An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues

Front Cover
An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues presents a comprehensive and stimulating introduction to the key environmental issues presently threatening our global environment. Offering an authoritative introduction to the key topics, a source of latest environmental information, and an innovative stimulus for debate, this is an essential book for all those studying or concerned with global environmental issues.
Major global environmental issues are brought into focus. Explanations of the evolution of the earth's natural systems (hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, ecosphere) provide an essential understanding of the scientific concepts, processes and historical background to environmental issues. Contemporary socio-economic, cultural and political considerations are explored and important conceptual approaches such as Gaian hypotheses and Chaos Theory are introduced. Human impact and management of the natural environment, and concerns for maintaining biodiversity are emphasised throughout.
Specific features include:
* Case studies drawn from across the world
* Superb illustrations: 4-colour plate sections; a wealth of informative diagrams
* Glossary of key terms, with key concepts highlighted throughout the text
* Annotated guides to further reading
* Chapter summaries and key points
A Lecturers' Manual is available to accompany the text
This 2nd Edition has been extensively revised and expanded to include many new illustrations, up-to-date data (including the latest IPCC data) and the most recent events including Khobe earthquake, French nuclear testing, the Berlin conference and the Antarctic Treaty. Sections on ecosystems, techniques, pollution, tectonics, risk and hazard mitigation, world populations, and issues of human impact and environmental management, have been particularly expanded in this new edition.

From inside the book

Contents

1 Introducing Earth
1
2 Climate change and past climates
39
3 Global atmospheric change
105
4 Acidic deposition
155
5 Water resources and pollution
187
6 Nuclear issues
229
7 Energy
257
8 Natural hazards
299
10 Managing the Earth
401
Appendix 1 International system of SI units
455
Appendix 2 Periodic table of chemical elements
456
Appendix 3 The economy and population of selected countries
459
Appendix 4 Excerpts from Agenda 21 Rio Earth Summit 1992
461
Bibliography
465
Glossary
488
Index
502

9 Human impact on the Earths surface and oceans
349

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About the author (2006)

Kevin Pickering is Reader in Geology at University College London. Lewis A. Owen is Lecturer in Geology and Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London.

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