Living in an Environmentally Traumatized World: Healing Ourselves and Our Planet

by Darlyne G. Nemeth (Editor), Judy Kuriansky (Editor), Robert B. Hamilton (Editor)

Overview

Whenever environmental damages are caused by natural or human-made events, there are long-term effects for people. This eye-opening and unprecedented book explains the ongoing turmoil in the environment, while presenting ways to alleviate its effect on humankind's physical and mental health. Living in an Environmentally Traumatized World: Healing Ourselves and Our Planet discusses recent environmental events and examines the reasons why the resulting changes are inevitable. The authors assert that people experience six universal stages when they suffer from environmental trauma: shock, survivor mode, basic needs, awareness of loss, spin and fraud, and resolution. The book presents coping strategies for navigating negative ecological shifts, and provides a plan of action for responsibly managing our environment. Additionally, profiles of indigenous people who endure under environmental adversity provide real world examples of survival.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313397325
Publisher:	ABC-CLIO, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/20/2012
Series:	Practical and Applied Psychology
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	239
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Darlyne G. Nemeth, PhD, MP, MPAP, is a clinical medical and neuropsychologist at the Neuropsychology Center of Louisiana, Baton Rouge.

Robert B. Hamilton, PhD, is the author of several books on forest science.

Judy Kuriansky, PhD, is a clinical psychologist at Columbia University Teachers College, NY, and director of psychosocial programs for U.S. Doctors for Africa.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword Judy Kuriansky ix

Preface Darlyne G. Nemeth Robert B. Hamilton Judy Kuriansky xi

Acknowledgments xvii

Part I Our Natural Resources: Gaining Intellectual and Psychological Perspective

1 Our Basic Needs: Challenges in an Ever-Changing World Robert B. Hamilton Darlyne G. Nemeth Judy Kuriansky 3

2 Our Living Waters: Polluting or Cleansing? Yasuo Onishi 23

3 Our Atmosphere: Friend or Foe? Robert A. Muller 41

4 Our Planet Earth: Understanding the Big Picture Donald F. Nemeth 57

5 Our Providing Biosphere: Flora, Fauna, and More Robert B. Hamilton 77

6 Our Biosphere Reserves: Conservation, Sustainable Development, and Preparation for Future Changes-Emphasizing the Mata Atlântica Biosphere Reserve in Brazil João Lucilio Ruegger de Albuquerque 99

Part II Our Human Resources: Coping with Environmental Changes

7 Our Robust People: Resilience in the Face of Environmental Trauma Darlyne G. Nemeth L. Taighlor Whittington 113

8 Our Communities: Healing after Environmental Disasters Judy Kuriansky 141

9 Our Critical Issues in Coping with Environmental Changes: The Intersection of Nature, Psychology, and Spirituality Susan Zelinski 169

10 Our Indigenous People: Healing Ourselves and Mother Earth Gloria Alvernaz Mulcahy 179

11 Our Information: Availability, Communication, and Perception Anna T. Onishi Alexander P. Steger 199

Part III Our Visionary Resources: Respect, Resilience, and Resolution

12 Our Ever-Changing World: An Overview and a Look toward the Future Robert B. Hamilton Darlyne G. Nemeth Judy Kuriansky 209

Epilogue Judy Kuriansky 221

About the Editors and Contributors 225

Index 229

Editorial Reviews

The overall message of this timely book can be succinctly summed up as 'change is inevitable; we must plan for it and manage. . . .' Summing up: recommended.” —Choice

From the Publisher