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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e
William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University


Table of Contents

Introduction: Learning to Learn
Objectives
Learning Online
Why Study Environmental Science?
How Can I Get an A in This Class?
Develop Good Study Habits
Recognize and Hone Your Learning Styles
Use This Textbook Effectively
Will This Be on the Test?
Thinking about Thinking
Approaches to Truth and Knowledge
What Do I Need to Think Critically?
Applying Critical Thinking
Some Clues for Unpacking an Argument
Avoiding Logical Errors and Fallacies
Using Critical Thinking in Environmental Science
Concept Maps
What Do You Think? Don't Believe Everything You See on the Internet
How Do I Create a Concept Map?
PART ONE: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOLOGICAL PRINCIPLES

Chapter 1: Understanding Our Environment
Objectives
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Deformed Frogs
What Is Environmental Science?
A Brief History of Conservation and Environmentalism
Historic Roots of Nature Protection
Pragmatic Resource Conservation
Moral and Aesthetic Nature Preservation
Modern Environmentalism
Global Concerns
Current Conditions
A Marvelous Planet
Environmental Dilemmas
What Do You Think? Cultural Whaling in the Pacific Northwest
Signs of Hope
North/South: A Divided World
Rich and Poor Countries
A Fair Share of Resources?
North/South Division
Political Economies
Human Development
Developmental Discrepancies
Good News and Bad News
Sustainable Development
Can Development Be Truly Sustainable?
The 20:20 Compact for Human Development
Indigenous People
IN DEPTH: Getting to Know Our Neighbors
Environmental Perspectives
Pessimism and Outrage
Hopeful Optimism
Pragmatic Realism
Chapter 2: ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND PHILOSOPHY

Objectives
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Playing God in the Laboratory
Environmental Ethics and Philosophy
Are There Universal Ethical Principles?
Modernism and Postmodernism
Values, Rights, and Obligations
Worldviews and Ethical Perspectives
Humanism and Anthropocentrism
Stewardship
Biocentrism, Animal Rights, and Ecocentrism
Ecofeminism
What Do You Think? Worldviews and Values
Environmental Justice
Environmental Racism
Dumping Across Borders
Are "Green" Organizations Too White?
Science as a Way of Knowing
The Scientific Worldview
Inductive and Deductive Reasoning
Hypotheses and Scientific Theories
Using the Scientific Method
Descriptive and Interpretive Science
Paradigms and Scientific Consensus
Technology and Progress
Appropriate Technology
Profile: Environmental Engineer
Chapter 3: Matter, Energy, and Life

Objectives
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The Mystery of Lake Laberge
From Atoms to Cells
Atoms, Molecules, and Compounds
Organic Compounds
Cells: The Fundamental Units of Life
Energy and Matter
Energy Types and Qualities
IN DEPTH: A "Water Planet"
Conservation of Matter
Thermodynamics and Energy Transfers
Energy for Life
Solar Energy: Warmth and Light
How Does Photosynthesis Capture Energy?
From Species to Ecosystems
Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems
What Do You Think? Chaos or Stability in Ecosystems?
Food Chains, Food Webs, and Trophic Levels
Ecological Pyramids
Material Cycles and Life Processes
The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle
The Phosphorus Cycle
The Sulfur Cycle
Chapter 4: Biological Communities and Species Interactions

Objectives
Learning Online
Orcas, Otters, Urchins, and Kelp: Disrupting a Marine Food Web
Who Lives Where, and Why?
Critical Factors and Tolerance Limits
Natural Selection, Adaptation, and Evolution
The Ecological Niche
Species Interactions and Population Dynamics
Predation
Keystone Species
Competition
CASE STUDY: Where Have All the Songbirds Gone?
Symbiosis
What Do You Think? Understanding Competition
Defensive Mechanisms
Community Properties
Productivity
Abundance and Diversity
Complexity and Connectedness
Resilience and Stability
Edges and Boundaries
What Can You Do? Developing a Sense for Where You Live
Communities in Transition
Ecological Succession
Introduced Species and Community Change
Profile: Environmental Activist
Chapter 5: BIOMES, RESTORATION, AND MANAGEMENT

