NOAA Planet Stewards
Book Club Archives

1. This book doesn’t seem like historical fiction but rather fictionalized history because all of the characters are historic figures. Do you think this is a fair or reasonable characterization of the book and others like it? Why or why not?

2. On page three of the book Mary says “Lightning has struck me all my life. Just once it was real.” What are some examples of Mary metaphorically feeling lightning strike her at other times in her life?

3. The author, Chevalier, offers a unique way to build characterizations: Elizabeth identifies people according to the body part they “lead with”. For example, Mary Anning leads with her eyes, her mother leads with her working hands, and the Days lead with their chests. Does this help you visualize the characters or their personalities? What body part do you think you “lead with”?

4. Like the Victorian era which began as this story progressed, nineteenth century English society was stratified by class and gender, and women were not considered able or interested in scientific ideas. What events or ideas in the book struck you as shocking, frustrating, or interesting?

5. Mary Anning and Elizabeth Philpott are dynamic characters that they change over the course of the book. Their changes mirror changes in the scientific understanding of fossils that occurs at that time in history. What are some examples of changes to Mary and Elizabeth over the course of their friendship? How does the author use dialog between characters to illustrate these changes?

6. We teach students that creativity is part of science. On page 74 Elizabeth describes Lord Henley as “a man of little imagination who found it impossible to see the world through another’s eyes. It made his interest in fossils preposterous. Truly to appreciate what fossils are requires a leap of imagination he was not capable of making.” Do you think she is correct? What do you think the role of creativity was in understanding geologic history and the history of life during the Victorian era?

7. Mary and Elizabeth - and Mary’s mother Molly, consider the difference between ‘hunters’ and ‘collectors’ - and eventually ‘dealers’. How do they describe the difference between a ‘hunter’ and a ‘collector’? Do you think the distinction is valid?

8. Interestingly, Georges Cuvier is considered the founder of comparative anatomy, and he believed in extinction but not evolution. Why was his opinion so important to scientists of the day, and so important to Elizabeth, that she felt it necessary to go all the way to London alone to protect Mary's reputation?

1. Kurlansky uses Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species as the foundation for his arguments, even beginning each chapter with an epigraph from Darwin. What aspects of the Theory of Evolution does he refer to when he discusses fish populations?

2. What is the difference between biological vs. commercial extinction? Darwin asserted that population size is necessary to maintain a species. Are biological and commercial extinction functionally the same, that is, is the outcome of each likely to be the same?

3. What does Kurlansky mean by reverse evolution (p. 5)? Is this an accurate use of the term ‘evolution’?

4. Kurlansky writes that youth are the luckiest generation with many opportunities and responsibilities to make a difference and save the world. Why do you think Kurlansky chose to use the word “lucky” for the position of youth in the world today?

5. Kurlansky makes suggestions about how youth can help to encourage adults to be responsible about sourcing fish (ch. 11). Were there ideas about how to responsibly buy and eat fish that resonate with you, that seem more (or less) doable?

6. Kurlansky mentions more than once that youth (but really anyone) should be respectful when challenging restaurant staff, fish sellers, or officials. How important is a respectful demeanor when protesting or challenging a system?

7. Science got the fish story so wrong in the nineteenth century when Huxley and others assured the British government that it was impossible to overfish. How much damage did this attitude do to fish populations and to scientists’ credibility?

8. Can you think of instances where scientists ignored the knowledge of Indigenous or working people? Do you think this is one reason that some people distrust science today?

9. Kurlansky does not recommend boycotting fish or fishermen. This is because fish have great nutritional value and because a great many people’s livelihoods depend on fishing. Do you feel that we should find ways to continue to eat fish?

10. Kurlansky spends considerable time describing the interaction of organisms in ecosystems. Then he states that there is no one in charge of ecosystems (pp. 103, 105). What does he mean, and why does that make it difficult to develop and enforce sustainable fishing regulations?

11. There are many coastal regions where tourism has replaced fishing as a driver of the economy. Is this sustainable? Will economies continue to thrive where they depend on visitors visiting and spending money rather than an economy based on a tangible product?

12. Compare and contrast: How is rotating fishing grounds similar to or different from rotating agricultural crops?

13. Kurlansky notes human civilization requires diversity just as species need diversity to survive; he decries the loss of cultures and languages. Do you agree that different cultures are necessary for the survival of our species?

1. What makes the best part of us: people, or the nature around us? What if one or both are taken away?

2. Each member of the Llyndee family has a different perspective towards nature, which plays a large role in the individual choices they make. What order would you put them in, from most in touch w/nature to least?

3. Kate seems to focus on safety because the natural world is fearful to her, but was she always that way? What changed her?

4. If discovery of the relics and the accident hadn’t occurred, do you think Kate would have grown more comfortable on the island? Why or why not?

5. How do Dylan and Beth’s experiences with Ben affect their perspectives about nature and the choices they make?

6. Maegan takes risks in life without much thought, whether in nature or in the "real" world. Why do you think she holds this perspective?

