Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore

Rising sea levels are not just a vision of the future as a result of climate change; it is happening today. Environmental writer Rush (English, Brown Univ.) visits Maine, Rhode Island, New York, Florida, Louisiana, Oregon, and California to see the effects of climate change for herself and meet people impacted by rising waters along with the researchers who are documenting the change. More than a case of higher water, the resulting increase in salinity is killing plants that shore up the soil in coastal areas. Animals depending on that coastal marsh area are dying, too. Native birds, mollusks, and seagrass are among a few of the topics covered in this beautifully written title. The afterword brings the text up to date with coverage of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in 2017, and other devastating storms. Rush's travels cause her to examine her own personal journey as she confronts the experiences others are facing. Artistic black-and-white photographs of rampikes—the bleached skeleton or splintered trunk of a tree killed by fire, lightning, or wind—are reminders of what once was and starkly illustrate the text.