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Contents
CONTENTS ■ vii
REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 104 Measure Your Impact: What is the Impact of Your
Check Your Understanding 105 Diet on Soil Dynamics? 155
Apply the Concepts 106
Measure Your Impact: The Living Planet Index 106 Chapter 7 Land Resources and
Agriculture 156
Chapter 5 Human Population Growth 108 Chapter Opener: A Farm Where Animals Do
Most of the Work 157
Chapter Opener: The Environmental
Implications of China’s Growing UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 158
Population 109 Human land use affects the environment in many
ways 158
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 110
Land management practices vary according to
Scientists disagree on Earth’s carrying their classification and use 160
capacity 110
Residential land use is expanding 163
Many factors drive human population
growth 111 Agriculture has generally improved the human
diet but creates environmental problems 165
Many nations go through a demographic
transition 117 Alternatives to industrial farming methods are
gaining more attention 171
Population size and consumption interact to
influence the environment 120 Modern agribusiness includes farming meat and
fish 174
Sustainable development is a common, if
elusive, goal 125 WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY The Dudley Street Neighborhood 176
Gender Equity and Population Control in REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 177
Kerala 126 Check Your Understanding 178
REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 127 Apply the Concepts 179
Check Your Understanding 128 Measure Your Impact: The Ecological Footprint of
Apply the Concepts 129 Food Consumption 179
Measure Your Impact: National Footprints 129
Chapter 8 Nonrenewable and Renewable
Energy 180
Chapter 6 Geologic Processes, Soils, and
Minerals 130 Chapter Opener: All Energy Use Has
Consequences 181
Chapter Opener: Are Hybrid Electric
Vehicles as Environmentally Friendly as We UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 182
Think? 131 Nonrenewable energy accounts for most of our
energy use 182
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 132
Fossil fuels provide most of the world’s energy
The availability of Earth’s resources was but the supply is limited 186
determined when the planet formed 132
Nuclear energy offers benefits and
Earth is dynamic and constantly changing 133 challenges 190
The rock cycle recycles scarce minerals and We can reduce dependence on fossil fuels by
elements 141 reducing demand, and by using renewable
Soil links the rock cycle and the biosphere 144 energy and biological fuels 194
The uneven distribution of mineral resources has Energy from the Sun can be captured directly
social and environmental consequences 149 from the Sun, Earth, wind, and hydrogen 202
WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY How can we plan our energy future? 209
Mine Reclamation and Biodiversity 153 WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 154 Meet TED: The Energy Detective 210
Check Your Understanding 154 REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 211
Apply the Concepts 155 Check Your Understanding 212
viii ■ CONTENTS
Apply the Concepts 213 Indoor air pollution is a significant hazard,
Measure Your Impact: Choosing a Car: Conventional particularly in developing countries 259
or Hybrid? 213 WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
A New Cook Stove Design 262
Chapter 9 Water Resources and Water REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 263
Pollution 214 Check Your Understanding 263
Apply the Concepts 264
Chapter Opener: The Chesapeake Bay 215
Measure Your Impact: Mercury Release From
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 216 Coal 265
Water is abundant but usable water
is rare 216 Chapter 11 Solid Waste Generation and
Humans use and sometimes overuse water for Disposal 266
agriculture, industry, and households 220
Chapter Opener: Paper or Plastic? 267
The future of water availability depends
on many factors 224 UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 268
Water pollution has many sources 226 Humans generate waste that other organisms
We have technologies to treat wastewater cannot use 268
from humans and livestock 228 The three Rs and composting divert materials
Many substances pose serious threats from the waste stream 272
to human health and the environment 230 Currently, most solid waste is buried in landfills
Oil pollution can have catastrophic or incinerated 277
environmental impacts 233 Hazardous waste requires special means of
