350 Books for the Climate - Release Challenge

by Various | Reference |
ISBN: 0805087044 Global Overview for this book
Registered by spy-there of Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on 12/7/2009
Buy from one of these Booksellers:
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5 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by spy-there from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Monday, December 7, 2009
... is a crucial number. 350 parts per million CO2 would be the safe upper limit in our atmosphere. But we're already at 387ppm!
Unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm, we risk irreversible impacts to the earth.

350.org is an international campaign whose mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis and to create a new sense of urgency and of possibility for our planet. 350.org called people to take action - and to make a photograph of that action. Take action could be everything, from organizing a parade till planting flowers - as long as number 350 is theme.

I was overwhelmed when I saw all those pics from every angle of the world, from deepest sea up to the highest summit ... and everywhere those smiling, dedicated people ... How amazingly awesome, I thought. BookCrossing should absolutely be part of it!

Somehow BookCrossing too helps the climat, doesn't it? The more books travel around, the more readers can participate in one book, the less books must be printed, the less paper and ressources are needed or some such. You could as well say: Staying home and reading a book is climat-friendly - a restless cardrive hither and thither in search for the ultimate kick is not. Or: Virtual travels with books cost much less fuel than any holiday flight.

Eventually ... the thought of BookCrossing NOT being part of the 350-movement struck me as too lame, not excusable and ... just impossible. Hence I built "350" of 350 books (looks far easier than it is :rolleyes:), took a picture and invented a release challenge.

Last December met the leaders of 190 nations in Copenhagen for the 15th UN Climate Change Conference (COP15). As it turned out, COP15 became a flop. The result was not the urgently needed, binding, global agreement to climate change mitigation. Just a weak political statement which is ... nothing. By all means not enough to prevent dangerous climate change in the future. We all know that they are NOT DONE YET!

edited, 5 Dec: Now COP16 is held in Cancùn, yet until December 10 2010. Solutions in sight? Compromises? Nope, nothing ;_; With USA and China which ignore the climate completely, with Japan's dropping out of Kyoto protocol ... and worse: nobody takes notice! Scientists speak in half-empty halls ... publicity zero ...
hence ... in spite of all political moronity more than ever: let's cling to this Climate challenge! Set free some more alerting books on the matter! May people be aware of the urgency to save our habitat - NOW

THE CHALLENGE:
Releasing of 350 books in the 190 countries which are listed below.
The challenge started 25 December 2009 and will end when 350 books have been released. Every enrolled book may gain points (see below).

The books must be related to the topics climat, weather, ecology, vegetari- or veganism, green economy, gardening and so on - either by title or else by content. Of course any scientific or popular book about climat and environmental care will match these criterias. But why not choose novels too? «Rolling Thunder» e.g. would count properly: even when the story has nothing to do with climat - the titel is full of wheather! But also a book called «Girlfriend in a Coma» would fit perfectly due its content (Douglas Coupland's dystopic fairytale tells how selfishness and carelessness caused the end of mankind ...) See what I mean? Please do explain what the book has in common with the topic if the relation to climat is not reveiled by the title.

If you like to join, write a journal entry right here - the BCID is 559-7674755. Name the books you will release. You could make links ... (very nice explained here, alas in German)

If possible, do not write more than one JE; please hit «edit journal entry» for further releases or comments. Let's restrict a bit - lest the e-book won't grow and grow into endless scrollings ... And please place the Journal always into «reserved»; it will be easier to find there than under «TBR» or «travelling»; thank you.

This is the forum thread to discuss the 350 Books Challenge.

I will make special bookplates too ... if you are patient enough, that is <_<

GAME RULES:
The books may be released in the 190 states listed below, either as controlled releases or into the wild.

You may not free more than five books in the same country. Ok, you may - but probably only the first five books will get you points ;)

For a better diversification there is a general limit of 50 releases per country, except for the U.S.: at most 200 and the U.K.: 100 (the increased maximums accord approximately to the registered Bookcrossers). The goal is to cover as many states as possible - not to distribute all books in the neighbourhood.

