本书介绍了环境问题和环境问题产生的原因，能源与气候变化问题，生态学原理与应用，环境政策、法律与规划管理。本书强调环境责任、优选意识，书中列举了大量优选及北美的实例。并注重培养学生批判性思维，使用量化分析、数据统计、概率的方法，帮助学生分析矛盾的数据、利益冲突、对事实接近相反的解释。 全书配有大量图表，内容丰富生动，数据翔实。各章含“Case Study”“What Do You Think”“Data Analysis”模块，章后有小结、术语复习、讨论题，易于读者学习。 本书可作为高等学校各专业环境科学课程的教材，也可供对环境保护感兴趣的读者阅读。
Introduction 1 1 Understanding Our Environment 11 2 Principles of Science and Systems 33 3 Matter, Energy, and Life 48 4 Evolution, Biological Communities, and Species Interactions 71 5 Biomes: Global Patterns of Life 95 6 Population Biology 113 7 Human Populations 127 8 Environmental Health and Toxicology 148 9 Food and Hunger 173 10 Farming: Conventional and Sustainable Practices 191 11 Biodiversity: Preserving Species 218 12 Biodiversity: Preserving Landscapes 242 13 Restoration Ecology 265 14 Geology and Earth Resources 289 15 Climate Change 308 16 Air Pollution 335 17 Water Use and Management 362 18 Water Pollution 385 19 Conventional Energy 410 20 Sustainable Energy 433 21 Solid, Toxic, and Hazardous Waste 459 22 Urbanization and Sustainable Cities 479 23 Ecological Economics 499 24 Environmental Policy, Law, and Planning 523 25 What Then Shall We Do? 543