7. What about Beth? Is she taking a huge risk or playing it safe by living in Chicago?

8. Welsh and Ojibwe customs have many similarities in terms of their reverence towards nature, but different perspectives about their gods and humans' role as a part of nature. What other similarities or differences does the story provide between the Ojibwe and Welsh families, and how does your family incorporate nature into your traditions and habits?

9. Beth is frustrated and angry at the pecking order with her siblings, and the secrets that they seem to keep from her - even as an adult. And yet, Maegan and Dylan know that Beth is the only one who can bring the island back into the family’s lives. Why do you think this is, and do you agree?

10. The novel follows Beth’s coming of age as a youngster into a teenager, and again as an adult. How does she evolve over the course of the last two chapters? How do other family members come of age, no matter their age?

11. Who should have rights to the island? Can anyone really own a piece of nature?

12. How does working in a steel mill feel to Dylan, the family member most connected to the natural world? What is the worst place you can imagine living for yourself, and where would you go to heal after the experience?

13. Beth reconnects with the lake as she hikes to the top of Llyndee’s Peak, in spite of all that she has shut away. How and why does she do this?

14. Fourteen years is a long time for Beth and Dylan to be apart, yet their relationship falls back into place even with their conflicting reasons for their estrangement. Have you experienced similar separations with family or friends, for whatever reason, and how did you feel if you were fortunate to reconnect?

15. Do you have a favorite character? Why?

16. Do you think the entire family, with the exception of Naina, will return to the island?

17. Does the island and lake remind you of a place or piece of nature that you treasure? How do you feel when you're there, and what would you do to protect it?

18. Those of us fortunate to live in the Great Lakes region share a love of fresh water, a variety of flora and fauna second only to the Amazon Rainforest, and the beauty of four seasons. What do you value most about the natural world where you live?

19. Do you agree with the research that shows us the healing powers of nature?

Jane Goodall define la esperanza como “…lo que nos permite seguir adelante frente a la adversidad. Es lo que deseamos que suceda, pero debemos estar preparados para trabajar duro para que así sea” (página 6). Además, llama a la esperanza “un aspecto de nuestra supervivencia” (página 9), y más adelante “…la determinación obstinada de hacer que funcione” (página 26).

Jane dice que la esperanza no niega el mal, sino que es una respuesta a él (página 35).

1. ¿Estás de acuerdo con la definición de esperanza de Jane y su descripción de la misma? ¿Qué agregarías, quitarías o cambiarías a la forma en que define la esperanza y por qué harías ese cambio?

2. ¿Tus estudiantes tienen esperanza sobre el medio ambiente? ¿Deberían tener esperanza sobre el medio ambiente?

3. En la página xii, Jane dice que la esperanza es contagiosa y que tus acciones inspiran a otros. ¿Es importante transmitir esperanza a tus estudiantes cuando hablas sobre temas ambientales como el cambio climático y, si es así, cómo les transmites esperanza?

4. ¿Tienes alumnos que no tienen esperanza en relación con nuestro medio ambiente? Si es así, ¿cómo los ayudas? ¿Qué les dices?

5. ¿Alguna vez pierdes la esperanza en relación con el medio ambiente? ¿Cómo lo afrontas? ¿Qué haces para mantener la esperanza o recuperarla?

6. En la página 52, Jane dice que solo los humanos son capaces de hacer el mal y solo los humanos son capaces de ser altruistas. ¿Estás de acuerdo con ella? ¿Cómo inspiras a tus alumnos a seguir un camino hacia un mayor altruismo?

7. Jane encuentra esperanza en el intelecto humano, la resiliencia de la naturaleza, el poder de los jóvenes y el espíritu humano indomable. ¿Estás de acuerdo con ella en cuanto a esas cuatro razones para tener esperanza? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

8. En la página 152, Jane cuenta la historia de Winston Churchill, quien pronunció un discurso conmovedor durante la Segunda Guerra Mundial en el que describía cómo los británicos luchaban en los mares y océanos y nunca se rendían. Según la historia de Jane, justo después del discurso, Churchill se volvió hacia un amigo y le dijo en voz baja: “… y lucharemos contra ellos con las colillas de botellas de cerveza rotas porque eso es todo lo que tenemos”. ¿Alguna vez te has encontrado en la posición de animar a la gente a luchar por una causa cuando dudas de la posibilidad de éxito? ¿Cómo manejas eso?

9. En la página 57, Jane dice que cree que los seres humanos tienen una comprensión compartida de lo que significa la justicia y que con el tiempo nos hemos vuelto más solidarios y compasivos como especie. ¿Crees eso? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

10. En la página 233, Jane dice: “No sirve de nada negar que hay problemas. No es ninguna vergüenza si piensas en el daño que hemos infligido al mundo. Pero si te concentras en hacer las cosas que puedes hacer y hacerlas bien, eso marcará la diferencia”. ¿Estás de acuerdo? ¿Por qué sí o por qué no?

