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Environmental Science By Richard T. Wright ( Prentice Hall )
Release Date: 2004-07
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Product Description
This study guide helps students identify the important concepts from the text and then provides them with review exercises, study questions, self-check exercises and vocabulary review.
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Stay on the subject ( csasf )
Wright puts a good foot forward and has a good outline of text but rapidly deviates from science into biased politics. I reviewed this text for a new course we are developing but found too much politics, which you can discern from these quotes (of many):
"Significantly, the United States, led by the Bush administration, has reneged on its pledge and has withdrawn from the Kyoto process." (p. 6)
"The two dominant political parties in the United States - the Democrats and Republicans - have very different views on environmental issues. When Republican George W. Bush took office in 2001 (Fig. 1-14), his administration and his allies in congress began a process of policy redirection that the New York Times has called the ""perfect storm"" for wrecking environmental programs." (p. 18)
"The hopeful news is that the vast majority of people really do care about the environment and will resist the way the Bush administration is acting to roll back several decades of environmental progress." (p. 22)
"On the political front, the Bush administration has relaxed (read, weakened) rules designated to protect streams, swamps, and other wetlands from being developed, dredged, or drained."
"Instead, the Bush administration and Congress have acted to reduce U.S. support of UNFPA and the entire ICPD Program of Action!"
"the work of the council [President Clinton's Council on Sustainable Development] has been ignored by the Bush administration."
"To put it [president Bush's foreign aid pledge] into proper perspective, though, contributions in 2000 from religious organizations, foundations, corporations, non-governmental organizations, and individuals provided some $33.6 billion in aid, far outstripping our ODA [pledge]."
"(Kofi) Annan stated, ""We need a new ethic of stewardship"".
"Changes in administration (i.e., Bush) and in the control of congress have resulted in many serious reversals of environmental policy decisions."
"Although it is clear that the United States and Britain will not simply commandeer the Iraqi oil, U.S. and British oil companies are likely to be part of the anticipated effort to stimulate a renewed Iraqi oil industry - and the United States and the other oil-hungry Western countries will be ready consumers for the oil once it begins to flow again - at acceptable prices."
"...arguing that citizens' appeals were stalling forest thinning projects, President Bush ruled that environmental reviews and judicial oversight would be restricted."
"The Cheney report, the basis for the Bush administration's energy policy, recommended ways to meet the rising demand with fossil fuels..."
"The Bush administration has formulated an energy policy...however reveals the first disturbing thrust of the new policy. It is to develop the oil in a wilderness refuge, the ANWR..."
"W Steps In. George W. Bush identified himself as an environmentalist during the 2000 presidential campaign and, at that time, promised to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in an effort to combat global warming. Shortly after his contested election (over irregularities in Florida's electoral process), President Bush began what was called by one commentator as an ""environmental meltdown in the White House"."
Many of these statements are not supported by facts, are expected to stand as absolute truth for our impressionable students, and were not referenced. I was looking for the science of environmental protection and sustainability and found politics instead.
If you look at the list of Environmental Organizations in Appendix A you will find many political groups including "Planned Parenthood Foundation".
As a wetland scientist I was disappointed at the lack of attention to this major environment. His definition of wetlands reads "Especially marshy areas along coasts that are regularly flooded by tides." Not quite!
Look to the other publishers (Wiley and McGraw) or get a subscription to Newsweek instead.
Bart Baca, Ph.D.
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