A nation’s water quality is a reflection disposal 282
of its water laws and their enforcement 234 There are newer ways of thinking about solid
WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY waste 284
Is the Water in Your Toilet Too WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
Clean? 236 Recycling E-Waste in Chile 287
REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 237 REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 288
Check Your Understanding 238 Check Your Understanding 288
Apply the Concepts 239 Apply the Concepts 289
Measure Your Impact: Gaining Access Measure Your Impact: Understanding Household
to Safe Water and Proper Sanitation 239 Solid Waste 289
CONTENTS ■ ix
Check Your Understanding 312 The Kyoto Protocol addresses climate change at
Apply the Concepts 313 the international level 357
Measure Your Impact: How Does Risk Affect Your WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
Life Expectancy? 313 Local Governments and Businesses Lead the Way
on Reducing Greenhouse Gases 358
Chapter 13 Conservation of Biodiversity 314 REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 359
Chapter Opener: Modern Conservation Check Your Understanding 360
Legacies 315 Apply the Concepts 361
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 316 Measure Your Impact: Carbon Produced by Different
Modes of Travel 361
We are in the midst of a sixth mass
extinction 316
Declining biodiversity has many causes 320 Chapter 15 Environmental Economics,
The conservation of biodiversity often focuses on Equity, and Policy 362
single species 327 Chapter Opener: Assembly Plants, Free
The conservation of biodiversity sometimes Trade, and Sustainable Systems 363
focuses on protecting entire ecosystems 329
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 364
WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is the ultimate goal of sound
Swapping Debt for Nature 332
environmental science and policy 364
REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 333
Economics studies how scarce resources are
Check Your Understanding 334 allocated 364
Apply the Concepts 335 Economic health depends on the availability
Measure Your Impact: How Large Is Your of natural capital and basic human
Home? 335 welfare 369
Agencies, laws, and regulations are designed to
Chapter 14 Climate Alteration and Global protect our natural and human capital 371
Warming 336 There are several approaches to measuring and
achieving sustainability 375
Chapter Opener: Walking on Thin Ice 337
Two major challenges of our time are reducing
UNDERSTAND THE KEY IDEAS 338 poverty and stewarding the environment 377
Global change includes global climate change WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY
and global warming 338 Reuse-A-Sneaker 380
Solar radiation and greenhouse gases make our REVISIT THE KEY IDEAS 381
planet warm 339
Check Your Understanding 382
Sources of greenhouse gases are both natural
Apply the Concepts 383
and anthropogenic 342
Measure Your Impact: GDP and Footprints 383
Changes in CO2 and global temperatures have
been linked for millennia 345
Appendix: Fundamentals of Graphing APP-1
Feedbacks can increase or decrease the impact
of climate change 352 Bibliography BIB-1
Global warming has serious consequences for Glossary GL-1
the environment and organisms 353 Index I-1
x ■ CONTENTS
About the Authors
Andrew Friedland is Richard and Jane Pearl Professor in Environmental Studies and
chair of the Environmental Studies Program at Dartmouth College. Andy regularly teaches
introductory environmental science and energy courses at Dartmouth and has taught
courses in forest biogeochemistry, global change, and soil science, as well as foreign study
courses in Kenya. In 2015, Andy brought his introductory environmental science course to
the massive, open, online course format through the DartmouthX platform.
Andy received a BA degree in both biology and environmental studies, and a PhD in
earth and environmental science from the University of Pennsylvania. For more than two
decades, Andy has been investigating the effects of air pollution on the cycling of carbon,
nitrogen, and lead in high-elevation forests of New England and the Northeast. Recently,
he has been examining the impact of increased demand for wood as a fuel, and the subse-
quent effect on carbon stored deep in forest soils.
[Nancy Nutile-McMenemy] Andy has served on panels for the National Science Foundation, USDA Forest Service,
and Science Advisory Board of the Environmental Protection Agency. He has authored or
coauthored more than 65 peer-reviewed publications and one book, Writing Successful Sci-
ence Proposals (Yale University Press).
