Synopses & Reviews
Chris Park offers a comprehensive reference work containing over 8,500 informative entries on all aspects of the environment and conservation, embracing a broad spectrum of concerns, including sustainable development, biodiversity, environmental ethics, philosophy and history, resource management, sociology, and environmental policy. In addition to its wide-ranging, concise definitions, the Dictionary includes thirty highlighted entries on topics such as Antarctica, Chernobyl, the Kyoto Protocol, and ozone depletion. And unlike other books in this area, the dictionary addresses not only the scientific side of conservation and the environment, but also social, legal, political and economic aspects. Readers will find clear, concise coverage of international treaties and movements as well as biographies of key figures in environmental science. The volume also boasts wide coverage of terms relating to rural/community development and participation, an area that plays an increasingly crucial role in managing the environment and biodiversity. The dictionary concludes with a valuable selection of 10 appendices, including the Beaufort scale and the Torino asteroid and comet impact hazard scale, plus the geologic timescale and an appendix of useful websites for further study.
Review
"[Its] choices are sound and its decisions solid"--New Scientist
"A useful tool"--TLS
Synopsis
This informative dictionary contains over 8,500 entries on all aspects of the environment and conservation. International in scope, it embraces a broad spectrum of environmental areas including sustainable development, biodiversity, conservation, environmental ethics, philosophy, and history,
resource management, sociology, and policy on the environment. In addition to its wide-ranging, concise definitions, it includes longer key entries on topics such as Antarctica, Gaia hypothesis, genetic engineering, the Kyoto Protocol, and the United Nations Conference on Environmental Development.
The dictionary is uniquely comprehensive in that it addresses the social, legal, political, and economic aspects of the environment and conservation as well as the scientific terms. Coverage includes international treaties, movements, trusts and organizations, as well as biographies of key figures
in environmental science. It also boasts wide coverage of terms relating to rural/community development and participation, an area with an increasingly key role in managing the environment and biodiversity. This places the subject of the environment firmly in a human as well as a scientific context.
About the Author
Chris Park is a Professorial Fellow and Director of the Graduate School at Lancaster University.
Table of Contents
Introduction Contents
A to Z entries
Appendix 1
Sources of online data on the environment
Appendix 2
International environment treaties
Appendix 3
The Beaufort scale of wind strength
Appendix 4
The Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale
Appendix 5
The Fujita scale of tornado intensity
Appendix 6
Torino asteroid and comet impact hazard scale
Appendix 7
Richter earthquake magnitude and modified Mercalli earthquake intensity scales
Appendix 8
The geological timescale
Appendix 9
Chemical elements
Appendix 10
Si units and conversions