Environmental Missouri - 9781935806684

Environmental Missouri is the first comprehensive guide to local and state environmental issues involving the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we inhabit in the Show-Me State. This collection is very serious and yet intensely readable, as it examines such problems as urban sprawl, polluted streams, radioactive waste, lead contamination, airborne mercury, ozone and smog, and noise and light pollution. The book raises questions about wildlife concerns: What's with the Asian Carp taking over our rivers? Why are the bees disappearing? When will the Ozark Hellbender revive and thrive? Environmental Missouri is not all bad news and pessimistic prose. A final chapter on sustainability looks at how Missourians are going green, whether it's with cloth diaper parties, raising backyard chickens, farming responsibly, or hosting green burials at trail's end. Each chapter includes a Q&A with a habitat expert or environmental activist to give a unique perspective on the concern at hand. Environmental Missouri argues that we should teach our children well, instead of trying to sweep problems under the rug. It's time to tackle matters head on and guide the way to a more sustainable future!