Andy is passionate about saving energy and can be seen wandering the halls of the Envi-
ronmental Studies Program at Dartmouth with a Kill A Watt meter, determining the elec-
tricity load of vending machines, data projectors, and computers. He pursues energy saving
endeavors in his home as well and recently installed a 4kW photovoltaic tracker that follows
the Sun during the day.
Rick Relyea is the David Darrin Senior ‘40 Endowed Chair in Biology and the Executive
Director of the Darrin Freshwater Institute at the Rensselaer Institute of Technology. Rick
teaches courses in ecology, evolution, and animal behavior at the undergraduate and
graduate levels. He received a BS in environmental forest biology from the State University
of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, an MS in wildlife manage-
ment from Texas Tech University, and a PhD in ecology and evolution from the University
of Michigan.
Rick is recognized throughout the world for his work in the fields of ecology, evolu-
tion, animal behavior, and ecotoxicology. He has served on multiple scientific panels for
the National Science Foundation and the Environmental Protection Agency. For two
decades, he has conducted research on a wide range of topics, including predator-prey
[Brian Mattes] interactions, phenotypic plasticity, eutrophication of aquatic habitats, sexual selection, dis-
ease ecology, long-term dynamics of populations and communities across the landscape,
and pesticide impacts on aquatic ecosystems. He has authored more than 130 scientific
articles and book chapters, presented research seminars throughout the world, and
co-authored the leading ecology textbook, Ecology: The Economy of Nature. Rick recently
moved to Rensselaer from University of Pittsburgh, where he was named the Chancellor’s
Distinguished Researcher in 2005 and received the Tina and David Bellet Teaching Excel-
lence Award in 2014.
Rick’s commitment to the environment extends to his personal life. He lives in a
home constructed with a passive solar building design and equipped with active solar panels
on the roof.
Art Samel is an associate professor and chair of Michael L. Denniston was an associate professor of
geography at the School of Earth, Environment and chemistry at Georgia Perimeter College, where he
Society at Bowling Green University. taught general chemistry and environmental science.
Teri C. Balser is Dean of Teaching and Learning for Jeffery A. Schneider is an associate professor of envi-
the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Curtin ronmental chemistry at the State University of New
University, Australia York in Oswego, New York. He teaches general
chemistry, environmental science, and environmental
Dean Goodwin is an adjunct faculty member at chemistry.
Plymouth State University, the University of New
Hampshire, and Rappahannock Community College,
Virginia.
A Balanced Approach
with Emphasis on the Essentials
Daily life is filled with decisions large and small that affect our environment. From the
food we eat, to the cars we drive or choose not to drive, to the chemicals we put into
the water, soil, and air, the impact of human activity is wide-ranging and deep. And yet
decisions about the environment are not often easy or straightforward. Is it better for the
environment to purchase a new, energy-efficient hybrid car or to continue using the car
you already own, or to ride a bicycle or take public transportation? Can we find ways to
encourage development without creating urban sprawl? Should a dam that provides
electricity for 70,000 homes be removed because it interferes with the migration of
salmon?
As educators, scientists, and people concerned about sustainability, our goal is to help
today’s students prepare for the challenges they will face in the future. Essentials of
Environmental Science does not preach or tell students how to conduct their lives. Rather,
we focus on the science and show students how to make decisions based on their own
assessments of the evidence.
PREFACE ■ xiii
A Pedagogical Framework
to Reinforce Classroom Learning
We have built each chapter on a framework of learning tools that will help students get the
most out of their first course in environmental science. Pedagogical features include:
■ Chapter opening case studies: Each chapter opens with a detailed case study that
motivates the student by showing the subject of the chapter in a real-world context.
■ Understand the Key Ideas: A list of key concepts follows the opening case. This
tool helps students organize and focus their study.
■ Gauge Your Progress: After each major chapter section, these review questions ask
students to test their understanding of the material.
