Rescue Mission: Planet Earth : A Children's Edition of Agenda 21 in Association With the United Nations
Gr. 5-9. Twenty-eight young people from 21 nations collaborated to edit and produce this children's edition ofAgenda 21,the massive statement on world environment and development endorsed by 179 nations at the Earth Summit that took place in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The book's first two sections address issues relating to nature (desertification, loss of ecosystems) and the state of humankind (overpopulation, poverty); the last two focus on change and the role of young people in effecting transition. Statistics (from the original document) are not always sourced, but readers are referred to the appropriate chapter ofAgenda 21, and the editors explain how to order a 70-page summary of the document that provides notes. Children's (the book defineschildas an individual under the age of 18) poetry and essays on ecological issues provide powerful reinforcement of the problems. The volume is beautifully illustrated with full-color artwork by young people, and it includes a glossary as well as a separate pocket containing a guide for teachers and parents. With the educational establishment's current emphasis on global awareness and responsibility, this book's call to action may be a very valuable classroom resource that could easily serve as a text for units on the environment.Chris Sherman--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.