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Our Wild World: From the birds and the bees to our boglands and the ice caps
Wildlife expert Eanna Ni Lamhna takes us on a tour of all things to do with our wonderful natural from a celebration of our fascinating birds and bees, and their powers of migration and pollination, to the thorny challenges of our time, such as climate change, sustainability and our carbon footprint.
Her mantra is that learning about our wild world is not just for young children or David Attenborough fans, it is a lifelong necessary knowledge for our survival – and we need to open our eyes and our minds to the challenges that face us and our world into the future. The key is to find the balance between our needs and wants and the future of our precious planet and all its inhabitants.
This brand new book raises, and discusses, questions such as;
Why should we care about this natural world? Do we need and value the great outdoors now more than ever? But who wants spiders in their house? And what use are wasps anyway? Should we be worried by genetic engineering and windfarms? Biodiversity – what did it ever do for us? Does it mean the end of the world if the whales become extinct? Are global warming and climate change the same thing? What happened to the hole in the ozone layer? Is veganism the answer to sustainable food? What is carbon sequestration – just fancy words for trees? And why are carbon sinks so important? Is the mobile phone taking over our lives for good or for evil? How does a virus become a pandemic, and why?
Table of Contents
Wildlife
We are all in this together 9
1 The Great Outdoors. How the world works 12
2 Pollination. Another name for the birds and the bees actually 18
3 Migration. Why do they go and, more importantly, why do they come back? 28
4 Hibernation. The ultimate cop-out 38
5 Omnivores. The ones that have it all 46
6 Farming. The best idea the human race ever came up with 53
7 Why do Birds Fly? Because they can or because they have to? 63
8 Things that Go Bump in the Night. Wildlife in the dark 70
9 It’s a Wonderful World. You just need to know where to look 77
10 Bacteria. We couldn’t live without them 91
11 Pandemics. Or why you cannot get Covid-19 or any other disease from
telephone masts 98
12 Modern Terms. That we are all supposed to know, but weren’t paying attention
at the time 105
13 Global Warming/Climate Change. Is it getting hotter or colder or wetter or drier or what? 113
14 More Buzz Words Explained. Carbon sequestration – just a big word for trees? And what on earth are carbon sinks? 120
15 Biodiversity. What did it ever do for us? 126
16 Genetic Modification. The spawn of Satan or the best idea ever 133
17 Where Did We Come From? Evolution v Creationism 144
18 Recycling. Or just an excuse for woeful waste? 153
19 And They All Lived Happily Ever After. The End? 159
SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME 165
Her mantra is that learning about our wild world is not just for young children or David Attenborough fans, it is a lifelong necessary knowledge for our survival – and we need to open our eyes and our minds to the challenges that face us and our world into the future. The key is to find the balance between our needs and wants and the future of our precious planet and all its inhabitants.
This brand new book raises, and discusses, questions such as;
Why should we care about this natural world? Do we need and value the great outdoors now more than ever? But who wants spiders in their house? And what use are wasps anyway? Should we be worried by genetic engineering and windfarms? Biodiversity – what did it ever do for us? Does it mean the end of the world if the whales become extinct? Are global warming and climate change the same thing? What happened to the hole in the ozone layer? Is veganism the answer to sustainable food? What is carbon sequestration – just fancy words for trees? And why are carbon sinks so important? Is the mobile phone taking over our lives for good or for evil? How does a virus become a pandemic, and why?
