The new edition of this popular student text offers an engaging introduction to environmental study. It covers the entire breadth of the environmental sciences, providing concise, non-technical explanations of physical processes and systems and the effects of human activities. In this second edition the scientific background to major environmental issues is clearly explained. These include:* global warming* genetically modified foods* desertification* acid rain* deforestation* human population growth * depleting resources* nuclear power generation* descripti