The ongoing devastating wildfires across the American West emphasize the reality of climate change and the long lasting impacts of fire and smoke on our environment. The list below feature several UC Press titles that explore the legacy of wildfires and offer steps for addressing climate change.
Introduction to Fire in California
Second Edition
by David Carle
This second edition brings the wildfire story up to the year 2020, with information about recent extreme and deadly fire events and the evidence that climate change is swiftly changing the wildfire story in California. This update reflects current debates about California’s future as a climate-crisis leader facing massive, annual natural disasters; the future of California development and housing; and the critically necessary alternatives to traditional energy options.
Tending the Wild:
Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources
by M. Kat Anderson
M. Kat Anderson presents a wealth of information on native land management practices gleaned from interviews with Native Americans who recall what their grandparents told them about how and when areas were burned, which plants were eaten and which were used for basketry, and how plants were tended. We come to see California’s indigenous people as active agents of environmental change and stewardship. Tending the Wild persuasively argues that this traditional ecological knowledge is essential if we are to successfully meet the challenge of living sustainably.
Fire in California’s Ecosystems
edited by Jan W. van Wagtendonk, Neil G. Sugihara, Scott L. Stephens, Andrea E. Thode, Kevin E. Shaffer, Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman
Fire in California’s Ecosystems describes fire in detail—both as an integral natural process in the California landscape and as a growing threat to urban and suburban developments in the state. Written by many of the foremost authorities on the subject, this comprehensive volume is an ideal authoritative reference tool and the foremost synthesis of knowledge on the science, ecology, and management of fire in California.
Environmental Justice in a Moment of Danger
by Julie Sze
Environmental justice movements fight, survive, love, and create in the face of violence that challenges the conditions of life itself. Environmental Justice in a Moment of Danger examines mobilizations and movements, from protests at Standing Rock to activism in Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricane Maria. Exploring dispossession, deregulation, privatization, and inequality, this book is the essential primer on environmental justice, packed with cautiously hopeful stories for the future.
A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety
How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet
by Sarah Jaquette Ray
Drawing on a decade of experience leading and teaching in college environmental studies programs, Sarah Jaquette Ray has created an “existential tool kit” for the climate generation. Combining insights from psychology, sociology, social movements, mindfulness, and the environmental humanities, Ray explains why and how we need to cultivate resilience while advocating for climate justice. A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety is essential reading as we confront the greatest environmental threat of our time.