Objectives
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Integrity, Stability, and Beauty of the Land
Terrestrial Biomes
Deserts
Grasslands: Prairies and Savannas
Tundra
Conifer Forests
Broad-Leaved Deciduous and Evergreen Forests
Mediterranean/Chaparral/Thorn Scrub
Tropical Moist Forests
Tropical Seasonal Forests
Aquatic Ecosystems
Freshwater and Saline Ecosystems
Estuaries and Wetlands: Transitional Communities
Shorelines and Barrier Islands
Human Disturbance
Landscape Ecology
Patchiness and Heterogeneity
Landscape Dynamics
Restoration Ecology
Defining Some Terms
Conflicting Views of Restoration
Tools of Restoration
CASE STUDY: Restoration of the Bermuda Cahow
Letting Nature Heal Itself
Authenticity
Back to What?
Creating Artificial Ecosystems
Ecosystem Management
A Brief History of Ecosystem Management
Principles and Goals of Ecosystem Management
Critiques of Ecosystem Management
PART TWO: POPULATION, ECONOMICS, POLICY, AND HEALTH

Chapter 6: POPULATION DYNAMICS

Objectives
Learning Online
Urban Geese
Dynamics of Population Growth
Exponential Growth and Doubling Times
Biotic Potential
Population Oscillations and Irruptive Growth
Growth to a Stable Population
Chaotic and Catastrophic Population Dynamics
Strategies of Population Growth
What Do You Think? What Is Earth's Carrying Capacity for Humans?
Factors That Increase or Decrease Populations
Natality, Fecundity, and Fertility
Immigration
Mortality and Survivorship
Age Structure
Emigration
Factors That Regulate Population Growth
Density-Independent Factors
Density-Dependent Factors
Chapter 7: HUMAN POPULATIONS

Objectives
Learning Online
The Saga of Easter Island
Population Growth
Human Population History
Limits to Growth: Some Opposing Views
Malthusian Checks on Population
What Do You Think? Looking for Bias in Graphs
Malthus and Marx Today
Can Technology Make the World More Habitable?
Can More People Be Beneficial?
Human Demography
How Many of Us Are There?
Fertility and Birth Rates
Mortality and Death Rates
Population Growth Rates
Life Span and Life Expectancy
CASE STUDY: Family Planning in Iran
Living Longer: Demographic Implications
Emigration and Immigration
Population Growth: Opposing Factors
Pronatalist Pressures
Birth Reduction Pressures
Birth Dearth?
Demographic Transition
Development and Population
An Optimistic View
A Pessimistic View
A Social Justice View
An Ecojustice View
Infant Mortality and Women's Rights
Family Planning and Fertility Control
Traditional Fertility Control
Current Birth Control Methods
New Developments in Birth Control
The Future of Human Populations
Chapter 8: ECOLOGICAL ECONOMICS

Objectives
Learning Online
Creating Another Earth
Economic Worldviews
Classical Economics
Neoclassical Economics
Ecological Economics
Resources, Capital, and Reserves
Resource Types
Economic Resource Categories
Communal Property Resources
Population, Technology, and Scarcity
Market Efficiencies and Technological Development
Increasing Environmental Carrying Capacity
Economic Models
Why Not Conserve Resources?
Natural Resource Accounting
Gross National Product
Alternatives to GNP or GDP
Measuring Nonmarket Values
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Market-Based Mechanisms for Environmental Protection
Intergenerational Justice and Discount Rates
Internal and External Costs
Trade, Development, and Jobs
International Trade
International Development
Green Business
Design for the Environment
CASE STUDY: Eco-Efficient Carpeting from Interface, Inc.
Green Consumerism
Jobs and the Environment
What Can You Do? Personally Responsible Consumerism
Profile: Environmental Manager
Chapter 9: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND TOXICOLOGY
Objectives
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Outbreak
Types of Environmental Health Hazards
Infectious Organisms
Morbidity and Quality of Life
Emergent Diseases and Environmental Change
CASE STUDY: Fighting the Fiery Serpent
Antibiotic and Pesticide Resistance
Toxic Chemicals
What Can You Do? Tips for Staying Healthy
Natural and Synthetic Toxins
Diet
Movement, Distribution, and Fate of Toxins
Solubility
Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
Persistence
Chemical Interactions
What Do You Think? Soft Vinyl Toys and Medical Supplies
Mechanisms for Minimizing Toxic Effects
Metabolic Degradation and Excretion
Repair Mechanisms
Measuring Toxicity
Animal Testing
Toxicity Ratings
Acute versus Chronic Doses and Effects
Detection Limits
Risk Assessment and Acceptance
Assessing Risks
Accepting Risks
Establishing Public Policy
PART THREE: FOOD, LAND, AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

Chapter 10: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY, LAW, AND PLANNING

