Crossings by Ben Goldfarb
An eye-opening account of ecological transformations caused by roads and innovative solutions for correcting them.
W. W. Norton & Company, 2023, www.wwnorton.com.
The Sustainability Book Club met on April 3 to discuss Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb. The book details the history of road building, its ecological impacts, and the ways animals can (and can’t) get across roads and highways. During the meeting, the group had the pleasure of speaking with an engineer who has direct experience with wildlife crossings in the Pacific Northwest through her work with the Department of Transportation. She shared some of the challenges with wildlife projects, such as planning appropriate crossing locations and designing structures that are suitable for different species. Book club members remarked on the most surprising repercussions of road building and their own experiences with crossings and wildlife along roads.
From the publisher: In Crossings, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. A million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone, but as the new science of road ecology shows, the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. … Today, as our planet’s road network continues to grow exponentially, the science of road ecology has become increasingly vital. Written with passion and curiosity, Crossings is a sweeping, spirited, and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world—and how we can create a better future for all living beings.
Pick up a copy of Crossings to learn more about this fascinating and important topic.
The Sustainability Book Club
Join a small group of avid readers who meet monthly to engage in lively discussions focused on books about sustainability. The club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month on Zoom. Contact us to join!
May 1: Tales from the Ant World by Edward O. Wilson
