A revised edition of Salem's Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues (2000), this four-volume set assembles information from numerous fields of knowledge relevant to the study of environmental issues, including biology, geology, anthropology, demographics, genetics, and engineering, and explains the interrelationships of these issues in easily understood terms.
This set adds about 300 new articles to the 475 presented in the first edition, expanding the set to four volumes. All of the original essays have been evaluated for their currency, and 123 of them have been either completely replaced or substantially revised to reflect the latest information available. The Further Reading sections accompanying the essays have all been updated. The set contains 770 alphabetically arranged articles that range in length from 300 to 3,000 words. All articles are signed by the academics and other experts who wrote them. They cover a wide variety of topics, including endangered animal species, air pollution, national parks, environmental legislation, oil spills, alternative energy sources, and global climate change. In recognition of the fact that people spend an overwhelming proportion of their time in human-made environments, essays also cover such topics as sick building syndrome, noise pollution, smog, and urban planning. The majority of the articles consist of overviews of a variety of issues, concepts and terms relevant to the study of environmental matters. These articles range from broad concepts such as ecology to specific issues like the conflict between loggers and defenders of the endangered northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The remaining essays are specialized articles covering biographies, events, books, legislation and international treaties, court cases, and organizations.
Each essay begins with a category subhead (Activism and Advocacy, Waste and Waste Management) and the definition of the topic, along with any relevant dates. A brief summary of the environmental significance of the topic follows. Each article of more than 300 words has a list of suggested further readings to aid students who are seeking resources for more in-depth information on the topic at hand. All articles are accompanied by cross-references to related articles in the set. The encyclopedia also includes nearly 300 photographs and more than 200 charts, graphs, tables, and maps that illuminate the events and concepts detailed in the essays.
Volume 4 ends with several useful appendixes, including a time line of important environment-related events, a directory of environmental organizations, a directory of U.S. national parks, a glossary, a biographical directory of notable figures in the history of environmentalism, and an extensive bibliography listing up-to-date publications that provide new insights into ongoing issues. Also included are a comprehensive subject index and an index of entries arranged by categories.
