Professor Publishes Guide to Environmental Action

Amy McEuen, a biology professor at the University of Illinois Springfield College of Health, Science and Technology, has published a book offering practical advice on how individuals can help address environmental challenges ranging from climate change to biodiversity loss.

“How to Think Like an Ecologist: A Non-Scientist’s Guide to Saving Our Planet” was released July 31 by Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group.

“I think when students or non-scientists hear the words climate change, it is easy to throw our hands up and just give up,” McEuen said. “What I don’t think most people realize is we have the opportunity every day to engage in improving our environment.”

The book explains the science behind efforts to restore the environment and improve human well-being. It also examines misinformation, the connections between different environmental crises and the basic principles of ecology and evolution.

McEuen writes that sustainability is necessary because of the Earth’s natural limits but argues there is still hope that progress can be made through everyday decisions and larger environmental efforts. Examples discussed in the book include placing prairie strips on farms and adding diverse green roofs to buildings to help restore plant and animal life.

The book includes chapters on scientific literacy, how nature works, global change and other environmental topics. It is available through Routledge and other booksellers.