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Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions, Fourth Edition

Author(s): Michael L. McKinney, PhD, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
Robert M. Schoch, PhD, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
Logan Yonavjak
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763742621
  • ISBN-10:0763742627
  • Paperback    642 pages      © 2007
Price: International Sales $197.95 US List
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Overview

The critical importance of environmental preservation is apparent to everyone.  The issues facing us today, be they global warming, the depleting ozone layer, the controversy over nuclear power, or the continuing problems of water pollution and solid waste disposal, are headline news.  Environmental Science: Systems and Solutions, Fourth Edition, offers the basic principles necessary to understand and address these multi-faceted and often very complex current environmental concerns.  The book provides a comprehensive overview and synthesis of environmental science and provides the basic factual data necessary to understand the environment as it is today.  It is important that students understand how various aspects of the natural environment interconnect with each other and with human society. Using a systems approach, the authors have organized complex information in a way that highlights these connections in a fair and unbiased fashion.   A Study Guide is incorporated at the end of each chapter to help reinforce concepts and provide a clear overview of material. 

ShowKey Features

Thoroughly revised throughout to reflect current trends and statistics.

New case studies have been added, covering topics that are relevant to the current environmental situation, including captive breeding, Hurricane Katrina, the Colorado River, sustainable agricultural practices, and measuring ecological footprints.

A Study Guide at the end of each chapter includes a bulleted summary, a list of the chapter's key terms, and several types of questions.  Answers to the odd-numbered questions are on the text's web site.

The Fourth Edition is supported by an extensive web site.  Students will find a variety of study aids and resources, all designed to explore in more depth the basic science and controversies of environmental science.  The eLearning portion of the site is an interactive study guide with activities that will help students make full use of today's learning technology.

The Instructor's ToolKit CD-ROM provides adopters with valuable teaching tools.  Resources include an Instructor's Manual,  Test Bank, PowerPoint Lecture Outline Slides, and a PowerPoint Image Bank. 

Together with a new contributor, the authors have rewritten the text to improve the readability.

Expanded coverage of global climate change, jobs in a sustainable world, biodiversity loss, sustainable agricultural practices, and more.

Much of the numerical information and statistics have been reorganized into graphs and tables, making the information more manageable and easier for students to absorb.

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ShowTable of Contents

1.   Environmental Science: An Overview
2.   Human Population Growth
3.   The Biosphere: Populations, Communities, Ecosystems, and Biogeochemical Cycles
4.   The Distribution of Life on Earth
5.   The Dynamic Earth and Natural Hazards
6.   People and Natural Resources
7.   Fundamentals of Energy, Fossil Fuel, and Nuclear Energy
8.   Renewable and Alternative Energy Sources
9.   Water Resources
10.  Mineral Resources
11.  Conserving Biological Resources
12.  Land Resources and Management
13.  Food and Soil Resources
14.  Principles of Pollution Control, Toxicology, and Risk
15.  Water Pollution
16.  Air Pollution:  Local and Regional
17.  Global Air Pollution:  Destruction of the Ozone Layer and Global Climate Change
18.  Municipal Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste
19.  Environmental Economics
20.  Historical and Cultural Aspects of Environmental Concerns

 


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ShowAbout the Author(s)

Michael L. McKinney, PhD-University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee

Michael L. McKinney is Director of the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also a Professor in the Geological Science Department and the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department. Since 1985, he has taught a variety of courses, focusing on environmental science and biodiversity issues at the undergraduate level.

Additional Titles by this Author

Robert M. Schoch, PhD-Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts

Robert M. Schoch is on the faculty of the College of General Studies, Boston University, where he has specialized since 1984 in teaching undergraduate science, including environmental science, biology (for many years he coordinated the college's biology program), physical science, geology, and geography courses. Dr. Schoch always includes a strong environmental component in all of the courses he teaches. He is a recipient of his college's Peyton Richter Award for interdisciplinary teaching.

Logan Yonavjak

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ShowAppropriate Courses

Appropriate for one- or two-semester introductory Environmental Science or Environmental Studies courses for non-majors.

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ShowSamples & Additional Resources

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