1. What’s your experience with oysters? Do you eat them? Cook them? See them at the beach? Dissect them in science class?

2. This book follows the development of New York City from a Dutch settlement with neighboring Indigenous communities to a small town and eventually to a large city. What did you notice as the city grew? What changed? What stayed the same?

3. Did you know that oysters used to be plentiful in the waters around New York City? In the book, the oyster population suffers as New York City (and the US) grows. How is this like other stories of development and its consequences? Are there differences?

4. Water quality plays a recurring role in the book, resurfacing when there were inadequate ways to deal with waste, when the oysters were harmed, and when people’s health suffered. What lessons can be learned from this example? What can be done to avoid problems like these?

5. The Big Oyster combines human history and environmental history. What did you like or dislike about looking at human and environmental history at the same time?

6. If you were to explore the history of your city/town through an animal or plant in the environment, what species would you focus on?

7. The book (towards the end) questions whether New York City has a maximum capacity. What limits the population of a city? And what allows it to grow?

1. How are fens, bogs, and swamps similar? How are they different?

2. What’s your experience with wetlands? What are they like in your region?

3. The peat in wetlands is able to sequester (absorb and hold onto) large amounts of carbon, keeping it from the atmosphere. What other aspects of fens, bogs, and swamps does the author value?

4. This book often focuses on public perception of wetlands, and how that has changed over time. From your perspective, what has the public appreciated about wetlands? What have been seen as drawbacks of wetlands?

5. The book discusses how wetlands have been destroyed – for example, drained to create farmland or the peat harvested for fuel. Are there environmental concerns about wetlands near where you live?

6. Share an interesting fact about fens, bogs, and swamps that you learned from this book.

7. This book combines science, history, literature, and geography. What do you think about this? Do you make multidisciplinary connections in your teaching or in your life?

8. Has your perspective on fens, bogs, and swamps changed after reading this book? If so, how?

1. El Quetzal Azul describe un mundo en el que las aves de la Tierra juegan un papel importante en el “equilibrio natural” de nuestro planeta. ¿Cómo se compara este mundo imaginario con la realidad que compartimos?De los miles de aves que se sabe que existen en la Tierra, ¿por qué se eligió al resplandeciente quetzal como protagonista principal de la historia?

2. El Alfa hizo ajustes al clima en Guatemala sin preocuparse por sus efectos en las personas que vivían allí. ¿Hay humanos que se comportan de la misma manera? ¿Se te ocurre algún ejemplo?

3. ¿Para lectores que normalmente no se involucran en la gestión ambiental, podría El Quetzal Azul inspirarlos a tomar medidas? ¿Qué acciones podrían inspirarse a tomar los lectores?

4. Al final, Alma y Dioni deciden vivir vidas separadas. ¿Te sorprendió esto? ¿Por qué o por qué no?

5. ¿Podrías utilizar este libro sobre aves con los estudiantes para enseñarles sobre el cambio climático? ¿Por qué o por qué no? ¿Si es así, cómo?

6. Aunque el libro está destinado a lectores de todas las edades, hay temas más fuertes para los lectores mayores y escenas memorables para los más jóvenes. ¿Cómo discutiría la distinción entre realidad y ficción con lectores de diferentes grupos de edad?

7. El libro permite a los lectores viajar a varios lugares del mundo, incluidos Guatemala, Canadá, Estados Unidos, México, India, Australia, Francia, Inglaterra, Siria y la Antártida. ¿Por qué crees que se eligieron estos lugares? ¿Elegirías otros? Si es así, ¿por qué?

1. Fragment contains elements of speculative fiction, like the idea of direct human–whale communication. It also presents scientific facts about physical oceanography for example. What did you think about this mixture of scientific facts and fiction? How might you talk to young readers about what is real and what is fiction in the book?

2. The novel uses two main fictional elements to tell the story - the release of a super-iceberg from the Ross Sea, and the discovery of human-whale communication. Did either of these ideas seem plausible to you? What opportunities might these fictional elements create for conversations with other readers of this book about planet stewardship?

3. The story involves many characters:

   • Ring, the blue whale
   • Science TV reporters Jay and Al
   • The Marcy’s captain, Blair Cockburn
   • Rescued Antarctic scientists Kate, Eric and Graham
   • The Lincoln’s crew and captain
   • Passengers and crew on the cruise ship, Rose Sayer
   • Reporter Nancy Pepper and her cameraman, Ben Irons
   • The President of the United States and his advisor

   Did you feel a connection with any of these characters? If so, which ones, and why?

4. Fragment presents us with a major disaster related to rapid climate change. Do you think something like what is described in the novel could really happen?

5. The story includes a number of people and organizations associated with the United States government, e.g.:

   • The President and his political advisor
   • A climate-change denying science advisor
   • Military personnel
   • NOAA

   What do you think of these portrayals in the novel? Do you think they agree with how American politicians and organizations are viewed by much of the world?