■ Photos and line art: Developed in conjunction with the text by specialists in the
field of science illustration, figures have been selected and rendered for maximum visual
impact.
■ Revisit the Key Ideas: Chapter summaries are built around the Key Ideas list to
reinforce chapter concepts.
■ Working Toward Sustainability: Chapters conclude with an inspiring story of
people or organizations that are making a difference to the environment.
■ Check Your Understanding: At the end of each chapter, Check Your
Understanding questions, in multiple-choice format, test student comprehension.
■ Apply the Concepts: A multilevel response question at the end of each chapter helps
students solidify their understanding of key concepts by applying what they have
learned in the chapter to relevant situations.
■ Measure Your Impact: In the Measure Your Impact question at the end of each
chapter, students are asked to calculate and answer everyday problem scenarios to assess
their environmental impact and make informed decisions.
■ Graphing Appendix: A graphing appendix at the end of the book helps students
review graphing essentials.
xiv ■ PREFACE
Supplements
Lecture PowerPoints have been pre-built for every chapter with your student in mind. Each lecture outline fea-
tures text, figures, photos, and tables to help enhance your lecture.
JPEGs for every figure from the text–including their labels–are available in high resolution to incorporate in your
lectures.
Labs give your students the opportunity to apply key concepts, collect data, and think critically about their
findings.
Printed Test Bank includes approximately 100 multiple-choice, free-response, and footprint calculation questions
per chapter. These questions are tagged to the “Key Ideas” for each chapter and organized by their level of
difficulty.
Computerized Test Bank includes all of the printed test bank questions in an easy-to-use computerized format.
The software allows instructors to add and edit questions and prepare quizzes and tests quickly and easily.
Course Management Coursepacks include the student and instructor materials in Blackboard, WebCT, and
other selected platforms.
SUPPLEMENTS ■ xv
Visit https://testbankfan.com
now to explore a rich
collection of testbank or
solution manual and enjoy
exciting offers!
Acknowledgments
From Andy Friedland . . . Ann Heath, Becky Kohn, Lee Wilcox, Karen Misler,
A large number of people have contributed to this Cathy Murphy, Hélène de Portu, Beth Howe, and
book in a variety of ways. I would like to thank all of Debbie Clare. I especially want to thank Lee Wilcox
my teachers, students, and colleagues. Professors for art assistance, and much more, including numerous
Robert Giegengack and Arthur Johnson introduced phone conversations. Thanks also to Bill Minick, Julio
me to environmental science as an undergraduate and Espin, Christine Buese, and Tracey Kuehn. We were
a graduate student. My colleagues in the Environmental grateful to David Courard-Hauri for help with the first
Studies Program at Dartmouth have contributed in edition.
numerous ways. I thank Doug Bolger, Michael Dorsey, Taylor Hornig, Susan Weisberg, Susan Milord, Carrie
Karen Fisher-Vanden, Coleen Fox, Jim Hornig, Rich Larabee, Kim Wind, and Lauren Gifford provided edito-
Howarth, Ross Jones, Anne Kapuscinski, Karol rial, administrative, logistical, and other support.
Kawiaka, Rosi Kerr, David Mbora, Jill Mikucki, Terry I’d also like to acknowledge Dick and Janie Pearl
Osborne, Darren Ranco, Bill Roebuck, Jack Shep- for friendship, and support through the Richard and
herd, Chris Sneddon, Scott Stokoe, Ross Virginia, and Jane Pearl Professorship in Environmental Studies.
D.G. Webster for all sorts of contributions to my Finally, I’d like to thank Katie, Jared, and Ethan
teaching in general and to this book. Friedland, and my mother, Selma, for everything.
In the final draft, four Dartmouth undergraduates
who have taken courses from me, Matt Nichols, Travis From Rick Relyea . . .
