Book contents
- Global Resources and the Environment
- Reviews
- Global Resources and the Environment
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Figure Credits
- Part I Introduction, Dynamic Systems, and Change
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Perspective on Dynamic Systems
- 3 Change, Sustainability, and Related Concepts
- Part II People
- Part III Climates
- Part IV Landforms
- Part V Biodiversity
- Part VI Water
- Part VII Agriculture
- Part VIII Energy
- Part IX Minerals
- Part X Forests
- Part XI Perspective
- Book part
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
1 - Introduction
from Part I - Introduction, Dynamic Systems, and Change
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 July 2018
Book contents
- Global Resources and the Environment
- Reviews
- Global Resources and the Environment
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Figure Credits
- Part I Introduction, Dynamic Systems, and Change
- 1 Introduction
- 2 A Perspective on Dynamic Systems
- 3 Change, Sustainability, and Related Concepts
- Part II People
- Part III Climates
- Part IV Landforms
- Part V Biodiversity
- Part VI Water
- Part VII Agriculture
- Part VIII Energy
- Part IX Minerals
- Part X Forests
- Part XI Perspective
- Book part
- Index
- Plate Section
- References
Summary
This book helps readers avoid becoming overwhelmed with environmental and resource issues. It gives understanding, not motivation, and should “slow the world down,” not increase anxiety. The book is about resources viewed in the context of their environment and people. Resources are discussed in five categories: water, food, energy, minerals, and forests. Three categories of the environment are discussed: climate, landforms, and biodiversity. The book addresses an overarching socio-environmental system, not artificially separating people from the environment. Resources, the environment, and people are viewed as dynamic systems and reflect recent understandings of sustainability. The book is optimistic, standing midway between environmental ruin and technological heaven. Depletion and misuse present serious challenges, but the world currently has sufficient resources although unevenly distributed. Environmental factors, resources, and human societies always change, but at different spatial and temporal scales, in different ways, and with different degrees of abruptness. The book uses thirty-two global regions and maps and charts to show many distributions.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Global Resources and the Environment , pp. 3 - 11Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2018
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