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The briefest of Miller's three texts, this inexpensive black-and-white alternative covers all the major topics found in Miller's other two texts, LIVING IN THE ENVIRONMENT: PRINCIPLES, CONNECTIONS, AND SOLUTIONS, TWELFTH EDITION and ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: WORKING WITH THE EARTH, EIGHTH EDITION. It provides an integrated approach emphasizing solutions and distilling the key concepts in environmental science to offer students the basic material for about half the price of other environmental science texts.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• 1 Environmental Issues, Their Causes, and Sustainability(p. 1)
• 1-1 Living More Sustainably(p. 1)
• Spotlight: Cast of Players in the Environmental Drama(p. 2)
• 1-2 Population Growth, Economic Growth, and Sustainable Economic Development(p. 4)
• Spotlight: Current Exponential Growth of the Human Population(p. 5)
• 1-3 Resources(p. 6)
• Connections: Free-Access Resources and the Tragedy of the Commons(p. 8)
• 1-4 Pollution(p. 10)
• 1-5 Environmental and Resource Problems: Causes and Connections(p. 11)
• 1-6 Is Our Present Course Sustainable?(p. 13)
• Solutions: Some Guidelines for Working with the Earth(p. 14)
• 2 Science, Matter, Energy, and Ecology: Connections in Nature(p. 17)
• 2-1 Science and Environmental Science(p. 17)
• 2-2 Matter and Energy(p. 19)
• 2-3 Earth's Life-Support Systems: From Organisms to the Biosphere(p. 25)
• Spotlight: Have You Thanked the Insects Today?(p. 27)
• Connections: Microbes: The Invisible Rulers of the Earth(p. 27)
• 2-4 Connections: Roles of Species in Ecosystems(p. 34)
• Spotlight: Cockroaches: Nature's Ultimate Survivors(p. 35)
• Connections: Why Are Amphibians Vanishing?(p. 37)
• Case Study: Why Are Sharks Important Species?(p. 38)
• 2-5 Connections: Food Webs and Energy Flow in Ecosystems(p. 41)
• 2-6 Connections: Matter Cycling in Ecosystems(p. 45)
• 2-7 Life on Land and in Water Environments(p. 51)
• 2-8 Population Dynamics, Evolution, and Biodiversity(p. 61)
• 2-9 Ecological Succession(p. 68)
• Connections: Ecological Surprises(p. 70)
• 2-10 Human Impacts on Ecosystems: Learning from Nature(p. 70)
• Solutions: Principles of Sustainability: Learning from Nature(p. 71)
• 3 The Human Population: Size and Distribution(p. 76)
• 3-1 Factors Affecting Human Population Size(p. 76)
• 3-2 Population Age Structure(p. 80)
• 3-3 Solutions: Influencing Population Size(p. 82)
• Case Study: Immigration in the United States(p. 83)
• 3-4 Case Studies: Slowing Population Growth in India, China, and Thailand(p. 87)
• 3-5 Population Distribution: Urbanization and Urban Transportation Systems(p. 89)
• Case Study: Mexico City(p. 91)
• Spotlight: The Urban Poor(p. 92)
• 3-6 Urban Environmental and Resource Problems(p. 94)
• Pro/Con: Good and Bad News About Motor Vehicles(p. 95)
• Solutions: Curitiba, Brazil(p. 97)
• 3-7 Solutions: Making Urban Areas More Livable and Sustainable(p. 97)
• 4 Energy(p. 102)
• 4-1 Evaluating Energy Resources(p. 102)
• 4-2 Improving Energy Efficiency(p. 105)
• Connections: Using the Internet to Save Energy and Paper and Reduce Global Warming(p. 112)
• 4-3 Using Solar Energy to Provide Heat and Electricity(p. 112)
• 4-4 The Solar-Hydrogen Revolution(p. 122)
• Spotlight: Producing Hydrogen from Green Algae Found in Pond Scum(p. 125)
• 4-5 Geothermal Energy(p. 125)
• 4-6 Nonrenewable Fossil Fuels(p. 126)
• Case Study: The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill(p. 127)
• Pro/Con: Should Oil and Gas Development Be Allowed in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge?(p. 129)
• 4-7 Nonrenewable Nuclear Energy(p. 132)
• Case Study: The Chernobyl Nuclear Power-Plant Accident(p. 136)
• Case Study: Underground Storage of High-Level Radioactive Wastes in the United States(p. 137)
• 4-8 Solutions: A Sustainable Energy Strategy(p. 139)
• 5 Sustaining Terrestrial and Aquatic Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach(p. 143)
• 5-1 Biodiversity and Conservation Biology(p. 143)
