Polluted Earth

A fresh and engaging introduction to the science behind pollution disasters for science and non-science majors

Coming generations will have to reckon with a growing number of environmental challenges, whether caused by climate change, population growth or industrial production. Polluted Earth: The Science of the Earth’s Environment combines the best features of a textbook and a popular science book. It retains the organization needed for a course while adopting a highly illustrative style that is mirrored in a multitude of case studies: short, self-contained and well-illustrated stories of well-known pollution disasters that are highly engaging for both science and non-science majors, from the historic Black Sunday dust storm in the midwestern United States to the more recent Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. From the very start, it also introduces the concept of environmental justice that ties pollution to economic and social life, bringing its subject into the world of the reader in an unprecedented way.

Polluted Earth readers will also find:

• Well-known case studies including the Great London smog, the Pacific Gas and Electric case (made famous by Erin Brockovitch), the Exxon Valdez, and more
• Detailed illustrations showing the spatial and temporal relations of various pollution sources
• Modern technological solutions already in use by environmental industries
• A comprehensive list of pollutants, their health & environmental impact and their regulated exposure limits

With its fresh and engaging style, Polluted Earth is an ideal introduction to the concepts, tasks and challenges of environmental science for undergraduate students of all disciplines.