Objectives
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A Civil Action
Environmental Policy
Political Decision Making
The Policy Cycle
Environmental Law
A Brief Environmental History
Statutory Law: The Legislative Branch
Case Law: The Judicial Branch
Administrative Law: The Executive Branch
International Treaties and Conventions
Dispute Resolution and Planning
Wicked Problems and Adaptive Management
Resilience in Ecosystem and Institutions
The Precautionary Principle
Arbitration and Mediation
Collaborative Approaches to Community-Based Planning
What Do You Think? The Quincy Library Group
Green Plans
Profile: Environmental Consultant
Chapter 11: FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

Objectives
Learning Online
Are Shrimp Safe to Eat?
Nutrition and Food Supplies
Chronic Hunger and Food Security
Other Essential Nutrients
Eating a Balanced Diet
Famines
Major Food Sources
Major Crops
Meat, Milk, and Seafood
Soil: A Renewable Resource
Soil Composition
Soil Organisms
Soil Profiles
Soil Types
Ways We Use and Abuse Soil
Land Resources
Land Degradation
Erosion: The Nature of the Problem
Mechanisms of Erosion
Erosion Hotspots
Other Agricultural Resources
Water
Fertilizer
Energy
New Crops and Genetic Engineering
Green Revolution
Genetic Engineering
Pest Resistance
Weed Control
Public Opposition
What Do You Think? Terminator Genes
Sustainable Agriculture
Soil Conservation
Low-Input Sustainable Agriculture
CASE STUDY: Organic Farming in Cuba
Chapter 12: PEST CONTROL

Objectives
Learning Online
DDT and Fragile Eggshells
What Are Pests and Pesticides?
A Brief History of Pest Control
Early Pest Controls
Synthetic Chemical Pesticides
Pesticide Uses and Types
Pesticide Use in the United States and Canada
Pesticide Types
Pesticide Benefits
Disease Control
Crop Protection
Pesticide Problems
Effects on Nontarget Species
Pesticide Resistance and Pest Resurgence
What Do You Think? Environmental Estrogens
Creation of New Pests
Persistence and Mobility in the Environment
Human Health Problems
Alternatives to Current Pesticide Uses
Behavioral Changes
Biological Controls
CASE STUDY: Regenerative Agriculture in Iowa
Integrated Pest Management
Reducing Pesticide Exposure
Regulating Pesticides
A Personal Plan
What Can You Do? Food Safety Tips
Chapter 13: BIODIVERSITY

Objectives
Learning Online
Columbia River Salmon
Biodiversity and the Species Concept
What Is Biodiversity?
What Are Species?
How Many Species Are There?
How Do We Benefit from Biodiversity?
Food
Drugs and Medicines
Ecological Benefits
Aesthetic and Cultural Benefits
What Threatens Biodiversity?
Natural Causes of Extinction
Human-Caused Reductions in Biodiversity
What Can You Do? Don't Eat Endangered Seafood
Predator and Pest Control
Endangered Species Management and Biodiversity Protection
Hunting and Fishing Laws
The Endangered Species Act
Recovery Plans
Private Land and Critical Habitat
Reauthorizing the Endangered Species Act
Minimum Viable Populations
Habitat Protection
International Wildlife Treaties
What Do You Think? Economic Impacts of the Endangered Species Act
Captive Breeding and Species Survival Plans
Saving Rare Species in the Wild
Profile: Conservation Fund Raiser
Chapter 14: LAND USE: FORESTS AND RANGELANDS

Objectives
Learning Online
Disappearing Butterfly Forests
World Land Uses
World Forests
Forest Distribution
Forest Products
Forest Management
CASE STUDY: Forestry for the Seventh Generation
Tropical Forests
Diminishing Forests
Swidden Agriculture
Logging and Land Invasions
Forest Protection
Debt-for-Nature Swaps
Temperate Forests
Ancient Forests of the Pacific Northwest
Wilderness and Wildlife Protection
Harvest Methods
What Do You Think? Regulations and Property Rights
Below-Cost and Salvage Sales
Fire Management
Sustainable Forestry and Non-Timber Forest Products
Rangelands
What Can You Do? Lowering Our Forest Impacts
Range Management
Overgrazing and Land Degradation
Forage Conversion by Domestic Animals
Harvesting Wild Animals
Rangelands in the United States
Landownership and Land Reform
Who Owns How Much?
Land Reform
Indigenous Lands
Chapter 15: PRESERVING NATURE

Objectives
Learning Online
Ecotourism on the Roof of the World
Parks and Nature Preserves
Park Origins and History
North American Parks
World Parks and Preserves
What Do You Think? Yellowstone Wolves
Wilderness Areas
CASE STUDY: Zimbabwe's "Campfire" Program
Wildlife Refuges
Refuge Management
International Wildlife Preserves
Wetlands, Floodplains, and Coastal Regions
Wetland Values
Wetland Destruction
Floods and Flood Control
Wetland and Floodplain Conservation
Beaches, Barrier Islands, and Estuaries
PART FOUR: PHYSICAL RESOURCES