Price, Chris Whitehead, and Elizabeth Wilkerson, First and foremost I would like to thank my family—
provided excellent editorial, proofreading, and writing my wife Christine and my children Isabelle and Wyatt.
assistance. Many other colleagues have had discussions Too many nights and weekends were taken from them
with me or evaluated sections of text including Bill and given to this textbook and they never complained.
Schlesinger, Ben Carton, Jon Kull, Jeff Schneider, Their presence and patience continually inspired me to
Jimmy Wu, Colin Calloway, Joel Blum, Leslie Sonder, push forward and complete the project.
Carl Renshaw, Xiahong Feng, Bob Hawley, Meredith Much of the writing coincided with a sabbatical
Kelly, Rosi Kerr, Jay Lawrence, Jim Labelle, Tim that I spent in Montpellier, France. I am indebted to
Smith, Charlie Sullivan, Jenna Pollock, Jim Kaste, Philippe Jarne and Patrice David for supporting and
Carol Folt, Celia Chen, Matt Ayres, Becky Ball, Kathy funding my time at the Centre d’Ecologie Fonction-
Cottingham, Mark McPeek, David Peart, Lisa Adams, nelle et Evolutive. I am also indebted to many
and Richard Waddell. Graduate students and recent individuals at my home institution for supporting my
graduate students Andrew Schroth, Lynne Zummo, sabbatical, including Graham Hatfull and James
Rachel Neurath, and Chelsea Vario also contributed. Knapp.
Four friends helped me develop the foundation for Finally, I would like to thank the many people at W.
this textbook and shared their knowledge of environ- H. Freeman who helped guide me through the publica-
mental science and writing. I wish to acknowledge tion process and taught me a great deal. As with any
Dana Meadows and Ned Perrin, both of whom have book, a tremendous number of people were responsible,
since passed away, for all sorts of contributions during including many whom I have never even met. I would
the early stages of this work. Terry Tempest Williams especially like to thank Jerry Correa for convincing me
has been a tremendous source of advice and wisdom to join this project. I thank Becky Kohn, Karen Misler,
about topics environmental, scientific, and practical. Cathy Murphy, and Lee Wilcox for translating my
Jack Shepherd contributed a great deal of wisdom words and art ideas into a beautiful final product. Addi-
about writing and publishing. tional credit goes to Norma Roche and Fred Burns for
John Winn, Paul Matsudeiro, and Neil Campbell their copyediting, and to Debbie Goodsite and Ted
offered guidance with my introduction to the world of Szczepanski for finding great photos no matter how odd
publishing. Beth Nichols and Tom Corley helped me my request. Thanks also to Bill Minick, Julio Espin,
learn about the wide variety of environmental science Christine Buese, and Tracey Kuehn. Finally, I thank
courses that are being taught in the United States. Ann Heath and Beth Howe for ensuring a high-
A great many people worked with me at or through quality product and the dozens of reviewers who
W. H. Freeman and provided all kinds of assistance. I constantly challenged Andy and me to write a clear,
particularly would like to acknowledge Jerry Correa, correct, and philosophically balanced textbook.
xvi ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Reviewers
We would like to extend our deep appreciation to the following instructors who reviewed the book manuscript
at various stages of development. The content experts who carefully reviewed chapters in their area of expertise
are designated with an asterisk (*).
