People and the Earth: Basic Issues in the Sustainability of Resources and Environment / Edition 1

by John James William Rogers, P. Geoffrey Feiss

Overview

People and the Earth examines the numerous ways in which this planet enhances and limits our lifestyles. Written with wit and remarkable insight, and illustrated with numerous case histories, it provides a balanced view of the complex environmental issues facing our civilization. The authors look at the geologic restrictions on our ability to withdraw resources—food, water, energy, and minerals—from the earth, the effect human activity has on the earth, and the lingering damage caused by natural disasters. People and the Earth examines the basic components of our interaction with this planet, provides a lucid, scientific discussion of each issue, and speculates on what the future may hold. It provides the fundamental concepts that will enable us to make wise and conscientious choices on how to live our day-to-day lives. People and the Earth is an ideal introductory textbook and will also appeal to anyone concerned with our evolving relationship to the earth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521568722
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/13/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.98(h) x 0.75(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. People and land; 2. Food; 3. Natural hazards; 4. Water; 5. Energy; 6. Mineral resources; 7. Waste and pollution; 8. Global change; 9. A final word.

Editorial Reviews

"...a novel, from-the-ground-up approach to the overwhelming socioeconomic, political, scientific, and technological problems that face humanity as we approach the 21st century....As a beginning text in environmental or Earth systems science, it hits the mark squarely and effectively." GSA Today

"An exceptional book that also goes beyond the basics by tightly focusing at length on classical case studies that give students a sense of how truly complex many topics can be." Northeastern Naturalist

"...novel, entertaining, and refreshingly contentious...recommended reading for all those interested in earth's finite resources and the increasingly complex environmental issues that result from their continued exploitation." Earth Science Reviews

"The book is more than a well-balanced textbook for college or advanced secondary classes. And it is more than a handbook of the science of what many of us call ‘human ecology' in the broadest sense of the term." Science Books & Films

"The impact of human society on the environment is becoming an increasingly visible subject of debate....This excellent introduction to this vast subject is designed as a text for an undergraduate course." The Leading Edge

"...provides a balanced view of the complex environmental issues affecting our civilisation." Geography, The Magazine of the Geographical Association

From the Publisher