Essentials of Environmental Science

Front Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Brief Contents
Contents
About the Authors
Content Advisory Board
Preface
Supplements
Acknowledgments
Chapter Highlights
Chapter 1: Introduction to Environmental Science
	Chapter Opener: To Frack, Or Not to Frack
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Environmental science offers important insights into our world and how we influence it
		Humans alter natural systems
		Environmental scientists monitor natural systems for signs of stress
		Human well-being depends on sustainable practices
		Science is a process
		Environmental science presents unique challenges
		Working Toward Sustainability: Using Environmental Indicators to Make a Better City
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Exploring Your Footprint
Chapter 2: Matter, Energy, and Change
	Chapter Opener: A Lake of Salt Water, Dust Storms, and Endangered Species
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Earth is a single interconnected system
		All environmental systems consist of matter
		Energy is a fundamental component of environmental systems
		Energy conversions underlie all ecological processes
		Systems analysis shows how matter and energy flow in the environment
		Working Toward Sustainability: Managing Environmental Systems in the Florida Everglades
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Bottled Water versus Tap Water
Chapter 3: Ecosystem Ecology and Biomes
	Chapter Opener: Reversing the Deforestation of Haiti
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Energy flows through ecosystems
		Matter cycles through the biosphere
		Global processes determine weather and climate
		Variations in climate determine Earth’s dominant plant growth forms
		Working Toward Sustainability: Is Your Coffee Made in the Shade?
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Chapter 4: Evolution, Biodiversity, and Community Ecology
	Chapter Opener: The Dung of the Devil
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Evolution is the mechanism underlying biodiversity
		Evolution shapes ecological niches and determines species distributions
		Population ecologists study the factors that regulate population abundance and distribution
		Growth models help ecologists understand population changes
		Community ecologists study species interactions
		The composition of a community changes over time and is influenced by many factors
		Working Toward Sustainability: Bringing Back the Black-Footed Ferret
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: The Living Planet Index
Chapter 5: Human Population Growth
	Chapter Opener: The Environmental Implications of China’s Growing Population
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Scientists disagree on Earth’s carrying capacity
		Many factors drive human population growth
		Many nations go through a demographic transition
		Population size and consumption interact to influence the environment
		Sustainable development is a common, if elusive, goal
		Working Toward Sustainability: Gender Equity and Population Control in Kerala
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: National Footprints
Chapter 6: Geologic Processes, Soils, and Minerals
	Chapter Opener: Are Hybrid Electric Vehicles as Environmentally Friendly as We Think?
		Understand the Key Ideas
		The availability of Earth’s resources was determined when the planet formed
		Earth is dynamic and constantly changing
		The rock cycle recycles scarce minerals and elements
		Soil links the rock cycle and the biosphere
		The uneven distribution of mineral resources has social and environmental consequences
		Working Toward Sustainability: Mine Reclamation and Biodiversity
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: What is the Impact of Your Diet on Soil Dynamics?
Chapter 7: Land Resources and Agriculture
	Chapter Opener: A Farm Where Animals Do Most of the Work
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Human land use affects the environment in many ways
		Land management practices vary according to their classification and use
		Residential land use is expanding
		Agriculture has generally improved the human diet but creates environmental problems
		Alternatives to industrial farming methods are gaining more attention
		Modern agribusiness includes farming meat and fish
		Working Toward Sustainability: The Dudley Street Neighborhood
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: The Ecological Footprint of Food Consumption
Chapter 8: Nonrenewable and Renewable Energy
	Chapter Opener: All Energy Use Has Consequences
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Nonrenewable energy accounts for most of our energy use
		Fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy but the supply is limited
		Nuclear energy offers benefits and challenges
		We can reduce dependence on fossil fuels by reducing demand, and by using renewable energy andbiological fuels
		Energy from the Sun can be captured directly from the Sun, Earth, wind, and hydrogen
		How can we plan our energy future?