M. Stephen Ailstock, Anne Arundel Community College Caroline A. Karp, Brown University
Deniz Z. Altin-Ballero, Georgia Perimeter College Erica Kipp, Pace University, Pleasantville/Briarcliff
Daphne Babcock, Collin County Community College District Christopher McGrory Klyza, Middlebury College*
Jay L. Banner, University of Texas at San Antonio Frank T. Kuserk, Moravian College
James W. Bartolome, University of California, Berkeley Matthew Landis, Middlebury College*
Brad Basehore, Harrisburg Area Community College Kimberly Largen, George Mason University
Ray Beiersdorfer, Youngstown State University Larry L. Lehr, Baylor University
Grady Price Blount, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi Zhaohui Li, University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Edward M. Brecker, Palm Beach Community College, Thomas R. MacDonald, University of San Francisco
Boca Raton Robert Stephen Mahoney, Johnson & Wales University
Anne E. Bunnell, East Carolina University Bryan Mark, Ohio State University, Columbus Campus
Ingrid C. Burke, Colorado State University Paula J.S. Martin, Juniata College
Anya Butt, Central Alabama Community College Robert J. Mason, Tennessee Temple University
John Callewaert, University of Michigan* Michael R. Mayfield, Ball State University
Kelly Cartwright, College of Lake County Alan W. McIntosh, University of Vermont
Mary Kay Cassani, Florida Gulf Coast University Kendra K. McLauchlan, Kansas State University*
Young D. Choi, Purdue University Calumet Patricia R. Menchaca, Mount San Jacinto Community College
John C. Clausen, University of Connecticut* Dorothy Merritts, Franklin and Marshall College*
Richard K. Clements, Chattanooga State Technical Bram Middeldorp, Minneapolis Community and Technical
Community College College
Jennifer Cole, Northeastern University Tamera Minnick, Mesa State College
Stephen D. Conrad, Indiana Wesleyan University Mark Mitch, New England College
Terence H. Cooper, University of Minnesota Ronald Mossman, Miami Dade College, North
Douglas Crawford-Brown, University of North Carolina at William Nieter, St. John’s University
Chapel Hill Mark Oemke, Alma College
Wynn W. Cudmore, Chemeketa Community College Victor Okereke, Morrisville State College
Katherine Kao Cushing, San Jose State University Duke U. Ophori, Montclair State University
Maxine Dakins, University of Idaho Chris Paradise, Davidson College
Robert Dennison, Heartland Community College Clayton A. Penniman, Central Connecticut State University
Michael Denniston, Georgia Perimeter College Christopher G. Peterson, Loyola University Chicago
Roman Dial, Alaska Pacific University Craig D. Phelps, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,
Robert Dill, Bergen Community College New Brunswick
Michael L. Draney, University of Wisconsin, Green Bay F. X. Phillips, McNeese State University
Anita I. Drever, University of Wyoming* Rich Poirot, Vermont Department of Environmental
James Eames, Loyola University New Orleans Conservation*
Kathy Evans, Reading Area Community College Bradley R. Reynolds, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga
Mark Finley, Heartland Community College Amy Rhodes, Smith College*
Eric J. Fitch, Marietta College Marsha Richmond, Wayne State University
Karen F. Gaines, Northeastern Illinois University Sam Riffell, Mississippi State University
James E. Gawel, University of Washington, Tacoma Jennifer S. Rivers, Northeastern Illinois University
Carri Gerber, Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Ellison Robinson, Midlands Technical College
Institute Bill D. Roebuck, Dartmouth Medical School*
Julie Grossman, Saint Mary’s University, Winona Campus William J. Rogers, West Texas A&M University
Lonnie J. Guralnick, Roger Williams University Thomas Rohrer, Central Michigan University
Sue Habeck, Tacoma Community College Aldemaro Romero, Arkansas State University
Hilary Hamann, Colorado College William R. Roy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Sally R. Harms, Wayne State College Steven Rudnick, University of Massachusetts, Boston
Barbara Harvey, Kirkwood Community College Heather Rueth, Grand Valley State University
Floyd Hayes, Pacific Union College Eleanor M. Saboski, University of New England
Keith R. Hench, Kirkwood Community College Seema Sah, Florida International University
William Hopkins, Virginia Tech* Shamili Ajgaonkar Sandiford, College of DuPage
Richard Jensen, Hofstra University Robert M. Sanford, University of Southern Maine
Sheryll Jerez, Stephen F. Austin State University Nan Schmidt, Pima Community College
Shane Jones, College of Lake County Jeffery A. Schneider, State University of New York at Oswego
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ■ xvii
(reviewers continued)
