Man As A Geological Agent

Man as a Geological Agent offers a fascinating look at the ways in which human activity has shaped the natural world. Arthur Smith Woodward and Robert Lionel Sherlock explore the impact of everything from agriculture and mining to urbanization and climate change, showing how our actions have altered the very fabric of the planet. With its unique blend of science and social commentary, this book is sure to appeal to anyone interested in the environment and the role of humans in shaping it. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Excerpt from Man as a Geological Agent: An Account of His Action on Inanimate Nature Many animals alter the surface of the earth to a certain extent to suit their own convenience and comfort. Some burrow or dig holes, others make mounds of various kinds; while some, such as the beavers, dam and alter watercourses, with results that arc by no means insignificant. The turbaries or peaty swamps of the Lea valley in Essex, for example, are probably due in great part to the work of the beavers which lived there in prehistoric times. The activities of animals in altering their surroundings, however, arc not progressive. Animals merely repeat the same old instinctive course, and the world from their point of view never becomes a more desirable place to live in. Man, on the other hand, ever since his appearance, has progressed in adapting surrounding nature to his needs. Commencing by picking up any broken piece of stone useful for his purpose as an implement, he would gradually begin to chip the stones himself to make them of the required shape. Next, he learned the preparation of metals which would provide tools both more efficient and more varied. Finally, his materials for industry became almost unlimited. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.