6. How might one investigate how American politicians, our political system, and federal organizations are viewed by people in other parts of the world?

7. In Fragment, the character Kate encounters considerable sexism from a variety of sources. What is the presence of sexism in today’s scientific culture? Were there instances of racism in the book? If so, what were they?

8. Did the language used by characters in the book (for example, “Just an iceberg”) reflect how language affects our perspective of science? Can you think of examples you’ve encountered in the media or in conversations with others?

9. Are you aware of scientific programs that study communication with wildlife, such as apes, elephants, ravens and crows, whales, and dolphins? What do you think people can learn from animals? If we could communicate with animals, how might it change our approach to nature or our perspective on animal rights?

10. In Fragment, an ice sheet threatens several islands, but no one is willing to rescue the people in harm's way. What message does the author give in response to socioeconomic status and the effects of climate change on the poorer peoples of the world? How should the world help the citizens of island and low, coastal nations who are threatened by sea level rise? How is sea-level rise affecting places with which you have a connection?

1. Escape Undersea is full of science and interesting facts. What new information did you learn from the book? What information do you think your students would find most interesting? What topics would you and/or your students like to explore further?

2. What questions do you have, or you think your students will have regarding living and/or working in the Aquarius undersea habitat?

3. Genetic engineering plays a key role in the book. The genetically altered giant lionfish in the book is clearly fiction, but there are examples of how genetic engineering is actually being used to benefit the environment. In 2021 the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec released genetically engineered mosquitoes to control invasive Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the Keys. The project was successful and has been repeated every spring. What examples of genetic engineering are you familiar with?

4. Another key concept in the book is the problem of waste water run-off, how it affects the ocean, and causes algal blooms. Do you know where your wastewater goes?

5. Coral reefs play a big part in the book. Today, coral reef ecosystems are under multiple threats, including climate change, pollution, overfishing, invasive species, and development. How do each of these stressors impact coral reef ecosystems? In addition to Lionfish, can you think of other invasive species that are disrupting ecosystems (aquatic or terrestrial?)

6. In the first part of the "Note from the Author" at the end of the book, there are 33 statements which ask the reader to identify if the statements are real or made-up. In the second part of this section Dr. Prager answers the questions and explains why each statement is real or made-up. How could you effectively use this section of the book with students?

7. Escape Undersea is fiction based on science. After reading the book has your perspective of climate change or the ocean changed? Would you and/or your students want to live and work in an underwater research laboratory?

8. Aquarius was owned by NOAA and operated by the University of North Carolina Wilmington until 2013. In 2013 Florida International University (FIU) took over the operational control of the Aquarius. In 2014 FIU assumed ownership and created the Medina Aquarius Program. You can learn more about the Medina Aquarius Program and see amazing video of the Aquarius here.

1. What is citizen science? Do you have experience as a citizen scientist? Is this a skill we can teach children in formal and informal settings?

2. Citizen science is one of three main themes throughout the book. What other themes do you see, and how do they all connect?

3. In the book, Dara talks about the Gray Seal Protection Act. Are you familiar with the Endangered Species Act? Are there any local species whose numbers you are noticing a decline in?

4. Does there have to be a conflict between nature and agriculture? Do you see this in your community? Do you have suggestions on how to blend the two philosophies on land management?

5. Domestic cats are interesting, are they a cause for concern in maintaining ecological diversity in areas where urban and natural areas interface?

6. Dara uses poetic language throughout the biography, “bruised blackberry sky,” how did this enhance his story?

7. Throughout the story, Dara uses sight, sound and smell to enhance his dialog. How do you use these senses when you are outside?

8. Intertwined throughout the story Dara talks about autism, education and his family. Did this enhance the story or distract from it? How can educators use nature to work with a diverse group of students?

1. Miles, the main character and narrator in The Highest Tide, says: "most people realize the sea covers two thirds of the planet, but few take the time to understand even a gallon of it... Then they'll have a hard time not thinking about the beginnings of life itself and of an earth without pavement, plastic or Man" (pages 1 and 2).

   According to NOAA, coastal counties of the U.S. are home to over 128 million people, or almost 40 percent of the nation's total population, yet the coast accounts for less than 10 percent of the nation's land mass – making population density in these areas over five times greater in coastal shoreline counties than the U.S. average. This means that issues affecting the coasts affect a large proportion of Americans.

   How is America affected by: mangroves, salt marshes, sea grass meadows and coral reefs? What are some of the ecological issues facing coastal communities? How could we teach the 60% of the American population not living in coastal counties about the importance of these aquatic ecosystems?

2. Every day Miles observes sea life - i.e., giant squid (page 8), organ-vomiting sea cucumber (page 56), horny phosphorescent worms (page 59), scarred and battered Ragfish (pages 59-61), giant sunflower star (page 75), moon jellies (page 131), etc.

   Are humans missing something exciting if we don't pay attention to the natural world? Why are these observations important? Why is citizen science so important?