Chapter 16: Environmental Geology

Objectives 349
Learning Online
Earthquake in India
A Dynamic Planet
A Layered Sphere
Tectonic Processes and Shifting Continents
Rocks and Minerals
Rock Types and How They Are Formed
Economic Geology and Mineralogy
Metals
Nonmetal Mineral Resources
What Do You Think? Should We Revise Mining Laws?
Strategic Metals and Minerals
Environmental Effects of Resource Extraction
Mining
CASE STUDY: Mining a Tropical Paradise
Processing
Conserving Geologic Resources
Recycling
Steel and Iron Recycling: Minimills
Substituting New Materials for Old
Geologic Hazards
Earthquakes
Volcanoes
Landslides
Profile: Environmental Affairs Coordinator
Chapter 17: AIR, WEATHER, AND CLIMATE

Objectives 369
Learning Online
What's Happening to Our Climate?
Composition and Structure of the Atmosphere
Past and Present Composition
A Layered Envelope
The Great Weather Engine
Solar Radiation Heats the Atmosphere
Convection Currents and Latent Heat
Weather
Energy Balance in the Atmosphere
Convection Cells and Prevailing Winds
Jet Streams
Frontal Weather
Cyclonic Storms
Seasonal Winds
Weather Modification
Climate
Climatic Catastrophes
Driving Forces and Patterns in Climatic Changes
El Niño/Southern Oscillations
Human-Caused Global Climate Change
Effects of Climate Change
Winners and Losers
Climate Skeptics
International Climate Negotiations
What Can You Do? Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions
Controlling Greenhouse Emissions
Profile: Interpretive Naturalist
Chapter 18: AIR POLLUTION

Objectives
Learning Online
A Plague of Smoke
The Air Around Us
Natural Sources of Air Pollution
Human-Caused Air Pollution
Primary and Secondary Pollutants
Conventional or "Criteria" Pollutants
Unconventional Pollutants
Indoor Air Pollution
IN DEPTH: Indoor Air
Climate, Topography, and Atmospheric Processes
Inversions
Dust Domes and Heat Islands
Long-Range Transport
Stratospheric Ozone
Effects of Air Pollution
Human Health
Plant Pathology
Acid Deposition
Air Pollution Control
Moving Pollution to Remote Areas
Particulate Removal
Sulfur Removal
Nitrogen Oxide Control
Hydrocarbon Controls
What Can You Do? Saving Energy and Reducing Pollution
Clean Air Legislation
Current Conditions and Future Prospects
Profile: Environmental Advocate
Chapter 19: WATER USE AND MANAGEMENT

Objectives
Learning Online
Where Has the River Gone?
Water Resources
The Hydrologic Cycle
Rainfall and Topography
Desert Belts
Balancing the Water Budget
Major Water Compartments
Oceans
Glaciers, Ice, and Snow
Groundwater
Rivers and Streams
Lakes and Ponds
Wetlands
The Atmosphere
Water Availability and Use
Water-Rich and Water-Poor Countries
Drought Cycles
Types of Water Use
Quantities of Water Used
Use by Sector
Freshwater Shortages
A Precious Resource
Depleting Groundwater
Increasing Water Supplies
Seeding Clouds and Towing Icebergs
Desalination
Dams, Reservoirs, Canals, and Aqueducts
CASE STUDY: Rural Water Programs in Malawi
Environmental Costs
What Do You Think? Should We Remove Dams?
Water Management and Conservation
Watershed Management
Domestic Conservation
Recycling and Water Conservation
Price Mechanisms and Water Policy
What Can You Do? Saving Water and Preventing Pollution
Profile: Fisheries Biologist
Chapter 20: WATER POLLUTION

Objectives
Learning Online
A Flood of Pigs
What Is Water Pollution?
Types and Effects of Water Pollution
Infectious Agents
Oxygen-Demanding Wastes
Plant Nutrients and Cultural Eutrophication
Toxic Tides
Inorganic Pollutants
Organic Chemicals
Sediment
Thermal Pollution and Thermal Shocks
IN DEPTH: Arsenic in Drinking Water
Water Quality Today
Surface Waters in the United States and Canada
Surface Waters in Other Countries
Groundwater and Drinking Water Supplies
Ocean Pollution
Water Pollution Control
Source Reduction
Nonpoint Sources and Land Management
CASE STUDY: Watershed Protection in the Catskills
Human Waste Disposal
Water Remediation
Water Legislation
The Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act Reauthorization
Other Important Water Legislation
Chapter 21: CONVENTIONAL ENERGY

