Tired of ecological bad news with no way out?

Like many concerned citizens, I am profoundly affected on a frequent basis by disturbing ecological news. Many people turn away from "depressing" news -- they feel there is no hopeful aspect, no workable solution included in dire environmental forecasts. Is there another direction, or a set of possible alternatives? I think there is.

I suggest the following 2 books, with much more than the usual list of actual realistic suggestions for what we might do.

Go to http://carlsafina.org/publications/books/the-view-from-lazy-point-a-natural-year-in-an-unnatural-world/ to learn about Carl Safina's book, The View from Lazy Point. Dr. Safina is an accomplished scientist, and an eloquent observer. He shows there are lessons that point the way to solutions.

But a step beyond even that is the recent book by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, Active  Hope: How to Face the Mess We're In without Going Crazy. See http://www.activehope.info/styled/index.html This book is no set of platitudes for anyone looking for easy answers. Instead, it is, as the authors describe: "Active Hope is a practice. Like tai chi or gardening, it is something we do rather than have. It is a process we can apply to any situation, and it involves three key steps. First, we take in a clear view of reality; second, we identify what we hope for in terms of the direction we’d like things to move in or the values we’d like to see expressed; and third, we take steps to move ourselves or our situation in that direction."

Both are highly recommended. These books provide facts, but also direction. See for yourself. For me, Macy and Johnstone's book came along exactly at the time I needed it.