Synopses & Reviews
Miller's science-based coverage helps clarify complex environmental issues such as global warming, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, energy options and policies, and others. A continuing emphasis on integration of economics and the environment throughout. Miller emphasizes the increased use of emissions trading, environmental accounting, full-cost pricing, selling services instead of things, and evolving eras of environmental management in a growing number of businesses. Many new topics including transfer of energy by convection, conduction, and radiation (Figure 3-9); life cycle of frogs (Figure 7-6); human ecological footprints on the earth??s surface (Figure 8-12) and on North America (Figure 17-8); four principles of sustainability (Figures 8-13 and 8-12); possible beneficial effects of global warming in some areas (Figure 13-13); sequestration of carbon dioxide to slow global warming (Figure 13-16); industrial ecosystem in Denmark (Figure 15-6); use of phytoremediation (Figure 15-9) and a plasma torch (Figure 15-10) to treat hazardous wastes; terrorism and the release toxic chemicals from industrial plants; mercury contamination in the environment (Figures 15-19 and 15-20); ten most endangered U.S. songbirds (Figure 18-7); examples of nonnative species found in the United States (Figure 18-8); .brief history of oil; terrorist treats to nuclear wastes stored at nuclear power plants; and terrorist threats from dirty radioactive bombs.
About the Author
GG. Tyler Miller, Jr., has written 58 textbooks for introductory courses in environmental science, basic ecology, energy, and environmental chemistry. They include ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINING THE EARTH, and ESSENTIALS OF ECOLOGY. Since 1975, Miller's books have been the most widely used textbooks for environmental science in the United States and throughout the world. They have been used by almost 3 million students and have been translated into eight languages. Miller has a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia and has received two honorary doctorate degrees for his contributions to environmental education. He taught college for 20 years and developed an innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate science program before deciding to write environmental science textbooks full time since 1975. Currently, he is the President of Earth Education and Research, devoted to improving environmental education. He describes his hopes for the future as follows: "If I had to pick a time to be alive, it would be the next 75 years. Why? First, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that we are in the process of seriously degrading our own life support system. In other words, we are living unsustainably. Second, within your [students'] lifetime we have the opportunity to learn how to live more sustainably by working with the rest of nature, as described in this book."
Table of Contents
Part I: HUMANS AND SUSTAINABILITY. 1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes and Sustainability. 2. Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews. Part II: SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES AND CONCEPTS. 3. Science, Systems, Matter, and Energy. 4. Ecosystems: Components, Energy Flow, and Matter Cycling. 5. Evolution and Biodiversity: Origin, Niches, and Adaptation. 6. Climate, Terrestrial Biodiversity, and Aquatic Biodiversity. 7. Community Ecology: Structure, Species Interactions, Succession, and Sustainability. 8. Population Dynamics, Carrying Capacity, and Conservation Biology. 9. Geology: Processes, Minerals, Hazards, and Soils. 10. Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health. Part III: POPULATION, RESOURCES, AND SUSTAINABILITY. 11. The Human Population: Growth and Distribution. 12. Air and Air Pollution. 13. Climate Change and Ozone Loss. 14. Water Resources and Water Pollution. 15. Solid and Hazardous Waste. Part IV: SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY. 16. Food Resources. 17. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach. 18. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach. Part V: ENERGY RESOURCES. 19. Nonrenewable Energy Resources. 20. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Appendixes. Glossary. Index.