Essential Environment : The Science Behind the Stories

by Withgott, Jay H.; Brennan, Scott R.

• ISBN13: 9780805306408
• ISBN10: 0805306404
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-01-01
• Publisher: Addison Wesley

Summary

KEY MESSAGE: Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Storiesretains all the popular features of the landmark first editionincluding its integrated central case study approach, and focus on the scientific process, current data and critical thinkingwhile offering expanded coverage of ecology and new hands-on activities that give readers even more opportunity to evaluate and analyze real data. TheSecond Editionfeatures a new chapter on ecology with expanded coverage of community ecology and biomes. Foundations of Environmental Science: An introduction to environmental science, Environmental economics and environmental policy, Environmental systems: Chemistry, energy, and ecosystems, Evolution, biodiversity, and population ecology . Species interactions and community ecology. Environmental Issues and the Search for Solutions: Human population growth, Soils, agriculture, and the future of food, Biodiversity and conservation biology, Urbanization, land use, and resources management, Environmental health and toxicology, Freshwater and marine systems and resources, The atmosphere, air pollution, and global climate change, Nonrenewable energy sources and their environmental impacts, Renewable energy alternatives, Waste management, Sustainable Solutions. For all readers interested in environmental science.

Table of Contents

Foundations of Environmental Science
An Introduction to Environmental Science	p. 2
Our Island, Earth	p. 3
The Nature of Environmental Science	p. 7
The Nature of Science	p. 10
Environmental Ethics	p. 15
Environmental Economics and Environmental Policy	p. 23
Central Case: San Diego and Tijuana's Sewage Pollution Problems and Policy Solutions	p. 24
Economics: Approaches and Environmental Implications	p. 24
Environmental Policy: An Overview	p. 34
U.S. Environmental Policy	p. 35
International Environmental Policy	p. 40
The Environmental Policy Process	p. 42
Approaches to Environmental Policy	p. 44
Environmental Systems: Chemistry, Energy, and Ecosystems	p. 48
Central Case: The Gulf of Mexico's "Dead Zone"	p. 49
Earth's Environmental Systems	p. 49
Chemistry and the Environment	p. 52
Energy Fundamentals	p. 58
How Environmental Systems Work	p. 60
Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology	p. 75
Central Case: Striking Gold in a Costa Rican Cloud Forest	p. 76
Evolution as the Wellspring of Earth's Biodiversity	p. 76
Levels of Ecological Organization	p. 83
Population Ecology	p. 84
Species Interactions and Community Ecology	p. 96
Central Case: Black and White, and Spread All Over: Zebra Mussels Invade the Great Lakes	p. 97
Species Interactions	p. 98
Ecological Communities	p. 101
Earth's Biomes	p. 111
Environmental Issues and the Search for Solutions
Human Population	p. 122
Central Case: China's One-Child Policy	p. 123
Human Population Growth: Baby 6 Billion and Beyond	p. 123
Demography	p. 126
Population and Society	p. 132
Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food	p. 141
Central Case: No-Till Agriculture in Southern Brazil	p. 142
Soil: The Foundation for Agriculture	p. 142
Soil Degradation and Conservation	p. 145
The Race to Feed the World	p. 151
Pests and Pollinators	p. 153
Biotechnology and the Future of Food	p. 156
Feedlot Agriculture: Livestock and Poultry	p. 160
Sustainable Agriculture	p. 164
Biodiversity and Conservation Biology	p. 168
Central Case: Saving the Siberian Tiger	p. 169
Our Planet of Life	p. 169
Biodiversity Loss and Species Extinction	p. 174
Benefits of Biodiversity	p. 179
Conservation Biology: The Search for Solutions	p. 181
Cities, Forests, and Parks: Land Use and Resource Management	p. 191
Central Case: Managing Growth in Portland, Oregon	p. 192
Our Urbanizing World	p. 193
Creating Livable Cities	p. 200
Forestry and Resource Management	p. 205
Parks and Reserves	p. 212
Environmental Health and Toxicology	p. 217
Central Case: Alligators and Endocrine Disruptors at Lake Apopka, Florida	p. 218
Environmental Health	p. 218
Toxic Agents in the Environment	p. 222
Studying Effects of Hazards	p. 228
Risk Assessment and Risk Management	p. 232
Philosophical and Policy Approaches	p. 234
Freshwater and Marine Systems and Resources	p. 239
Central Case: Plumbing the Colorado River	p. 240
Freshwater Systems	p. 240
How We Use Water	p. 245
Solutions to Freshwater Depletion	p. 251
Freshwater Pollution and Its Control	p. 252
Marine Systems	p. 257
Human Impact on the Oceans	p. 262
Overfishing and Marine Conservation	p. 263
Atmospheric Science, Air Pollution, and Global Climate Change	p. 270
Central Case: Rising Temperatures and Seas May Take the Maldives Under	p. 271
The Atmosphere	p. 271
Outdoor Air Pollution	p. 275
Indoor Air Pollution	p. 285
Global Climate Change	p. 288
Climate Change Estimates and Predictions	p. 292
Reducing Emissions	p. 296
Nonrenewable Energy Sources, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation	p. 300
Central Case: Oil or Wilderness on Alaska's North Slope?	p. 301
Sources of Energy	p. 302
Coal	p. 305
Natural Gas	p. 307
Oil	p. 308
Impacts of Fossil Fuel Use	p. 312
Energy Conservation	p. 317
Nuclear Power	p. 319
Renewable Energy Alternatives	p. 328
Central Case: Iceland Moves toward a Hydrogen Economy	p. 329
Renewable Energy Sources	p. 330
Biomass Energy	p. 332
Hydroelectric Power	p. 335
Solar Energy	p. 337
Wind Energy	p. 340
Geothermal Energy	p. 344
Ocean Energy Sources	p. 345
Hydrogen	p. 346
Waste Management	p. 353
Central Case: Transforming New York's Fresh Kills Landfill	p. 354
Approaches to Waste Management	p. 354
Municipal Solid Waste	p. 355
Industrial Solid Waste	p. 364
Hazardous Waste	p. 365
Epilogue Sustainable Solutions	p. 372
Some Basics on Graphs	p. A-1
Metric System	p. B-1
Periodic Table of the Elements	p. C-1
Geologic Time Scale	p. D-1
Glossary	p. G-1
Credits	p. CR-1
Selected Sources and References	p. R-1
Index	p. I-1
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