Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth

Does putting aside fifty percent of the world’s land into preserves sound like a doable method of saving the earth? It seems impossible to this reader, however, the author, Tony Hiss details all of the worldwide efforts to do just that and comes up with a very optimistic prognosis. It is delightful and inspiring to learn about the efforts to put aside land in an effort to save our fragile planet. Those engaged in this line of work are called Half Earthers. It has been known for some time that animals need broad ranges in which to roam, yet urban sprawl intersects migration routes bringing wild animals into dangerous proximity with humans. The author details efforts of individuals and groups who have worked to save wilderness where they can. He further argues for greater coalitions of those groups and new contacts in order to seamlessly work together to make land and forest preservation a reality. While this book has a good index, it would have been a service to have a listing of referrals so that readers could join this worthwhile effort.