Environmental Sciences

In a world constantly confronted by global environmental problems, establishing effective ecological policies is more important than ever. Our natural ecological systems are constantly fluctuating and our plans, policies, and laws governing the environment must change to reflect our new understanding. Poised to be a core text of the twenty-first century environmental movement,The Moon in the Nautilus Shellchallenges us to think critically about our role in nature. It expands upon the ideas put forth in Daniel Botkin'sDiscordant Harmonies(1990), the book considered by many to be the classic text of the environmental movement. Botkin was among the first to challenge the then dominant view that nature ideally exists in a state of perfect balance, remaining constant over time unless disturbed by human influence. He argues that nature has no ideal state of balance, but is instead constantly evolving and fluctuating. It is critical to the success of our future initiatives that we acknowledge that fact.The Moon in the Nautilus Shellbrings Botkin's ideas into the twenty-first century. Readers will learn that the belief in a balanced nature is alive and well, though those who hold it are constantly confronted by scientific evidence that stands in opposition. This book will challenge us to rethink our current conservation policies and to more fully appreciate the complexities of the world in which we live.

In this urgent time, World on the Edge calls out the pivotal environmental issues and how to solve them now. We are in a race between political and natural tipping points. Can we close coal-fired power plants fast enough to save the Greenland ice sheet and avoid catastrophic sea level rise? Can we raise water productivity fast enough to halt the depletion of aquifers and avoid water-driven food shortages? Can we cope with peak water and peak oil at the same time? These are some of the issues Lester R. Brown skilfully distils in World on the Edge. Bringing decades of research and analysis into play, he provides the responses needed to reclaim our future.