DETAILED CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL, SCIENCE, AND INFORMATION LITERACY

Paul Souders/WorldFoto/Aurora Photos

CHAPTER 1 ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY AND THE GOAL OF SUSTAINABILITY

2

ON THE ROAD TO COLLAPSE

What lessons can we learn from a vanished Viking society?

Environmental science is all encompassing.

4

INFOGRAPHIC

1.1   Environmental Science Is Highly Interdisciplinary

5

1.2   Different Approaches to Science Have Different Goals and Outcomes

6

1.3   Wicked Problems

7

The Greenland Vikings’ demise was caused by natural events and human choices.

6

Responding to environmental problems and working with neighbors help a society cope with changes.

8

Humans are an environmental force that impacts Earth’s ecosystems.

9

INFOGRAPHIC

1.4   Many Environmental Problems Can be Traced to Three Underlying Causes

10

Ecosystems are naturally sustainable and a good model for human societies hoping to become more sustainable.

11

INFOGRAPHIC

1.5   Four Characteristics of a Sustainable Ecosystem

11

1.6   Sustainable Ecosystems Can be a Useful Model for Human Societies

12

Humanity faces some challenges in dealing with environmental issues.

13

INFOGRAPHIC

1.7   Social Traps

14

1.8   Wealth Inequality

15

1.9   Worldviews and Environmental Ethics

16

1.10   U.S. Environmental History

18

CHAPTER 2 SCIENCE LITERACY AND THE PROCESS OF SCIENCE

22

SCIENCE AND THE SKY

Solving the mystery of disappearing ozone

Science gives us tools to observe and make sense of the natural world.

24

INFOGRAPHIC

2.1   The Atmosphere and UV Radiation

27

Scientific views rarely change overnight.

27

The scientific method systematically rules out explanations.

28

INFOGRAPHIC

2.2   Ozone Depletion and CFC Levels

28

2.3   Scientific Process

30

2.4   Certainty in Science

31

Different types of studies amass a body of evidence.

30

INFOGRAPHIC

2.5   The Chemistry of Ozone Formation and Breakdown

32

2.6   How Do Scientists Collect Evidence to Answer Questions?

34

Multiple ozone depletion hypotheses were tested but only the CFC hypothesis was confirmed.

35

The international community got together to meet the problem head on.

36

INFOGRAPHIC

2.7   The Montreal Protocol and Its Amendments Have Been Effective

37

ULTRA.F/Digital Vision/Getty Images

CHAPTER 3 INFORMATION LITERACY AND TOXICOLOGY

42

TOXIC BOTTLES?

On the trail of chemicals in our everyday lives

We live in an environment full of toxic substances.

44

Regulation happens even in the face of change.

45

Information sources vary in their reliability.

46

INFOGRAPHIC

3.1   Information Sources

47

What are the dangers presented by toxics, and how do we determine safe exposure levels?

47

VIII

INFOGRAPHIC

3.2   Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification

48

3.3   BPA Studies

50

3.4   Factors That Affect Toxicity

52

Endocrine disruptors cause big problems at small doses.

52

INFOGRAPHIC

3.5   How Hormones Work

53

3.6   Dose-Response Curves

54

Critical thinking gives us the tools to uncover logical fallacies in arguments or claims.

55

TABLE

3.1   Common Logical Fallacies

56

Risk assessments help determine safe exposure levels.

58

HUMANS POPULATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Christian Kober/Robert Harding/Newscom

CHAPTER 4 HUMAN POPULATIONS

62

ONE-CHILD CHINA GROWS UP

A country faces the outcomes of radical population control

Human populations grew slowly at first and then at a much faster rate in recent years.

64

INFOGRAPHIC

4.1   Human Population Through History

64

4.2   Population Distribution

66

4.3   Age Structure Affects Future Population Growth

67

Fertility rates are affected by a variety of factors.

68

INFOGRAPHIC

4.4   We Live In Two Demographic Worlds

69

Factors that decrease the death rate can also decrease overall population growth rates.

70

INFOGRAPHIC

4.5   Demographic Transition

71

4.6   Declining Population Growth Rates

72

4.7   Reaching Zero Population Growth

74

The age and gender composition of a population affects more than just its potential for growth.

