The Washington Center for the Book and the Washington Library Association present an evening with Eric Scigliano. Registration required. Click here to register.

Winner of the 2020 Washington State Book Award for General Nonfiction, The Big Thaw: Ancient Carbon, Modern Science, and a Race to Save the World offers readers a chance to meet a diverse team of scientists and students who have been studying the permafrost and what lies beneath. This vast store of ancient carbon, more than four times the quantity found in all of today’s forests, is releasing carbon dioxide and methane as the permafrost thaws. The release of all this carbon would alter Earth’s climate forever. Braving endless hordes of mosquitoes, quicksand, and extreme temperatures, researchers are racing against the clock to educate us all about the changes we must make in order to preserve Earth’s carbon balance. The book includes stunning photographs by Chris Linder and was published by Braided River, the conservation imprint of Mountaineers Books.

“An antidote to the depression and helplessness many feel in the face of climate change. In its splendid design, well-written text, and revealing photos of the Arctic world and those who probe the impact of thawing permafrost on the climate, this book perfectly captures this critical issue and those who are meeting the challenge.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Eric Scigliano is a journalist and author with a longtime interest in climate change, the Arctic, and the alarming intersection between the two. He has been a science writer at the University of Washington and a staff writer and editor at several newspapers and magazines, and has written for National Geographic, New Scientist, Discover, Harper’s, Technology Review. His work has won Livingston and American Association for the Advancement of Science awards and has been included in Best American Science Writing.

This event is presented by the Washington Center for the Book (a partnership of The Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Library) and the Washington Library Association. The event is free and will be presented on Zoom. Registration is required to receive the event link. The event will be recorded and can be accessed on SPL’s YouTube channel.

View in catalog: The Big Thaw by Eric Scigliano

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