Three years have passed since the first edition of Basics of Environmental Science appeared. During this time new concerns have arisen, the controversy in Britain over the safety and desirability of genetically modified foods being the most spectacular example. At the same time, our understanding of other issues has improved as more information about them has been gathered.
Revising the book for its new edition has given me the opportunity to add more information where it is now available and to outline some of the new controversies, including that over genetically modified food. At the same time I have been able to study the whole of the text and to bring it up to date where necessary.
At intervals throughout the book I have added links to sites on the World Wide Web. This has now become an invaluable educational resource and I am delighted to have been able to weave this book into its fabric.
Revised, updated, and modernized, I hope that the new edition will be of value and interest to everyone seeking to broaden their understanding of the science behind environmental issues.
Basics of Environmental Science is an engaging introduction to environmental study. The book offers everyone studying and interested in the environment, an essential understanding of natural environments and the way they function.
It covers the entire breadth of the environmental sciences, providing concise, non-technical explanations of physical processes and systems and the effects of human activities.
In this second edition, the scientific background to major environmental issues is clearly explained. These include global warming, genetically modified foods, desertification, acid rain, deforestation, human population growth, depleting resources and nuclear power generation.
There are also descriptions of the 10 major biomes. Michael Allaby is the author or co-author of more than 60 books, most on various aspects of environmental science.
In addition he has also edited or co-edited seven scientific dictionaries and
edited an anthology of writing about the environment