73

Carrying capacity: Is zero population growth enough?

75

INFOGRAPHIC

4.8   How Many People Can Earth Support?

76

What awaits China’s generation of Little Emperors?

77

Vanessa Vick/The New York Times/Redux

CHAPTER 5 ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

80

ERADICATING A PARASITIC NIGHTMARE

Human health is intricately linked to the environment

Human manipulation of the environment can increase our exposure to pathogens.

83

INFOGRAPHIC

5.1   Types of Environmental Hazards

85

Public health programs seek to improve community health.

84

INFOGRAPHIC

5.2   Public Health Problems Seek to Improve Health of the Population as a Whole

86

5.3   Environmental Factors Contribute to the Global Burden of Disease

87

5.4   A Variety of Pathogens Cause Disease

88

Addressing biological hazards requires environmental and behavioral changes.

88

INFOGRAPHIC

5.5   Guinea Worm Infection and Eradication Programs

90

The factors that affect human health differ significantly between more and less developed nations.

90

Environmentally mediated diseases can be mitigated with funding, support, and education.

91

INFOGRAPHIC

5.6   Death Rates and Leading Causes of Death Differ Among Nations

92

TABLE

5.1   Reducing Environmental Health Hazards

93

INFOGRAPHIC

5.7   Eradicating Guinea Worm Disease

94

CONSUMPTION AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT

CHAPTER 6 ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS AND CONSUMPTION

98

WALL TO WALL, CRADLE TO CRADLE

A leading carpet company takes a chance on going green

Businesses and individuals impact the environment with their economic decisions.

101

IX

INFOGRAPHIC

6.1   Value of Ecosystem Services

101

6.2   Ecological Footprint

103

6.3   Capital and Interest

104

6.4   The IPAT Equation

105

Mainstream economics supports some actions that are not sustainable.

105

INFOGRAPHIC

6.5   True Cost Accounting

107

6.6   Economic Models

108

6.7   Cradle-to-Cradle Management

110

Businesses can learn a great deal about how to be sustainable from nature.

111

INFOGRAPHIC

6.8   Product Versus Service Economy

113

There are many tactics for achieving sustainability

112

jacus/iStockphoto/Thinkstock

CHAPTER 7 MANAGING SOLID WASTE

118

A PLASTIC SURF

Are the oceans teeming with trash?

Waste is a uniquely human invention, generated by uniquely human activities.

121

INFOGRAPHIC

7.1   U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Stream

123

How big is the Atlantic Garbage Patch, and is it growing?

123

How we handle waste determines where it ends up.

124

INFOGRAPHIC

7.2   Municipal Solid Waste Disposal

125

7.3   How It Works: An Incinerator

127

Solid waste pollution threatens all living things.

127

INFOGRAPHIC

7.4   Plastic Trash Affects Wildlife

128

Some waste is hazardous and needs to be handled carefully.

129

INFOGRAPHIC

7.5   Household Hazardous Wastes

130

When it comes to managing waste, the best solutions mimic nature.

130

INFOGRAPHIC

7.6   Composting

131

Life-cycle analysis and better design can help reduce waste.

130

INFOGRAPHIC

7.7   Industrial Ecology

132

Consumers have a role to play, too.

132

INFOGRAPHIC

7.8   The Four Rs Help You Reduce Waste

134

ECOLOGY

© ClassicStock/CAMERIQUE/Alamy

CHAPTER 8 ECOSYSTEMS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING

138

ENGINEERING EARTH

An ambitious attempt to replicate Earth’s life support systems falls short

Organisms and their habitats form complex systems.

140

INFOGRAPHIC

8.1   Organization of Life: From Biosphere to Individual

142

8.2   Habitat and Niche

143

8.3   Earth Is a Closed System for Matter but Not for Energy

143

8.4   Global Terrestrial Biomes

144

8.5   Map of Biosphere 2

147

Living things survive within a specific range of environmental conditions.

146

INFOGRAPHIC

8.6   Range of Tolerance for Life

148

Nutrients such as carbon cycle through ecosystems.