Points are gained as follows:
3 ... for your first release in a country
2 ... for the second release within the same country
1(each) ... for third, forth and fifth release within the same country
1 ... for the catch of a controlled release
10 ... for a wild release catch
20 ... if through your book a new member is gained
8 ... if you are the only person who released books in a particular country
There will be extra points for creativity, or for releases on remote islands ...

PRIZES: personalized bookplates - ^wings for 1 year^ - a donation to 350.org in your name - and maybe I'll have further ideas :)

PLACES FOR RELEASES (the 190 participants of COP15):


oh well, html-conjuring doesn't seem to work anymore with the new site --- at least not with links in scroll-down bars ... I must list the books other ways.

BOOKS IN THE CONTEST:
... in order of enrolling
title - releasing member - release-country - (C = catch - NM = new member, EP = extra point) ... book's total points
Pretty Poison, T02S03B11D20, USA (C, NM, EP) ... 36
Little Polar Bear minibook, Gyralanivos, NL (C, NM, EP) ... 34
De schuldelozen, Gyralanivos, NL ... 2
De wereld moet beter worden, Gyralanivos, G ... 3
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, spy-there, CH ... 4
Die sanfte Revolution, spy-there, G ... 3
Seltsame Abenteuer mit Mary Poppins, spy-there, G (NM) ... 22
Einheimische Pflanzen, spy-there, CH ... 2
Der Schwarm, spy-there, CH ... 1

RANK TABLE:
member ...... total points / number of books in contest


* The 350 books for the picture were courtesy of the very recommendable second-hand bookshop Bücher-Brocky in Zürich

Journal Entry 2 by wingT02S03B11D20wing from Springport, Michigan USA on Sunday, January 3, 2010
I am releasing the book Pretty Poison.
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7369406

This books was about a women who ran a nursery, and growing plants is good for the enviroment. She also had an old Rolls that she wanted to convert the engine so that it ran on ethanol.

Journal Entry 3 by Gyralanivos from Wageningen, Gelderland Netherlands on Thursday, April 1, 2010
I released my first book in the wild for this challenge at February 03, 2010
See http://bookcrossing.com/journal/6021250
Today it is journaled with a new member!
This member has read it and given it to someone else!

The little bear is waiting on a bench under the "Wageningse Berg" (The Mountain of Wageningen) which is the highest point my surroundings. Near this bench is a flight of stairs, which you can use when the water is getting higher, because all the ice is melting. Maybe Wageningen is lying at the sea then, because half of my country is below sea-level.

Journal Entry 4 by Gyralanivos from Wageningen, Gelderland Netherlands on Thursday, April 1, 2010
I liked the journal entry, so I'll try to translate:

I found the little book in a raincoat of AH (a dutch supermarket) under the Wageningse Berg (mountain), I just saw it, when I stood up from the bench I had been sitting thinking about many different things. Hoovering on my winged bycicle I tookj the white bear with me to my house. Then I travelled with him to the North, where I read it for a "wellwilling" child from 3, and even during my simultaneous translation the essence of the story hooked and we both were satisfied with the happy ending. The mother of this small child, which really knows, what it want, assured me, that Lars (the Polar Bear) 'ld go travelling again. I'm wondering where he 'll show up next time, or that he 'll be gotten lost in the hubble of an not attention minded public, but we'll see.... (you could write a book about this, when you were in it)

Greatings van Aartje

It is quite funny, because I read it to my kids on the same way, before it went on his journey again. Gyralanivos

Journal Entry 5 by spy-there from Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Thursday, April 15, 2010
To enliven it a bit I think I will take part in this challenge --- if I win I always could reject the prize and pass it to the second ;)

My first book, Rats, will travel with Mountainflower to Amsterdam and be released there somewhere*

Maybe I forgot, but it's of course allowed to send books at their release places by mail or courier. I mean, if somebody wants invest amounts of postage, only to win wings for a year --- why not? Maybe one day we will convince post companies to support Bookcrossing, e.g. with reduced fees for books ...

* April, 20.: Looks as if "Rats" (and Mountainflower) didn't make it to the convention - since there was a climatic inconvenience in form of an ash cloud which disturbed the air traffic heavy ... LOL --- how fitting!

