About the Book

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, 14E, inspires and equips students to make a difference for the world. Featuring sustainability as their central theme, authors Tyler Miller and Scott Spoolman emphasize natural capital, natural capital degradation, solutions, trade-offs, and the importance of individuals. As a result, students learn how nature works, how they interact with it, and how humanity has sustained—and can continue to sustain—its relationship with the earth by applying nature's lessons to economies and individual lifestyles. Engaging features like "Core Case Studies, and "Connections" boxes demonstrate the relevance of issues and encourage critical thinking. Updated with new learning tools, the latest content, and an enhanced art program, this highly flexible book allows instructors to vary the order of chapters and sections within chapters to meet the needs of their courses.
Two new active learning features that correlate with each chapter can be found at the end of the book. "Doing Environmental Science" offers project ideas based on chapter content that build critical thinking skills and integrate scientific method principles. "Global Environmental Watch" offers online learning activities through the Global Environment Watch website, helping students connect the book's concepts to current real-world issues.

About the Author

G. Tyler Miller Jr. Tyler Miller has written or co-authored 60 editions of various textbooks for introductory courses in environmental science, basic ecology, energy, and environmental chemistry. Since 1975, Miller’s books have been the most widely used textbooks for environmental science in the United States and throughout the world. They have been used by almost 3 million students and have been translated into eight languages. Miller has a PhD from the University of Virginia and has received two honorary doctorate degrees for his contributions to environmental education. He taught college for 20 years and developed an innovative interdisciplinary undergraduate science program before deciding to write environmental science textbooks full time in 1975. He describes his hopes for the future as follows: If I had to pick a time to be alive, it would be the next 75 years. Why? First, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that we are in the process of seriously degrading our own life-support system. In other words, we are living unsustainably. Second, within the next 75 years we have the opportunity to learn how to live more sustainably by working with the rest of nature, as described in this book. I am fortunate to have three smart, talented, and wonderful sons—Greg, David, and Bill. I am especially privileged to have Kathleen as my wife, best friend, and research associate. It is inspiring to have a brilliant, beautiful (inside and out), and strong woman who cares deeply about nature as a lifemate. She is my hero. I dedicate this book to her and to the earth. Scott Spoolman Scott Spoolman is a writer with over 25 years of experience in educational publishing. He has had a lifelong interest in the environmental sciences and believes that education provides the best hope for our dealing with environmental problems and finding more sustainable ways to work, play, and live on our planet. Spoolman holds a master’s degree in science journalism from the University of Minnesota. He has authored numerous articles in the fields of science, environmental engineering, politics, and business. He worked as an acquisitions editor on a series of college forestry textbooks. He has also worked as a consulting editor in the development of more than 70 college and high school textbooks in the natural and social sciences fields. With Tyler Miller, Spoolman has coauthored several editions of Living in the Environment, Environmental Science, and Sustaining the Earth. In his free time, he enjoys exploring the forests and waters of his native Wisconsin along with his family—his wife, environmental educator Gail Martinelli, and his children, Will and Katie.

Table of Contents:
HUMANS AND SUSTAINABILITY: AN OVERVIEW. 1. Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability. ECOLOGY AND SUSTAINABILITY. 2. Science, Matter, and Energy. 3. Ecosystems: What Are They and How Do They Work? 4. Biodiversity and Evolution. 5. Biodiversity, Species Interactions, and Population Control. 6. The Human Population and Urbanization. 7. Climate and Biodiversity. SUSTAINING BIODIVERSITY. 8. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Species Approach. 9. Sustaining Biodiversity: The Ecosystem Approach. SUSTAINING RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY. 10. Food, Soil, and Pest Management. 11. Water Resources and Water Pollution. 12. Geology and Nonrenewable Minerals. 13. Energy. 14. Environmental Hazards and Human Health. 15. Air Pollution, Climate Change, and Ozone Depletion. 16. Solid and Hazardous Waste. SUSTAINING HUMAN SOCIETIES. 17. Environmental Economics, Politics, and Worldviews. SUPPLEMENTS. Supplement 1: Measurement Units. Supplement 2: Reading Graphs and Maps. Supplement 3: Enviromental History of the United States. Supplement 4: Some Basic Chemistry. Supplement 5: Weather Basics: El Niño, Tornadoes, and Tropical Cyclones. Supplement 6: Maps. Supplement 7: Environmental Data and Data Analysis. Glossary. Index.