Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues Review
"Renneboog (Univ. of Western Ontario) has edited this updated edition of the encyclopedia set formerly edited by Allin (2nd ed., CH, Oct'11, 49-0616), providing newly added, expanded, and updated material with coverage including the anthropological, biological, engineering, genetic, geological, legal, and social aspects of the environmental issues field. Entries explore a wide variety of topics: individuals (John Muir, Dian Fossey); social concerns (disposable diapers in landfills, the Green movement, and Green parties); relevant treaties and legislation (the US National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act, North American Free Trade Agreement); policy (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the UN's nuclear regulatory policy); history (Hoover Dam, the Sagebrush Rebellion); specific disasters (the Three Mile Island nuclear accident, the Bhopal disaster); and various controversies (pros and cons of ecotourism, logging and clear-cutting practices). Each entry includes category terms (i.e., ecology, business, medicine), a brief summary, further readings, and cross-references. Supplemental materials include a glossary and "Timeline of American Environmentalism," as well as helpful lists: "Key Figures," "Major World National Parks & Protected Areas," and "US Federal Laws Concerning the Environment." Although not novel, this resource does provide a current and easily understood introduction to the breadth of environmental issues, written for general, high school, and undergraduate readers. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates. General readers."
-CHOICE, 2020
“A daunting topic is covered very well in this set of four encyclopedia volumes. Environmental issues is a broad category of nearly overwhelming diversity, from antibiotics to zoos. There are over 250 expert authors and 772 articles here in about 1,400 pages, and the editor kept the writing even and focused on human interactions with nature and other aspects of environment broadly conceived. The material is up to date and scientifically sound for an introduction to often very complex topics. Each article begins with a category, a brief definition, and a statement of significance to the environment. Many have black-and-white photographs, charts, tables, and inset boxes… The appendixes are extensive and very useful. They include a list and brief descriptions of environmental organizations (with Web page addresses), brief biographies of environmentalists (and anti-environmentalists), major federal environmental laws, directories of national parks, an environmental timeline, a glossary, and a bibliography. This encyclopedia set comes with free online access to the electronic version of the text, along with additional material from the publisher. This makes searching through the complex organization of the volumes very easy. The Encyclopedia of Environmental Issues is recommended for any library with science and social science holdings.”
-ARBA, 2012
“BOTTOM LINE This set will appeal to high school through graduate students and to general readers.”
-Library Journal, 2011
“This set would be useful to general readers and students alike and would be a worthwhile resource for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries.”
-Booklist, 2011
“Summing Up: Recommended. Lower and upper-level undergraduates; general readers.”
-CHOICE
“Written with the average reader in mind, this reference will be of use and interest to a wide range of people. Recommended for large public libraries and academic libraries.”
-ARBA, 2001