Environment Human Condition – serie

This pioneer work in a complex, interdisciplinary, and still-developing field explores the prospects for a more comprehensive approach to evaluating environmental programs. Experts in the fields of biology, chemistry, ecology, economics, management, planning, sociology, political science, and public administration provide coherent, integrated perspectives on the task of environmental program evaluation. The essays are organized thematically, covering institutional, scientific, economic, and administrative topics. The volume will be a valuable text for practitioners, regulators, policymakers, and scholars in the fields of program evaluation, environmental policy, and environmental science.

"Our ties to the green world are often subtle and unexpected. It is not merely that hemoglobin and chlorophyll bear a striking similarity in structure, or that plants provide the pleasure of food and flowers."--from the PrefaceWhy do gardeners delight in the germination and growth of a seed? Why are our spirits lifted by flowers, our feelings of tension allayed by a walk in a forest or park? What other positive influences can green naturebring to humanity?In Green Nature/Human Nature Charles A. Lewis describes the psychological, sociological, and physiological responses of people to vegetation in cities and forests, as well as in horticultural therapy programs in hospitals, geriatric institutions, physical rehabilitation centers, drug rehabilitation programs, and correctional institutions. He presents an evolutionary basis for the human attraction to plants. People-plant interactions are presented from two perspectives: participatory, in which the individual is involved in planting and maintaining the vegetation, and observational, in which the individual bears no responsibility for establishing or maintaining the vegetation.In what amounts to a straightforward catalog of well-documented and tangible benefits, Lewis brings the latest and best research into plant/human interaction to bear on questions of how green nature is intertwined with the human psyche and how that interaction can lead to enhanced well-being and an appreciation of the human dimension in environmental concerns.Lewis's work will be essential reading for anyone interested in plantsand how they affect people.A volume in the series The Environment and the Human Condition

Probing the profitable new science of creating--and altering--life forms"Extraordinarily well documented . . . remarkably clear. This isthe most comprehensive coverage of these issues to date. It will be requiredreading for some time." -- Lawrence Busch, Michigan State University"Krimsky and Wrubel not only describe the components of agriculturalbiotechnology, they address and analyze controversies involving the risksand benefits of new technologies. Coverage of technical to social componentsof agricultural biotechnology is unusually complete and thorough. Theireven-handed and comprehensive approach to these topics is rare and extremelyvaluable." -- Richard Weinzierl, University of IllinoisModern agriculture is being transformed by the genetic alteration ofseeds, animals, and microorganisms, a process that has produced such productsas flavor saver tomatoes and crops resistant to specific insects or herbicides.Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment is the first comprehensiveoverview of the ongoing transformation of agriculture, exploring the impactof genetic engineering from scientific, social, ethical, and ecologicalperspectives.Sheldon Krimsky and Roger Wrubel detail the impact the new generationof products is expected to have on agricultural practice and the environmentand assess the degree to which current trends in biotechnology match earlierexpectations. They also analyze the social and political response to innovationsresulting from genetic technology.Closely examined in each of three areas--transgenic plants, geneticallyengineered microorganisms, and transgenic animals--are technical and scientificproblems, social controversies, and anticipated environmental impacts.An objective, detailed look at a subject of interest to a broad spectrumof readers, Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment willbe of interest to researchers in the new biotechnology fields as wellas to educated general readers and policymakers.A volume in the series The Environment and the Human Condition