Environment and Communication

Biodiversity Series These five publications discuss the systemic crisis facing living things on earth at the beginning of the 21st century. The numbers of both plant and animal species in diverse ecosystems are declining due to the impact of increased human population and the transport of pollutants to all regions of the globe. The essays in the series argue that these developments constitute a global crisis, a cataclysmic loss of diverse living genomes that cannot be re-created. Biodiversity on a Changing Planet: The Health of Earth's Ecosystems contains two essays by experts, "Why Biodiversity Matters" by Niles Eldredge of the American Museum of Natural History, and "Appreciating the Benefits of Plant Biodiversity" by John Tuxill of the Worldwatch Institute. Four short essays focus on specific ecosystems. They are Wetlands: Cradle of Species Diversity; Forests: Our Planet's Endangered Edens; Northlands: The World's Fragile Ecosystem; and Coral Reefs: Fertile Gardens of the Sea.  (April 2001)

Issue in Focus: Desertification Discusses a major ecological issue that has worldwide consequences: the creeping impoverishment and marginalization of once-fertile land due to natural weather cycles, population increases, overcultivation, or even poorly planned irrigation. This publication defines the international scope of desertification, discusses its appearance in the American Midwest of the 1930s and the remedies applied, pinpoints early warning signs, and details how it is profoundly affected by land management and water distribution. Finally, the book describes how constructive practices can lead to reversal of this grave ecological problem.  (September 2004)

A Responsible Press Office: An Insiders Guide A how-to publication for government leaders and public information officials who want to create an effective mechanism of communication between the media and the government. This handbook offers practical advice based on the significant professional experience of author Marguerite Hoxie Sullivan and other top-level U.S. government spokespersons. The book's 12 chapters cover, among other things, the roles and characteristics of a press spokesperson, the day-to-day activities of a press office, how to mount a media campaign, the tools available to a press office, how to ensure that the government's message is communicated effectively to the people, how to handle unexpected events that require a quick response, and how to conduct media events.  (September 2001)

An Unfettered Press The media in America...constitutional protections, right-to-know laws, editing and managing newspapers, radio and television broadcasting, electronic newspapers, and libel law.  (April 2001, originally published in 1994)