Environmental science : toward a sustainable future

Front Cover
Brief Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Authors
Dedication
CONTENTS (with direct page links)
Essay List
Preface
	Walkthrough
PART ONE - Framework for a Sustainable Future
	1. Science and the Environment
		1.1 A Paradox: What Is the Real State of the Planet?
			Population Growth and Human Well-Being
			Ecosystem Goods and Services
			Global Climate Change
			Loss of Biodiversity
			Environmental Science and the Environmental Movement
		1.2 Sustainability
			Sustainable Yields
			Sustainable Societies
			Sustainable Development
			An Essential Transition
		1.3 Sound Science
			The Scientific Method
			Sound Science Oysters Sound the Alarm The Scientific Community
			The Scientific Community
		1.4 Stewardship
			Stewardship Protecting Forests
			Who Are the Stewards?
			Justice and Equity
		1.5 Moving Toward a Sustainable Future
			Social Changes
			Environmental Changes
			A New Commitment
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	2. Economics, Politics, and Public Policy
		2.1 Economics and the Environment
			Relationships Between Economic Development and the Environment
			Economic Systems
			International Economies and Trade
			The Need for a Sustainable Economy
		2.2 Resources in a Sustainable Economy
			Measuring the Wealth of Nations
			Measuring True Economic Progress
		2.3 Economy, Environment, and Ethics
			Human Rights and Resources
			Intergenerational Equity
			Waste
		2.4 Environmental Public Policy
			Policy in the United States
			Policy Options: Market or Regulatory?
			The Public Policy Life Cycle
			Economic Effects of Environmental Public Policy
			Sustainability California’s Green Economy
		2.5 Cost-Benefit Analysis of Environmental Public Policy
			External Costs
			Environmental Regulations Impose Real Costs
			The Benefits of Environmental Regulation
			Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
			Progress
		2.6 Getting Society to Agree on Policy
			Citizen Involvement
			Change the Economy to Green
			International Regulation
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
PART TWO - Ecology: The Science of Organisms and Their Environment
	3. Basic Needs of Living Things
		3.1 Organisms in Their Environment
			The Hierarchy of Ecology
		3.2 Environmental Factors
			Optimums, Zones of Stress, and Limits of Tolerance
		3.3 Matter in Living and Nonliving Systems
			Basic Units of Matter
			Four Spheres
			Organic Compounds
		3.4 Matter and Energy
			Energy Basics
			Energy Changes in Organisms
			One-Way Flow of Energy
		3.5 The Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems
			The Carbon Cycle
			The Phosphorus Cycle
			The Nitrogen Cycle
			The Sulfur Cycle
			Sustainability Planetary Boundaries
			Comparing the Cycles
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	4. Populations and Communities
		4.1 Dynamics of Natural Populations
			Population Growth Curves
			Biotic Potential Versus Environmental Resistance
			Sustainability Elephants in Kruger National Park: How many is too many?
		4.2 Limits on Populations
			Density Dependence and Independence
			Critical Number
		4.3 Community Interactions
			Predation
			Competition
			Mutualism
			Commensalism
			Sound Science Studying Finches: The Life of a Scientist
		4.4 Evolution as a Force for Change
			Selective Pressure
			Adaptations to the Environment
			Drifting Continents
		4.5 Implications for Management by Humans
			Introduced Species
			Ecological Lessons
			Sound Science The Biological Detective: The Case of Spotted Knapweed
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	5. Ecosystems: Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance
		5.1 Characteristics of Ecosystems
			Trophic Levels, Food Chains, and Food Webs
			Trophic Categories
			Limits on Trophic Levels
		5.2 The Flow of Energy Through the Food Web
			The Fate of Food
			Energy Flow and Efficiency
			Aquatic Systems
		5.3 From Ecosystems to Biomes
			The Role of Climate
			Microclimate and Other Abiotic Factors
			Biome Productivity
		5.4 Ecosystem Responses to Disturbance
			Ecological Succession
			Disturbance and Resilience
		5.5 Human Values and Ecosystem Sustainability
			Appropriation of Energy Flow
			Sound Science What Are the Effects of Reintroducing a Predator?
			Involvement in Nutrient Cycling
			Value of Ecosystem Capital
			Can Ecosystems Be Restored?
			Managing Ecosystems
			The Future
			Stewardship Local Control Helps Restore Woodlands
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	6. Wild Species and Biodiversity
		6.1 The Value of Wild Species and Biodiversity
			Biological Wealth
			Two Kinds of Value
			Sources for Food and Raw Materials
			Sources for Medicine
			Recreational, Aesthetic, and Scientific Value
			Value for Their Own Sake
		6.2 Biodiversity and Its Decline
			How Many Species?