149

INFOGRAPHIC

8.7   Carbon Cycles via Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

150

8.8   The Carbon Cycle

151

8.9   The Nitrogen Cycle

152

8.10   The Phosphorus Cycle

153

Ecosystems are irreplaceable, but learning how they function will help us restore degraded ones.

155

CHAPTER 9 POPULATION ECOLOGY

158

THE WOLF WATCHERS

Endangered gray wolves return to the American West

Populations fluctuate in size and have varied distributions.

161

INFOGRAPHIC

9.1   Population Distribution Patterns

163

X

Populations display various patterns of growth.

164

INFOGRAPHIC

9.2   Exponential Growth Occurs When There Are No Limits to Growth

165

9.3   Logistic Population Growth

166

A variety of factors affect population growth.

166

INFOGRAPHIC

9.4   Density-Dependent and Density-Independent Factors Affect Population Size

167

9.5   Life History Strategies

168

9.6   Some Populations Fluctuate in Size Over Time

169

The loss of the wolf emphasized the importance of an ecosystem’s top predator.

169

INFOGRAPHIC

9.7   Top-Down and Bottom-Up Regulation

171

© Stephen Vincent/Alamy

CHAPTER 10 COMMUNITY ECOLOGY

176

WHAT THE STORK SAYS

A bird species in the Everglades reveals the intricacies of a threatened ecosystem

The well-being of a species depends on the health of its ecosystem.

178

Human alterations have changed the face of the Everglades.

180

Matter and energy move through a community via the food web.

181

INFOGRAPHIC

10.1   Everglades Food Web

181

10.2   Trophic Pyramid

183

Communities, such as the ones found in the Everglades, are shaped by biotic and abiotic factors.

183

INFOGRAPHIC

10.3   Species Diversity Includes Richness and Evenness

185

10.4   Mangrove Edges

186

10.5   Edge Effects

187

Changing community structure changes community composition

186

INFOGRAPHIC

10.6   Keystone Species Support Entire Ecosystems

188

Species interactions are extremely important for community viability.

189

INFOGRAPHIC

10.7   Species Interactions

190

Ecologists and engineers help repair ecosystems.

191

INFOGRAPHIC

10.8   The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan

193

Community composition changes over time as the physical features of the ecosystem itself change.

192

INFOGRAPHIC

10.9   Ecological Succession

194

EVOLUTION AND BIODIVERSITY

James Balog/The Image Bank/Getty Images

CHAPTER 11 EVOLUTION AND EXTINCTION

198

A TROPICAL MURDER MYSTERY

Finding the missing birds of Guam

Natural selection is the main mechanism by which populations adapt and evolve.

201

INFOGRAPHIC

11.1   Natural Selection at Work

203

Populations need genetic diversity to evolve.

202

INFOGRAPHIC

11.2   Evolution in Action

204

11.3   Coevolution Allows Populations to Adapt to Each Other

206

11.4   Endangered and Extinct Birds of Guam

207

Populations can diverge into subpopulations or new species.

206

INFOGRAPHIC

11.5   Random Events Can Alter Populations

209

The pace of evolution is generally slow but is responsive to selective pressures.

210

Extinction is normal, but the rate at which it is currently occurring appears to be increasing.

210

INFOGRAPHIC

11.6   Earth’s Mass Extinctions

211

Humans affect evolution in a number of ways.

212

INFOGRAPHIC

11.7   Humans Use Artificial Selection to Produce Plants or Animals with Desired Traits

212

TABLE

11.1   Common Misconceptions about Evolution

214

XI

JAMES P. BLAIR/National Geographic Creative

CHAPTER 12 BIODIVERSITY

218

PALM PLANET

Can we have tropical forests and our palm oil too?

Biodiversity provides a wide range of essential goods and services.

220

INFOGRAPHIC

12.1   Biodiversity on Earth

222

12.2   Ecosystem Services

224

Biodiversity includes variety at the individual, species, and ecosystem levels.

225

INFOGRAPHIC

12.3   Biodiversity Includes Genetic, Species, and Ecosystem Diversity

226

12.4   Biodiversity Hotspots

227

Endemism increases with isolation, as does extinction risk.

228

INFOGRAPHIC

12.5   Isolation Can Affect Populations

229

Biodiversity faces several serious threats.

