Kategoria BISAC: Science >> Environmental Science (see also Chemistry - Environmental)

Integrating environmental and world-systems analyses in chapters ranging from the ancient to the contemporary, from the global to the local, from West to East, and from North to South, this book is the first collection to analyze environmental issues from the world-systems perspective. The introduction provides Immanuel Wallerstein's fullest explication of the role of ecological constraints in the world-system. Early chapters diagnose the increasing environmental threats to global sustainability and suggest ways to arrive at an integrated theoretical understanding of those threats. The...

With global temperatures rising rapidly during the past quarter century, infrared forcing, popularly known as the greenhouse effect, has attracted worldwide concern. This book is a concise, college-level compendium of the research on global warming. It surveys the scientific consensus on the issue, describes recent findings, and also considers the arguments of skeptics who doubt that global warming is a threat. Suggesting that the effects of global warming can be seen in the melting of glaciers and the dying of coral reefs, the work summarizes the potential impact on human health and on...

This reference resource describes both the scientific background and the economic and social issues that resulted from environmental disasters resulting primarily from human activity. Categorized by the type of tragedy--including coal mine tragedies, dam failures, industrial explosions, and oil spills--this one-stop guide provides students with descriptions of some of the world's most tragic environmental disasters. Entries clearly describe each disaster by defining the cause, the consequences, and the clean-up efforts.

Readers will learn who the responsible parties were, the...

Controversy surrounding environmental issues is not a recent development in American history. Since the time of the early settlers, issues concerning the environment have plagued certain groups of Americans. In this exhaustively researched study, primary documents support different sides of various questions, such as the use of water as an energy source, deforestation, gold mining in California, and the emergence of wildlife conservation. High school and college students will not only find this book extremely comprehensive, but will also find its heated discussions exceptionally...

The Environmental Protection Agency is a young and dynamic federal agency facing the challenges of modern environmental protection. The political controversies and social impacts of the agency are immense, involving courts, legislatures, and elected officials, and the effects of its actions are far reaching, affecting every single person in the United States.

After a brief history of the agency, chapters describe its organization, programs, controversies, key events, notable people, and impact on society. Topics covered include the "Exxon Valdez" oil spill, Three Mile Island, and The...

Climate change threatens the future of civilization, but humanity is impotent in effecting solutions. Even in those nations with a commitment to reduce greenhouse emissions, they continue to rise. This failure mirrors those in many other spheres that deplete the fish of the sea, erode fertile land, destroy native forests, pollute rivers and streams, and utilize the world's natural resources beyond their replacement rate. In this provocative book, Shearman and Smith present evidence that the fundamental problem causing environmental destruction--and climate change in particular--is the...

At the time when Robinson wrote this book, the largest known source of radioactive contamination of the world's environment was a government-owned nuclear plant called Sellafield, not far from Wordsworth's cottage in the Lakes District; one child in sixty was dying from leukemia in the village closest to the plant. The central question of this eloquently impassioned book is: How can a country that we persist in calling a welfare state consciously risk the lives of its people for profit.

Mother Country is a 1989 National Book Award Finalist for Nonfiction.

To the philosophical the earth is eternal, while the human race -- presumptive keeper of the world's history -- is a mere speck in the rich stream of life. It is known that nothing upon Earth is forever; geography, climate, and plant and animal life are all subject to radical change. On five occasions in the past, catastrophic natural events have caused mass extinctions on Earth. But today humans stand alone, in dubious distinction, among...

No progress towards sustainable development is possible without the participation of informed and aware citizens and decision-makers. This book examines a dynamic sector - energy - and a space - city - that are critical for sustainability. Urban energy systems are capital intensive and have long lives. Immediate change is difficult, but innovation is crucial for progress toward more intelligent systems. Here is an informative guide for decision makers and citizens alike.