‘Sunlight and Seaweed is the beginning of a new way of helping the planet we live on.’ AU Review Acclaimed scientist Tim Flannery investigates exciting new technologies currently being developed to address our most pressing environmental threats in a book that presents a positive future for us and our planet. Climate change, food production and toxic pollution present huge challenges, but, as Flannery shows, we already have innovative, practical and inspiring solutions. Solar energy has, until now, been limited to supplying power only when the sun is shining. But new technology using concentrated sunlight to provide intense heat energy that can be effectively stored overcomes this problem, providing clean renewable power around the clock. Further, the large amounts of power produced can be used to tackle the issue of feeding the world’s growing population—by enabling energy-intense methods of purifying polluted land for agricultural production. Drawing carbon out of the atmosphere is an essential component in limiting climate change. Flannery explores the potential of kelp, a fast-growing sea algae, to be used on a large scale to convert carbon from the air to a non-gaseous form, reducing levels of atmospheric carbon. With accessible and engaging explanations of the fascinating science behind these technologies, as well as accounts of the systems already in operation around the world, Sunlight and Seaweed is an enlightening and uplifting view of the future. Tim Flannery has published over thirty books including the award-winning The Future Eaters, The Weather Makers and Here on Earth and the novel The Mystery of the Venus Island Fetish. In 2005 he was named Australian Humanist of the Year and in 2007 Australian of the Year. In 2007 he co-founded and was appointed Chair of the Copenhagen Climate Council. In 2011 he became Australia’s Chief Climate Commissioner, and in 2013 he founded the Australian Climate Council. His previous book is Atmosphere of Hope: Searching for Solutions to the Climate Crisis. ‘Sunlight and Seaweed also offers an excellent model for how best to communicate the challenges posed by climate change without turning readers off with unrelieved messages of doom.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘This new book is among [Flannery’s] best...Wonderfully thought provoking...Well informed and sobering.’ Australian ‘This man is a national treasure, and we should heed his every word.’ Sunday Telegraph ‘It is difficult to overstate the importance of this concise, convincingly argued view of our world’s prospects for its survival and improvement over the next 33 years...Every one of this slim treatise’s 127 pages packs a punch, and its timely content deserves to be read by all of us.’ Books+Publishing ‘Accessible and engaging..An enlightening and uplifting view of the future.’ Readings ‘Tim Flannery addresses complex issues and make them clear and accessible. His compelling book both seriously informs and entertains...This is a fascinating, exciting and inspirational read.’ Toowoomba Chronicle ‘Flannery is optimistic, presenting a well-researched range of clearly explained technologies and strategies, and many of them are compelling reasons to be hopeful.’ SA Weekend ‘A small book full of big ideas...This book doesn’t just wow the reader with nifty ideas; Flannery explains how they actually work, with his signature fluency and clarity.’ Australian Book Review ‘It is a joy to be guided through the science by someone who understands it and can explain it...Flannery commands his subject, but he can also be read for style alone...Flannery’s message in Sunlight and Seaweed is urgent and his spare prose reflects this.’ Newtown Review of Books ‘Flannery has written in easy-to-understand language and he sets out a positive path for this planet’s future.’ Weekly Times ‘In a summer in which heat records are sure to be broken, Tim Flannery dives into the clean technologies that just might sustain the world of our children and grandchildren: giant kelp farms that can do the work of forests, taking carbon dioxide out and deacidifying seawater,and concentrated sunlight stored to power homes and cities. Flannery offers some kernel of hope for us hopeless humans.’ Sydney Morning Herald ‘A focused, clear and optimistic read.’ Best Books of 2017, Adelaide Advertiser ‘While global environmental challenges are immense, he [Flannery] argues here, they are not insurmountable...Flannery has a great ability to distil complex subject matter into something you can wrap your head around.’ North & South ‘This book offers a welcome ray of hope.’ Organic Grocer

Champions seaweed as a staple food while simultaneously explaining its biology, ecology, cultural history, and gastronomy.

“You might not expect unfettered passion on the topic of seaweed, but Shetterly is such a great storyteller that you find yourself following along eagerly.” —Mark Kurlansky “Seaweed is ancient and basic, a testament to the tenacious beginnings of life on earth,” writes Susan Hand Shetterly in this elegant, fascinating book. “Why wouldn’t seaweeds be a protean life source for the lives that have evolved since?” On a planet facing environmental change and diminishing natural resources, seaweed is increasingly important as a source of food and as a fundamental part of our global ecosystem. In Seaweed Chronicles, Shetterly takes readers deep into the world of this essential organism by providing an immersive, often poetic look at life on the rugged shores of her beloved Gulf of Maine, where the growth and harvesting of seaweed is becoming a major industry. While examining the life cycle of seaweed and its place in the environment, she tells the stories of the men and women who farm and harvest it—and who are fighting to protect this critical species against forces both natural and man-made. Ideal for readers of such books as The Hidden Life of Trees and How to Read Water, Seaweed Chronicles is a deeply informative look at a little understood and too often unappreciated part of our habitat.

A middle-grade and family-friendly introduction to the enchanting world of seaweed. Young readers will be delighted to learn about the wonderful, watery world of seaweed, where emerald-green kelp forests grow as tall as trees and rainbow seaweeds shimmer like gemstones in the sunlight. Seaweed can be fun too, providing tasty snacks like nori crisps and cool things to do: hunt for dead man’s fingers to squeeze like a squirt gun, have a popping contest with rockweed or make seaweed art. Seaweeds are also critical to the health of the planet—they produce most of the oxygen we need to breathe, help to keep the earth cool and provide habitat for sea creatures. And they're full of healthy vitamins and have more minerals than any other food! This colourful, activity-packed book explores the science of seaweed while showing how to sustainably harvest and use it, and providing many fun facts about marine plants and animals. It is a unique field guide, featuring seaweeds from both Atlantic and Pacific oceans and showcasing the beautiful and vital ecosystems of the coasts, and is sure to inspire curious beachcombers of all ages.

Did you know that seaweed is one of nature's best friends? Learn about how it helps support a healthy environment and benefits people. In addition, readers will uncover how seaweed creates oxygen and absorbs greenhouse gases to fight climate change. This colorful title includes sidebars, glossary, index, and activity about how readers can nurture nature.

Describes different types of seaweeds, how to collect and preserve them, and several ways to use them.

A rewritten and re-organised edition of The Physiological Ecology of Seaweeds (1985). Seaweed Ecology and Physiology surveys the broad literature, but it is not merely an update of the earlier book. This book contains an introductory chapter reviewing seaweed morphology, cytology, and life histories. The chapter on community level ecology now includes six guest essays by senior algal ecologists which conveys the excitement of phycological research. The treatment of tropical seaweeds had been expanded, reflecting the growing literature from tropical regions, and the authors' experiences in the tropics. The final chapter on mariculture is much larger, and includes a case study on how principles of physiological ecology were applied in developing the carrageenan industry. Finally there is an appendix summarising the taxonomic position and nomenclature of the species mentioned in the book.