Objectives 475
Learning Online
Oil and Wildlife in the Arctic
What Is Energy and Where Do We Get It?
A Brief Energy History
Current Energy Sources
Per Capita Consumption
How Energy Is Used
Coal
Coal Resources and Reserves
Mining
Air Pollution
Oil
Oil Resources and Reserves
Oil Imports and Domestic Supplies
CASE STUDY: Black Gold from the Caspian
Oil Shales and Tar Sands
Natural Gas
Natural Gas Resources and Reserves
Unconventional Gas Sources
Nuclear Power
How Do Nuclear Reactors Work?
Kinds of Reactors in Use
What Do You Think? Chernobyl: Could It Happen Here?
Alternative Reactor Designs
Breeder Reactors
Radioactive Waste Management
Ocean Dumping of Radioactive Wastes
Land Disposal of Nuclear Waste
Decommissioning Old Nuclear Plants
Changing Fortunes of Nuclear Power
Nuclear Fusion
U.S. Energy Policy
Chapter 22: SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

Objectives
Learning Online
Buffalo Ridge
Conservation
Utilization Efficiencies
Energy Conversion Efficiencies
What Do You Think? Hybrid Automobile Engines
Negawatt Programs
IN DEPTH: Personal Energy Efficiency
Cogeneration
Tapping Solar Energy
A Vast Resource
Passive Solar Heat
Active Solar Heat
What Can You Do? Some Things You Can Do to Save Energy
High-Temperature Solar Energy
Promoting Renewable Energy
Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Storing Electrical Energy
Fuel Cells
Fuel Cell Types
Energy from Biomass
Burning Biomass
Fuelwood Crisis in Less-Developed Countries
Dung and Methane as Fuels
Alcohol from Biomass
Crop Residues, Energy Crops, and Peat
Energy from the Earth's Forces
Hydropower
Wind Energy
Geothermal Energy
Tidal and Wave Energy
Ocean Thermal Electric Conversion
Profile: Environmental Advocate
PART FIVE: SOCIETY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Chapter 23: SOLID, TOXIC, AND HAZARDOUS WASTE

Objectives
Learning Online
What a Long, Strange Trip It Has Been
Solid Waste
The Waste Stream
Waste Disposal Methods
Open Dumps
Ocean Dumping
Landfills
Exporting Waste
Incineration and Resource Recovery
Shrinking the Waste Stream
Recycling
What Do You Think? Environmental Justice
Composting
Energy from Waste
Demanufacturing
Reuse
Producing Less Waste
What Can You Do? Reducing Waste
Hazardous and Toxic Wastes
What Is Hazardous Waste?
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Superfund Sites
IN DEPTH: Cleaning Up Toxic Waste with Plants
Options for Hazardous Waste Management
What Can You Do? Alternatives to Hazardous Household Chemicals
Chapter 24: URBANIZATION AND SUSTAINABLE CITIES

Objectives
Learning Online
Chattanooga, A Model Sustainable City
Urbanization
What Is a City?
World Urbanization
Causes of Urban Growth
Immigration Push Factors
Immigration Pull Factors
Government Policies
Current Urban Problems
The Developing World
The Developed World
What Do You Think? People for Community Recovery
Garden Cities and New Towns
New Urbanist Movement
Designing for Open Space
Sustainable Development in the Third World
CASE STUDY: Curitiba: An Environmental Showcase
Profile: Wetland Delineator
Chapter 25: WHAT THEN SHALL WE DO?

Objectives
Learning Online
Global Anti-globalization
Environmental Education
Environmental Literacy
Citizen Science
Environmental Careers
Individual Accountability
How Much Is Enough?
Shopping for Green Products
Blue Angels and Green Seals
What Can You Do? Reducing Consumption
Limits of Green Consumerism
Paying Attention to What's Important
Collective Actions
Student Environmental Groups
Mainline Environmental Organizations
Broadening the Environmental Agenda
Deep or Shallow Environmentalism?
What Do You Think? When Is Confrontation Appropriate?
What Do You Think? When Is Cooperation Helpful?
Radical Environmental Groups
Wise Use Movement
What Do You Think? Evaluating Extremist Claims
Global Issues
Public Opinions and Environmental Protection
Sustainable Development
International Nongovernmental Organizations
Green Government and Environmental Citizenship
Environmental Citizenship
Green Politics
What Can Individuals Do?
The Earth Charter

Glossary
Credits
Index