Bruce A. Schulte, Georgia Southern University Melanie Szulczewski, University of Mary Washington
Eric Shulenberger, University of Washington Donald Thieme, Valdosta State University
Michael Simpson, Antioch University New England* Jamey Thompson, Hudson Valley Community College
Annelle Soponis, Reading Area Community College Tim Tibbets, Monmouth College
Douglas J. Spieles, Denison University John A. Tiedemann, Monmouth University
David Steffy, Jacksonville State University Conrad Toepfer, Brescia University
Christiane Stidham, State University of New York at Stony Todd Tracy, Northwestern College
Brook Steve Trombulak, Middlebury College
Peter F. Strom, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Zhi Wang, California State University, Fresno
New Brunswick Jim White, University of Colorado, Boulder
Kathryn P. Sutherland, University of Georgia Rich Wolfson, Middlebury College*
Christopher M. Swan, University of Maryland, Baltimore C. Wesley Wood, Auburn University
County* David T. Wyatt, Sacramento City College
Karen Swanson, William Paterson University of New Jersey
xviii ■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter Highlights
Citizen Scientists
T
he neighborhood of Old Diamond in Norco, Loui- that the Shell refinery was releasing more than 0.9 million kg
siana, is composed of four city blocks located (2 million pounds) of toxic chemicals into the air each year.
between a chemical plant and an oil refinery, The fight against Shell met strong resistance from com-
both owned by the Shell Oil Company. There are pany officials and went on for 13 years. But in the end, Margie
approximately 1,500 residents in the neighbor- Richard won her battle. In 2002, Shell agreed to purchase the
hood, largely lower-income African Americans. In 1973, a pipe- homes of the Old Diamond neighborhood. The company also
line explosion blew a house off its foundation and killed two agreed to pay an additional $5 million for community devel-
residents. In 1988, an accident at the refinery killed seven opment and it committed to reducing air emissions from the
The unusually high rates of disease raised suspicions that the residents
were being affected by two nearby industrial facilities.
workers and sent more than 70 million kg (159 million pounds) refinery by 30 percent to help improve the air quality for those
of potentially toxic chemicals into the air. Nearly one-third of residents who remained in the area. In 2007, Shell agreed that
the children in Old Diamond suffered from asthma and there it had violated air pollution regulations in several of its Loui-
were many cases of cancer and birth defects. The unusually siana plants and paid the state of Louisiana $6.5 million in
high rates of disease raised suspicions that the residents were penalties.
being affected by the two nearby industrial facilities. For her tremendous efforts in winning the battle in
By 1989, local resident and middle school teacher Margie Norco, Margie Richard was the North American recipient of
Richard had seen enough. Richard organized the Concerned the Goldman Environmental Prize, which honors grassroots
Citizens of Norco. The primary goal of the group was to get environmentalists. Since then, Richard has brought her mes-
Shell to buy the residents’ properties at a fair price so they sage to many other minority communities located near large
could move away from the industries that were putting their polluting industries. She teaches
health at risk. Richard contacted environmental scientists and people that success requires a
quickly learned that to make a solid case to the company and combination of organizing people
to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), she needed to take action to protect their envi-
to be more than an organizer; she also needed to be a scientist. ronment and learning how to be a
The residents all knew that the local air had a foul smell, citizen scientist. ■
but they had no way of knowing which chemicals were pres-
ent or their concentrations. To determine whether the air they Sources: The Goldman Environmental
Prize: Margie Richard. http://www
were breathing exposed the residents to chemical concentra-
.goldmanprize.org/node/100;
tions that posed a health risk, the air had to be tested. Richard M. Scallan, Shell, DEQ settle emission
learned about specially built buckets that could collect air charges, Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Margie Richard became
samples. She organized a “Bucket Brigade” of volunteers and March 15, 2007. http://www.nola.com/ a citizen scientist to
news/t-p/riverparishes/index.ssf?/ help document the
slowly collected the data she and her collaborators needed. base/news-3/1173941825153360
As a result of these efforts, scientists were able to document .xml&coll=1.
