The Nature Directory: A Guide to Environmental Organizations Finding A Cause Near You by Don Rittner Before the birth of the environmental movement in the 70's, one could count the number of environmental organizations on two hands. Since 1987, public concern about the environment has grown faster than concern about any other national problem, according to a 1990 Roper Poll. Yet, most Americans believe that individuals can only do a little to help improve the environmental quality of life and that the answers to environmental problems must be found at the institutional rather than the individual level. Author Susan D. Lanier-Graham thinks otherwise - that once an individual chooses their interests and defines their goals, it's just a matter of finding the right environmental organization to join to compliment their own personal action as an active volunteer or supporter. To assist in that endeavor, she has compiled The Nature Directory: A Guide to Environmental Organizations, a listing of more than 100 organizations from around the country giving a taste of every issue from saving African wildlife to zero population growth. For the new environmentalist looking for a cause to join, or simply for those wanting to make their financial contribution to a worthy cause, the Directory provides a good cross section of the organized environmental movement. Lanier-Graham starts off the book with a summary of many of the leading environmental issues facing us today: Air pollution, acid rain, the greenhouse effect, chemicals, toxic waste, garbage, destruction of forests, wilderness areas, wildlife extinction, energy, and natural resource depletion. Interesting statistics and and how environmental organizations fit into these issues round out the discussion. Unlike other directories, The Nature Directory lists each organization but also provides the history/goals, past achievements, ongoing projects, future plans, membership information, and volunteer possibilities for each one thereby providing a comprehensive overview. The volunteer angle is an important one for those wanting to get more involved personally rather than simply sending in their membership fee. The author ends the book with a chapter on personal involvement, a 'how to get involved' with some interesting tips, career opportunities, letter writing campaigns, political action, and way to invest money in a socially responsible fashion. There is an extensive eight page bibliography broken down by issue, and a list of some federal agencies. The book has an index. Twenty-two percent of the America public consider themselves environmentalists. If only a fraction of them provided some volunteer time to the organizations in this directory, many of the environmental problems facing us today would be solved a lot sooner. For the budding new environmentalist, The Nature Directory: A Guide to Environmental Organizations, provides a good starting point to find their cause. Rating (5 being highest): 4.1 Readability: 4.5 Environmental significance: 4.2 Authoritative: 4 Definitive: 4 The Nature Directory: A Guide to Environmental Organizations, by Susan D. Lanier-Graham. Source: Walker and Company, 720 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10019. (212) 265-3632. Price: $12.95 paper (ISBN: 0-8027-7348-6); $22.95 Cloth (ISBN: 0-8027-11151-0). 190 pages. Copyright 1991, Don Rittner ---------- Don Rittner is the author of EcoLinking: Everyone's Guide to Online Information (Peachpit Press), a columnist for Environment News Service, and Host of America Online's Environmental Forum.