What Happens When an Ice Cap Melts? (Unstable Earth)

Angela Royston is an experienced author of non-fiction for children, specialising in books about extreme weather, geography, science and nature.

Gr 6-9-Grim overviews of the present state of rain forest destruction, ozone depletion, glacial meltdown, and overfishing describe how we may face even more frightening scenarios if current practices continue into the future. Photos accompany well-written descriptions of contributing factors to environmental degradation such as factory fishing, mining, and logging. Spreads depict Earth in future years such as 2050 and 2100. News headlines tell of flooded coastal cities, population displacement, mass starvation, and resource wars. In the face of government and corporate inaction, suggestions for small steps readers can take seem woefully inadequate, although some listed websites offer a bit of hope. VERDICT Fans of dystopian novels and films may relish the support for their pessimistic views offered by these compelling but unsettling glimpses of possible futures.α(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.