David Brin: Earth

Global Warming: Are We Entering the Greenhouse Century ? by Stephen Schneider (published by Sierra Club Books). Offers an overview of the entire climate debate, along with an extensive bibliography.

Fifty Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth . You may have to order this concise little guidebook, filled with advice that can save you money and safeguard your health, too. Write to the Earth Works Group, Box 1400 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, California.

“What can I do? How can just one person do anything about the fate of the world.”

That’s the common complaint of people today, who worry about the future, but who are already overwhelmed by the daily grind of a busy life — work, family, and a myriad of modern distractions. Polls show a clear majority of North Americans, and people in many other lands, care deeply about the state the Earth is in, and want to see something preserved. But who has the energy or time to go out and become an activist?

Trust contemporary society, though. For the convenience of busy moderns, there is now the social action equivalent of the microwave oven and the frozen dinner. In other words, you can hire people to go out and save the world for you! Pick a problem and there’s probably some organization already in tune with your agenda that will add your small contribution to others’ and leverage it into serious effort. I list just a few below, but there are so many. How can anyone complain that they can’t influence the future of the world when it’s so easy to get involved?

Some cliches are true: either you’re part of the solution or you’re part of the problem.

The Sierra Club . One of the oldest and most active environmental organizations. Membership, $33 per year ($15 for students). Department J-169, P.O. Box 7959, San Francisco, CA 94120-7959.

The Nature Conservancy . Forget the middlemen and politicians. This excellent group actually purchases tracts of rain forest, to preserve them directly. Membership, $15 per year. 1800 North Kent Street, Arlington, VA 22209.

Greenpeace . The famous “Greeners” take on polluters, head-on. Membership, $25 per year. 1436 U Street NW, Box 3720, Washington, D.C. 20C07.

Pro-Space Lobbying Groups

The National Space Society . Membership, $30 per year ($18 for students). 922 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington D.C. 20003.

The Planetary Society . Membership, $25 per year. Pursues projects aimed at exploration. 65 North Catalina Ave., Pasadena, CA 91106.

Human Rights Organization

Amnesty International . Donation — any amount. Fights to free political prisoners of every persuasion. 322 8th Ave., New York, NY 10001.