Living with Earth An Introduction to Environmental Geology

For many students with no science background, environmental geology may be one of the only science courses they ever take. Living With Earth: An Introduction to Environmental Geology is ideal for those students, fostering a better understanding of how they interact with Earth and how their actions can affect Earth's environmental health. The informal, reader-friendly presentation is organized around a few unifying perspectives: how the various Earth systems interact with one another; how Earth affects people (creating hazards but also providing essential resources); and how people affect Earth. Greater emphasis is placed on environment and sustainability than on geology, unlike other texts on the subject. Essential scientific foundations are presented - but the ultimate goal is to connect students proactively to their role as stakeholders in Earth's future.

Preface, 1 What Does “Living with Earth” Mean?, 2 Earth Systems, 3 The Dynamic Geosphere and Plate Tectonics, 4 Geosphere Materials, 5 Earthquakes, 6 Volcanoes, 7 Rivers and Flooding, 8 Unstable Land, 9 Changing Coasts, 10 Water Resources, 11 Soil Resources, 12 Mineral Resources, 13 Energy Resources, 14 Atmosphere Resources and Climate Change, 15 Managing People’s Environmental Impact, Glossary, Photo Credits, Index

Undergraduate

Travis Hudson is an applied and research geologist with 40 years of diverse experience studying Earth and its relation to people. While completing graduate school at Stanford University, he began his career as a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Alaska. His regional understanding of Alaska was put to good use when he became a mineral explorationist for a private company. He subsequently served as a research director for an oil company, studying regional tectonics and basin evolution, and as an exploration manager on Alaska’s North Slope, where he helped discover several oil fields. As his company had inherited significant environmental problems from its mining division, environmental remediation technology became his next focus. While managing environmental cleanups at mining-related sites, he studied environmental laws and standards, worked with regulators, and took on many community education responsibilities. Since 1996 Travis has been a consulting research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey studying crustal character in Alaska; a field geologist exploring for mineral deposits in Alaska; and the Director of Environmental Affairs for the American Geological Institute (AGI). At AGI he coordinated the development and publication of the Environmental Awareness Series, richly illustrated 64-page books designed to educate citizens and policy-makers about the insights that Earth Science can contribute to our understanding of environmental issues. He is the author of Metal Mining and the Environment in that series, as well as many scientific contributions. Travis lives with his wife Patti in Sitka, Alaska. When he is not writing or working in the field he is often fishing on the Kenai, staking out his claim to a niche at the top of the food chain alongside the local bears.The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 46 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, an