North America: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues

by Kevin Hillstrom, Laurie Collier Hillstrom

Overview

A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing the vast and diverse continent that is North America.

North America, tells the story of this environmental awakening and the continuing problems that the continent faces. It tackles the tough issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies of the North American environment.

According to some estimates, one out of every nine barrels of oil used in the world every day is consumed by a North American motorist. In 1996, World Wildlife Fund Canada estimated that the country was losing wilderness to development at a rate of more than one acre every 15 seconds. Today, this pace of destruction has been faulted for eroding much of the continent's fabulous natural wealth, and new emphasis is being placed on finding a more appropriate balance between development and conservation.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781576076842
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/26/2003
Series:	The World's Environments
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier Hillstrom are professional writers. Their published works include all six volumes in ABC-CLIO's World Environments series.

Editorial Reviews

[E]xcellent source for students needing materials for in-depth research.” —School Library Jourbanal

“The writing is clear and straightforward . . . This is a good overview that is not overly technical but intellectually sound. It is suitable for public, undergraduate, and high school libraries.” —American Reference Books Annual

From the Publisher

Gr 10 Up-While most books on these issues are studies in documenting decline, these titles also present information on the advances made over the past several decades. Each volume is divided into 10 sections covering such topics as "Population and Land Use," "Biodiversity," "Agriculture," water, energy, air quality, and activism. In Europe, some countries, such as Slovenia, Scotland, and Iceland, are not mentioned at all or are given cursory representation. The text, though readable, is dense. A variety of opinions on controversial issues is presented. The black-and-white illustrations are murky and sometimes have little merit. (A blotchy photograph of two cows is captioned "cows with mad-cow disease" but there is no sign of anything signifying disease.) Each chapter includes a list of excellent sources in both print and electronic format. In North America, the information provided about the U.S. and Canada is equally thorough. Even with their limitations, these are excellent sources for students needing materials for in-depth research.-Eva Elisabeth VonAncken, Trinity-Pawling School, Pawling, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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