Environmental Issues

Children's Literature

The past century and a half has seen an alteration in the environment that has never before been seen in recorded history. The industrial age not only ushered in a higher standard of living for Europe and the United States, but also helped to show how fragile the environment is. For millennia, people believed that the planet was sturdy enough to overcome anything that humans could possibly do to it. That began to change dramatically during the mid-twentieth century when effects from industrial pollution began to be felt in heavily industrialized countries. Fridell presents a comprehensive look at the history of pollution on a global scale and pinpoints some of the instances when pollution and overuse of natural resources began to overtax, until then, dependable natural resources. Fridell uses examples throughout the history to back up his at times alarming look at the damage humans have caused to the environment. The author catalogues a great many examples of where industry has gone wrong and how politics has failed to correct the problem, but rarely gives examples of what has been done right or offers solutions to the problems. But the examples and historical look at the alteration to the environment make this a suitable reference for beginning research about pollution. Part of the "Open for Debate" series. 2006, Benchmark/Marshall Cavendish, Ages 10 to 15.
—Danielle Williams