June, 25.: finally I set three books into moving!
Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell - My first release for this contest, one controlled ... this is a far too good book to get lost. The relation to climat is weather. The story is about two magicians in the early 19. century, when England was at war with Napoleon. The magicians are hired by the government to support the british army with magic. Their special skill is to influence the wheather. One of them conjures a big armada of threatening war ships - made of raindrops! There are several amazing wheather-tricks like this one :D
Die sanfte Revolution. Von der Notwendigkeit anders zu leben - "The gentle Revolution. Of the Necessity of an altered Life" is a German classic of ecology. It's a proposal how to give up the claim to limit- and mindless economic growth - which lastly destroys our habitats and our very lives. The authors warned 30 years ago that the climat will alter due of air-pollution. Too bad that the gentle revolution didn't take place yet. But the book still fits flawless.
Seltsame Abenteuer mit Mary Poppins - Mary Poppins comes with the storm and goes when the wind turns. She's a strongly weather-bound fairy - and thus a candidate for the challenge. Besides: she genuinely changed the climat in the Banks household. From stiff and frosty to heart-warm and lively ... Was a terrific movie, wasn't it?

Geeze, and I really, really, reeeelly am curious when the test version of this site will become usable :rolleyes/: means: are we not enabled to delete flawed paragraphs? grrnng, hnng ...


My planned releases for the contest:
A Blueprint for Survival
Die Grenzen des Wachstums. Bericht des Club of Rome zur Lage der Menschheit - "The Limits to Growth. Report by the Club of Rome on the situation of mankind", the German edition
Das garantierte Grundeinkommen
Das Findelkind vom Watt - "The findling from the seashore" tries to introduce the matter of environmental care to children. A motherless, little seal is found by three children and brought into the rescue station
and many more ... (not yet registered)
=^,^=

Journal Entry 6 by Gyralanivos at Renkum, Gelderland Netherlands on Monday, June 21, 2010
A difficult one ;)

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6717782 "De schuldelozen" by Georges Simenon ( the people which you can't blame ) in a public bus in Arnhem, the Netherlands

When you are using public transport, you emit less Carbondioxide, then when you are using your own car.

Journal Entry 7 by manuma at Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Switzerland on Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Released 13 yrs ago (11/17/2010 UTC) at Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Switzerland

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/7647804
Werde das Buch im November im TeddysDen freilassen.

Journal Entry 8 by Gyralanivos at Renkum, Gelderland Netherlands on Thursday, September 9, 2010
I left this book at Ecotopia in Wiesenburg/Mark, Brandenburg Germany on 6. August 2010. I know, the book travelled further to Prague, but it isn't journalled yet :-(

See http://www.ecotopia2010.org
Also in 2011 this gathering 'll be there again.

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/5612181 "'De wereld moet beter worden"
by J.M.A. Biesheuvel. This title translates as: "The world has to become healtly"

I thought, this title was made for this challenge ;-)

Journal Entry 9 by manuma at Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Switzerland on Monday, October 4, 2010
A Friend OF The Earth by TCB, BCID: 914-8337433

Why not give it 10 points? it is a typical Boyle in the best of senses.....mean and mischievously brilliant as all his writing. it is the 3rd in my list: First: Amèrica, second: The Samurai of Savannah. This one follows the whereabouts of a "nature keeper" of a sort he must have met somwhere somehow...but what he makes of it is on top of everything you might imagine.....hahhaha, big laugh after a very good read.

It shall be available at the bookcrossers meetup at OBCZ-Gloria on Oct. 14th

Journal Entry 10 by manuma at Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Switzerland on Wednesday, October 6, 2010
The book: Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert is beeing read by manuma especially for this campaign. BCID: 840-8342138

Journal Entry 11 by manuma at Herisau, Appenzell Ausserrhoden Switzerland on Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Gleich noch ein Buch das passt: Michael Jäger versucht nachzuweisen, das der Faust von Goethe der Versuch ist, unsere schnellebige Zeit zu erklären, ja sie geradezu vorauszunehmen. Seine Thesen sind nachvollziehbar, wenigstens in den ersten 10 Seiten.
Es handelt daher vom "climate"-change in unseren Köpfen. BCID: 827-8342205

