Includes index

1. Environmental interrelationships -- Nature of environmental science -- Water connections : social and biological interactions in the management of Keoladeo National Park, India -- Political and economic issues -- The global nature of environmental concerns -- Regional environmental concerns -- The Wilderness North -- Going green : individual decisions matter -- The agricultural Middle -- The dry West -- The forested West -- The Great Lakes and industrial Northeast -- The diverse South -- Campus sustainability initiative : The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education -- Issues & analysis : government regulation and personal property -- 2. Environmental ethics -- Ethics and laws -- Conflicting ethical positions -- Greening of religion -- Three philosophical approaches to environmental ethics -- Campus sustainability initiative : investment responsibility at Duke University -- Environmental attitudes -- Development -- Preservation -- Conservation -- Case study : early philosophers of nature -- Environmental justice -- Societal environmental ethics -- Corporate environmental ethics -- the legal status of corporations -- Case study : environmental disasters and poverty -- Waste and pollution -- Profitability and power -- Is there a corporate environmental ethic? -- Green business concepts -- Individual environmental ethics -- The ethics of consumption -- Food -- Going green : do we consume too much? -- Energy -- Water -- Wild nature -- Personal choices -- global environmental ethics -- Water connections : a global water ethic -- Issues and analysis : environmental dissent : is ecoterrorism justified? -- 3. Environmental risk : economics, assessment, and management -- Characterizing risk -- Risk and economics -- Risk assessment -- Risk management -- Case study : what's in a number? -- Risk tolerance -- True and perceived risks -- Environmental economics -- Resources -- Supply and demand -- Water connections : valuing the removal of the ELWHA and Glines Dams -- Assigning value to natural resources -- Environmental costs -- Cost-benefit analysis -- Comparing economic an ecological systems -- Common property resource problems : The Tragedy of the Commons -- Green economics -- Going green : green-collar jobs -- Subsidies -- Liability protection and grants for small business -- Market-based instruments -- Life cycle analysis and extended product responsibility -- Case study : pollution prevention pays! -- Green marketing principles -- Economics and sustainable development -- Campus sustainability initiative : campus business partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions -- Economics, environment, and developing nations -- Issues & analysis : the economics and risks of mercury contamination -- 4. Interrelated scientific principles: matter, energy, and environment -- Nature of science -- Limitations of science -- Pseudoscience -- Structure of matter -- Atomic structure -- The molecular nature of matter -- Water -- Acids, bases and pH -- Going green : evaluating green claims -- Inorganic and organic matter -- Chemical reactions -- Water connections : applying the scientific method : acid rain -- Chemical reactions in living things -- Chemistry and the environment -- Energy principles -- Kinds of energy -- States of matter -- First and second laws of thermodynamics -- Environmental implications of energy flow -- Entropy increases -- Energy quality -- Campus sustainability initiative : cooling off the University of Arizona -- Biological systems and thermodynamics -- Pollution and thermodynamics -- Issues & analysis : diesel engine trade-offs -- 5. Interactions: environments and organisms -- Ecological concepts -- Campus sustainability initiative : creek restoration at the University of Arkansas: Little Rock -- Habitat and niche -- Role of natural selection and evolution -- Genes, populations, and species -- Natural selection -- Evolutionary patterns -- Kinds of organism interactions -- Predation -- Competition -- Symbiotic relationships -- Community and ecosystem interactions -- Major roles of organisms in ecosystems -- Keystone species -- Energy flow through ecosystems -- Food chains and food webs -- Nutrient cycles in ecosystems: biogeochemical cycles -- Water connections : changes in the food chain of the Great Lakes -- Human impact on nutrient cycles -- Going green : phosphorus-free lawn fertilizer -- Issues & analysis : phosphate mining in Nauru --