			The Decline of Biodiversity
			Reasons for the Decline
			Stewardship Lake Erie’s Island Snake Lady
			Consequences of Losing Biodiversity
			Moving Forward
		6.3 Saving Wild Species
			The Science of Conservation
			Nonprofit Efforts
			Individuals and Corporations
			Governments: Local, State, and National Policies
			Protecting Endangered Species
			Seeing Success
		6.4 Protecting Biodiversity Internationally
			International Developments
			Sound Science Using DNA to Catch Wildlife Criminals
			Stewardship Concerns
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	7. The Value, Use, and Restoration of Ecosystems
		7.1 Ecosystem Capital and Services
			Ecosystems as Natural Resources
		7.2 Types of Ecosystem Uses
			Conservation Versus Preservation
			Patterns of Human Use of Natural Ecosystems
			Sustainability How Much for That Irrigation Water?
		7.3 Terrestrial Ecosystems Under Pressure
			Forest Ecosystems
			Grassland Ecosystems
		7.4 Ocean Ecosystems Under Pressure
			Ocean Goods and Ecosystem Services
			Threats to Ocean Ecosystems
			Aquaculture: A Mixed Bag
			Solutions to Ocean Problems
		7.5 Protection and Restoration
			Public and Private Lands in the United States
			International Ecosystem Protection
			Ecosystem Restoration
			Sound Science Restoration Science: Learning How to Restore
			Final Thoughts
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
PART THREE - The Human Population and Essential Resources
	8. The Human Population
		8.1 Humans and Population Ecology
			r- or K-Strategists
			Revolutions
			Do Humans Have a Carrying Capacity?
		8.2 Population and Consumption—Different Worlds
			Rich Nations, Middle-Income Nations, Poor Nations
			Moving Up: Good News
			Population Growth in Rich and Poor Nations
			Different Populations, Different Problems
		8.3 Consequences of Population Growth and Affluence
			Consequences of Rapid Growth
			Stewardship Lessening Your Ecological Footprint
			Consequences of Affluence
			Sustainable Consumption
		8.4 Projecting Future Populations
			Population Profiles
			Predicting Populations
			The Demographic Transition
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	9. Population and Development
		9.1 Predicting the Demographic Transition
			Different Ways Forward
			Large and Small Families
			Competing Ideas
			Demographic Dividend
			Sustainability Dealing with Graying Populations
			Case Studies: China and India
		9.2 Promoting Development
			The Millennium Development Goals
			The Sustainable Development Goals
			World Agencies at Work
			The Debt Crisis
			Development Aid
		9.3 A New Direction: Social Modernization
			Improving Education
			Improving Health
			Family Planning
			Employment and Income
			Resource Management
			Putting It All Together
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	10. Water: Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use
		10.1 Water: A Vital Resource
		10.2 Hydrologic Cycle and Human Impacts
			Evaporation, Condensation, and Purification
			Precipitation
			Groundwater
			Loops, Pools, and Fluxes in the Cycle
			Human Impacts on the Hydrologic Cycle
			Sound Science What’s New in the Water Cycle?
		10.3 Water: Getting Enough, Controlling Excess
			Sources
			Surface Waters
			Groundwater
		10.4 Water Stewardship, Economics, And Policy
			Capturing Runoff
			Tapping More Groundwater
			Removing Salt from Seawater
			Using Less Water
			Stewardship The Energy-Water-Food Trade: Waste One, Waste Them All
			Public-Policy Challenges
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	11. Soil: The Foundation for Land Ecosystems
		11.1 Soil and Plants
			Soil Characteristics
			Soil and Plant Growth
			The Soil Community
		11.2 Soil Degradation
			Forms of Erosion
			Sound Science How Do We Know the Condition of Earth’s Soils?
