United States
£ GBP
The Global Casino is an introduction to environmental issues which deals both with the workings of the physical environment and the political, economic and social frameworks in which the issues occur. Using examples from all over the world, The Global Casino highlights the underlying causes behind environmental problems, the human actions which have made them issues, and the hopes for solutions. It is a book about the human impact on the environment and the ways in which the natural environment impacts human society.
The fifth edition has been fully revised and updated throughout, with new case studies, figures, and online resources such as downloadable figures and tables from the text and multiple choice questions for students. New topics covered in extended boxed case studies include payment for environmental services, ocean acidification, biofuels in Brazil, waste reduction through industrial symbiosis, and the long-term impact of natural disasters on vulnerable groups. Other approaches and concepts covered for the first time in this new edition include traditional ecological knowledge, environmental justice, the 'resource curse', and urban biodiversity.
Eighteen chapters on key issues follow three initial chapters which outline the background contexts of the physical and human environments and the concept of sustainable development. Each chapter provides historical context for key issues, outlines why they have arisen, and highlights areas of controversy and uncertainty to appraise how issues can be resolved both technically and in political and economic frameworks. Each chapter also contains an updated critical guide to further reading and websites, as well as discussion points and essay questions. The text can be read in its entirety or individual chapters adopted as standalone reading.
The Global Casino is an essential resource for students of the environment, geography, earth sciences and development studies. It provides comprehensive and inspirational coverage of all the major global environmental issues of the day in a style that is clear and critical.
1. The Physical Environment
2. The Human Environment
3. Sustainable Development
4. Tropical Deforestation
5. Desertification
6. Oceans
7. Coastal Issues
8. Rivers, Lakes and Wetlands
9. Big Dams
10. Urban Environments
11. Climatic Change
12. Acidification
13. Food Production
14. Soil Erosion
15. Biodiversity Loss
16. Transport
17. Waste Management
18. Energy Production
19. Mining
20. Warfare
21. Natural Hazards
22. Conclusions
Nick Middleton is a Fellow and Lecturer in Physical Geography at St Anne's College, Oxford University. His background is in the physical side of geography but his interests span the entire subject. His academic role is supplemented by his work as an environmental consultant and freelance author having written more than 250 articles in journals, magazines and newspapers, and 18 books.
"The Global Casino Fifth Edition provides a solid foundation for understanding the human impacts on a comprehensive array of environments, resulting from a wide range of human activities. With its updated literature and revisions, it will continue to be a valuable text for courses in environmental studies and geography, providing the basis for well-informed discussion and analysis."
- Dr Wolfgang Hoeschele, School of Environmental Studies, Truman State University, USA.
