ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 12/E

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: WORKING WITH THE EARTH, Twelfth Edition, boasts an unparalleled coverage of sustainability, basic science, and bias-free explanations, all within a flexible chapter organization. The central theme of sustainability is clarified by a consistent emphasis on natural capital, natural capital degradation, solutions, trade-offs, and the importance of individuals. As a result, students learn how nature works, how we interact with it, and how we have sustained--and can continue to sustain--our relationship with the earth by applying nature’s lessons to our economies and individual lifestyles.

Designed for students with little to no science background, the book’s science- and concept-centered approach encourages students to think about important concepts and issues that affect their lives. Core case studies illustrate key topics and issues, reinforcing the sustainability theme. These and other cases inspire almost 70 "How Would You Vote?" questions, which sharpen students’ critical thinking by asking them to consider facts, conflicting solutions, and trade-offs surrounding the issues, and then cast their vote. The text is supported by the strongest media tools and illustration program available. Highlights include CengageNOW, an online resource featuring automatic grading and Personalized Study Plans; videos; and the PowerLecture presentation tool that makes it easy for you to create customized multimedia lectures.

Learning Skills.
Part I: HUMANS AND SUSTAINABILITY: AN OVERVIEW.
1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability.
Part II: ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY.
2. Science, Matter, and Energy.
3. Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work?.
4. Evolution and Biodiversity.
5. Climate and Biodiversity.
6. Community and Population Ecology.
7. Applying Population Ecology: Human Population and Urbanization.
Part III: SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY.
8. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach.
9. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach.
Part IV: SUSTAINING RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY.
10. Food, Soil, and Pest Management.
11. Water and Water Pollution.
12. Geology and Nonrenewable Mineral Resources.
13. Energy.
14. Environmental Hazards and Human Health.
15. Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone Depletion.
16. Solid and Hazardous Waste.
Part V: SUSTAINING HUMAN SOCIETIES.
17. Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews.
Supplements.
Glossary.
Index.