3. Miles references Rachel Carson. Is this author typical of a current day teenager? Phelps tells Miles that he's in love “with a spinster who's been dead for decades" (page 31). Phelps also tells Miles, "You're a freak... Why don't you use all your homo-reading to study something of value to us"... "like the G-spot?" (page 30). How and why does the author introduce male puberty into the story?

4. In the book many strange events occur in the Sound during the summer: winds, weather, flooding, could these be attributed to rapid climate change? Miles says, "People lost interest once the explanations rolled in. Some even got angry, as if scientists were determined to squeeze the magic out of everything" (page 243). Given people's desire to fixate on mystical explanations for environmental events rather than the rational ones, how likely does it seem that people will take responsibility for actions that have an environmental impact? In the novel, how does the media, feed this type of irrational response?

1. Dr. Hayhoe tells us what is best when talking about climate change in this book and from her years of experience communicating on the topic. What recommendation in the book was most helpful or surprising to you?

2. Before a Rotarian event Dr. Hayhoe recalls reading their four-way test for any issue worthy of their time and attention:

   • Is it truthful?
   • Is it fair to all concerned?
   • Does it build goodwill and better friendships?
   • Is it beneficial for all concerned?

   What did she do as a result? How does this illustrate her advice as to how best to address climate change with others?

3. Why have so many Christians been dismissive of climate change according to Dr. Hayhoe? How does she recommend that someone of faith should communicate climate change to another or others of faith?

4. What does Dr. Hayhoe have to say about government regulation on the topic of climate change? What about addressing climate change and the environment? Do you agree?

5. Dr. Hayhoe uses the term “zombie arguments” regarding scientific-sounding views that attempt to discredit scientific facts. What are some zombie arguments that she speaks of and which arguments if any have you commonly heard from a naysayer or naysayers?

6. Ronald Reagan coined the saying, “If you’re explaining, you’re losing.” How does this relate to climate change communication and what does Dr. Hayhoe recommend instead?

7. Dr. Hayhoe frequently refers to the survey, “Global Warming’s Six Americas” from Yale’s Program on Climate Change Communication. What six categories does the survey identify? Do you find these six categories all-encompassing and satisfactory? What category do you identify with? How has the survey changed over time?

8. What role does fear play when we’re communicating the impacts and projections of climate change? When is fear good? When is it bad? What does the author say about eliciting guilt?

9. Dr. Hayhoe frequently uses terms that are important for us to understand regarding climate communication. A few are listed below. What do they mean?

   • Knowledge deficit gap
   • Cognitive misers
   • Solution Aversion
   • Psychological distancing
   • Motivational reasoning
   • Tragedy of the Commons
   • Threat multiplier
   • Climate potluck

10. What does Dan Kahan’s Science Intelligence Scale tell us about motivational reasoning? Who is most susceptible to utilizing it?

11. Climate change solutions are important to include, especially when talking about the impacts of climate change. Solutions give hope. What are some solutions that Dr. Hayhoe discusses?

12. One educator elicits questions about climate change from her students, then addresses these questions in her teaching on the subject. Do you see this as effective? What approach have you used in or out of the classroom with positive results?

13. Outside of your work (if you’re tasked with addressing climate change), have you spoken about climate change with another or others? Who? Where did those you spoke to fall in terms of categories identified in the “Global Warming Six Americas” survey? What tactic did you employ? How did it go? Where you successful and if so, how so?

14. Do you agree with Dr. Hayhoe that a “Dismissive” person isn’t worth your time to speak to about climate change, especially since they represent only seven percent of Americans? What has been your experience?

15. As a result of reading this book, what one piece of advice will you carry out when communicating climate change? ‌

1. Is anyone from Greenland, or has anyone visited Greenland?
2. Escape Greenland is a middle-grade fiction book. Although it is fiction, it contains a wealth of science knowledge. How would you use this book with students? How might you adapt it for younger or older students?
3. Escape Greenland is full of science and interesting facts. What new information did you learn from the book? What information do you think your students would find most interesting? What topics would you and/or your students like to explore further?
4. Geothermal energy plays a key role in the book. How is geothermal energy used in Greenland, and where and how is it used in the United States?
5. The Skylar family is trying to reduce their carbon footprint: Dr. Skylar’s eating less red meat, Ezzy is eating more vegetables, and Luke is eating “sustainable species.” Have you, your family, or your students made similar changes? What other activities have you taken to reduce your carbon footprint?
6. Greenland dogs are an important part of Greenland Inuit History and culture. The Greenland dog is a large breed of husky-type dog that loves to run and is used as a sled dog. As Malik said, “These are working dogs, not pets.” Do you think it would be a good idea to have the dogs pull sleds that have been modified with all-terrain wheels during the summer months? What affect might the melting of the permafrost have on this idea?
7. Ezzy and Luke learn how climate change is affecting ice melt: less food for polar bears, harder to find seals which Katya’s culture depends on for food, and losing sled dogs because the dogs fall through the thin ice. What other examples of climate change did you find in the book?
8. In the first part of “Note from the Author” at the end of the book are 23 statements asking the reader if the statements are real or make-believe. In the second part of this section Dr. Prager answers the questions and explains why the statement is real or make believe. How would you use this section of the book?
9. Escape Greenland is fiction based on science. After reading the book has your perspective of climate change or Greenland changed?

