Environmental Science A Study of Interrelationships

• Main Author: Enger, Eldon D.
• Other Authors: Smith, Bradley F.
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: Boston McGraw Hill 2006
• Edition: 10th ed
• Subjects: Environmental sciences > Textbooks; Ecology > Textbooks
• Online Access: Click Here to View Status and Holdings.

 As we produce the tenth edition of this text, it is appropriate to celebrate its success and reflect on how the field has changed over the past two decades. Since Environmental Science: A Study of Interrelationships was first published in 1983, it has been translated into Chinese and Korean, and we estimate that nearly a million students have used the text. Over the 10 editions, we have seen the field of environmental science change significantly. Initially, most of the courses were designed to raise awareness about environmental issues. Today, the field of environmental science has become a major discipline at many colleges and uni versities. Students who enroll in an introductory environmental science course may move in several directions that were not pres ent over 20 years ago. Fields such as environmental law and environmental engineering are new disciplines. In addition, other traditional disciplines such as landscape planning, urban planning, agriculture, and industrial engineering now pay significant attention to environmental concerns. It has been an interesting intellectual exercise to keep up-to date in this rapidly changing field. For example, in the early 1980s, air and water pollution by industry was a key issue in the developed countries. Today, however, most industries have made major improvements in controlling pollution and are no longer the main sources of air and water pollution. The actions of individual citizens now have become major sources of pollution. Automobile use responsible for much of the air pollution that affects cities, and runoff from lawns, city streets, and farms is an important source of water pollution. Many new environmental problems have also arisen. Climate change, the AIDS pandemic, genetically modified crops, and concerns about the loss of bio diversity have become core issues. Over time, as these issues have assumed greater importance, they have been incorporated into the text.