming. Major players are introduced with enough information to
make students want to know more, and issues of sovereignty are
handled evenly. Well-placed photographs complete this well-balanced
and well-designed read. Bibliography. Glossary. Websites. Index.
[Editor's Note: Available in e-book format.] Highly
Recommended.―starred, Library Media Connection-- "Journal"
(3/1/2015 12:00:00 AM)
An important case study and source of current information for
serious students of climate change. Drawing almost exclusively from
recent documents and news reports, McPherson surveys the ambitious,
conflicting, and increasingly hostile claims that the major
countries circling the Arctic have made on the polar region's major
oil and gas resources. Along with showing how melting ice has
already opened both the Northwest (over Canada) and the Northeast
(over Russia) Passages to shipping, she frankly explores the
ecological and economic challenges faced by indigenous peoples and
by Greenland, which is inching its way toward independence over
vast and increasingly accessible reserves of oil, rare earths, and
other potentially lucrative natural resources. The author closes
with a consideration of sources of renewable energy, including
Russia's potentially alarming plan to build multiple floating
nuclear reactors in Arctic waters, and generous lists of relevant
print and web documents. Revealing maps and small but often telling
color photos underscore the idea that serious climate change isn't
just coming to this region; it has already arrived. --School
Library Journal-- "Journal" (10/1/2014 12:00:00 AM)
The melting of the Arctic ice cap offers opportunities for wealth
and economic development, as well as unwelcome prospects. Included
in some of the most concerning possible effects are geopolitical
conflicts over control of this enormous region, social upheaval for
the people living there, and environmental disasters with
far-reaching consequences. McPherson's account opens in 2007 as a
Russian submersible plants a Russian flag on the ocean floor below
the ice at the North Pole. After following the international uproar
that followed that event, the chapters examine issues such as the
opening of the Northwest Passage to shipping and the likelihood of
companies finding oil and natural gas deposits in previously
inaccessible locations. The author also balances discussions of
national and corporate interests with the points of view of
indigenous people in the Arctic. Succinct and clearly written, the
text offers up-to-date information, illustrated with clear color
photos and useful maps. An articulate introduction to the Arctic in
a time of profound, striking changes. --Booklist-- "Journal"
(12/1/2014 12:00:00 AM)
4Q 3P J S Climate change is affecting the arctic region more than
any other place on earth. From natural resources to trade routes,
McPherson discusses each of the issues. While not entirely
unbiased, Arctic Thaw presents both sides of each point. It is
clear from the writing and facts that control of this region--most
of which is oceanic--is highly desired, lucrative, and will alter
the entire world. There are many benefits to the mostly untapped
natural resources. As the melting of polar caps opens trade routes
and new technologies emerge, decisions on if, and by whom, these
resources should be accessed need to be made quickly. Many
countries--even those not adjacent to this area, feel they have a
claim, and the indigenous people risk losing either livelihood,
standard of living, culture, or all of the above.
Complete with glossary, source notes, index, and selected
bibliography, this is an excellent resource for school libraries
and those passionate about the environment or politics. While the
author does an excellent job of presenting complex issues in a
straightforward manner, many of the topics are complicated, and
less focused readers may become bogged down with facts. The
relevance and detail, however, will most likely encourage readers
to seek more information. --VOYA-- "Journal" (12/1/2014 12:00:00
AM)
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