1. Two themes permeating throughout this book relate to cod’s impact on humans and history. What is your reaction to what cod has done for humans and what new innovations has cod made possible in the world?
2. There are many instances in which this book could integrate ocean topics into different areas of a school’s curriculum. For instance, how the Basques and Vikings depended on cod, a nutritious food supply that would not spoil on their long ocean voyages. What other historical events could be enhanced by illustrating the importance of cod?
3. Newfoundland’s Sentinel Fishery monitors cod stocks around Newfoundland. Currently the fishermen are reporting an abundance of both small and large fish - an encouraging sign that stocks are rebuilding. Maine lobstermen and the Maine Department of Marine Resources share management of the local resource. Are you aware of other fishery monitoring programs in the United States? If so, what are they?
4. Fish farming has many pros and cons. Although fish farming is said to be a sustainable fishery, the genetic consequences and potential nutrient changes of fish farming are still unknown. Does sustainable fish farming mean sustained fish nutrition for humans? What do you think?
5. During the Planet Stewards February Book Club when we discussed Our Changing Menu: Climate Change and the Foods We Love and Need we talked about where a lot of our fruit and vegetables come from. Where does the fish in your local market come from and how is it caught? Where is it processed? Two good sites to reference are:
   • NOAA Fisheries and Atlantic Cod
   • NOAA Fisheries and Pacific Cod
6. Overfishing is a global problem. This book was published in 1997 and at that time the author stated, “According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization commercial fish stocks are 60% fully exploited, overexploited or depleted.” Were any of the examples provided by the author new to you? In your opinion, is overfishing still a global problem? What evidence are you basing your opinion on? If you see a problem what do you think you can do to help alleviate it?
7. In the Florida Keys, many fishing and dive charter boat captains unofficially monitor illegal fishing and report observed instances to the Coast Guard and FWC (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission). Are you familiar with non-governmental agencies or private groups that monitor illegal fishing in US waters?
8. Has this book encouraged you to make any changes in your lifestyle such as diet, shopping awareness, renewed interest in political and/or historical events?

1. Which of the octopuses profiled in the book most resonated with you? Why?
2. In this book, aquarium staff and sometimes visitors are a part of the story - including informal educators, experts, and volunteers. What did you think about this portrayal of an informal learning environment? Does it resonate with an experience may have had?
3. What similarities between octopuses and humans does the author see? Do you agree?
4. Does the book make the case that octopuses have consciousness? How has your understanding of consciousness changed after reading this book?
5. In many places, octopuses are eaten as food. Do you see any issues regarding eating octopuses?
6. This book introduces science concepts through place-based stories. What do you think of this way of reaching learners? Is it a method that you use in teaching?
7. How could you incorporate this book, or a portion of it, into your educational program? What would you like learners to know about octopuses? What aspects of the story do you think your students/learners would appreciate most?
8. Octopuses are very different from other mollusks, such as clams and snails. How does the author use this octopus “otherness” to show how human characters in the story feel that they don’t fit in or belong? How do the human characters find common ground
9. What are the challenges involved in collecting wild octopuses from the oceans and studying them or displaying them in an aquarium?
10. How does this book tie in to problems such as climate change and marine pollution while keeping the focus on octopuses? Was this effective?
11. Has your perspective on octopuses changed after reading this book? If so, how?

1. Mike Hoffmann says, “Melting glaciers are bad enough, but the loss of coffee is downright terrifying!” Bringing the abstract to the relevant can be a way to make people care. Which of the food stories resonated for you?
2. The first section of the book deals with the global food supply, how we get food on our tables. We’ve recently experienced shortages and delays, from Covid-19 affecting workers, to the ship that got stuck in the Panama Canal causing a huge bottleneck. How may climate change impact the movement of foods from land and sea to the menu?
3. For some, reading the “Our Changing Climate” section at the beginning of the book, may be depressing and a roadblock to continue reading. While it may not be new information for some, reading it in a short 11-page synopsis can be grueling. However, this is hugely important information for every part of the rest of the book. Following this, the tone throughout the rest of the book is one of well-researched science and hope. Does the fact that there are no villains in this book make it an easier message to swallow? Or make us all equally culpable?
4. The structure of the book as a menu allowed one to choose different parts of the meal to read at different times. Then, within each section, the same format is used: what it is, who cares, what is changing, and what is being done. Is that structure helpful?
5. Throughout the book are interviews and vignettes with people who contribute to the world’s food supply. The authors were careful to include a variety of voices from farmers, to researchers, to business owners, and chefs, nearby and from around the world. How do these stories put a human face on food and climate change?
6. Although the authors are of “a certain age,” the illustrator, Lindsay Potoff, is a college student who said that working on this book allowed her to feel that she was taking action against one of the biggest threats her generation faces. How can you help young people you work with feel a sense of agency and hope in the face of so much worry?
7. When we think about climate change, we can try to reverse it, mitigate it, or adapt to it. Let’s look at one of the foods and connect the dots like coffee! This is a short list pulled from pages 160-161.

