“No Room for a Leopard”
Author: Ruskin Bond
From the mountains of Himachal Pradesh to the valley of Dehradun, nature plays an important part in Ruskin Bond’s works. The short story “No Room for a Leopard” was first published in 1998 anthology “A Bond with the Mountains”. Set in the forest of forest of Mussoorie, it is a poignant tale of the killing of a leopard. Back in the 90s. leopards were often hunted for their prized skin. The story explores the changing relationship between humans and animals. The story ends with Bond recollecting the lines of the poet D.H. Lawrence, “There was a room in the world for a mountain lion and me. Alas, today the world is so crowded that there is indeed no room for a leopard.
“The Last Wild”
Author: Piers Torday
For environment enthusiasts, “The Last Wild” series by Piers Torday is perhaps equivalent to “Harry Potter books. The three spectacular books in the series – “The Last Wild”, “The Dark Wild”, and “The Wild Beyond-draws upon the themes of climate change, hope and friendship. It is set in a horrible world where animals have become extinct. There are no birds, no bugs, no dogs or even whales. So, Kester a kid named Kester embarks on an epic mission to save the last remaining members of the animal kingdom. The “Last Wild” is a great way to leam about the current environmental and sustainability crisis and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. Along the way, you will also encounter some talking pigeons and a bossy cockroach!
“Watership Down”
Author: Richard Adams
A colony of rabbits in Watership Down are forced to leave their home due to its impending destruction by humans. Fiver and his friends leave the Sandleford Warren and hop into a vast and unknown world in search of a new home. Written by Richard Adams in 1972, this timeless novel is an allegory for the ongoing destruction for the environment and a cautionary tale Unlike the rabbits, we won’t be able to find somewhere else to live if we don’t save our environment.
“The Wind in the Willows”
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Published in 1908, this children’s classic is one of the earliest examples of eco fiction. The Wind in the Willows” may seem like a simple tale, but it is actually a commentary on the destruction of the English countryside by industrialisation. It follows the adventures of the anthropomorphic animals Mole, Rat, Badger, Toad, and their friends as they discover the beauty of nature in spring as well as the damage caused by humans. Grahame wrote this sweet tale after retired from his position as the secretary of the Bank of England and moved back to the countryside, where he had lived as a child. He spent the rest of his life by the River Thames, enjoying nature.
“So You Want to Know About the Environment”
Author: Bijal Vaccharajani
Find it boring to read the jargon filled textbooks on environment? “So You Want to Know About the Environment” by Bijal Vaccharajani explains all about the ozone layer in simple words. The 170-page volume is packed with beautiful illustrations, jokes and activities that go hand in hand with the narrative. It explains important topics such as ozone depletion, dimate change and global warming in a fun and engaging manner.
“A Short History of Nearly Everything”
Author: Bill Bryson
You might have guessed by now that our planet Earth is in a pretty tight spot. But do you know how the depletion of the ozone layer began in the first place? Well, it all began with an Ohio inventor Thomas Midgley Jr. creating the infamous chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, that contributed to the reduction of the ozone layer of the atmosphere. In “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. Author Bill Bryson provides us with a quirky, humourous and highly entertaining history of science and alerts us to the impending crisis facing our planet.
“We Are the Weather Makers”
Author: Tim Flannery
“We Are the Weather Makers” is the young adult edition of the popular book The Weather Makers” by Tim Flannery. Like the name suggests, “We Are the Weather Makers”, rests the blame for climate change directly on our shoulders. Author Flannery gives it to us straight: God does not make the weather, we do! Our actions are responsible for the dire situation we are in today and we already possess the tools required to avoid catastrophic climate change. Read this book to find out how you can contribute towards saving the planet.
“Before the Flood”
Directed by: Fisher Stevens
Produced by the Academy Award winning Leonardo DiCaprio, “Before the Flood” is a documentary that tackles the subject of climate change. From Beijing being choked by industrial pollution and the vanishing ancient arboreal forests in Canada to the breaking of the glaciers well ahead of scientic predictions, the documentary looks at the drastic effects of climate change.
“Chasing Ice”
Director: Je Orlowski
Wonder what the end of the world would look like? Picture a three or five hundred feet tall glacier calving directly into the sea. It is accompanied by a loud and thunderous roar, as pieces of ice shoot six hundred feet up and then come crashing down into the water. It’s enough to send chills down even the most intrepid souls.
The gigantic mountain, older than even the Himalayas, disappearing within minutes, leaving only a large, cold body of water in its place. Sounds farfetched? It’s not.
A celebrated photographer James Balog tracks glacier retreats occuring across the world due to global warming in this documentary, It brings home the reality of global warming.
“David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet”.
This stunning documentary is a first-hand account of the defining moments of David Attenborough’s lifetime as a naturalist. Over the last 93 years. Attenborough has visited every continent on the planet and seen devastating changes to the landscape. He talks about humanity’s impact on nature and its irreversible repercussions. It alerts us to the dangers of losing the Amazon rainforest, the thinning ice over the Arctic the dying coral reefs and possible mass extinctions and climate change.
“My Octopus Teacher”
Director Pippa Ehrlich and James Reed
This documentary follows the filmmaker Craig Foster as he free dives into the South African kelp forests and documents his encounters with a wild common octopus. The film shows Foster observes how the stunning creature survives in the sea defending itself from predators. When she loses an arm to a pyjama shark, Foster captures the slow, yet magical process of regeneration. The awe-inspiring documentary won an Oscar for the Best Documentary Feature this year.
Picture Credit : Google