Journal Entry 12 by ZaraGaia at Calgary, Alberta Canada on Sunday, November 14, 2010
Combined entries for climate release challenge:

All wild releases:

1. Heat: How to Stop the Planet From Burning
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8393303/

2. Biospheres: Metamorphosis of Planet Earth
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391397/

3. Fire and Ice: The Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Depletion and Nuclear Winter
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391371/

4. Nature's End
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8373582/

5. Green Rage: Radical Environmentalism and the Unmaking of Civilization
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8373449/

6. The Machinery of Nature
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391366/

7. Heavy Weather
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8386783/

8. A Month and a Day: A Detention Diary - Ken Saro Wiwa
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341736/

9. Hayduke Lives!
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341709/

10. Life in the Balance
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341668/

11. The Next One Hundred Years: Shaping the Fate of Our Living Earth
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341663/

12. Song for the Ancient Forest
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341574/

13. The Heat Is On: Facing Our Energy Problem
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8386750/

14. The Green Lifestyle Handbook: 1001 Ways to Heal the Earth
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8382346/

15. The Greenhouse Effect: Life on a Warmer Planet
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8382326/

16. Living Without Cruelty
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8382328/

17. Adam and Paradise Island
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8357205/

18. Good Health in a Toxic World: Complete Guide to Fighting Free Radicals
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8382339/

19. In Search of Environmental Excellence: Moving Beyond Blame
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8395497/

20. No Immediate Danger: Prognosis for a Radioactive Earth
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8373398/

21. The 1994 Information Please Environmental Almanac
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8395475/

22. My First Garden Book: a life-size guide to growing things at home
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341388/

23. Wilderness With Children: A Parent's Guide to Fun Family Outings
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8395501/

24. Genethics - The Ethics of Engineering Life
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391393/

25. Chemical Deception: The Toxic Threat to Health and the Environment
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391395/

26. Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391368/

27. The Curious Naturalist
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391364/

28. Nature: The Other Earthlings
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391352/

29. Metamorphosis Stages in Life - David Suzuki
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8386792/

30. Voices of Survival in the Nuclear Age
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341637/

31. Trash Attack: Garbage, and What We Can Do about It
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8386741/

32. Good Planets Are Hard to Find: Prescriptions for Everyday Environmental Action
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8395554/


Wild releases already caught:

33. Silent Earth: The Politics of Our Survival
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391387/
(Catch #1)

34. Save Our Planet: 750 Everyday Ways You Can Help Clean Up the Earth
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391398/
(Catch #2)

35. Genetically Engineered Food: Changing the Nature of Nature: What You Need to Know to Protect Yourself, Your Family, and Our Planet
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391348/
(Catch #3)

36. Canadian Green Consumer Guide
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391380/
(Catch #4)

37. Nature
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391373/
(Catch #5)

38. Vital Signs 2000: The Environment Trends That are Shaping our Future
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8391379/
(Catch #6)

39. Earth Lines: Poems for the Green Age
http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8341337/
(Catch #7)

Journal Entry 13 by Gyralanivos at Renkum, Gelderland Netherlands on Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Another release for the Environment:

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/8293029
De Bollies boren naar Olie by Tomi Ungerer

I put the book (The Mellops Strike Oil) near the place, where they are storing natural gas and had a small problem shortly.

Journal Entry 14 by spy-there at Zürich, Zürich Switzerland on Sunday, December 5, 2010
Geeze ... ZaraGaia broke all records and flew ahead of all other attempts to win this competition. Woah, what a book eruption! Thus no doubt: the winner is ... ZaraGaia! at least for now ...

I must apologize for my absence =_= have the hell of a busy time right now; plus my two cats are severely ill and ... oh well, it's just the worst time of the year. But I will update the booklist and rankings as soon as possible, promised --- and I just prolonged the challenge :) Would be a poor result with merely four participiants and about 50 released books, no?

The challenge is now called «350 Books for the Climate» and will run until 350 books are released. I hope, you can agree with that. ZaraGaia will be anyway unmatched for a long time :) She does deserve a prize, methinks. Since she has wings already - I must ponder about an alternative ...

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