6. Kinds of ecosystems and communities -- Succession -- Biomes determined by climate -- Precipitation and temperature -- Effect of elevation on climate and vegetation -- Major biomes of the world -- Desert -- Going green : conservation easements -- Temperate grassland -- Campus sustainability initiative : the Blue Oak Ranch Reserve of the University of California: Berkeley -- Savanna -- Mediterranean shrublands (chaparral) -- Tropical dry forest -- Tropical rainforest -- Case study : grassland succession -- Temperate deciduous forest -- Temperate rainforest -- Taiga, northern coniferous forest, or boreal forest -- Tundra -- Aquatic ecosystems -- Marine ecosystems -- Freshwater ecosystems -- Water connections : Varzea forests : where the Amazon River and land meet -- Issues & analysis : ecosystem loss in North America -- 7. Populations : characteristics and issues -- Natality : birthrate -- Mortality : death rate -- Population growth rate -- Sex ratio -- Age distribution -- Population density and spatial distribution -- A population growth curve -- Factors that limit population size -- Categories of limiting factors -- Availability of raw materials -- Availability of energy -- Accumulation of waste products -- Interactions among organisms -- Carrying capacity -- Going green : increasing populations of red-cockaded woodpeckers -- Reproductive strategies and population fluctuations -- K-strategists and r-strategists -- Populations cycles -- Human population growth -- Human population characteristics and implications -- Economic development -- Environmental impact of a population -- Case study : Thomas Malthus and his Essay on Population -- The ecological footprint concept -- Factors that influence human population growth -- Biological factors -- Social factors -- Economic factors -- Political factors -- Population growth rates and standard of living -- Hunger, food production, and environmental degradation -- Environmental impacts of food production -- Case study : the Grameen Bank and microcredit -- The human energy pyramid -- Economics and politics of hunger -- The demographic transition concept -- Campus sustainability initiative : Auburn University's war on hunger initiative -- The U.S. population picture -- Water connections : drinking water : a basic right? -- Case study ? North America : population comparisons -- Waste disposal -- Interaction with other organisms -- Social factors influence human population -- Ultimate size limitation -- Issues & analysis : the lesser snow goose : a problem population -- 8. Energy and civilization : patterns of consumption -- History of energy consumption -- Biological energy sources -- Wood -- Fossil fuels and the Industrial Revolution -- Role of the automobile -- Natural gas -- Going green : reducing automobile use in cities -- Residential and commercial energy use -- Case study : biomass fuels and the developing world -- Industrial energy use -- Water connections : heating water : saving energy -- Transportation energy use -- Electrical energy -- Economics and politics of energy use -- Fuel economy and government policy -- Electricity pricing -- Importance of OPEC -- Energy consumption trends -- Issues & analysis : government action and energy policy -- Campus sustainability initiative : Delta College and energy efficiency -- 9. Energy sources -- Resources and reserves -- Fossil-fuel formation -- coal -- Oil and natural gas -- Case study : the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- Renewable sources of energy -- Biomass conversion -- Hydroelectric power -- Solar energy -- Water connections : solar stills and drinking water -- Wind energy -- Geothermal energy -- Campus sustainability initiative : Western Washington University purchases green power from North Dakota wind farms -- Tidal power -- Energy conservation -- Going green : hybrid electric vehicles -- Fuel cells -- Issues & analysis : does ethanol fuel make sense? -- 10. Nuclear energy -- Measuring radiation -- Biological effects of ionizing radiation -- Radiation protection -- Nuclear chain reaction -- History of nuclear energy development -- Nuclear fission reactors -- Boiling-water reactors -- Pressurized -water reactors -- Heavy-water reactors -- Gas-cooled reactors -- Breeder reactors -- Nuclear fusion -- The nuclear fuel cycle -- Mining and milling -- Enrichment and fuel fabrication -- Reprocessing waste disposal -- Water connections : water and nuclear power plants -- Nuclear concerns -- Reactor safety -- Terrorism -- Worker and public exposure to radiation -- Contamination from nuclear research and weapons production -- Disposal of nuclear weapons -- Radioactive waste disposal -- Thermal pollution -- Decommissioning -- Going green : returning a nuclear plant site to public use -- Campus sustainability initiative : Oregon State University and passive nuclear power plants -- Case study: the Hanford Facility : a storehouse of nuclear remains -- Issues & analysis : Yucca Mountain and nuclear waste storage --