228

INFOGRAPHIC

12.6   Palm Oil Plantations Are Nothing Like Natural Tropical Forests

230

12.7   Global Forest Change

232

Sustainable palm oil may protect biodiversity.

233

TABLE

12.1   Protecting Biodiversity Requires a Consideration of Economic Goals and Environmental Needs

234

CHAPTER 13 PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY

238

A FOREST WITHOUT ELEPHANTS Can we save one of Earth’s iconic species?

Human impact is the main threat to species worldwide.

241

INFOGRAPHIC

13.1   The Main Threats to Biodiversity Today Come from Humans

242

13.2   Conservation Designations

243

Human impact that threatens the forest elephant also puts its entire ecosystem at risk.

243

There are multiple approaches to species conservation.

244

INFOGRAPHIC

13.3   Single Species Conservation Approach

245

13.4   Species Conservation: An Ecosystem Approach

247

13.5   Tracking Poachers by Using Conservation Genetics

248

Legally mandated protection can aid in species conservation.

249

TABLE

13.1   Legal Protection for Species

249

INFOGRAPHIC

13.6   Global Protected Areas

250

Conservation plans should consider the needs of local human communities.

252

TABLE

13.2   Many Routes to Conservation

254

WATER RESOURCES

ConstantinosZ/iStock/360/Getty Images

CHAPTER 14 FRESHWATER RESOURCES

258

TOILET TO TAP

A California county is tapping controversial sources for drinking water

Water is one of the most ubiquitous, yet scarce, resources on Earth.

260

INFOGRAPHIC

14.1   Distribution of Water on Earth

261

14.2   The Water Cycle

262

14.3   Global Water Use and Access

263

Like communities around the world, California depends on many sources of water.

264

INFOGRAPHIC

14.4   Groundwater Is Found in Aquifers of Porous Rock or Permeable Soil

265

Untreated wastewater can contaminate freshwater sources and is a serious health risk worldwide.

266

Solving water shortages is not easy.

268

INFOGRAPHIC

14.5   How it Works: Wastewater Treatment

269

Conservation is an important “source” of water.

272

TABLE

14.1   Water-Saving Technologies and Actions

272

INFOGRAPHIC

14.6   Reducing Our Water Footprint

273

CHAPTER 15 WATER POLLUTION

278

INTO THE GULF

Researchers try to pin down what’s choking the Gulf of Mexico

Different types of water pollution degrade water quality.

280

XII

INFOGRAPHIC

15.1   Major Causes of Water Pollution

283

15.2   Eutrophication Can Create Dead Zones

284

The source of pollution can be hard to pinpoint.

284

INFOGRAPHIC

15.3   Watersheds

285

Addressing eutrophication begins in the farm field.

287

INFOGRAPHIC

15.4   Addressing the Problem of Fertilizer Runoff

289

Watershed management is the key to reducing hypoxic zones.

288

INFOGRAPHIC

15.5   Healthy Riparian Areas Provide Many Benefits

291

15.6   Increasing Infiltration of Stormwater

292

15.7   Gulf of Mexico Regional Ecosystem Restoration

293

FOOD RESOURCES

YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP/Getty Images

CHAPTER 16 FEEDING THE WORLD

298

A GENE REVOLUTION

Can genetically engineered food help end hunger?

World hunger and malnutrition are decreasing but are still unacceptably high.

300

INFOGRAPHIC

16.1   World Hunger

301

16.2   Malnutrition

302

Agricultural advances significantly increased food production in the 20th century.

303

INFOGRAPHIC

16.3   The Perks and Problems of Industrial Agriculture and the Green Revolution

304

The next Green Revolution may be a “gene” revolution.

305

INFOGRAPHIC

16.4   Making a Genetically Modified Organism

307

TABLE

16.1   Examples of GMOs

309

Concerns about GMOs trigger strong debate.

309

It will take a combination of strategies to achieve global food security.

310

INFOGRAPHIC

16.5   The Trade-Offs of GMOs

311

16.6   Low-Tech Farming Methods Can Also Help Address Food Insecurity

312

Moment/Getty Images

CHAPTER 17 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: RAISING CROPS

316

FARMING LIKE AN ECOSYSTEM

Creative solutions to feeding the world

INFOGRAPHIC

17.1   Sustainable Agriculture

319

Modern industrial farming has advantages and disadvantages.

