Changing the Global Environment: Perspectives on Human Involvement

Changing the Global Perspectives on Human Involvement focuses on the extent of global environmental changes and the extent to which technology can be employed to improve the global environment. This book is divided into three sections. Section I sets forth a broad perspective on specific conceptual issues of concern such as the sustainable use of the global ocean; deforestation and extinction of species; large-scale alteration of biological productivity due to transported pollutants; and soil degradation and conversion of tropical rainforests. The second section discusses technologies of remote sensing, computer-based data systems, and advanced chemical analytical techniques. The interactions among social, environmental, and economic goals and the role that technological advances might play in attaining these goals are deliberated in Section III. This publication is valuable to environmentalists and students interested in how technologies can change man’s perception of the environment.

This book contains 27 essays written by environmental, economic and social scientists from around the world....They provide an overview of the role of human beings in changing the global environment: what we have done, are doing, and could accomplish in the future.
--GEOCARTO INTERNATIONAL
Multiple perspectives on global environmental concerns are effectively presented in this volume...
The focus of most current discussions of global environment is on the concept of sustainability; such is the case in this book, where it is done well.
--ENVIRONMENTAL PROFESSIONAL