Questions on topics ranging from drinking water quality to the cost of toxic controls and cleanups are covered in this unbiased source of facts on the environment. The question-and-answer format offers insight into the use and effects of pesticides, waste management, energy policy, and consumer decision making. The text progresses from basic background information to more complex issues. Technical jargon is avoided throughout.
This is a welcome answer to the public's desire to know about the environment. Without taking sides, it addresses vital questions on everything from drinking water quality to the cost of toxic controls and cleanups. The information is up-to-date and complete, and the format is designed to be accessible. A question-and-answer format is employed for clarity and compactness, and topics are covered in a rising progression of complexity.
Synopsis
Most attempts to control pollution have been piecemeal, focusing on one environmental component at a time, such as air or water, and have not addressed the big picture. Such efforts have not fully accounted for the Earth’s fundamental interconnectedness and unity; as a result, pollution control has often lagged behind pollution-related problems. This book puts all the pieces together as it explains how pollution affects all components of the environment. Using layperson’s language and an easy-to-use question and answer format, it describes: how the components of the environment operate together; major sources of pollution; and what we can do to clean up our surface water, groundwater, and air. Care has been taken to avoid bias and to present only the most sound, objective data available. Nearly 500 questions are formulated and answered, covering topics such as:
The environmental effects of our dependence on coal, oil, and uranium for energy
Pesticides—their effects on the environment and human health
Indoor air pollution and household pollutants, including lead and asbestos
Waste management, including hazardous, industrial, municipal, medical, and radioactive waste
With environmental concerns becoming more urgent, In Our Backyard is essential reading for public policymakers, environmental activists, journalists, corporate officers, lawyers, engineers, and all other citizens concerned about the health of our planet.
About the Author, Travis P. Wagner
TRAVIS WAGNER is an environmental scientist and the author of numerous major reference books and technical articles on hazardous waste, Superfund, toxic substances, and pollution. He received his degree in environmental science from Unity College in Maine. Mr. Wagner also teaches environmental policy at the USDA Graduate School in Washington, D.C., and has lectured extensively in the environmental protection field in the United States and Europe.