319

INFOGRAPHIC

17.2   The Use of Fertilizer Comes with Trade-Offs

321

17.3   Emergence of Pesticide-Resistant Pests

322

Mimicking natural ecosystems can make farms more productive and help address some environmental problems.

324

INFOGRAPHIC

17.4   Agroecology: The Duck/Rice Farm

325

Sustainable techniques can control pests, protect soil, and keep farm productivity high.

327

INFOGRAPHIC

17.5   Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

329

17.6   Sustainable Soil Management Practices

331

Consumers also have a role to play in helping to bring about a sustainable food system.

332

INFOGRAPHIC

17.7   Consumer Choices Matter

333

A sustainable food future will depend on a variety of methods.

332

TABLE

17.1   The Advantages and Disadvantages of Sustainable Agriculture

335

Can sustainable farming methods feed the world?

334

XIII

CONVENTIONAL ENERGY: FOSSIL FUELS

George Steinmetz/Corbis

CHAPTER 18 COAL

338

BRINGING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

In the rubble, the true costs of coal

The world depends on coal for most of its electricity production.

341

INFOGRAPHIC

18.1   How it Works: Electricity Production from Coal

342

Coal forms over millions of years.

343

INFOGRAPHIC

18.2   Coal Formation

344

18.3   Major Coal Deposits of the World

345

Mining comes with a set of serious trade-offs.

344

INFOGRAPHIC

18.4   Mountaintop Removal

346

18.5   Subsurface Mining

347

Surface mining brings severe environmental impacts.

348

Can coal’s emissions be cleaned up?

351

INFOGRAPHIC

18.6   Environmental and Health Problems of Mining and Burning Coal

352

18.7   How it Works: Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS)

354

Reclaiming a closed mining site helps repair the area but can never re-create the original ecosystem.

354

INFOGRAPHIC

18.8   Mine Site Reclamation

356

CHAPTER 19 OIL AND NATURAL GAS

360

THE BAKKEN OIL BOOM

Is fracking the path to energy independence?

Fossil fuels are a valuable, but nonrenewable, resource.

362

INFOGRAPHIC

19.1   How Oil and Natural Gas Fossil Fuels Form

363

Oil is a limited resource.

364

INFOGRAPHIC

19.2   Proven Oil and Natural Gas Reserves

364

19.3   Peak Oil

365

Conventional oil and natural gas reserves are tapped by drilling wells.

365

INFOGRAPHIC

19.4   How it Works: Conventional Oil and Natural Gas Wells

366

19.5   Processing Crude Oil

367

Fossil fuel extraction and use comes at a high environmental cost.

367

INFOGRAPHIC

19.6   Environmental Costs of Oil

370

Energy producers are turning to unconventional reserves of oil and natural gas.

369

INFOGRAPHIC

19.7   Fracking for Natural Gas or Oil

371

19.8   Unconventional Oil and Natural Gas Reserves in the United States and Canada

373

Pursuing unconventional reserves comes with a high environmental cost.

372

Is fracking the answer to our energy needs?

374

INFOGRAPHIC

19.9   The Trade-Offs of Fracking

375

Oil consumption drives extraction.

375

AIR POLLUTION: CONSEQUENCES OF USING FOSSIL FUELS

© 13/ballyscanlon/Ocean/Corbis

CHAPTER 20 AIR POLLUTION

380

THE YOUNGEST SCIENTISTS

Kids on the frontlines of asthma research

INFOGRAPHIC

20.1   Air Pollution Is a Worldwide Problem

384

There are many different types of outdoor air pollution.

384

Air pollution is responsible for myriad health and environmental problems.

386

INFOGRAPHIC

20.2   Outdoor Air Pollution

386

20.3   The Harvard Six Cities Study Linked Air Pollution to Health Problems

387

Outdoor air pollution has many sources.

389

TABLE

20.1   Sources and Effects of Air Pollutants

390

The air we breathe affects our lungs, especially those of children.