• 5-2 Public Lands in the United States(p. 144)
• 5-3 Managing and Sustaining Forests(p. 146)
• Spotlight: What Is the Economic Value of the Earth's Ecological Services?(p. 147)
• 5-4 Forest Resources and Management in the United States(p. 152)
• Solutions: Certifying Sustainably Grown Timber(p. 153)
• Solutions: How Can U.S. Federal Forest Management Be Improved?(p. 155)
• 5-5 Tropical Deforestation and the Fuelwood Crisis(p. 155)
• Solutions: The Incredible Neem Tree(p. 156)
• Individuals Matter: Kenya's Green Belt Movement(p. 160)
• Individuals Matter: Ecological Restoration of a Tropical Dry Forest in Costa Rica(p. 161)
• 5-6 Managing and Sustaining Rangelands(p. 162)
• Spotlight: Endangered Riparian Zones(p. 162)
• Individuals Matter: The Eco-Rancher(p. 164)
• 5-7 Managing and Sustaining National Parks(p. 164)
• Case Study: Who's Afraid of the Big Gray Wolf?(p. 166)
• 5-8 Protecting and Managing Nature Reserves(p. 167)
• Solutions: The Nature Conservancy(p. 167)
• Solutions: Biosphere Reserves(p. 170)
• Case Study: The U.S. National Wilderness Preservation System(p. 171)
• 5-9 Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity(p. 171)
• 6 Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach(p. 175)
• 6-1 Species Extinction(p. 175)
• Case Study: The Passenger Pigeon: Gone Forever(p. 178)
• Case Study: Bats Are Getting a Bad Rap(p. 179)
• 6-2 Why Preserve Species?(p. 179)
• Spotlight: Is There Really an Extinction Crisis?(p. 180)
• Connections: Biophilia(p. 182)
• 6-3 Causes of Depletion and Premature Extinction of Wild Species(p. 182)
• Case Study: The Plight of Migrating Birds(p. 184)
• Connections: Deliberate Introduction of the Kudzu Vine(p. 186)
• Case Study: The Termite from Hell(p. 187)
• 6-4 Solutions: Protecting Wild Species from Depletion and Extinction(p. 190)
• Spotlight: Accomplishments of the Endangered Species Act(p. 192)
• 6-5 Wildlife Management(p. 194)
• 6-6 Fishery Management(p. 195)
• Connections: What Should Be Done About Snow Geese?(p. 196)
• 6-7 Case Study: Should Commercial Whaling Be Resumed?(p. 197)
• Spotlight: Near Extinction of the Blue Whale(p. 198)
• 7 Biodiversity: Sustaining Soils and Producing Food(p. 201)
• 7-1 Soil and Soil Erosion(p. 201)
• Case Study: The Dust Bowl(p. 207)
• 7-2 Solutions: Soil Conservation(p. 208)
• Case Study: Slowing Soil Erosion in the United States(p. 211)
• 7-3 How Is Food Produced?(p. 211)
• Individuals Matter: Perennial Crops on the Kansas Prairie(p. 215)
• 7-4 Food Production, Nutrition, and Environmental Effects(p. 215)
• Solutions: Saving Children(p. 218)
• 7-5 Solutions to World Food Problems(p. 219)
• Case Study: Can China's Population Be Fed?(p. 220)
• Spotlight: Shrinking the World's Genetic Plant Library(p. 222)
• Connections: Some Environmental Consequences of Meat Production(p. 225)
• Spotlight: How Useful Is International Food Aid?(p. 227)
• 7-6 Protecting Food Resources: Pesticides and Pest Control(p. 227)
• Individuals Matter: Rachel Carson(p. 229)
• Spotlight: How Effective Have Synthetic Pesticides Been in Reducing Crop Losses?(p. 231)
• Connections: What Goes Around Can Come Around(p. 232)
• 7-7 Solutions: Sustainable Agriculture(p. 234)
• 8 Risk, Toxicology, and Human Health(p. 238)
• 8-1 Risks and Hazards(p. 238)
• 8-2 Toxicology(p. 238)
• Spotlight: What Is the Biggest Killer?(p. 239)
• 8-3 Chemical Hazards(p. 241)
• Connections: Are Hormone Disrupters and Mimics a Health Threat?(p. 243)
• 8-4 Biological Hazards: Disease in Developed and Developing Countries(p. 243)
• Spotlight: Are We Losing the War Against Infectious Bacteria?(p. 244)
• 8-5 Risk Analysis(p. 247)
• Solutions: Improving Health Care in Developing Countries(p. 247)
• 9 Climate Change, Ozone Depletion, and Air Pollution(p. 254)
• 9-1 Atmosphere, Weather, and Climate(p. 254)
• 9-2 Global Warming: How Serious Is the Threat?(p. 258)
• 9-3 Factors Affecting Changes in the Earth's Average Temperature(p. 262)
• 9-4 Some Possible Effects of a Warmer World(p. 265)
• 9-5 Solutions: Dealing with the Threat of Climate Change(p. 266)
