Environmental Science

Overview

Unlike any other introductory environmental science text, Robert Kaufmann and Cutler Cleveland's Environmental Science takes a fresh approach to the subject by weaving themes of energy and materials, economic systems, and policy throughout the entire text. A story of real science is simply told through examples of cutting-edge content, real-world applications, and a distinctive conceptual illustration program.

Table of contents

Introduction to Environmental Science
1 Environment and Society: A Sustainable Partnership?
Building a Framework to Study Environmental Problems
2 The Laws of Energy and Matter
3 Systems: Why Are Environmental Problems So Difficult to Solve?
How the Natural Environment Works
4 THe Physical Systems of Planet Earth: The Engine of Life
5 The Flow of Energy in Biological Systems: Why Does It Matter?
6 The Flow of Matter in the Environment: Why Does It Matter?
7 Biomes: Where Do Plants and Animals Live?
8 Succession: How Do Ecosystems Respond to Disturbance?
How Human Systems Work
9 Carrying Capacity: How Large a Population?
10 An Ecological View of the Economy
11 The Driving Forces of Environmental Change
Global Environmental Challenges
12 Biodiversity: Species and So Much More
13 Global Climate Change: A Warming Planet
14 A Reduction in Atmospheric Ozone: Let the Sunshine In
Living Off the Land: Soils, Food Production, and Forests
15 Soil: A Potentially Sustainable Resource
16 Agriculture: The Ecology of Growing Food
17 Forests: So Much More Than Wood
Air and Water Resources
18 Water Resources
19 Air Pollution: Costs and Benefits of Clean Air
Energy and Materials
20 Fossil Fuels: The Lifeblood of the Global Economy
21 Nuclear Power
22 Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
23 Materials, Society, and the Environment
24 A Sustainable Future: Will Business as Usual Get Us There?