389

Traveling pollution has far-reaching impacts.

392

XIV

INFOGRAPHIC

20.4   Acid Deposition

393

Indoor air pollution is also a significant health threat.

394

INFOGRAPHIC

20.5   Sources of Indoor Air Pollution

395

We have several options for addressing air pollution.

394

INFOGRAPHIC

20.6   Approaches to Reducing Air Pollution

398

CHAPTER 21 CLIMATE CHANGE

402

WHEN THE TREES LEAVE

Scientists grapple with a shifting climate

Climate is not the same thing as weather.

404

Evidence of global climate change abounds.

405

INFOGRAPHIC

21.1   A Change in Average Temperature: Why Do Only a Few Degrees Matter?

406

21.2   Evidence for Climate Change

408

A variety of factors affect climate.

407

INFOGRAPHIC

21.3   The Greenhouse Effect

411

21.4   Albedo Changes Can Increase Warming via Positive Feedback

412

21.5   Climate Forcers

413

21.6   Milankovich Cycles Help Explain Past Climate Change

414

21.7   Direct and Indirect Measurements of Temperature and CO2

415

Current climate change has both human and natural causes.

416

INFOGRAPHIC

21.8   What’s Causing the Warming?

417

Some tree species are already migrating north, but it doesn’t mean they will survive.

417

INFOGRAPHIC

21.9   Species’ Responses

418

Climate change has environmental, economic, and health consequences.

420

Confronting climate change is challenging.

421

INFOGRAPHIC

21.10   Future Climate Change Depends on Our Current and Future Actions

422

21.11   Current and Potential Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies

424

ALTERNATIVES TO FOSSIL FUELS

AP Photo/David Guttenfelder

CHAPTER 22 NUCLEAR POWER

428

THE FUTURE OF FUKUSHIMA

Can nuclear energy overcome its bad rep?

The heat of nuclear reactions can be harnessed to produce electricity.

430

INFOGRAPHIC

22.1   Atoms and Isotopes

432

22.2   Radioactive Decay

433

22.3   Nuclear Fuel Production

434

22.4   Nuclear Fission Reaction

435

Nuclear energy has a troubled history.

436

Nuclear accidents can be devastating.

437

INFOGRAPHIC

22.5   How it Works: Nuclear Reactors

438

22.6   Radioactive Isotopes Can Release One or More of Three Different Kinds of Radiation

439

The generation of nuclear waste is a particularly difficult problem to address.

440

INFOGRAPHIC

22.7   Radioactive Waste

441

Responding to a nuclear accident is difficult and dangerous work.

440

The impacts of nuclear accidents can be far reaching.

443

Will nuclear play a role in future energy?

444

TABLE

22.1   Nuclear Power: Trade-Offs

446

The future of nuclear energy is uncertain.

445

Alessandro Grassani/Invision/Aurora Photos

CHAPTER 23 SUN, WIND, WATER, AND EARTH ENERGY

450

FUELED BY THE SUN

A tiny island makes big strides with renewable energy

Sustainable ecosystems and societies rely on renewable energy.

452

To become sustainable, Samsø turned to one of its most plentiful natural resources.

453

INFOGRAPHIC

23.1   Renewable Energy Use

454

23.2   How it Works: Wind Turbines

455

XV

The most abundant sustainable energy source is the one that powers the planet—the Sun.

456

INFOGRAPHIC

23.3   Solar Energy Technologies Take Many Forms

457

Energy that causes volcanos to erupt and warms hot springs can also heat our homes.

458

INFOGRAPHIC

23.4   Geothermal Energy Can Be Harnessed in a Variety of Ways

460

The power of water can be harnessed but comes with Trade-Offs

459

INFOGRAPHIC

23.5   Harnessing the Power of Water

462

The true cost of various energy technologies can be difficult to estimate.

461

TABLE

23.1   The Trade-Offs of Renewable Energy Sources

463

Conservation plays a vital role in a sustainable energy society.

464

TABLE

23.2   Saving Energy

465

INFOGRAPHIC

23.6   Energy Efficiency

466

23.7   Samsø: The Energy-Positive Island

467

SUSTAINABLE LIVING IN COMMUNITY

TAO Images Limited/Getty Images

CHAPTER 24 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY

470

COUNTERFEIT COOLING

In the global efforts to thwart climate change, some lessons are learned after the fact

Public policies aim to improve life in societies.

