International Mother Earth Day April 22, 2012

FAU Libraries Oral History Digital Collection features the interviews of Dr. Leonard Berry who discusses his environmental work experiences and research contributions. This effort is in celebration of  Dr. Berry’s renowned career of teaching from a global perspective to foster an awareness of environmental issues.

In observance of International Mother Earth Day, FAU’s Digital Library highlights the contributions of  this Distinguished Research Professor, whose work spans three continents. In Africa and Asia, Dr. Berry studied tropical environments and assisted in regional planning for the Government of Tanzania. Since coming to the United States in 1970, he has worked on environmental and development training programs for the U.S. Agency for International Development(USAID), United Nations Development Program, and United Nations Environment Program. The British-born environmentalist also worked for the World Bank and the Global Environment Facility in a number of capacities.  

Founder and director of  FAU’s Center for Environmental Studies, Dr. Berry, who was also an FAU Provost, is Director of the Florida Climate Change Initiative and principle investigator on several projects including a Florida Department of Transportation study to assess the impact of sea level rise on transportation infrastructure. In 2010, he was named an FAU expert on the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Listen or read Dr. Berry’s interview conducted as part of the Department of History’s Oral History project.

Water

Library titles related to the latest headlines…

Week of June 7, 2010

In the News: In the aftermath of the Gulf oil spill, there is a growing fear for the quality of water worldwide whether the water is used for drinking, bathing, recreation, or agriculture. Pick up one of these titles and learn more about this precious resource.

America’s Environmental Report Card: Are We Making the Grade?
By Harvey Blatt. MIT Press, 2005
Call Number: Available online via NetLibrary

Arsenic in Ground Water
By Alan H. Welch. Kluwer Academic Pub, 2003
Call Number: TD427 .A77 A75 2003

Blue Planet Run: The Race to Provide Safe Drinking Water to the World
By Rick Smolan et al. Earth Aware Editions, 2007
Call Number: TD345 .S66 2007

Continue reading

Oil Drilling

Library titles related to the latest headlines…

Week of May 17, 2010 – The FAU Summer Sessions begin!

In the News: British Petroleum (BP) reports that they are in the early stages of containing the oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, but this comes almost four weeks after the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig, which was leased by BP, exploded and killed eleven crew members. Government officials have said that over 200,000* gallons of oil were leaking into the Gulf each day, further destroying marine life, the shrimping industry, and tourism in that region.

*There have been other reports estimating the flow to be between 1 and 12 million gallons per day.

The Basics of Oil Spill Cleanup
By Merv Fingas. Lewis Publishers, 2001
Call Number: TD427 .P4 F55 2001

Blind Spot (DVD)
Directed by Adolfo Doring. Media Education Foundation, 2009
Call Number: HD9560.5 .B55 2009 (Boca Raton Media Center)
“This is a documentary that investigates the causes behind the current crisis we find ourselves in. It establishes the inextricable link between the energy we use, the way we run our economy, and the effect it has had on our environment.”

Blood and Oil (DVD)
Directed by Jeremy Earp. Media Education Foundation, 2008
Call Number: HD9566 .B55 2008 (Boca Raton Media Center)

Continue reading

In the News: Hurricane Katrina – Three Years Later

Week of August 25, 2008

News ItemHurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005 and caused severe destruction in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama as a Category 5 storm. Thousands perished, and homes and businesses were destroyed in what would become the costliest U.S. Atlantic hurricane. Three years later, the city of New Orleans is slowly recovering from Katrina’s effects, but many other survivors are still struggling with housing, education, and other basic social needs. 

Breach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City
By Jed Horne. Random House, 2006
Call Number: HV636 2005 .N4 H66 2006

City Adrift: New Orleans Before and After Katrina
By Jenni Bergal et al. Louisiana State University Press, 2007
Call Number: HV636 2005 .N4 C58 2007

Come Hell or High Water: Hurricane Katrina and the Color of Disaster
By Michael Eric Dyson. Basic Civitas, 2006
Call Number: HV636 2005 .G87 D97 2006
Continue reading