Just Published!
For decades, environmental scientist and conservationist Daniel B. Botkin has studied the world around us. He has traveled the globe observing nature and the human impact on the environment, and now he has collected his keen observations into this accessible and informative book.
25 Myths That Are Destroying the Environment explores the many myths circulating in both ecological and political discussions. These myths often drive policy and opinion, and Botkin is here to set the record straight. What may seem like an environmentally conscious action on one hand may very well be bringing about the unnatural destruction of habitats and ecosystems.
If our society is to sustain the environment around us for future generations, solving environmental problems by understanding how nature works is not just helpful, it's necessary.
Topics include:
- Is life really that fragile?
- Is consensus science?
- Are recent weather patterns truly proof of long-term weather change?
- Are wildfires really all that bad?
- Are predators absolutely necessary to control populations of other species?
In a world awash in misleading or false information about the environment, Daniel Botkin has written a straightforward and concise examination of the biggest myths hurting conservation efforts today.
Written in a clear manner that dissects each myth one by one, 25 Myths That Are Destroying the Environment offers readers an informative guide to navigating discussions on environmental issues.
Visit www.rowman.com to order today!
Taylor Trade Publishing is an imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
Table of Contents
- We Are the Only Species That Has Ever Had Global Effects on the Environment
- Life Is Fragile, Requires Specific Conditions,and Can't Adjust Easily to Change
- Extinction Is Unnatural and Bad, but Easy to Accomplish
- The Balance of Nature Exists and Dominates All Life and All Environments
- The Balance of Nature Is the Best and Only Condition for All Life
- Beauty in Nature Only Happens in Areas Completely Undisturbed by Us
- An Ecosystem Is Any Kind of Group
- People Are Outside of Nature
- The Only Reason to Conserve Nature: Every Species Has a Moral Right to Exist
- People Have Changed the Environment Only Since the Industrial/Scientific Age
- Without Human Interference, Earth's Climate Is Stable
- People Are the Most Important Factor Determining Earth's Climate
- Climate Change Will Lead to Huge Numbers of Extinctions
- Recent Weather Is Proof of Long-Term Climate Change
- Consensus Is Science
- Computer Models Are True
- All Populations Are Bound to Grow to Exceed what Their Environment can Support and Go Extinct.
- Predators Are Absolutely Necessary to Control the Populations of Their Prey
- Maximum Sustainable Yields Are Possible for Fish and All Wildlife
- We Can't Do Much about Environmental Risks
- Smokey Bear Is Right: Only You Can Prevent Wildfires
- Forests Are an Important Place for Long-Term Carbon Storage
- Solar and Wind Energy Require Huge Areas
- Large-Scale Solar Energy Projects Require Very Hot Climates
- Compared to Climate Change, All Other Environmental Issues Are Minor
In your discussion of the lag time between temperature rise and CO2 level increase in the atmosphere, I didn’t find any mention of ocean acidification or the absorption of CO2 by the oceans. Doesn’t that, as well as increased uptake in carbon by certain plants, explain the lag?
By the way, back in the late 1960s I shared a microscope in a NYU class with a Daniel Botkin, and introduced him to Dr. Klein, for whom I was working as a research assistant. I wonder if that was you? Since then I have worked as a naturalist in nature centers, taught in international schools with my husband, and now am promoting the planting of native plants to benefit birds and other wildlife.
Hello,
Thanks for writing! Yes, you are correct that ocean acidification is a likely method to explain the lag, but I am not an expert on oceanography. I’ll ask colleagues and find out what I can. If I find anything of interest, I’ll get back to no.
No, I never took a course at NYU so it wasn’t me. Sorry.
Dan Botkin