   Mitigation

   - Planting shade trees amongst coffee plants to buffer temperature extremes
   - Increase habitat for pest-eating birds

   Adaptation

   - Choosing pest and heat-tolerant varieties
   - Relocating to cooler locations
   - Switching to a different crop

   Reversal

   - Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
   - Use bean waste to heat and dry beans
   - Energy-efficient coffee mills
   - “Greener” stores for coffee shops (Starbucks)

1. How has this book influenced what’s on your (literal or metaphorical) plate? What we can do?
   • Become climate change literate and help others learn
   • Start talking about climate change
   • Adopt a more plant-based diet
   • Reduce food waste
   • Consider your entire carbon footprint
   • Appreciate and support the people who supply the menu
   • Be an activist and help create the change we need now

1. Agriculture is the #2 cause of climate change – does this surprise you? Why or why not?
2. What does local mean? How does the expectation of access to any food in any season contribute to climate change?
3. How important are chefs and bakers roles in altering the demand for certain foods and the consequential impacts on their contributions to climate change?
4. We focus a lot on the fossil fuel industry and agriculture – what are the "layers" between those industries and the consumers?
5. Where should we be focusing our efforts to reconnect people with the food they eat, how it’s grown, harvested, prepared? Is this a K-12 curriculum issue? Or does the responsibility lie elsewhere?

Introduction from The Omnivore’s Dilemma Readers Guide:

In The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Pollan guides the reader through an extensive tour of food production in America, tracing a series of food chains from the seed to the table. In the first part, he takes us to a massive farm in Iowa, where the formerly diverse yield of hay, apples, hogs, and cherries has given way to a vast monocultural enterprise, in which, thanks to government subsidies, corn is king. Weaving history, science, and sociology, Pollan shows how America has bent its priorities in the service of this single crop, converting it into ethanol, the now-ubiquitous high fructose corn syrup, and even disposable diapers. Pollan next transports us to a small, ecologically balanced farm in Virginia, where the chickens and cattle roam more freely, and animals and humans alike reap the benefits of a natural food chain based on grass. Finally, Pollan resolves to prepare a meal that he has hunted and gathered by himself. As he stalks a feral pig, dives for abalone, and wonders whether that mushroom he has picked just might kill him, we rediscover food not merely as a physical source of life but as a medium for communion with nature and one another.

1. Omnivore’s Dilemma is about the food chains that sustain us today. These link us to the fertility of the earth and the energy of the sun. How are these important science connections made for students in your classroom?
2. Pollan shows a number of instances in which government policies have apparently worsened the crisis in our food culture. What do you think should be the proper role of government in deciding how we grow, process, and eat our food?
3. Of the 10 billion bushels of corn harvested each year (in 2006) we eat very little. Yet we consume a ton of it in other ways. Were you aware of the abundant uses of corn before reading this book? Has this book changed your perspective?
4. Researchers have found that people presented with large portions will eat up to 30 percent more than they would otherwise. It is not surprising that Americans are given options with larger portions that would be found in other parts of the world. Do you think that this reveals anything about our culture and broader shared values?
5. Has Pollan’s discussion about the system of organic food changed how you think about this option at the grocery store?
6. Growing, chilling, washing, packaging and transporting a box of salad to a plate on the East Coast takes more than 4,600 calories of fossil fuel energy. How can we encourage the consumption of more locally grown food?
7. Participating in a local food economy requires more effort than shopping at the local supermarket. Do people in your community participate in local food chains?
8. As a nation of immigrants, America has had a wide array of cuisines added to the options at our table. Do you agree with Pollan that this makes us easy marks for food fads and diets? Are there upsides to having this diversity?
9. As omnivores, humans are equipped to eat a wide-ranging diet. We do not have the tension that early hunter-gatherers had about whether something is safe to eat but we do have the dilemma of deciding what to eat. What rules have you adopted to make the decision-making easier?
10. In the final chapter of the book, Pollan indicates that there have been many changes since the book was first published in 2006. There are more farmers markets, farm-to-school programs and gardens in general. And perhaps we are on the road to a national food policy. Do you agree that the food system has become a voting issue?