			Practices That Cause Erosion
			Nutrient Mining
			Drylands and Desertification
			Irrigation, Salinization, and Leaching
			Loss of Soil Biota
			Impacts of Mining
			Creating New Land
		11.3 Conserving and Restoring Soil
			Helping Landholders in the United States
			U.S. Policy and Soils
			Sustainability New Ditches Save Soil
			Soil Conservation in the Developing World
			The Role of International Agencies
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	12. The Production and Distribution of Food
		12.1 Crops and Animals: Major Patterns of Food Production
			Subsistence Agriculture in the Developing World
			The Development of Modern Industrialized Agriculture
			The Green Revolution
			Costs of Modern Agriculture
			Animal Farming and Its Consequences
			Sound Science The Meat Footprint
			Biofuels and Food Production
		12.2 From Green Revolution to Gene Revolution
			The Promise
			The Problems
			The Policies
		12.3 Food Distribution and Trade
			Patterns in Food Trade
			The Global Food Crisis
			Food Security
			Sustainability Preventing Food Crises
		12.4 Hunger, Malnutrition, and Famine
			Hunger and Nutrition
			Extent and Consequences of Hunger
			Root Cause of Hunger
			Famine
			Hunger Hot Spots
			Food Aid
			The Goal Is Zero, the Way There Is Complex
		12.5 Feeding the World as We Approach 2030–2050
			Increasing Food Production
			Using Current Production More Effectively
			Sustainable Agriculture
			Policy Change
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	13. Pests and Pest Control
		13.1 The Need for Pest Control
			Types of Pests
			Sound Science Marine Fouling Organisms: Keeping One Step Ahead of the Barnacles
			Different Philosophies of Pest Control
		13.2 Chemical Treatment: Promises and Problems
			Development of Chemical Pesticides and Their Successes
			Problems Stemming from Chemical Pesticide Use
			Stewardship DDT for Malaria Control
		13.3 Alternative Pest Control Methods
			Cultural Control
			Control by Natural Enemies
			Plant Breeding
			Natural Chemical Control
			Sterile-Insect Techniques
		13.4 Making a Coherent Plan
			Pressures to Use Pesticides
			Integrated Pest Management
			Organically Grown Food
		13.5 Pests, Pesticides, and Policy
			Regulation of Pests
			Regulation of Pesticides
			International Pesticide Regulation
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
PART FOUR - Harnessing Energy for Human Societies
	14. Energy from Fossil Fuels
		14.1 Energy Sources and Uses
			Energy Transformations
			A Brief History of Energy Use
			Electrical Power Production
			Matching Energy Sources to Uses
		14.2 Exploiting Crude Oil
			How Fossil Fuels Are Formed
			Crude-Oil Reserves Versus Production
			U.S. Reserves and Importation
			The Consequences of U.S. Dependency
			Oil Resource Limitations and Peak Oil
			Oil Sand and Oil Shale
		14.3 Drilling for Natural Gas
			Sound Science Energy Returned on Energy Invested
		14.4 Mining Coal
			Surface Mining
			Coal Power
			Climate Issues
		14.5 Energy Policy
			Supply-Side and Demand-Side Policies
			Overview of Major Energy Policies
			Final Thoughts
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	15. Nuclear Power
		15.1 Nuclear Energy in Perspective
			The History of Nuclear Power
		15.2 How Nuclear Power Works
			From Mass to Energy
			Comparing Nuclear Power with Coal Power
		15.3 The Hazards and Costs of Nuclear Power Facilities
			Radioactive Emissions
			Radioactive Wastes and Their Disposal
			Nuclear Power Accidents
			Sound Science Radioactivity and the Military
			Safety and Nuclear Power
			Economics of Nuclear Power
		15.4 More Advanced Reactors
			Breeder (Fast-Neutron) Reactors
			Reprocessing
			Fusion Reactors
		15.5 The Future of Nuclear Power
			Opposition
			Rebirth of Nuclear Power
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	16. Renewable Energy
		16.1 Strategic Issues
			Why?
			Getting It Done
		16.2 Putting Solar Energy to Work
			Solar Heating of Water
			Solar Space Heating
			Solar Production of Electricity
			The Future of Solar Energy
			Sustainability Transfer of Energy Technology to the Developing World
		16.3 Indirect Solar Energy
			Hydropower
			Wind Power
			Biomass Energy
		16.4 Renewable Energy for Transportation
			Biofuels
		16.5 Additional Renewable-Energy Options
			Geothermal Energy
			Energy from the Oceans
		16.6 Policies for a Sustainableenergy Future
			U.S. Energy Policy
			International Energy Policy
			The Global Economy
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
PART FIVE - Pollution and Prevention
	17. Environmental Hazards and Human Health
		17.1 Human Health, Hazards, and the Environment
			Measures of Public Health
			Hazards and Risk
			Chemical Hazards
			Biological Hazards
			Physical Hazards
			Cultural Hazards
			Pollution
			Protecting Environmental Health
			Stewardship A Cultural Hazard Worsens Other Risks
		17.2 Pathways of Risk
			Exposure to Biological Hazards
			Exposure to Chemical Hazards
			Exposure to Physical Hazards
			The Risks of Being Poor
			Sound Science Water Pollution Drives Malnutrition in India
			The Effects of Climate Change
		17.3 Risk Assessment
			Risk Assessment by the EPA
			Public-Health Risk Assessment
			Risk Management
			Risk Perception
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	18. Global Climate Change
		18.1 Atmosphere, Weather, and Climate
			Layers of the Atmosphere
			Weather and Climate
			Earth’s Energy Balance
			Moving Air
			Oceans, Atmosphere, and Climate
		18.2 The Science of Climate Change
			How to Get Expert Information
			Climates in the Past
			Evidence of Climate Change Today
			Sound Science Getting it Right
			Rising Greenhouse Gases
			Changes in Other Forcing Factors
		18.3 The Effects of Climate Change
			Modeling Global Climate
			Different Pathways to 2100
			The Impact of Climate Change on Ecosystems
			Impact of Climate Change in the United States
			Tipping Points?