		Working Toward Sustainability: Meet TED: The Energy Detective
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Choosing a Car: Conventional or Hybrid?
Chapter 9: Water Resources and Water Pollution
	Chapter Opener: The Chesapeake Bay
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Water is abundant but usable water is rare
		Humans use and sometimes overuse water for agriculture, industry, and households
		The future of water availability depends on many factors
		Water pollution has many sources
		We have technologies to treat wastewater from humans and livestock
		Many substances pose serious threats to human health and the environment
		Oil pollution can have catastrophic environmental impacts
		A nation’s water quality is a reflection of its water laws and their enforcement
		Working Toward Sustainability: Is the Water in Your Toilet Too Clean?
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Gaining Access to Safe Water and Proper Sanitation
Chapter 10: Air Pollution
	Chapter Opener: Cleaning Up in Chattanooga
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Air pollutants are found throughout the entire global system
		Air pollution comes from both natural and human sources
		Photochemical smog is still an environmental problem in the United States
		Acid deposition is much less of a problem than it used to be
		Pollution control includes prevention, technology, and innovation
		The stratospheric ozone layer provides protection from ultraviolet solar radiation
		Indoor air pollution is a significant hazard, particularly in developing countries
		Working Toward Sustainability: A New Cook Stove Design
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Mercury Release from Coal
Chapter 11: Solid Waste Generationand Disposal
	Chapter Opener: Paper or Plastic?
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Humans generate waste that other organisms cannot use
		The three Rs and composting divert materials from the waste stream
		Currently, most solid waste is buried in landfills or incinerated
		Hazardous waste requires special means of disposal
		There are newer ways of thinking about solid waste
		Working Toward Sustainability: Recycling E-Waste in Chile
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Understanding Household Solid Waste
Chapter 12: Human Health Risk
	Chapter Opener: Citizen Scientists
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Human health is affected by a large number of risk factors
		Infectious diseases have killed large numbers of people
		Toxicology is the study of chemical risks
		Scientists can determine the concentrations of chemicals that harm organisms
		Risk analysis helps us assess, accept, and manage risk
		Working Toward Sustainability: The Global Fight Against Malaria
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: How Does Risk Affect Your Life Expectancy?
Chapter 13: Conservation of Biodiversity
	Chapter Opener: Modern Conservation Legacies
		Understand the Key Ideas
		We are in the midst of a sixth mass extinction
		Declining biodiversity has many causes
		The conservation of biodiversity often focuses on single species
		The conservation of biodiversity sometimes focuses on protecting entire ecosystems
		Working Toward Sustainability: Swapping Debtfor Nature
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: How Large Is Your Home?
Chapter 14: Climate Alteration and Global Warming
	Chapter Opener: Walking on Thin Ice
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Global change includes global climate change and global warming
		Solar radiation and greenhouse gases make our planet warm
		Sources of greenhouse gases are both natural and anthropogenic
		Changes in CO2 and global temperatures have been linked for millennia
		Feedbacks can increase or decrease the impact of climate change
		Global warming has serious consequences for the environment and organisms
		The Kyoto Protocol addresses climate change at the international level
		Working Toward Sustainability: Local Governments and Businesses Lead the Way on Reducing Greenhouse Gases
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: Carbon Produced by Different Modes of Travel
Chapter 15: Environmental Economics, Equity,and Policy
	Chapter Opener: Assembly Plants, Free Trade,and Sustainable Systems
		Understand the Key Ideas
		Sustainability is the ultimate goal of sound environmental science and policy
		Economic health depends on the availability of natural capital and basic human welfare
		Agencies, laws, and regulations are designed to protect our natural and human capital
		There are several approaches to measuring and achieving sustainability
		Two major challenges of our time are reducing poverty and stewarding the environment
		Working Toward Sustainability: Reuse-A-Sneaker
		Revisit the Key Ideas
		Check Your Understanding
		Apply The Concepts
		Measure Your Impact: GDP and Footprints
Appendix: Fundamentals of Graphing
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
Back Cover