In The Earth from the Air, which has sold million of copies worldwide since it first appeared in 1999, the French photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand had a clear aim: “We would raise public awareness of the Earth’s beauty in order to better condemn its problems”. The book offered extraordinary images of a huge variety of natural habitats and ecosystems, but also showed the imprint and impact of man on the environment. In a new book, Bertrand makes what his publishers describe as “another heartfelt call to save our planet”, only this time he is raising awareness of the fresh water that makes up a large amount of the Earth’s surface. Images from Freshwater (Abrams & Chronicle Books, £44, June 11), on which he has worked with the biophysicist, naturalist and writer Bill François, feature in this week’s New Scientist.