"Books like this one help lead the way to a better climate future for all inhabitants of Mother Earth. We are all in this together!" — Jeff Bridges, Academy Award winner and environmentalist A little more than 70 percent of Planet Earth is ocean. So wouldn’t a better name for our global home be Planet Ocean? You may be surprised at just how closely YOU are connected to the ocean. Regardless of where you live, every breath you take and every drop of water you drink links you to the ocean. And because of this connection, the ocean’s health affects all of us. Dive in with author Patricia Newman and photographer Annie Crawley—visit the Coral Triangle near Indonesia, the Salish Sea in the Pacific Northwest, and the Arctic Ocean at the top of the world. Find out about problems including climate change, ocean acidification, and plastic pollution, and meet inspiring local people who are leading the way to reverse the ways in which humans have harmed the ocean. Planet Ocean shows us how to stop thinking of ourselves as existing separate from the ocean and how to start taking better care of this precious resource.
Planet Earth. Four elements. One incredible story. Lonely Planet Kids' The Big Earth Book takes children on a rollercoaster ride through history, geography, science and more to show how four elements - earth, fire, air and water - created the world and everything that exists today. Amazing facts, photography and illustrations bring our planet and its past to life in an exciting, engaging way. Written by Mark Brake, a science writer and broadcaster who's worked for NASA, the BBC and the National Science Museum of Thailand, and created in consultation with Dr Mike Goldsmith, a research scientist and writer with a PhD in astrophysics from Keele University in the UK. Highlights include: Earth: How the Earth was formed The structure of the Earth Plate tectonics and rocks Earthquakes and volcanoes Humans in the stone age Hunter-gatherers and farming Fossils and digging for treasure DNA: the code of life Fire: Ingredients for fire Fire and humans The history of fire The dangers of wildfire The Great Fire of London Gunpowder and fireworks The combustion engine Carbon and global warming Air: What's air made of? The Northern Lights How animals learned to fly Dinosaurs in the air Birds and bats The history of flight Speech and language Music and instruments Weather and climate Water: The origins of water Rivers and oceans The water cycle The Hanging Gardens of Babylon Canals, bridges and dams Exploring the seas The age of exploration Tsunamis and waterfalls About Lonely Planet Kids: Come explore! Let's start an adventure. Lonely Planet Kids excites and educates children about the amazing world around them. Combining astonishing facts, quirky humour and eye-catching imagery, we ignite their curiosity and encourage them to discover more about our planet. Every book draws on our huge team of global experts to help share our continual fascination with what makes the world such a diverse and magnificent place - inspiring children at home and in school. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.
Through case studies, opposing viewpoints, and primary documents, this reference work examines the environmental and sustainability issues regarding water as well as how water is an intrinsic part of human culture. Every culture and ecosystem on earth depends on water. As the world's climate changes, human culture is increasingly threatened by the seemingly opposite problems of having too little clean, potable water and "having too much water"—e.g., flooding, melting polar ice caps, and rising sea levels. What are the solutions that humanity must collectively pursue to protect our ability to flourish on planet earth? Water Planet: The Culture, Politics, Economics, and Sustainability of Water on Earth offers an unprecedented examination of the critical subject of water sustainability. Its essays, viewpoints, case studies, and documents show how this vital resource that many in first-world countries take for granted is intricately woven into not only basic human survival but also cultural, political, and economic stability. Readers will learn about topics such as flooding and drought; the growing problem of water pollution; the connections between water and gender, including gender equity and gender aspects of water ownership; the effects of global temperature changes on the water supply; concerns regarding fishing and overfishing; water security; and sustainable water management.
This volume is an introduction to the study of the earth sciences, a multitude of the earth's composition; geology, which embraces geochemistry, the science the science of the earth's structure; meteorology and climatology, the study of both local and planetary weather; tectonics, the fledgling science of the move ment of sections of the earth, of earthquakes, and of volcanoes; biology and agricultural engineering; the water cycle and reclamation; the chemistry of the atmosphere and the origin of the changes it undergoes; the seas, the oceans, or oceanography; beach movement and deserts; hydrology, the science of water from the viewpoint of the sources of energy; pressure and temperature effects; the crust or lithosphere; the hydrosphere, or water areas; the atmosphere, winds, weather, hurricanes, and cyclones, as well as the technology of tracking them; the interfaces of the sections of the planet, and the uses of the earth by its peoples. The human race has developed on the crust and at the interfaces of the land, air, and sea of an unstable planet - a dynamic geological entity whose thermal equilibrium is still millions of years away. The crust of the earth in its movement and cracking evolves earthquakes and volcanoes which are destructive of human work and limit our habitation. Over the last 1500 years, earthquakes have killed as many people as now inhabit the planet, and fifteen times the present U. S. population.
We live on a dynamic Earth shaped by both natural processes and the impacts of humans on their environment. It is in our collective interest to observe and understand our planet, and to predict future behavior to the extent possible, in order to effectively manage resources, successfully respond to threats from natural and human-induced environmental change, and capitalize on the opportunities â€" social, economic, security, and more â€" that such knowledge can bring. By continuously monitoring and exploring Earth, developing a deep understanding of its evolving behavior, and characterizing the processes that shape and reshape the environment in which we live, we not only advance knowledge and basic discovery about our planet, but we further develop the foundation upon which benefits to society are built. Thriving on Our Changing Planet presents prioritized science, applications, and observations, along with related strategic and programmatic guidance, to support the U.S. civil space Earth observation program over the coming decade.