		18.4 Controversy and Ethics
			Why So Much Doubt?
			Ethical Concerns
		18.5 Responding to Climate Change
			Mitigation
			Adaptation
			Geoengineering
			International Efforts
			U.S. Policy on Climate Change
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	19. Atmospheric Pollution
		19.1 Air-Pollution Essentials
			Pollutants and Atmospheric Cleansing
			Smogs and Brown Clouds
		19.2 Major Air Pollutants and Their Sources
			Primary Pollutants
			Secondary Pollutants
			Acid Precipitation and Deposition
		19.3 Impacts of Air Pollutants
			Human Health
			The Environment
		19.4 Bringing Air Pollution Under Control
			Clean Air Act
			Dealing with the Pollutants
			Sound Science Complex Clouds and Co-Benefits of Solutions
			Coping with Acid Deposition
			International Regulation of Air Pollution
		19.5 Destruction of the Ozone Layer
			Radiation and Importance of the Shield
			UV Radiation and Human Health
			Formation and Breakdown of the Shield
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	20. Water Pollution and Its Prevention
		20.1 Perspectives on Water Pollution
			Water Pollution: Sources and Types
		20.2 Wastewater Treatment and Management
			The Pollutants in Raw Wastewater
			Removing the Pollutants from Wastewater
			Treatment of Sludge
			Alternative Treatment Systems
		20.3 Eutrophication
			Different Kinds of Aquatic Plants
			The Impacts of Nutrient Enrichment
			Sound Science Can Salt Marshes Absorb Our Nutrients?
			Combating Eutrophication
		20.4 National and International Policy and Water Pollution
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	21. Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery
		21.1 Solid Waste: A Global Problem
			Waste Production in the United States
			Worldwide Trends
			When Trash Escapes
		21.2 Disposal of Waste in the United States
			Past Practices
			Landfills
			Combustion: Waste to Energy
			Costs of Municipal Solid-Waste Disposal
		21.3 Better Solutions: Source Reduction and Recycling
			Source Reduction
			The Recycling Solution
			Sustainability Taking the Waste Out of Take-Out
			Municipal Recycling
			Regional Recycling Options
		21.4 Public Policy and Waste Management
			The U.S. Regulatory Perspective
			Integrated Waste Management
			Stewardship Citizen Power
			International Regulation of Waste
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
	22. Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention
		22.1 Toxicology and Chemical Hazards
			Dose Response and Threshold
			The Nature of Chemical Hazards: HAZMATs
			Sources of Chemicals Entering the Environment
			The Threat from Toxic Chemicals
			Effects on Hormones
			Involvement with Food Chains
		22.2 Hazardous Waste Disposal
			Methods of Land Disposal
			Sound Science Disrupting Hormones with Pollution
			Mismanagement of Hazardous Wastes
		22.3 Cleaning Up the Mess
			Ensuring Safe Drinking Water
			Superfund for Toxic Sites
		22.4 Managing Current Toxic Chemicals and Wastes
			The Clean Air and Clean Water Acts
			The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
			Reduction of Accidents and Accidental Exposures
			Evaluating New Chemicals
			International Hazardous Waste Regulations
		22.5 Broader Issues
			Environmental Justice and Hazardous Wastes
			Pollution Prevention for a Sustainable Society
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
PART SIX - Stewardship for A Sustainable Future
	23. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles
		23.1 Megatrends in Communities
			What Is a City?
			Advantages of Urbanization
			Challenges of Urbanization and Megacities
			Slums and Shantytowns
			The Abandoned Countryside
		23.2 Trends in U.S. Communities
			The Growth of Cities
			Urban Sprawl
			Sprawl and Urban Blight
			Impacts of Sprawl on Public Health and the Environment
			Why Urban Sprawl Persists
			The Housing Bubble and Suburban Blight
			Back to the City
		23.3 Moving Toward Sustainable Communities
			Reining in Sprawl
			Making Cities Livable
			Coordinated Planning
			Sustainability Curitiba, Brazil—City Planning Meets Growth
			Portland, Oregon: A Leader in Sustainability
			Sustainable Communities and Poverty
			The Sustainable Communities Movement
			Supporting City Leaders
		23.4 Sustainable Lifestyles
			Human Decisions
			Stewardship Living in Tiny Houses
			Lifestyle Changes
		Revisiting the Themes
		Review Questions
		Thinking Environmentally
		Making a Difference
APPENDICES
	A: ANSWERS to Concept Checks and Understanding the Data
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	B: Environmental Organizations
	C: Units of Measure
	D: Some Basic Chemical Concepts
Glossary
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	W - X - Y - Z
Credits
INDEX (with direct page links)
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