health risk of nearby
chemical plants. [Photo
courtesy of Goldman
Environmental Prize]
b The citizens of Norco, Louisiana, live in the shadows of chemical
plants and oil refineries. [Mark Ludak/The Image Works] 291
Nebraska
Nebraska
Kansas
Colorado
New
Oklahoma
Mexico
Local and regional examples make
the material relevant. Oklahoma Texas
3 to 7
WORKING TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY 200 km 7 to 15
I
More than 15
n certain parts of the world, such as Unfortunately, many local and state (a)
the United States, sanitation regula-
tions impose such high standards on
Is the Water in regulations in the United States and
around the world do not allow use of
FIGURE 9.4 The Ogallala aquifer. The Ogallala aquifer, also called the High Plains aquifer,
is the largest in the United States, with a surface area of about 450,000 km2 (174,000 miles2).
household wastewater that we classify Your Toilet Too gray water. Some localities allow the (a) The change in water level from 1950 to 2005, mostly due to withdrawals for irrigation that
relatively clean water from bathtubs use of gray water only if it is treated, have exceeded the aquifer’s rate of recharge. (b) The current thickness of the aquifer.
and washing machines as contami- Clean? filtered, or delivered to lawns and gar-
nated. This water must then be treated dens through underground drip irri-
as sewage. We also use clean, drinkable water to flush gation systems to avoid potential bacterial contamination.
our toilets and water our lawns. Can we combine Arizona, a state in the arid Southwest, has some of the
these two observations to come up with a way to save least restrictive regulations. As long as a number of
water? One idea that is gaining popularity throughout guidelines are followed, homeowners are permitted to
the developed world is to reuse some of the water we reuse gray water. In 2009, in the face of a severe water
normally discard as waste. shortage, California reversed earlier restrictions on gray
This idea has led creative homeowners and plumb-
ers to identify two categories of wastewater in the
home: gray water and contaminated water. Gray water is
defined as the wastewater from baths, showers, bath-
room sinks, and washing machines. Although no one
would want to drink it, gray water is perfectly suitable
for watering lawns and plants, washing cars, and flush-
ing toilets. In contrast, water from toilets, kitchen sinks,
and dishwashers contains a good deal of waste and
contaminants and should therefore be disposed of in
the usual fashion.
Around the world, there are a growing number of
Working Toward Sustainability
commercial and homemade systems in use for storing
gray water to flush toilets and water lawns or gardens.
For example, a Turkish inventor has designed a house- At the end of each chapter, students are
hold system allowing the homeowner to pipe wastewa-
ter from the washing machine to a storage tank that inspired by a success story that focuses on
dispenses this gray water into the toilet bowl with each
flush (FIGURE 9.25).
Many cities in Australia have considered the use of gray
how environmental problems are being
water as a way to reduce withdrawals of fresh water and
reduce the volume of contaminated water that requires
addressed by individual action.
treatment.The city of Sydney estimates that 70 percent of
the water withdrawn in the greater metropolitan area is FIGURE 9.25 Reusing gray water. A Turkish inventor has
used in households, and that perhaps 60 percent of that designed a washing machine that pipes the relatively clean
water becomes gray water.The Sydney Water utility com- water left over from a washing machine, termed gray water, to
pany estimates that the use of gray water for outdoor a toilet, where it can be reused for flushing. Such technologies
purposes could save up to 50,000 L (13,000 gallons) per can reduce the amount of drinkable water used and the volume
household per year. of water going into sewage treatment plants. [Sevin Coskun]
situations.
xx ■ CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS
Exploring the Variety of Random
Documents with Different Content
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