National Geographic Learning Reader: Environment: Our Impact on the Earth (with eBook Printed Access Card) (National Geographic Learning Reader series)

If you are a student of nature and inclined towards ‘textbook’ style information, try this book. Its content includes the how-of and why-of little daily things becoming, additively, major global issues. Along with a focus on what is leading to the destruction of our natural world is material on prevention, restoration, and maintenance of our critical resources. There are ten sections which include reflective essays, questions for the reader, exercises to highlight the important vocabulary and to elicit meaning, and experiential prompts to assist the reader in making the material read relevant to one’s life and environment.The sections on fresh water, lessons to be learned from the redwood forests, high-tech trash and its impacts on the environment, the drying of the western states, and the melting of the glaciers are informed by ways to save energy starting home. Each section is led by essays from notable authors and scientists providing a framework for consideration of the issues. Reading these sections and making use of the prompts and questions at the end of each, made me painfully aware of the damage already done to our environment. These authors provide facts, causal links, and historic evidence, challenging our assumptions about 21st Century resources.What happens when the flow of the Colorado River, supplying water to seven states and more that 30 million users, and irrigating more than 4 million acres of land begins to fail? Prominent research labs suggest that the American Southwest will descend into permanent dustbowl conditions by mid-century. What about the consequences of our throwaway culture creating toxic high-tech waste? Our aging and defective infrastructure raises concerns about the continued reliance on the national grid on which we depend too heavily for power.This was a difficult book to read and only by rereading it in small doses was I able to digest the material. It’s not that the content went over my head, but that it affected me in intense and personal ways. It made clear and fearsome the potential harm we can expect in our future. It is a worthwhile read.

Arrived in brand new condition and very quickly. Very pleased with the great service. I needed this book last minute due to some errors at my college campus book store and was able to get this book very quickly. I had it in my hands less than a week after ordering and I only had standard shipping.

It was a good book till some meth addict stole it. 5 stars great product!