1. Elizabeth Kolbert is a well-known science writer. Her work has won numerous awards including a Pulitzer for her book, The Sixth Extinction. What about her writing style is effective? Is there something you feel is not effective? What can we, as science communicators, learn from her?
2. Elizabeth Kolbert uses vivid stories to convey the effects of climate change. This summer (2021), much of the country experienced what some have termed, “artificial disasters” of one sort or another. Do you have an “artificial disaster” story from your region?
3. Kolbert cites a variety of statistics throughout the book. For example, on page 198, she states that Greenland shed enough meltwater to cover a pool the size of California to a depth of four feet. Was there a statistic in her book that affected you? Why?
4. On page 152, Kolbert reports that physicist Dr. Klaus Lackner believes that carbon dioxide should be regarded in much the same way that we look at sewage, “We don’t expect people to stop producing waste.” Given that the first government report on the climate crisis was given to Lyndon Johnson in 1965 and we are farther from solving the issue today than we were 56 years ago, is Dr. Lackner right? Is the large-scale production of CO2 unstoppable?
5. In Chapter 3 of the section called “Into the Wild,” Kolbert buys a small CRISPR genetic editing kit for $209 and creates a novel organism in her kitchen. Do you think these tools should be readily available to the general public? What are some ethical and/or practical considerations of using such tools? Do you agree with scientists who use similar tools to deal with invasive species and other human-caused problems, who claim that their use is justified if it serves to “benefit a system that is in trauma,” as biologist Dr. Mark Tizard claims on page 119?
6. In the first sections of the book, Elizabeth Kolbert discusses large-scale environmental engineering projects such as the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and modifications to the Mississippi River. These projects were designed to improve an environment but ended up causing great harm. Does your area have any large-scale projects designed to control an environment, which have damaged that environment more than helped? Are there any projects which have worked as intended without causing harm?
7. Harvard physics professor Dr. David Keith says this about human interventions designed to change the environment: “To people who say most of our technological fixes go wrong, I say, ‘Okay, did agriculture go wrong?” (p. 179) Does his comparison make sense to you? If so, why? If not, why not? Can humans re-engineer environments without deeply damaging them? Based on what Kolbert discusses about geoengineering, do you think humans have the capacity to safely use geoengineering to solve enough of the climate crisis to keep us from disaster?
8. Towards the end of the book, Kolbert visits several scientists who are preparing for large scale geoengineering projects because they believe the use of such tools is inevitable. On page 200, Andy Parker of the Solar Radiation Management Governance Initiative says “We live in a world where deliberately dimming the ... sun might be less risky than not doing it.” What evidence says he is right or wrong? Is the use of these tools inevitable? How do you feel about that?
9. How might you use this material in your classroom? How would you approach using the material in the book to teach?

1. Near the beginning of the book, Gates suggests that two crucial components for avoiding a climate disaster are already present. What are they, and do you agree? What does Gates feel is still needed?
2. In the chapter entitled, “This Will be Hard,” Gates observes that existing environmental laws in the U.S. are “outdated” with respect to climate change. Do you agree? What else will present a challenge in terms of the US system of government?
3. What 5 questions does Gates suggest asking oneself in every climate conversation? What 5 simplified categories does Gates create to classify how greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are created?
4. What are Green Premiums? What potential solutions to Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions should we be deploying now? Where should we focus our research and development (R&D) spending?
5. A recurrent theme in the book is sounded loudly in the passages on manufacturing: the role of fossil fuels is pervasive, and reversing this is technically and economically daunting. What are Gates’ recommendations for addressing this?
6. What do you feel about nuclear energy options? What energy innovations in this area are being explored?
7. What renewable energies hold the “curse of intermittency”, and how might more reliable energy be generated to compensate?
8. How does Gates feel about geoengineering solutions? What are they, and should we use them, research their impact….? What do you feel about them?
9. What does the book say about the role of government in advancing renewable energy innovations? Does the book support the belief that markets are better at solutions than politicians and policy implementers?
10. What surprised you about the book? What chapter or topic most intrigued you? Would you recommend this book to others?

Additional Questions:

11. The US has pledged to be at zero emissions in 2050. Some efforts may make big cuts in CO2 emissions by 2030 but be counterproductive for our path to net-zero emissions for 2050? What does the author feel about this? What do you feel?
12. What is the goal of Conference of the Parties 26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and how is it expected to lessen the impacts of global warming if its goals are achieved by member states?
13. “Plugging In” (using electricity) accounts for 27% of our GHG emissions. How might ‘Plugging in’ account for eliminating even a larger percentage?
14. What current energy technology is the cheapest available overall and what percentage of the world’s energy is currently generated by it?
15. What about our energy grid does Gates propose? What are your thoughts about opportunities and or conflicts to achieve this?
16. A recurrent theme in the book is sounded loudly in the passages on manufacturing: the role of fossil fuels is pervasive, and reversing this is technically and economically daunting. What are Gates’ recommendations for addressing this?
17. What is meant by the cost of externalities? Might there be ways of leveling the playing field as to their costs?
18. What are the two methods for capturing carbon that are mentioned in the book, and how do they differ? Which method is used in Iceland, and how feasible is its development in your opinion?
19. What are Gates’ recommendations for a climate change plan? What would you be sure to add to it? To delete?