Other books that might interest you

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  Australia on the Brink

  Ian Lowe

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  In 1996, the first independent national report on the state of Australia’s environment found that we faced serious problems. With increasing urgency, five subsequent reports declared those problems were all getting worse, each calling for immediate action to protect our future. The 2021 report determined that, ‘Overall, the state and trend of the environment of Australia are poor and deteriorating as a result of increasing pressures from climate change, habitat loss, invasive species, pollution and resource extraction,’ and warned of the dramatic impact on our health and living standards. It is now clearer than ever that the consequences of long-term inaction are upon us.Accelerating climate change and the loss of our unique biodiversity are the most obvious signs of the grim outlook for future generations of Australians. But the international trends are equally worrying, with quixotic economic systems casting doubt on the wisdom of running down our domestic production of essential goods and services in favour of a dependence on trade. It is no exaggeration to conclude that Australian society itself is at risk.In Australia on the Brink, Ian Lowe argues that the essential first steps in addressing these threats are stabilising the global climate and protecting our local biota. We must also change the emphasis of resource extraction from a damaging reliance on trade to improving our capacity to meet our own needs. This is our best – perhaps our only – chance of restoring a sense of social stability, and the equality of opportunity that was once a hallmark of this country.

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  Bee Better

  Howard Steel

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  Have you ever wondered why honey bees are so vital to the health and vitality of our world? Join retired educator, Howard Steel, as he whimsically shares his passion for these amazing creatures and his experiences with beekeeping. Discover why these incredible producers are endangered and how we can help protect them with simple, personal lifestyle changes. Find out about the intricate and fascinating role of the honey bee in eco-system pollination. Be inspired and learn how to start up your own hive right in your backyard! Students: This book will be a helpful resource for your research paper or project. Start reading BEE BETTER today and find out what all the BUZZ is about!

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  Pandemonium - Power Politics and...

  Jack Horgan-Jones, Hugh O'Connell

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  The Inside Story of Ireland's Pandemic: Every Decision, Every Player, Every Text, Every Leak
  Ireland's lockdowns were among the harshest and longest in Europe. As the state was battered by waves of disease time and again, unparalleled pressures and untold tensions emerged as the country went to war with Covid, and policymakers and politicians did battle with each other.
  How were the key decisions made? Who held all the power?
  Boasting unrivalled access to the key decision-makers and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews and thousands of pages of documents, including confidential and unpublished material, Pandemonium reveals the moves, the power-plays and the – at times jaw-dropping – tactics of a government with the health of a nation in its hands.
  'If a movie is ever made of how Ireland responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pandemonium may well provide the script … You will feel as if you were in the room when key conversations happened and decisions were made.' Professor Luke O'Neill
  'Illuminates the corners of institutions usually able to operate in the dark' Fintan O'Toole
  'A page-turner … an exceptional insight' Matt Cooper
  'Unflinching and unrelenting' Dearbhail McDonald

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  Avars and Magyars The: The...

  Editors Charles River

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  The Avars entered Eastern Europe from the Central Asian steppes in the 6th century, and like the Huns before them and the Cumans and Magyars after them, the Avars were raiders and warriors who lived on their horses. The Avars’ impact on Europe was immediately felt, and from the Byzantine Empire to the Merovingian Kingdom in Gaul, some of Europe’s strongest powers had to learn how to deal with these new people through a combination of diplomacy and warfare. Eventually, the Avars established themselves in what is today Hungary and played an important role in the development of European history during its transitional period by earning a reputation as a fearsome and sometimes avaricious group. The medieval sources described the Avars as efficient and brutal horseback warriors who could devastate entire kingdoms in a matter of days and leave just as quickly. 
  Of all the steppe peoples in the medieval period, perhaps none were more important to European history than the Magyars. Like the Huns and Avars before them and the Cumans and Mongols after them, the Magyars burst into Europe as a destructive, unstoppable horde, taking whatever they wanted and leaving a steady stream of misery in their wake. They used much of the same tactics as the other steppe peoples and lived a similar, nomadic lifestyle. The Magyars also had many early cultural affinities with other steppe peoples, following a similar religion and ideas of kingship and nobility, among other things. That said, as similar as the Magyars may have been to other steppe nomads before and after them, they were noticeably different in one way: the Magyars settled down and became a part of Europe and Western Civilization in the Middle Ages. The Magyars exploded onto the European cultural scene in the late 9th century as foreign marauders, but they made alliances with many important kingdoms in less than a century.

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  Some Nightmares Are Real - The...

  Kelly Kazek

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  Dark secrets lurk beneath the sleepy surface of Alabama. Ghosts and grisly creatures haunt the towns and forests. In the great Southern ghost-story tradition, famed Alabama storyteller Kelly Kazek weaves a gothic tapestry of ten stories drawn from real people and legendary creatures, cursed places, and harrowing events. 
   
   
   
  Each story or legend takes listeners to a different place in Alabama. Learn about the bestial Wolf Woman who terrified Mobilians in the haunted old port city. In the city of Huntsville, visit the Dead Children's Playground in gloomy Maple Hill Cemetery. In Jacksonville, feel the cold grip of the Old Mill Witch, rumored to protect the workers at the rickety cotton yarn mill. Hear about the mysterious green light that drifts along the Alabama River in the Black Belt hamlet of Gee's Bend and learn about the role the Gee's Bend Ferry played in the Civil Rights Movement. 
   
   
   
  Unlike most ghost-story collections, Some Nightmares Are Real includes facts, historical resources, and information about how to visit the locations. These contemporary stories embrace a beloved Southern folkloric tradition for a new generation of young readers. The tales will terrify and ensnare ghost-story lovers of all ages. So settle in, pull the covers up tight, and maybe turn on the light, because the truth is: Some Nightmares Are Real.

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  What We Owe the Future

  William MacAskill

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  An Oxford philosopher makes the case for “longtermism”—that positively influencing the long-term future is a key moral priority of our time 
   
  The fate of the world is in our hands. Humanity’s written history spans only five thousand years. Our yet-unwritten future could last for millions more—or it could end tomorrow. Astonishing numbers of people could lead lives of great happiness or unimaginable suffering, or never live at all, depending on what we choose to do today. 
    
  In What We Owe The Future, philosopher William MacAskill argues for longtermism, that idea that positively influencing the distant future is a key moral priority of our time. From this perspective, it’s not enough to reverse climate change or avert the next pandemic. We must ensure that civilization would rebound if it collapsed; counter the end of moral progress; and prepare for a planet where the smartest beings are digital, not human. 
    
  If we put humanity’s course to right, our grandchildren’s grandchildren will thrive, knowing we did everything we could to give them a world full of justice, hope, and beauty.

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