WEBER READS: THE AIR WE BREATHE

“Air, I should explain, becomes wind when it is agitated.” ― Lucretius, On the Nature of Things

Weber Reads is a coalition of people from the Weber County Library, the Wasatch Range Writing Project, and Weber and Ogden School Systems. Following the One Community One Book initiative authored by the Library of Congress, the Weber Reads coalition selects a topic, an author, or a book every year and encourages people to learn, read, and discuss the ideas encountered. Over the years, a range of titles and themes have been explored, including Frankenstein, The Odyssey, Emily Dickinson, Shakespeare, the Japanese-American Internment, and the Transcontinental Railroad.

2021 marks our program’s 15th year and our third discussion of an aspect of our natural world.  Previous topics included fire and water. This year (2021), we will reflect on air.

All living things rely on air.  Air is a habitat and a home: swifts, for example, are constantly in flight except when nesting.  Even fish breathe in oxygen from the water around them.  Air makes up the atmosphere as a bubble around planet Earth, enabling us to survive.  In extreme environments (deep water, high altitudes, severe heat and cold, and space), we engineer air sources for endurance and survival.  The kinetic energy of moving air is a force that can be controlled and put to work for such amazing purposes as flying in an airplane and creating clean electrical energy.

Air is precious, but it is also dangerous.  Windstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes are caused by the violent movement of air.  Air carries viruses, bacteria, poisons, and pollutants that can harm us.  During the Middle Ages, the night air was believed to be deadly.  Black lung disease, smog, and the toxins released during wildfires are more modern phenomena, and here in our own Northern Utah surroundings, pollution is an ongoing topic of concern.

Please join Library staff this fall as we host lectures, book discussions, film screenings, and children’s activities, to which all members of the community are invited.  We invite you to check out and enjoy the materials included here on our suggested reading list, and start the conversation!