Table of Contents
Wildlife
We are all in this together 9
1 The Great Outdoors. How the world works 12
2 Pollination. Another name for the birds and the bees actually 18
3 Migration. Why do they go and, more importantly, why do they come back? 28
4 Hibernation. The ultimate cop-out 38
5 Omnivores. The ones that have it all 46
6 Farming. The best idea the human race ever came up with 53
7 Why do Birds Fly? Because they can or because they have to? 63
8 Things that Go Bump in the Night. Wildlife in the dark 70
9 It’s a Wonderful World. You just need to know where to look 77
10 Bacteria. We couldn’t live without them 91
11 Pandemics. Or why you cannot get Covid-19 or any other disease from
telephone masts 98
12 Modern Terms. That we are all supposed to know, but weren’t paying attention
at the time 105
13 Global Warming/Climate Change. Is it getting hotter or colder or wetter or drier or what? 113
14 More Buzz Words Explained. Carbon sequestration – just a big word for trees? And what on earth are carbon sinks? 120
15 Biodiversity. What did it ever do for us? 126
16 Genetic Modification. The spawn of Satan or the best idea ever 133
17 Where Did We Come From? Evolution v Creationism 144
18 Recycling. Or just an excuse for woeful waste? 153
19 And They All Lived Happily Ever After. The End? 159
SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME 165
- GenresNonfictionScience
176 pages, Paperback
Published May 29, 2021
4 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
January 31, 2025
Must revisit Chapter 9 as a kind of travel guide for Ireland's ecology.
July 16, 2021
Having grown up watching or listening to Eanna Ní Lamhna, Creature Feature was a favourite of mine, I finally picked up one of her books. Along with several other scientists and naturalists, Ní Lamhna had an impact on me and is one of the reasons I'm a scientist.
I had no idea how well her charm and comedic style would translate to the page. I loved the turns of phrases used throughout. While this book is suitable for everyone teenage and older, it also doesn't shy away from some scientific words or the reality of certain situations, even if it's uncomfortable.
I appreciate that.
Having just praised the book, I must criticise one thing. The turns of phrases and tongue-in-cheek tone, becomes quite accusatory. I've never been a fan of laying all of the environmental damage at the feet of the individual. We can do something about our own waste, however, many many people can only do so much with what they have. If the apples in plastic are cheaper than the loose apples from the market, that's what most people will buy.
In the chapter about recycling, Ní Lamhna talks about teaching kids about the three Rs and states that she thinks they're 'millennials'... Oh no... don't do it.
She did. Dang millennials and their coffee cups >:C
I'm open to being wrong but I think millennials are the only named group negatively associated with environmental damage in the book.
I think I'm a bit more optimistic about the individual than Ní Lamhna is. We all have reusable cups now, try to cut down on waste and regularly 'kill' wasteful industries. We're also completely jaded and aware of how little power the individual has in the face of large corporations.
I'm a little saddened that there wasn't more about wildlife in the book but I did enjoy the environmental information. The explanation of how Covid19 and other such diseases happen and are becoming more common was very much appreciated. I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in wildlife, biodiversity and our impact on it
I had no idea how well her charm and comedic style would translate to the page. I loved the turns of phrases used throughout. While this book is suitable for everyone teenage and older, it also doesn't shy away from some scientific words or the reality of certain situations, even if it's uncomfortable.
I appreciate that.
Having just praised the book, I must criticise one thing. The turns of phrases and tongue-in-cheek tone, becomes quite accusatory. I've never been a fan of laying all of the environmental damage at the feet of the individual. We can do something about our own waste, however, many many people can only do so much with what they have. If the apples in plastic are cheaper than the loose apples from the market, that's what most people will buy.
In the chapter about recycling, Ní Lamhna talks about teaching kids about the three Rs and states that she thinks they're 'millennials'... Oh no... don't do it.
She did. Dang millennials and their coffee cups >:C
I'm open to being wrong but I think millennials are the only named group negatively associated with environmental damage in the book.
I think I'm a bit more optimistic about the individual than Ní Lamhna is. We all have reusable cups now, try to cut down on waste and regularly 'kill' wasteful industries. We're also completely jaded and aware of how little power the individual has in the face of large corporations.
I'm a little saddened that there wasn't more about wildlife in the book but I did enjoy the environmental information. The explanation of how Covid19 and other such diseases happen and are becoming more common was very much appreciated. I would still recommend this book to anyone interested in wildlife, biodiversity and our impact on it
February 24, 2023
Straightforward, clear and witty. I appreciated how this was a sort of "great summary" of how we got into the mess we're in these days.
October 29, 2024
Very enjoyable, informative and educational read.
October 9, 2025
Brilliant read. informative and and interesting
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews