Environmental Science: Toward A Sustainable Future - Text Only - 11th edition

Richard T. Wright is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Gordon College in Massachusetts, where he taught environmental science for 28 years. He earned a B.A. from Rutgers University and a M.A. and Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University. For many years Wright received grant support from the National Science Foundation for his work in marine microbiology, and in 1981, he was a founding faculty member of Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies in Michigan, where he also served as Academic Chairman for 11 years. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Au Sable Institute, and the American Association for the Advancement Scientific Affiliation. In 1996, Wright was appointed a Fulbright Scholar to Daystar University in Kenya, where he taught for tow months. He is a member of many environmental organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, Habitat for Humanity, the Union of Concerned Scientists, the Audubon Society, and a supporting member of the Trustees of Reservations. Wright continues to be actively involved in writing and speaking about the environment. He and his wife Ann recently moved to Byfield, Massachusetts, and they drive a Toyota Camry hybrid vehicle as a means of reducing their environmental impact. Wright spends his spare time hiking, fishing, golfing, and enjoying his three children and seven grandchildren.

Table of Contents

I. FRAMEWORK FOR A SUSTATAINABLE FUTURE

1. Science and the Environment

2. Economics, Politics, and Public Policy

II. ECOLOGY: THE SCIENCE OF ORGANISMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT

3. Basic Needs of Living Things

4. Populations and Communities

5. Ecosystems: Energy, Patterns, and Disturbance

6. Wild Species and Biodiversity

7. The Use and Restoration of Ecosystems

III. THE HUMAN POPULATION AND ESSENTIAL RESOURCES

8. The Human Population

9. Population and Development

10. Water: Hydrologic Cycle and Human Use

11. Soil: Foundation for Land Ecosystems

12. The Production and Distribution of Food

13. Pests and Pest Control

IV. HARNESSING ENERGY FOR HUMAN SOCIETY

14. Energy from Fossil Fuels

15. Nuclear Power

16. Renewable Energy

V. POLLUTION AND PREVENTION

17. Environmental Hazards and Human Health

18. Global Climate Change

19. Atmospheric Pollution

20. Water Pollution and Its Prevention

21. Municipal Solid Waste: Disposal and Recovery

22. Hazardous Chemicals: Pollution and Prevention

VI. STEWARDSHIP FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

23. Sustainable Communities and Lifestyles

Appendix A Environmental

Organizations

Appendix B Units of Measure

Credits

Glossary

Index