The Earth Around Us

Jill Schneiderman

This collection of essays examines vital questions about soil contamination, public lands, surface and groundwater pollution, coastal erosion and global warming. It explores Earth's history and processes and shows how we, as members of a global community, can help maintain a livable planet.

Preface Acknowledgments About the Contributors Records of Time and History * Geology: The Bifocal Science Susan Werner Kieffer * Set Piece on Geologic Time from Annals of the Former World John McPhee * Stories of Land, Stories from Land Lauret E. Savoy * Henry's Land Paul Bierman Scientific Judgments and Ethical Considerations * Natural Science, Natural Resources, and the Nature of Nature Marcia G. Bjrnerud * Why Believe a Computer? Models, Measures and Meaning in the Natural World Naomi Oreskes * Down to Earth: A Historical Look at Government-Sponsored Geology Gordon P. Eaton * Sustainable Living: Common Ground for Geology and Theology George W. Fisher * The Golden Rule: A Proper Scale for Our Environmental Crisis Stephen Jay Gould Resources Reconfigured * Ruling the Range: Managing The Public's Resources David Applegate * Rocks, Paper, Soils, Trees: The View from an Experimental Forest Frederick J. Swanson * Are Soils Endangered? Ronald Amundson * The Edwards Aquifer: Water for Thirsty Texans John M. Sharp, Jr. and Jay L. Banner * From the Catskills to Canal Street: New York City's Water Supply Jill S. Schneiderman * Sustaining Healthy Coasts Jeffrey L. Payne Local Manipulations * Lessons From Lighthouses: Shifting Sands, Coastal Management Strategies, and the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Controversy Orrin H. Pilkey, David M. Bush, and William J. Neal * The Follies of Lotus Bay Jill K. Singer * Dredging to Keep New York-New Jersey Harbor Alive Meg E. Stewart * An Earth Scientist in City Hall: Geology and Community Planning Paul K. Doss Inventive Solutions * The Rise and Fall of Dams James E. Evans, Scudder D. Mackey, Johan F. Gottgens and Wilfrid M. Gill * Living With Karst: Maintaining a Clean Water Supply in Olmsted County, Minnesota Cathryn A. Manduca * Standoff At Yucca Mountain: High Level Nuclear Waste in the U.S.A Allison Macfarlane * Appetite for Toxins: Bioremediation of Contaminated Soil Rosa E. Gwinn Whole Earth Perturbations * Ocean Circulation: Conveyor o