• Solutions: Energy Efficiency to the Rescue(p. 267)
• 9-6 Ozone Depletion in the Stratosphere(p. 269)
• Connections: The Cancer You Are Most Likely to Get(p. 272)
• Individuals Matter: Ray Turner and His Refrigerator(p. 273)
• 9-7 Solutions: Protecting the Ozone Layer(p. 273)
• 9-8 Types and Sources of Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution(p. 274)
• 9-9 Effects of Air Pollution on Living Organisms and Materials(p. 285)
• 9-10 Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Air Pollution(p. 286)
• 10 Water Resources and Water Pollution(p. 293)
• 10-1 Water's Importance and Unique Properties(p. 293)
• 10-2 Supply, Renewal, and Use of Water Resources(p. 293)
• 10-3 Water Resource Problems: Too Little Water and Too Much Water(p. 297)
• Connections: Living Dangerously on Floodplains in Bangladesh(p. 300)
• 10-4 Solutions: Supplying More Water(p. 300)
• Case Study: The Aral Sea Water Transfer Disaster(p. 302)
• Case Study: Mining Groundwater: The Shrinking Ogallala Aquifer(p. 305)
• 10-5 Solutions: Wasting Less Water(p. 306)
• Solutions: The Promise of Drip Irrigation(p. 309)
• Spotlight: Running Out of Water in Las Vegas, Nevada(p. 310)
• 10-6 Types, Effects, and Sources of Water Pollutants(p. 310)
• 10-7 Pollution of Freshwater Streams, Lakes, and Aquifers(p. 312)
• Individuals Matter: Tracking Down the Pfiesteria Cell from Hell(p. 316)
• 10-8 Ocean Pollution(p. 318)
• 10-9 Solutions: Preventing and Reducing Surface Water Pollution(p. 322)
• Case Study: Hurricanes, Hog Farms, and Water Pollution in Eastern North Carolina(p. 322)
• Solutions: Using Wetlands to Treat Sewage(p. 326)
• 10-10 Solutions: Achieving a More Sustainable Water Future(p. 327)
• 11 Solid and Hazardous Waste(p. 331)
• 11-1 Wasting Resources(p. 331)
• 11-2 Producing Less Waste and Pollution(p. 332)
• Solutions: Doing More with Less: Increasing Resource Productivity(p. 334)
• 11-3 Solutions: Cleaner Production and Selling Services Instead of Things(p. 335)
• Individuals Matter: Ray Anderson(p. 336)
• 11-4 Reuse(p. 337)
• Solutions: What Kind of Grocery Bags Should We Use?(p. 337)
• 11-5 Recycling(p. 338)
• Solutions: Using Composting to Recycle Biodegradable Wastes(p. 340)
• Case Study: Recycling Aluminum(p. 341)
• Pro/Con: Does Recycling Make Economic Sense?(p. 342)
• 11-6 Detoxifying, Burning, Burying, and Exporting Wastes(p. 342)
• 11-7 Case Studies: Lead and Dioxins(p. 347)
• 11-8 Hazardous-Waste Regulation in the United States(p. 349)
• Spotlight: Using Honeybees to Detect Toxic Pollutants(p. 349)
• Solutions: How Can the Superfund Law Be Improved?(p. 350)
• 11-9 Solutions: Achieving a Low-Waste Society(p. 351)
• 12 Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews(p. 354)
• 12-1 Economic Systems and Environmental Problems(p. 354)
• 12-2 Solutions: Using Economics to Improve Environmental Quality(p. 359)
• Solutions: Shifting the Tax Burden from Wages and Profits to Pollution and Waste(p. 363)
• 12-3 Reducing Poverty to Improve Environmental Quality and Human Well-Being(p. 364)
• Solutions: Microloans to the Poor(p. 365)
• 12-4 Making the Transition to Environmentally Sustainable Economies(p. 365)
• Connections: Jobs and the Environment(p. 366)
• 12-5 Politics and Environmental Policy(p. 367)
• Individuals Matter: Environmental Careers(p. 369)
• Solutions: Election Finance Reform(p. 372)
• 12-6 Global Environmental Policy(p. 373)
• Individuals Matter: Environmental Action on Campuses(p. 374)
• 12-7 Environmental Worldviews: Clashing Values and Cultures(p. 375)
• Case Study: Biosphere 2: A Lesson in Humility(p. 378)
• Connections: Why Should We Care About Future Generations?(p. 380)
• Individuals Matter: Mindquake: Evaluating One's Environmental Worldview(p. 381)
• Connections: Learning from the Earth(p. 382)
• Appendixes
• 1 Units of Measurement(p. 1)
• 2 Major Events in U.S. Environmental History(p. 2)
• 3 Major U.S. Resource Conservation and Environmental Legislation(p. 6)
• 4 Individuals Matter: What Can You Do?(p. 7)
• Glossary(p. 1)
• Index(p. 1)