Includes index. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Introducing environmental science and sustainability : Human impacts on the environment ; Population, resources, and the environment ; Sustainability ; Environmental science ; Addressing environmental problems ; Case in point : Lake Washington -- Environmental laws, economics, and ethics : A brief environmental history of the United States ; U.S. environmental legislation ; Economics and the environment Environmental justice ; Environmental ethics, values, and worldviews ; Case in point : Environmental problems in Central and Eastern Europe -- Ecosystems and energy : What is ecology? ; The energy of life ; The flow of energy through ecosystems ; Case in point : Life without the sun ; Case in point : How humans have affected the Antarctic food web -- Ecosystems and the physical environment : The cycling of materials within ecosystems ; Solar radiation ; The Atmosphere ; The global ocean ; Weather and climate ; Internal planetary process ; Meeting the challenge : Recycling phosphorus from sewage ; Case in point : Hurricane Katrina -- Ecosystems and living organisms : Evolution: how populations change over time ; Principles of population ecology ; Biological communities ; Species richness in a community ; Community development ; Case in point : Species richness in Lake Victoria -- Major ecosystems of the world : Earth's major biomes ; Aquatic ecosystems ; Case in point : The Everglades -- Human health and environmental toxicology : Human health ; Environmental pollution and disease ; Determining health effects of environmental pollution ; Ecotoxicology: toxicant effects on communities and ecosystems ; Decision making and uncertainty: assessment of risks ; Meeting the challenge: Global polio eradication ; Case in point : Influenza pandemics past and future ; Case in point : The ocean and human health -- The human population : The science of demography ; Demographics of countries ; Population and quality of life ; Reducing the total fertility rate ; Government policies and fertility ; Achieving population stabilization ; Case in point : The millennium development goals ; Meeting the challenge : The Poverty Action Lab -- The urban environment : Population and urbanization ; The city as an ecosystem ; Urban land use planning ; Making cities more sustainable ; Meeting the challenge : Green architecture ; Case in point : Curitiba, Brazil -- Energy consumption : Energy consumption and policy ; Energy efficiency and conservation ; Electricity, hydrogen, and energy storage ; Energy policy ; You can make a difference : Saving energy at home ; Case in point : Hydrogen and electricity for transportation -- Fossil fuels : Fossil fuels ; Coal ; Oil and natural gas ; Synfuels and other potential fossil-fuel resources ; Case in point : The Marcellus shale ; Case in point : The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- Renewable energy and nuclear power : Direct solar energy ; Indirect solar energy ; Other renewable energy sources ; Nuclear power ; Pros and cons of nuclear energy ; Radioactive wastes ; The future of nuclear power ; Case in point : The Three Gorges Dam ; Case in point : Yucca Mountain -- Water: a limited resource : The importance of water ; Wast use and resource problems ; Water problems in the United States and Canada ; Global water problems ; Water management ; Water conservation ; Case in point : The floods of 2008 ; You can make a difference : Conserving water at home -- Soil resources : The soil system ; Soil properties and major soil types ; Environmental problems related to soil ; Soil conservation and regeneration ; Case in point : The American Dust Bowl ; You can make a difference : COmposting and mulching -- Mineral resources : Introduction to minerals : Environmental impacts associated with minerals ; Minerals: an international perspective ; Increasing the supply of minerals ; Using substitution and conservation to expand mineral supplies ; Case in point : Copper Basin, Tennessee ; Meeting the challenge : Industrial ecosystems -- Biological resources : Biological diversity ; Extinction and species endangerment ; Conservation biology ; Conservation policies and laws ; Wildlife management ; You can make a difference : Addressing declining biological diversity ; Case in point : Disappearing frogs ; Meeting the challenge : Dealing effectively with fragmented habitats -- Land resources : Land use ; Wilderness, parks, and wildlife refuges ; Forests ; Rangelands and agricultural lands ; Wetlands and coastal areas ; Conservation of land resources ; Meeting the challenge : Preserving forests in the eastern states ; Case in point : Tongass National Forest -- Food resources : World food security ; Food production ; Challenges of producing more crops and livestock ; The environmental impacts of agriculture ; Solutions to agricultural problems ; Fisheries of the world ; You can make a difference : Vegetarian diets ; Case in point : The green revolution ; Meeting the challenge : Certified environmental management systems for agriculture -- Air pollution : The atmosphere as a resource ; Types and sources of air pollution ; Effects of air pollution ; Controlling air pollution in the United States ; Ozone depletion in the stratosphere ; Acid deposition ; Air pollution around the world ; Indoor air pollution ; Case in point : Efforts to reduce ozone in Southern California ; Meeting the challenge : States adopt low carbon fuel standard ; Case in point : Air pollution in Beijing and Mexico City -- Global climate change : Introduction to climate change ; The effects of global climate change ; Dealing with global climate change ; Case in point : Impacts in fragile areas -- Water pollution : Types of water pollution ; Water quality today ; Improving water quality ; Laws controlling water pollution ; Case in point : Green chemistry ; You can make a difference : Preventing water pollution ; Meeting the challenge : Using citizen watchdogs to monitor water pollution -- Pest management : What is a pesticide? ; Benefits and problems with pesticides ; Risks of pesticides to human health ; Alternatives to pesticides ; Laws controlling pesticide use ; The manufacture and use of banned pesticide ; Case in point : Bt, its potential and problems ; You can make a difference : Avoiding pesticide use at home ; Case in point : Economic development and pesticides in Central America -- Solid and hazardous wastes : Solid waste ; Waste prevention ; Hazardous waste ; Meeting the challenge : Reusing and recycling old automobiles ; Case in point : Hanford Nuclear Reservation -- Tomorrow's world : Living sustainably ; Sustainable living: a plan of action ; Changing personal attitudes and practices ; What kind of world do we want? ; Meeting the challenge : Microedit programs ; Case in point : Jakarta, Indonesia -- Appendices : Review of basic chemistry -- Graphing -- Models and modeling -- Units of measure: some useful conversions -- Abbreviations, formulas, and acronyms used in this text -- Glossary.
Summary:
"Raven's 8th edition of Environment offers more detailed content than the Visualizing text for a better understanding and integration of the core environmental systems and to view and analyze the role those systems play. Shorter, but still comprehensive coverage focuses on ethical decision making and key local environmental science issues, requiring readers to think critically about the course material outside of the classroom. Other features include brief text in the comprehensive segment; extensive chapter pedagogy to help reinforce the systems approach; more opportunities to think critically about the how systems intersect and fit together; and new data interpretation questions at the end of each chapter"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.