Benjamin Cummings / Prentice Hall

Environmental Science

Browse available resources for Environmental Science:



Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 2/E
Jay H. Withgott
Scott R. Brennan

ISBN-10: 0805382038
ISBN-13: 9780805382037

Publisher: Prentice Hall
Copyright: 2007
Format: Cloth Package; 672 pp
Published: 02/02/2006

This item has been replaced by Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 3/E .

The first edition of Environment: The Science behind the Stories made the biggest splash of any new entry in environmental science over the past thirty years. The newly revised Second Edition retains all the popular features of this landmark first edition—including its integrated central case study approach, and focus on current data and critical thinking—while new instructor resources make it easier than ever to give dynamic lectures.


  • Integrated Central Case Studies begin and are woven throughout each chapter, highlighting the real people, real places, and real data behind environmental issues. The Central Case Studies draw students in, and provide the contextual framework necessary to make science memorable.
  • Science behind the Story feature boxes highlight how scientists develop hypotheses, test predictions, and analyze and interpret data. These engaging stories help students understand “how we know what we know” about environmental issues.
  • Revised Weighing the Issues questions included throughout each chapter encourage students to develop critical-thinking skills, grapple with ethical questions, and apply what they have learned as they go through chapter the material.
  • Revised Viewpoints feature boxes in every chapter present two opposing views on a contentious environmental issue related to the chapter's central theme. Fourteen new “Viewpoint” responses in the Second Edition help students hone their critical thinking skills, while new questions and links to further research on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website allow students to more fully consider opposing viewpoints.
  • A U.S. and global perspective on environmental issues ensures that students understand the local and global implications of environmental problems and solutions.
  • GraphIt exercises on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website help students understand and interpret graphs.
  •  Improved three-dimensional art and an increased number of photos throughout the text appeal to today’s visual students.
  •  Detailed chapter summaries with correlated page references help students study for tests.

  • Calculating Ecological Footprint activities at the end of each chapter give students practice in applying individual decisions to larger scales to assess the impact on the environment. 
  • Interpreting Graphs and Data activities at the end of each chapter give students hands-on experience in working with graphs.
  • InvestigateIt interactive map on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website provides over 100 additional case studies. Students can read recent articles in the New York Times and view current clips from ABC News to explore environmental issues and solutions from around the world. 
  • You Decide activities on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website help students learn how to analyze data on global warming and conservation, and will help them develop the skills they’ll need to make informed decisions on environmental issues.
  • Media Manager—Dynamic Lectures in Half the Time! This powerful media package is organized chapter-by-chapter and includes all teaching resources in one convenient location. You’ll find 5-minute ABC News Lecture Launcher videos, PowerPoint presentations, active lecture questions to facilitate class discussions (for use with or without clickers), and an image library that includes all art and tables from the text.
  • Online grade book–Are you tired of seeing valuable online student resources go unused because they’re hard to assign? The online grade book on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website records individual and class quiz results, making it easy for professors to track student scores, and for students to review their own individual progress online.
  • E-book on the Withgott/Brennan Companion Website is included with each new copy of the text.

I. Foundations of Environmental Science

1. An Introduction to Environmental Science

2. Environmental Ethics and Economics: Values and Choices

3. Environmental Policy: Decision-Making and Problem-Solving

4. From Chemistry to Energy to Life

5. Evolution, Biodiversity, and Population Ecology

6. Species Interactions and Community Ecology

7. Environmental Systems and Ecosystem Ecology

II. Environmental Issues and the Search For Solutions

8. Human Population Growth

9. Agriculture, Soils, and Soil Conservation

10. Agriculture, Biotechnology, and the Future of Food

11. Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

12. Resource Management, Forestry, Land Use, and Protected Areas

13. Urbanization and Creating Livable Cities

14. Toxicology and Environmental Health

15. Freshwater Resources: Natural Systems, Human Impact, and Conservation

16. Marine Resources: Natural Systems, Human Impact, and Conservation

17. Atmospheric Science and Air Pollution

18. Global Climate Change

19. Fossil Fuels: Energy and Impacts

20. Conventional Energy Alternatives: Hydropower, Biomass, and Nuclear Energy

21. New Renewable Energy Alternatives

22. Waste Management

23. Sustainable Solutions

     Environment: The Science behind the Stories captures student interest with a revolutionary new approach. Integrated central case studies are elaborated through each chapter, using real-life details of each story to give students a tangible and engaging framework around which to learn and understand conceptual scientific issues. The newly revised Third Edition enhances this book’s focus on current data, scientific rigor, and critical thinking with the addition of new hands-on activities

  • 0805395733Environment: The Science Behind the Stories, 3/E
    Withgott & Brennan
    © 2008 | Prentice Hall | Paper Bound with PIN; 800 pages | Estimated Availability: 02/20/2009
    ISBN-10: 0805395733 | ISBN-13: 9780805395730
    Brief Description | Buy from myPearsonStore

Jay H. Withgott

Jay H. Withgott is a science and environmental writer with a background in scientific research and teaching. He holds degrees from Yale University, University of Arkansas, and University of Arizona. As a researcher, he has published scientific papers on topics in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, and conservation biology in a variety of journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, Evolution, and Animal Behavior. He has taught university-level laboratory courses in ecology, ornithology, vertebrate diversity, anatomy, and general biology.

 

As a science writer, Jay has authored articles for a variety of journals and magazines including Science, New Scientist, BioScience, Current Biology, Conservation in Practice, and Natural History. He combines his scientific expertise with his past experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers to make science accessible and engaging for general audiences.

 

Jay lives with his wife, biologist Susan Masta, in Portland, Oregon, and takes every opportunity he can to explore the diverse landscapes of Oregon and the American West.

 

 

Scott Brennan

Scott Brennan has taught environmental science, ecology, resource policy, and journalism at Western Washington University and at Walla Walla Community College. He has also worked as a journalist, photographer, and consultant.

 

Scott has cultivated his expertise in environmental science and public policy by serving as Campaign Director of Alaskans for Responsible Mining, as Executive Conservation Fellow of the National Parks Conservation Association in Washington, D.C., and as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Security Office at the Pentagon

 

When not at work, Scott is likely to be found exploring Alaska’s Chugach Mountains and the Bristol Bay drainages in Southwest Alaska. He lives with his wife, Angela, and their dogs Raven and Hatcher in South Central Alaska’s Chester Creek Watershed.

 

 

View a Sample Chapter PDF:

 

Take a closer look Sample Chapters | Class Test

Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students, contact your Pearson Higher Education representative for pricing and ordering information.

This package contains:

Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students contact your Pearson Higher Education representative.


Copyright ©2009 Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Permissions