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In an era when incomprehensibly complex issues like Peak Oil and Climate Change dominate headlines, practical solutions at a local level can seem somehow inadequate.

In response, Lyle Estill's Small Is Possible introduces us to "hometown security," with this chronicle of a community-powered response to resource depletion in a fickle global economy. True stories, springing from the soils of Chatham County, N.C., offer a positive counter balance to the bleakness of our age.

This is the story of how one small southern U.S. town found actual solutions to actual problems. Unwilling to rely on government and wary of large corporations, these residents discovered it is possible for a community to feed itself, fuel itself, heal itself and govern itself.

This book is filled with newspaper columns, blog entries, letters and essays that have appeared on the margins of small town economies. Tough subjects are handled with humor and finesse. Compelling stories of successful small businesses from the grocery co-op to the biodiesel co-op describe a town and its people on a genuine quest for sustainability.

Everyone interested in sustainability, local economy, small business and whole foods will be inspired by the success stories in this book.

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In the latter half of the twentieth century, the percentage of the total American population living in suburbs grew to nearly 50 percent. Fossil fuels were cheap and plentiful, and car-dependent, energy-intensive lifestyles came hand-in-hand with this demographic transition. In the age of Peak Oil, environmental catastrophe and a failing economy it is imperative that we transform the suburbs into sustainable communities.

Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs envisions a suburban evolution -- from isolated cookie-cutter houses with manicured lawns and 2-car garages to small, closely packed, productive, interdependent homesteads. This guide to simplifying suburbia and adopting a lower energy lifestyle breaks down all our basic needs and describes how they might be met after the loss of the modern conveniences we currently take for granted. From small-space gardening techniques and a guide to small livestock, to tips on cooking, heating, and sanitation options and much more, this is a complete guide to becoming more self-sufficient wherever you live.

Required reading for anyone interested in increased self-reliance and a lower carbon footprint, Surviving the Apocalypse in the Suburbs will help you look past the white picket fence to a new world of possibilities.

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Whether we are nearing the end of oil or merely nearing the end of inexpensive oil, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need to find alternative ways to meet our energy needs. Biodiesel is one such alternative, and it's one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. economy.

Biodiesel in North America is in its infancy. As air quality deteriorates in major centers, governments are scrambling for ways to reduce emissions and are embracing biodiesel in their fleets. Conferences on biodiesel are often "inaugural," as society begins discussing this fuel in earnest.

Biodiesel Power is a chronicle of this emerging industry. Lightly touching on the technical aspects of the fuel, its qualities and specifications, the book is largely about the people and stories of the biodiesel movement. It explores the tensions between:

• grassroots activists and their altruistic co-ops
• the profit-minded commercial producers and the voices of agribusiness
• the government

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Kids ages 8 to 12 will love these 22 exciting activities and experiments focused on producing and playing with renewable energy. Projects range from the quick and simple — like the Pie Plate Wind-Maker — to the thrillingly large-scale, like Pedal Power, in which kids use a bicycle to power a 12-volt battery. Each activity teaches children about renewable energy and larger environmental issues. Education doesn’t get more fun than this! Catch the Wind, Harness the Sun offers more than enough to get any kid charged up about renewable energy.

About the author
Michael J. Caduto is an author, storyteller, ecologist, and musician. He is well-known as the creator and co-author of the international best-selling Keepers of the Earth series and Native American Gardening. He also wrote Earth Tales from Around the World, Pond and Brook, The Crimson Elf, In the Beginning, and A Child of God. His many awards include The Aesop Prize, NAPPA Gold and Silver Awards, and a Storytelling World Honor Award. His articles have appeared in Cricket, Ranger Rick’s NatureScope, Green Teacher, Instructor, Rodale’s Organic Gardening, Vermont Life, Sanctuary, and Nature Study. He lives in Norwich, Vt.

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This introductory resource explains how to sustainably manage a wooded property, whether it’s a few acres in the suburbs or a small commercial forest. Readers will learn how to identify the type, health and quality of their trees and woodland; how to plant, prune and thin trees; how to improve their ecosystem by creating trails, adding water and diversifying; how to improve wildlife habitat; and how to increase enjoyment and use of the land by harvesting timber, cutting firewood, building wildlife blinds, making maple sugar, growing Christmas trees, hunting and more.

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Whether standing at the kitchen sink glancing out the window, walking a dog along a city sidewalk, or looking up at the sky from a ballpark seat, there are signs of nature everywhere, just waiting to be noticed.

Clare Walker Leslie has spent more than 25 years observing and recording nature on the streets around her urban home, as well as on her travels. In this book, she opens her journals to you as an invitation to share the joy and deep satisfaction of this experience. Her daily notes and spontaneous field drawings resonate with everyone who yearns to develop a deeper connection with the natural world.

Drawn to Nature will inspire you to look up, look down, look all around, and wake up to the details of what's living right alongside you, whether it's a bird hopping along the sidewalk, squirrels chasing each other on the tree outside your window, or water droplets glistening on tree branches after a heavy rainfall. As Clare Walker Leslie has discovered, you, too, will find delight, comfort, and amusement in nature close at hand.

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The first descriptive treatise of modern bee management. In a reader-friendly, enthusiastic style, L. L. Langstroth addresses every aspect of beekeeping: bee physiology; diseases and enemies of bees; the life-cycles of the queen, drone and worker; bee-hives; the handling of bees; and many other topics. Unabridged republication of the classic 1878 (fourth) edition.

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In The Healthy Home, a father and son -- Dr. Myron Wentz, well-known microbiologist and founder of the USANA Corporation, and Dave Wentz, CEO of the USANA Corporation -- take readers on a tour of a specific home for a look at the surprising health risks posed by the everyday products and behaviors of a modern family. Beginning in the bedroom and ending in the garage and backyard, readers learn about the degenerative effects of toxins in the home and receive simple solutions to help minimize exposure without forgoing convenience. The Healthy Home is not a comprehensive tome on modern health hazards, nor is it a treatise on eco-conscious living. Instead, the book focuses on the most important environment -- the home -- and the problems that can most easily be lessened or eliminated. Busy parents who suspect that they should be doing more to protect their family but don't know where to start will learn about practical changes they can make in the next 15 minutes, 15 days or 15 months to create a haven for healthier living.