People and Nature: An Introduction to Human Ecological Relations

by Emilio F. Moran (Indiana University)

• ISBN13: 9781405154611
• ISBN10: 1405154616
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2009-02-01
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This book provides a lively and thoughtful introduction to ecological anthropology by examining the evolving relations between human communities and nature. Written by a noted anthropologist, geographer, and environmental scientist. Reviews the evolution of human interactions with the natural world---drawing from anthropology and geography. Explores those aspects of human ecological relations that seem to account for the greater connectedness of certain societies to their physical environment. Offers a vision for improved relations between humans and nature.

Table of Contents

Preface

List of Figures

Human Agency and the State of the Earth

Introduction

Can one conceive of ecosystems without human agents?

Human agency: individuals making a difference

Overwhelming evidence for concern with the condition of the earth system

Looking back and looking forward

A Reminder: How Things Were

The study of human ecological relations

The contemporary study of environmental issues

The evolution of human-environment interactions

Hunter-gatherers: Setting our preferences

How did we decide to become farmers?

Herding and farming: An uneasy relationship

More food for the masses

The Great Forgetting

Earth Transformations in prehistory

The archeology of environmental change

The urban-industrial revolution and the unleashing of Prometheus

The contemporary situation: Human-dominated ecosystems

The Web of Life: Are We in It?

The web of life and trophic relations: Thinking ecologically

Ecosystem productivity and net primary production

Land Use and long-term disturbance

What Makes People Want to Change the Environment?

Learning, Adaptation, and Information

Mitigation and the Cautionary Principle

Transforming the face of the earth through making better decisions

Population and the Environment

Rebuilding Communities and Institutions

Community in human evolution

What is sacred in human evolution?

Tragedies of the commons

Institutions and self-organization

Bioregionalism, deep ecology and embedding people in nature

Can We Learn When We Have Enough?

Material boys and material girls

Patterns of consumption in developed countries

Patterns of consumption in developing countries

A feeding frenzy and a crisis in public health

Burning fossils fuels instead of calories

Do we have enough material goods now?

Quality of Life: When Less Is More

Resource abundance vs resource scarcity

When less is more

The scale of the problem and the scale of the solutions

Restoring Our Balance: Valuing community, and trust, rather than more "stuff"

Are we happier when we have more?

References

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.