Human Perspectives on Environmental Issues
Charles Harper is a professor of sociology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. As a member of the faculty there since 1968, he has developed and taught numerous courses in the sociology department. Dr. Harper's teaching and scholarly interests inolve the study of social change, globalization, the sociology of religion, social theory, and environmental sociology. He has published papers in a variety of academic journals. Along with Environment and Society, Dr. Harper is the author of two other textbooks. Co-authored with Kevin Leicht, his book Exploring Social Change: America and the World (Prentice Hall, 2007) is now in its Fifth Edition. Another book, Food, Society, and Environment (Prentice Hall, 2003) was co-authored with Bryan F. LeBeau. . As an undergraduate, Dr. Harper studied biology and the natural sciences. He received a bachelor's degree from Central Missouri State University, a Master's degree in sociology from the University of Missouri, and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He and his wife, Anne, live close to Creighton's campus near a "clan" of adult children, stepchildren, and grandchildren. He also enjoys traveling, bicycling, and reading.
IN THIS SECTION:
1.) BRIEF
2.) COMPREHENSIVE
BRIEF TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Chapter 1: Environment, Human Systems, and Social Science
Chapter 2: Humans and the Resources of the Earth: Sources and Sinks
Chapter 3: Global Climate Change
Chapter 4: Energy and Society
Chapter 5: Population, Environment, and Food
Chapter 6: Globalization, Growth, and Sustainability
Chapter 7: Transforming Structures: Markets and Politics
COMPREHENSIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Preface
Chapter 1: Environment, Human Systems, and Social Science
Ecocatastrophe or Ecohype?
Ecosystems: Concepts and Components
Sociocultural Systems
Ecosystem and Sociocultural Evolution: Human Ecology
Environmental Social Sciences
Conclusion: Environment, Ecosystems, and Human Systems
Personal Connections
Chapter 2: Humans and the Resources of the Earth: Sources and Sinks
Land and Soil
Water Resources
Biodiversity and Forests
Wastes and Pollution
Conclusion: The Resources of the Earth
Personal Connections
Chapter 3: Global Climate Change
Ozone Depletion and Ultraviolet Radiation
Turning Up the Heat: Global Warming
Do We Know Enough to Act?
Policy Options: What Could Be Done about Global Warming?
Personal Connections
Chapter 4: Energy and Society
A Historical Detour: Recent Energy Crises
Energy Problems: Environmental and Social
The Energetics of Human Societies
The Present Energy System and Its Alternatives
Barriers, Transitions, and Energy Policy
In Summary: Energy and the Risks We Take
Personal Connections
Chapter 5: Population, Environment, and Food
The Dynamics of Population Change
How Serious Is the Problem of World Population Growth?
Making Sense Out of This Controversy
Population, Food, and Hunger
Feeding Eight Billion People in the Next Fifty Years?
Stabilizing World Population: Policy Options
Conclusion &nbs...