The Environmental Debate

This unique collection of primary documents examines the evolution of concern about environmental degradation, pollution, and resource conservation in America from the colonial period to the end of the twentieth century. The historical introductions to each part and to each document provide a context for analyzing each document and will aid readers to better understand the various stands taken in debates over how, why, and if our environment needs to be protected. Students and others interested in environmental problems are encouraged to consider all sides of these complex issues before drawing their own conclusions. The documents are taken from the writings of naturalists, including botanists and ornithologists; conservationists, ranging from forest managers to game hunters to grassroots activists; scientists, philosophers, and theologians; lawyers and judges; politicians and industrialists; sociologists and economists; artists, designers, architects; and poets and novelists; as well as from government reports; federal, state, and local legislation; and court cases. They include a wide variety of attitudes about environmental issues ranging from the apocalyptic view that we must immediately diminish our impact on the environment to the belief that we can use whatever resources we want for the advancement of human well-being because human ingenuity can resolve whatever problems ensue. The book, with its broad array of perspectives, will be a welcome resource for students wishing to explore controversial environmental issues from as many different angles as possible.

Reflecting a diversity of voices and critical perspectives, the essays in this book range from critiques of traditional thinking and practices to strategies for shifting public consciousness to create healthy communities.

Ozone-friendly, recyclable, zero-waste, elimination of toxic chemicals - such environmental ideals are believed to offer solutions to the environmental crisis. Where do these ideals come from? Is the environmental debate communicating the right problems? Eco-Facts and Eco-Fiction examines serious errors in perceptions about human and environmental health. Drawing on a wealth of everyday examples of local and global concerns, the author explains basic concepts and observations relating to the environment. Removing fear of science and technology and eliminating wrong perceptions lead to a more informed understanding of the environment as a science, a philosophy, and a lifestyle. By revealing the flaws in today's environmental vocabulary, this book stresses the urgent need for a common language in the environmental debate. Such a common language encourages the effective communication between environmental science and environmental decision-making that is essential for finding solutions to environmental problems.

Though the scientific community largely agrees that climate change is underway, debates about this issue remain fiercely polarized. These conversations have become a rhetorical contest, one where opposing sides try to achieve victory through playing on fear, distrust, and intolerance. At its heart, this split no longer concerns carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases, or climate modeling; rather, it is the product of contrasting, deeply entrenched worldviews. This brief examines what causes people to reject or accept the scientific consensus on climate change. Synthesizing evidence from sociology, psychology, and political science, Andrew J. Hoffman lays bare the opposing cultural lenses through which science is interpreted. He then extracts lessons from major cultural shifts in the past to engender a better understanding of the problem and motivate the public to take action. How Culture Shapes the Climate Change Debate makes a powerful case for a more scientifically literate public, a more socially engaged scientific community, and a more thoughtful mode of public discourse.

Brings together over 40 essential readings, which illustrate the diversity of political responses to environmental issues. They are organized in a way that emphasizes the differences and debates across the various schools of thought on environmental affairs.

This unique collection of nearly 200 Primary Documents examines the evolution of concern about environmental degradation, pollution, climate change, and resource conservation in America from the Colonial period the present. This new third edition is filled with important updates and new coverage of documents published from 2010 to 2017 that discuss current thoughts on climate change, environmental reform, toxic chemicals, sustainable energy, gas drilling, oil pipelines, energy demand, clean energy, land management, marine life and more. Detailed historical introductions begin each chapter and precede each primary document, to provide a context for analyzing each document and will aid readers in better understanding the various stands taken in debates over how, why, and if our environment needs to be protected. Documents include the writings of naturalists, conservationists, scientists, philosophers, lawyers, judges, politicians, sociologists, artists and poets, as well as from government reports, federal, state, and local legislation, and court cases to provide balanced coverage. An in-depth General Introduction gives the reader a clear, succinct overview of the extremely complex environmental issues covered in this resource. Additional materials include Significant Dates in American Environmental History, Major National Environmental Organizations, a Detailed Glossary, Sources for Further Reading and a Cumulative Index. Documents include the writings of naturalists, conservationists, scientists, philosophers, lawyers, judges, politicians, sociologists, artists and poets, as well as from government reports, federal, state, and local legislation, and court cases. Readers will be introduced to documents illustrating Pollution in Plymouth Colony Harbor in 1668, John James Audubon on the Decimation of the Bison Herds in 1843, the Act Establishing Yellowstone National Park in 1872, excerpts from the Clean Air Act of 1955, the Supreme Court Decision of Sierra Club v. Morton in 1972, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the United Nations Convention and Protocol on Ozone Depletion in 1987, Barak Obama's Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force on Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts and the Great Lakes in 2010, and much more. Detailed historical introductions begin each chapter and precede each primary document, to provide a context for analyzing each document and will aid readers to better understand the various stands taken in debates over how, why, and if our environment needs to be protected. The Environmental Debate presents a wide variety of attitudes about environmental issues, to ensure balanced and complete coverage of the environmental debate. A Detailed Glossary and Cumulative Index complete the text. The Environmental Debate offers unequaled coverage of one of the most debated topics in American history. This updated third edition, with its broad array of perspectives, will be a welcome resource for students wishing to explore controversial environmental issues from as many different angles as possible.

This book investigates the role played by classical and digital media, and social networks in shaping debates on the environment. Providing a unique window of observation on environmental debates, the book explores the media theatre from the post-communist perspective of Albania. The work navigates the creation and development of environmental debate in Albania using evidence-based case studies, investigating the role of actors involved, who are closely related to the media, such as in business or politics. Environmental Debates in Albania offers an original insight on environmental debate, which is closely tied to and influenced by the place and culture within which it originates. Rich literature exists on global environmental issues, protests, policy and the rhetoric around climate change; this book supplies another piece to the puzzle through its focus on the under-researched area of environmental debate in post-communist and Eastern European countries.