473

INFOGRAPHIC

24.1   Addressing Transboundary Environmental Problems Requires International Cooperation

474

24.2   Policy Decision Making—The NEPA Process

475

TABLE

24.1   Notable U.S. Environmental Laws

476

Policy making involves many players.

475

INFOGRAPHIC

24.3   Influences on U.S. Environmental Policy Decision Making

478

A variety of policy tools are being used to address climate change.

479

INFOGRAPHIC

24.4   Policy Tools

478

24.5   Setting International Policies

481

24.6   International Efforts to Address Global Climate Issues

482

Policies sometimes have unintended consequences.

483

INFOGRAPHIC

24.7   Emission Trends

484

24.8   A Carbon Crediting System Gets Sidetracked

485

Adapting policies is necessary but difficult.

486

Nina Berman/Noor/Redux

CHAPTER 25 URBANIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

490

THE GHETTO GOES GREEN

Building a better backyard in the Bronx

More people live in cities than ever before.

492

INFOGRAPHIC

25.1   Urbanization and the Growth of Megacities

494

25.2   Many Urban Areas Have Lower Per Capita Ecological Footprints than Average

496

TABLE

25.1   Trade-Offs of Urbanization

497

Suburban sprawl consumes open space and wastes resources.

497

INFOGRAPHIC

25.3   Urban Flight Contributes to Suburban Sprawl

499

25.4   Suburban Sprawl

500

Environmental justice requires engaged citizens.

502

INFOGRAPHIC

25.5   Green Cities

503

The future depends on making large cities sustainable.

502

INFOGRAPHIC

25.6   Sustainable Cities and Smart Growth

505

25.7   Green Building

506

XVI

AVAILABLE ONLINE

http://www.macmillanhighered.com/launchpad/saes2e

ONLINE CHAPTER 26 MINERAL RESOURCES

NO STONE UNTURNED

A bevy of unfamiliar minerals are crucial for our everyday technologies—but they come with a slew of problems

Modern society relies heavily on mineral resources.

INFOGRAPHIC

26.1   Mineral Resources are a Part of Our Everyday Lives

26.2   Earth—A Dynamic Planet

Geologic processes produce mineral resources.

INFOGRAPHIC

26.3   Minerals, Rocks, and the Rock Cycle

Extracting and processing mineral resources impacts the environment.

INFOGRAPHIC

26.4   Mining Techniques

26.5   Extraction of Minerals From Ore Requires Many Processing Steps

26.6   The Environmental Impacts of Mining

Mining also comes with significant social consequences.

INFOGRAPHIC

26.7   The Social Impact of Mining

There are many ways to decrease our use of mineral resources.

INFOGRAPHIC

26.8   Aluminum Recycling: A Success Story

26.9   Alternatives that Reduce Our Use of Mineral Resources

ONLINE CHAPTER 27 SOIL RESOURCES AND GRASSLANDS

RESTORING THE RANGE

The key to recovering the world’s grasslands may be a surprising one

Grasslands provide a wide range of important goods and services.

INFOGRAPHIC

27.1   Grasslands of the World

27.2   Grassland Goods and Services

Grasslands face a variety of human and natural threats.

INFOGRAPHIC

27.3   Desertification

The importance of soil can’t be overemphasized.

INFOGRAPHIC

27.4   Soil Formation

Grasslands can benefit from the grazing style of wildlife but can be degraded by the grazing practices of modern ranching.

INFOGRAPHIC

27.5   Impacts of wild versus domestic grazers

27.6   Undergrazing can increase the proportion of unpalatable species.

Counteracting overgrazing requires careful planning.

Nature offers clues about how to use grasslands sustainably.

INFOGRAPHIC

27.7   Planned Grazing

There are many ways to protect grasslands.

TABLE

27.1   Protecting Grasslands

ONLINE CHAPTER 28 FORESTS

RETURNING TREES TO HAITI

Repairing a forest ecosystem one tree at a time

The type of forest found in an area reflects local climatic conditions.

