Presents an introduction to environmental science, covering such topics as ecosystems, natural resources, biodiversity, pollution, climate change, and sustainability The easy way to score high in Environmental Science Environmental science is a fascinating subject, but some students have a hard time grasping the interrelationships of the natural world and the role that humans play within the environment. Introduction 1Part I: Demystifying Science and the Environment 7Chapter 1: Investigating the Environment 9Chapter 2: Lab Coats and Microscopes: Thinking Scientifically 19Chapter 3: What's the Matter? Living and Nonliving Material 31Chapter 4: Making Things Happen: Energy 47Part II: Planting the Seed: Foundational Concepts in Environmental Science 57Chapter 5: Studying the Environment and Your Place in It 59Chapter 6: Exploring Ecosystems 71Chapter 7: Biogeography: How Earth's Climate Shapes Global Ecosystem Patterns 89Chapter 8: Playing Well with Others: Population Biology 107Part III: Getting Your Needs Met: Earth's Natural Resources 129Chapter 9: Water, Water Everywhere: Freshwater Resources 131Chapter 10: This Land Belongs to You and Me: Land as a Resource 143Chapter 11: Dishing It Up: Food Resources 153Chapter 12: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts: Biodiversity 175Chapter 13: Hitting the Hard Stuff: Geologic Resources and Energy 191Chapter 14: Shifting Gears: Alternative Energy 207Part IV: Giving a Hoot: Pollution and Environmental Quality 221Chapter 15: Breathing Room: Addressing Manmade Air Pollution 223Chapter 16: Drip Drop Splash: Water Pollution 237Chapter 17: What's Your Poison? Toxins and Infectious Disease 249Chapter 18: A River of Garbage Runs through It: Solid and Hazardous Waste 263Chapter 19: Is It Getting Warm in Here? Modern Climate Change 277Part V: Follow the Recycled Brick Road: A Sustainable Future 295Chapter 20: Building a Sustainable Future 297Chapter 21: Cooperating to Sustain the Earth 311Part VI: The Part of Tens 321Chapter 22: Ten Ways to Live Sustainably 323Chapter 23: Ten Real-Life Examples of the Tragedy of the Commons 331Chapter 24: Ten Careers in Environmental Science 337Index 343