11. Biodiversity issues -- Biodiversity loss and extinction -- Genetic diversity -- Species diversity -- Ecosystem diversity -- Biological and ecosystem services values -- Habitat loss -- Water connections : freshwater biodiversity -- Overexploitation -- Introduction of exotic species -- Control of predator and pest organisms -- Climate change -- Campus sustainability initiative : University of Kansas biodiversity partnership -- Legal protection -- Case study : Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Report and the Millennium Declaration -- Going green : consumer choices related to biodiversity -- sustainable management of wildlife populations -- Sustainable management of fish populations -- Case study : California condor -- Issues & analysis : the problem of image -- 12. Land-use planning -- Historical forces that shaped land use -- Rural-to-urban shift -- Urbanization in the developing world -- Migration from the central city to the suburbs -- Water connections : waterways and development -- Factors that contribute to sprawl -- Unplanned urban growth -- Transportation problems -- Air pollution -- Low energy efficiency -- Loss of sense of community -- Death of the central city -- Higher infrastructure costs -- Loss of open space -- Loss of farmland -- Water pollution problems -- Floodplain problems -- Wetlands misuse -- Land-use planning and aesthetic pollution -- Implementing land-use plans -- State or regional planning agencies -- Purchasing land or use rights -- Campus sustainability initiative : green building on campus -- Regulating use -- Urban planning issues -- Urban transportation planning -- Urban recreation planning -- Redevelopment of inner-city areas -- Smart growth -- Going green : green building -- Federal government land-use issues -- Issues & analysis : smart communities' success stories -- 13. Soil and its uses -- Geologic processes -- Soil and land -- Soil formation -- Soil properties -- Campus sustainability initiative : composting on campus -- Soil profile -- Soil erosion -- Water connections : water and erosion -- Soil conservation practices -- Soil quality management components -- Contour farming -- Going green : green landscaping -- Strip farming -- Terracing -- Waterways -- Windbreaks -- Conventional versus conservation tillage -- Protecting soil on nonfarm land -- Case study : land capability classes -- Issues & analysis : sol fertility and huger in Africa -- 14. Agricultural methods and pest management -- Agriculture -- Labor-intensive agriculture -- Mechanized agriculture -- Fossil fuel versus muscle power -- Impact of fertilizer -- Agricultural chemical use -- Insecticides -- Case study : DDT -- Herbicides -- Fungicides and rodenticides -- Water connections : the dead zone of the Gulf of Mexico -- Campus sustainability initiative : integrated pest management at Seattle University -- Problems with pesticide use -- Persistence -- Bioaccumulation and biomagnification -- Case study : economic development and food production in China -- Pesticide resistance -- Effects of nontarget organisms -- Human health concerns -- Going green : organic farming : helping to promote sustainable agriculture -- Alternatives to convention agriculture -- Sustainable agriculture -- Techniques for protecting soil and water resources -- Integrated pest management -- Genetically modified crops -- Issues & analysis : what does "certified organic" food mean? -- 15. Water management -- The water issue -- Hydrologic cycle -- Water use -- Water connections : the bottled water boom -- Agricultural use of water -- Industrial use of water -- In-stream use of water -- Case study : growing demands for a limited supply of water in the West -- Water pollution -- Going green : water reuse -- Municipal water pollution -- Agricultural water pollution -- Industrial water pollution -- Thermal pollution -- Marine oil pollution -- Groundwater pollution -- Water-use planning issues -- Case study : restoring the Everglades -- Water diversion -- Wastewater treatment -- Salinization -- Groundwater mining -- Preserving scenic water areas and wildlife habitats -- Campus sustainability initiative : conserving water on campus -- Issues & analysis : is there lead in our drinking water? --

16. Air quality issues -- The atmosphere -- Pollution of the atmosphere -- Air pollutants -- Carbon monoxide -- Particulate matter -- Case study : air pollution in Mexico City -- Sulfur dioxide -- Nitrogen dioxide -- Lead -- Volatile organic compounds -- Ground-level ozone and photochemical smog -- Hazardous air pollutants -- Control of air pollution -- The Clean Air Act -- Acid deposition -- Acid precipitation -- Campus sustainability initiative : New York University's co-generation plant -- Effects on terrestrial ecosystems -- Effects on aquatic ecosystems -- Ozone depletion -- Stratospheric ozone -- Global warming and climate change -- Energy efficiency -- Going green : Germany's energy policy -- Role of biomass -- Indoor air pollution -- Weatherizing buildings -- Secondhand smoke -- Water connections : decline in Arctic sea ice -- Radon -- Noise pollution -- Issues & analysis : pollution, policy, and personal choice -- 17. Solid waste management and disposal -- Municipal solid waste -- Going green : garbage goes green -- Waste disposal -- Landfills -- Water connections : landfills' impact on water -- Incineration -- Mulch and compost -- Case study : resins used in consumer packaging -- Source reduction -- Recycling -- Case study : beverage container deposit-refund programs -- Campus sustainability initiative : recycling partnership at Northern Arizona University -- Issues & analysis : paper or plastic or plastax? -- 18. Environmental regulations : hazardous substances and wastes -- Hazardous and toxic materials in our environment -- Hazardous waste -- Regulations -- Case study : determining toxicity -- Acute and chronic toxicity -- Synergism -- Water connections : dioxins in the Tittabawassee River Floodplain -- Environmental problems caused by hazardous wastes -- Health risks -- Hazardous-waste dumps -- Going green : guide to electronics recycling -- Campus sustainability initiative : chemical exchange at the University of British Columbia -- Recycling wastes -- Treating wastes -- Disposal methods -- International trade in hazardous wastes -- Hazardous-waste management program -- Issues & analysis : household hazardous waste -- 19. Environmental policy and decision making -- Water connections : shared water resources -- Environmental policy and regulation -- Going green : investing in a green future -- Significance of administrative law -- National Environmental Policy Act -- Environmental Protection Agency -- Greening of geopolitics -- International aspects of environmental problems -- Case study : environmental effects of Hurricane Katrina -- National Security issues -- Terrorism and the environment -- International environmental policy -- Role of the United Nations -- Earth Summit on Environment and Development -- Environmental policy and the European Union -- Campus sustainability initiative : College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment -- Issues & analysis : gasoline, taxes, and the environment

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that includes both scientific and social aspects of human impact on the world. Including mixture of the traditional science, individual and societal values, economic factor and political awareness that are important to solving environmental problems