Through the eyes of a historian, Conkin (emer., Vanderbilt) presents a clearly written discussion of numerous environmental concerns facing humans. As he explains the connection between socioeconomic forces and environmental issues, his audience is the general public. His approach is threefold. He lays the groundwork by explaining the path that has led to major environmental issues, he describes why humanity must attend to these problems, and he outlines the risks and costs of efforts to minimize human impact. This book uses nontechnical language to describe environmental problems in a thorough, but not overly complex, manner to reach, as Conkin states, "a broader audience." Topics include population (and consumption); resources such as soil, vegetation, food, water, and energy; pollution; extinction; and climate change. The final section focuses on environmental movements and theory, offering material not often found in scientific treatments of environmental problems. Although this book does cover the science, predictions, and mitigation of climate change, it lacks information regarding the potential environmental impacts--a topic currently at the forefront of public concern about environmental change. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates; general readers. General Readers; Lower-division Undergraduates; Upper-division Undergraduates. Reviewed by D. Goldblum. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

List of Illustrations	vi
Preface	vii
Acknowledgments	xi
Part 1 The Setting and the Challenge
1 Our Green Planet	3
2 Population, Consumption, and the Environment	23
Part 2 Vital Resources
3 Soil, Vegetation, and Food	43
4 Water and Energy: Will There Be Enough?	65
Part 3 The Human Threat
5 Pollution, Waste, and the Ozone Layer	101
6 The Extinction Crisis	131
Part 4 Climate Change
7 Climate Change in a Glacial Epoch	165
8 Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change	189
Part 5 Environmental Policies and Philosophies
9 Reform Environmentalists and American Environmental Policy	227
10 Passionate Environmentalism	251
A Personal Afterword	279
Notes	289
Index	299

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.