INFOGRAPHIC

28.1   Forests of the World

28.2   Cross Section of a Forest

Forests provide a range of goods and services and face a number of threats.

INFOGRAPHIC

28.3   Ecosystem Services of Forests

28.4   Threats to Forests

Forests can be managed to protect or enhance their ecological and economic productivity.

INFOGRAPHIC

28.5   Timber-Harvesting Techniques

When it comes to protecting forests, we have many options.

TABLE

28.1   Protecting Forests

ONLINE CHAPTER 29 MARINE ECOSYSTEMSACID OCEANS

ACID OCEANS

Aquanauts explore an ecosystem on the brink

Acidification threatens life in the world’s oceans.

INFOGRAPHIC

29.1   pH and Ocean Acidification

29.2   Acidification Alters Ocean Chemistry and Calcification

Marine ecosystems are diverse.

INFOGRAPHIC

29.3   Ocean Life Zones

29.4   Coral reefs: Distribution and Status

XVII

Can some populations adapt to ocean acidification?

Coral reefs are complex communities with lots of interspecific interactions.

INFOGRAPHIC

29.5   Coral Biology

29.6   Coral Bleaching

The world’s oceans face many other threats.

INFOGRAPHIC

29.7   Threats to Oceans

Reducing the threats to oceans requires a multi-pronged approach.

TABLE

29.1   Reducing the Threats to Ocean Ecosystems

ONLINE CHAPTER 30 AGRICULTURE: RAISING LIVESTOCK

A CARNIVORE’S CONUNDRUM

Disease, pollution, and the true costs of meat

The way we raise livestock may jeopardize the safety of food products.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.1   E. Coli—Just the Tip of the Iceberg

Affluence influences diet.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.2   Affluence Affects Diet and Health

CAFOs can raise a large number of animals quickly, but incur a huge environmental cost.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.3   Growing Livestock: Feed and Water Needs

30.4   From Farm to You

A variety of methods can reduce E. coli contamination.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.5   E. Coli 0157:H7 Infections are Decreasing in the United States

There are more sustainable ways to grow livestock.

U.S. food policies support industrial agriculture.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.6   Agricultural Policy Must Consider Trade-Offs

Consumer choices can increase food supply.

INFOGRAPHIC

30.7   Diet and Carrying Capacity

ONLINE CHAPTER 31 FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

FISH IN A WAREHOUSE?

How one Baltimore fish scientist could change the way we eat

Industrial fishing is impacting fisheries worldwide.

INFOGRAPHIC

31.1   Meet the Cod

31.2   Bottom Trawling

Humans rely on protein from fish but overfishing of wild stocks makes it harder for fish populations to recover.

INFOGRAPHIC

31.3   Fishing Down the Food Chain

31.4   Status of Marine Fisheries

Laws exist to protect and manage fisheries.

INFOGRAPHIC

31.5   Protection for Marine Areas

Scientists study the possibility of growing marine fish indoors.

Aquaculture presents environmental challenges.

TABLE

31.1   Net Pen and Pond Aquaculture: Problems and Possible Solutions

Indoor fish farming may provide a solution.

INFOGRAPHIC

31.6   Biomimicry in the Pool

ONLINE CHAPTER 32 BIOFUELS

GAS FROM GRASS

Will an ordinary prairie grass become the next biofuel?

Biofuels are a potentially important alternative to fossil fuels.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.1   Biofuel Sources

Biofuels can come from unexpected sources.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.2   Waste to Energy

Turning grass into gas is less environmentally friendly than it sounds.

TABLE

32.1   Biofuel Trade-Offs

Tilman’s experiments showed the importance of biodiversity.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.3   LIHD Crops Offer Advantages Over Traditional Monoculture Biofuel Crops

There is another rising biofuel star: Algae.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.4   Biofuels from Algae

There are many reasons why biofuels have not solved our dependence on fossil fuels.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.5   Bioethanol Production

Multiple solutions will be needed to help replace fossil fuels.

INFOGRAPHIC

32.6   Energy Efficiency and Conservation are Part of the Solution

Despite ongoing controversies and setbacks, the future of biofuels looks bright.

XVIII