Encyclopedia of the Environment : The Rene Dubos Center for Human Environments

Addressing the full range of environmental concerns, including the rain forests, asbestos, and the ozone layer, a collection of more than 550 articles presents vital, current, and authoritative information in an accessible form.

Think Globally, Act Locally is the motto of the Center for Human Environments, founded by the scientist Ren{‚}e Dubos. In 1990 the center launched the Decade of Environmental Literacy in cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme. The Encyclopedia of the Environment, which grew out of that initiative, is based on Dubos' humanistic approach to environmental issues. The editors, officers of the center, report the purpose of the work is to help individuals, consumers, and voters make informed choices and to understand basic terms and concepts. Articles signed by more than 350 experts in the field provide nontechnical information. Essays from Acid Rain to Zoning and Other Land Use Laws reflect the center's emphasis on the relationship between humans and their environment. Ecological Stability traces the concept of human effects on nature and the effect of nature on humans back to the prescientific beliefs of the Greeks and Romans. A limited number of short biographies are included, among them Frederick Law Olmsted, Arne Naess, and Dubos. Organizations are treated under the umbrella article Environmental Organizations. Articles on major legislation, such as the Clean Air Act, Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and Clean Water Act, offer concise, historical overviews. Issues awaiting further legislation are treated, such as protection of groundwater and wetlands and promotion of water conservation. There are unique essays on major religions and their activities concerning environmental issues. References for further reading accompany most articles.

Entries vary in length from one or two paragraphs to more than two pages. There are cross-references from some inverted forms (e.g., from Ecology, Human to Human Ecology), but others, such as Ecology, Deep and Ecology, Marine, are used as entries. See references from terms not used often lead to several entries: "Agent Orange see Herbicides; War and Military Activities: Environmental Effects; Environmental Disasters." Entries are current. United Nations System mentions the Russian Federation and refers to Boutros Boutros-Ghali. Also included are a few tables and figures, a general index, and an index of contributors.

The Green Encyclopedia (Prentice Hall, 1992) is similar in focus to The Encyclopedia of the Environment but offers fewer encyclopedic entries and more directory information, including addresses of environmental organizations and lists of Superfund sites, toxic chemicals, and endangered species. Since they complement one another, both books are excellent purchases for most libraries.

Aimed at the generalist, this one-volume reader has a completely different focus from that of Irene Franck and David Brownstone's The Green Encyclopedia (LJ 11/15/92) in that it gives only basic scientific information, instead stressing the humanistic and social aspects of environmental concepts as espoused by the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author and pioneer environmentalist, Rene Dubos. The editors, both well known for their environmental work, were close associates of Dubos, who coined the motto, "Think globally, but act locally." The work has over 550 alphabetically arranged entries as well as many maps, charts, and tables. Following each entry is a list of suggestions for further reading. Good cross-referencing and an adequate index facilitate access. Recommended for public libraries.
Eugenia C. Adams, Univ. of Houston-Downtown Lib.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.