Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 7th edition

1. Science and Sustainability: An Introduction to Environmental Science

• Our Island, Earth
• The Nature of Environmental Science
• The Science Behind the Story: What Are the Lessons of Easter Island?
• The Nature of Science
• Environmental Ethics
• Sustainability and Our Future

2. Environmental Systems: Matter, Energy, and Ecosystems

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY The Vanishing Oysters of the Chesapeake Bay
• Earth's Environmental Systems
• Matter, Chemistry, and the Environment
• Energy Fundamentals
• Ecosystems
• The Science Behind the Story: Thailand’s Successful Population Program: Creativity over Coercion
• Biogeochemical Cycles

3. Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Saving Hawaii's Native Forest Birds
• Evolution: The Source of Earth's Biodiversity
• Ecology and the Organism
• Population Ecology
• The Science Behind the Story: Forest Restoration Boosting Bird Populations at Hakalu Forest?
• Conserving Biodiversity

4. Species Interactions and Community Ecology

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Black and White, and Spread All Over: Zebra Mussels Invade the Great Lakes
• Species Interactions
• Ecological Communities
• The Science Behind the Story: How Do Invasive Carp Affect Aquatic Communities?
• Earth's Biomes

5. Economics, Policy, and Sustainable Development

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Costa Rica Values Its Ecosystem Services
• Economics and the Environment
• Environmental Policy: An Overview
• The Science Behind the Story: Do Payments Help Preserve Forest?
• U.S. Environmental Law and Policy
• International Environmental Policy
• Approaches to Environmental Policy
• Sustainable Development

6. Human Population

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY China's One-Child Policy: Is It a Population "Time Bomb"?
• Our World at Seven Billion
• Demography
• Population and Society
• The Science Behind the Story: Did Soap Operas Reduce Fertilityin Brazil?

7. Soil, Agriculture, and the Future of Food

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Sustainable Food and Dining at the University of Michigan
• The Race to Feed the World
• The Changing Face of Agriculture
• Soils
• Maintaining Healthy Soils
• Watering and Fertilizing Crops
• Controlling Pests, Preserving Pollinators
• Raising Animals for Food
• Genetically Modified Food
• The Growth of Sustainable Agriculture
• The Science Behind the Story: We Help Pollinators. Will it Boost Crop Production?

8. Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Can Borneo Sustain Its Biodiversity?
• The Race to Feed the World
• The Changing Face of Agriculture
• Soils
• Maintaining Healthy Soils
• Watering and Fertilizing Crops
• Controlling Pests, Preserving Pollinators
• Raising Animals for Food
• Genetically Modified Food
• The Growth of Sustainable Agriculture
• The Science Behind the Story: Can Forensic DNA Analysis Help Save Sharks in Indonesia Waters??

9. Forests, Forest Management, and Protected Areas

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Certified Sustainable Paper in Your Textbook
• Forest Ecosystems and Forest Resources
• Forest Loss
• Forest Management
• Parks and Protected Areas
• The Science Behind the Story: Forest Fragmentation in the Amazon

10. Environmental Health and Toxicology

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Bisphenol A Is Everywhere, But Is It Safe?
• Environmental Health
• Toxic Substances and Their Effects on Organisms
• The Science Behind the Story: Testing the Safety of Bisphenol A
• Toxic Substances and Their Effects on Ecosystems
• Studying Effects of Hazards
• Risk Assessment and Risk Management

11. Geology, Minerals, and Mining

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Mining for … Cell Phones?
• Geology: The Physical Basis for Environmental Science
• Geologic and Natural Hazards
• Earth's Mineral Resources
• Mining Methods and Their Impacts
• The Science Behind the Story: Can Acid Mine Drainage Reduce Fracking's
• Environmental Impact?
• Toward Sustainable Mineral Use

12. Fresh Water, Oceans, and Coasts

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY The Changing Face of Arizona Agriculture
• Freshwater Systems
• The Oceans
• Marine and Coastal Systems
• Effects of Human Activities on Waterways
• Solutions to Depletion of Fresh Water
• Water Pollution and Its Control
• The Science Behind the Story: Predicting the Oceans' "Garbage Patches"
• Emptying the Oceans

13. Atmospheric Science, Air Quality, and Pollution Control

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Clearing the Air in L.A. and in Mexico City
• The Atmosphere
• Outdoor Air Quality
• The Science Behind the Story: Measuring the Health Impacts of Mexico City's Air
• Pollution
• Ozone Depletion
• Addressing Acid Deposition
• Indoor Air Quality

14. Global Climate Change

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Rising Seas May Flood the Maldives
• Our Dynamic Climate
• Studying Climate Change
• The Science Behind the Story: Why and How Does Global Warming Lead to Extreme Weather Events?
• Current and Future Trends and Impacts
• Responding to Climate Change

15. Nonrenewable Energy Sources, Their Impacts, and Energy Conservation

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Hydrofracking the Marcellus Shale
• Sources of Energy
• Fossil Fuels: Their Formation, Extraction, and Use
• Reaching Further for Fossil Fuels … and Coping with the Impacts
• The Science Behind the Story: What Health Impacts are Associated with Living Near a Fracking Site?
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation
• Nuclear Power

16. Renewable Energy Alternatives

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Wind and Sun in Texas
• Renewable Energy Sources
• The Science Behind the Story: How Well Do Wind and Solar Complement One Another in Texas?
• Solar Energy
• Wind Power
• Geothermal Energy
• Ocean Energy Sources
• Hydroelectric Power
• Bioenergy
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cells

17. Managing Our Waste

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY A Mania for Recycling on Campus
• Approaches to Waste Management
• Municipal Solid Waste
• The Science Behind the Story: Tracking Trash
• Industrial Solid Waste
• Hazardous Waste

18. The Urban Environment: Creating Sustainable Cities

• CENTRAL CASE STUDY Managing Growth in Portland, Oregon
• Our Urbanizing World
• Sprawl
• Creating Livable Cities
• Urban Sustainability
• The Science Behind the Story: Do People Today Suffer Environmental Health Impacts from Past Discrimination?

APPENDICES

• A. Answers to Data Analysis Questions
• B. How to Interpret Graphs
• C. Metric System
• D. Periodic Table of the Elements
• E. Geologic Time Scale
• Glossary
• Credits
• Index