People and Nature: An Introduction to Human Ecological Relations / Edition 1

by Emilio F. Moran

Overview

Evidence of climate change, loss of biological diversity, tropical deforestation, and an impending crisis in potable water prompt the question: how have we created a situation where our planet—our very future—is at risk? In People and Nature: An Introduction to Human Ecological Relations, noted environmental scientist Emilio Moran provides a lively introduction to ecological anthropology, environmental geography, and human ecology. He examines the evolving relations between human communities and nature, and, by thoughtful analysis, offers a vision of what we must do to have a future worth living.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781405105729
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	01/15/2006
Series:	Primers in Anthropology Series , #3
Edition description:	REV
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Emilio F. Moran is John A. Hannah Distinguished Professor at the Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, the Center for System Integration and Sustainability, and the Department of Geography at Michigan State University, USA.  Until 2012, he was Distinguished Professor and the James H. Rudy Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, USA. He is the author of ten books, fifteen edited volumes, and more than 190 journal articles and book chapters, which address human interaction with the environment under conditions of change. Most recently, he is the author of Environmental Social Science: Human-Environment Interactions and Sustainability(Wiley Blackwell, 2010). He is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London, the American Anthropological Association, the Society for Applied Anthropology, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 2010.

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Table of Contents

Preface to the Second Edition x

Acknowledgments xiii

1 Human Agency and the State of the Earth 1

Introduction 1

Can One Conceive of Ecosystems Without Human Agents? 11

Human Agency: Individuals Making a Difference 14

Overwhelming Evidence for Concern with the Condition of the Earth System 17

Looking Back and Looking Forward 26

Additional Resources 27

References 28

2 A Reminder: How Things Were… 33

The Study of Human Ecological Relations 33

The Contemporary Study of Environmental Issues: The Rise of Cross-Disciplinary Team-Based Approaches 39

The Evolution of Human–Environment Interactions 47

Hunter-Gatherers: Setting Our Preferences 52

How Did We Decide to Become Farmers? 56

Herding and Farming: An Uneasy Relationship 59

More Food for the Masses 61

Additional Resources 64

References 64

3 The Great Forgetting 75

Earth Transformations in Prehistory 75

The Archeology of Environmental Change 83

The Urban–Industrial Revolution and the Unleashing of Prometheus 86

The Contemporary Situation: Human-Dominated Ecosystems 89

Additional Resources 91

References 92

4 The Web of Life: Are We in it? 96

The Web of Life and Trophic Relations: Thinking Ecologically 96

Ecosystem Productivity and Net Primary Production 103

Land Use and Long-Term Disturbance 105

Additional Resources 117

References 117

5 What Makes People Do That? 122

Learning, Adaptation, and Information 122

Mitigation and the Cautionary Principle 135

Transforming the Face of the Earth: Making Better Decisions 136

Additional Resources 139

References 140

6 Population and Environment 145

Theories about Population 146

The Demographic Transition 147

Aging and International Flows of Labor 150

Addressing the Needs of 10 Billion People 153

Changing the Population and Environment Nexus 159

Additional Resources 162

References 163

7 Rebuilding Communities and Institutions 166

Community in Human Evolution 166

What is Sacred in Human Evolution? 169

Tragedies of the Commons 172

Institutions and Self-Organization 176

Bioregionalism, Deep Ecology, and Embedding People in Nature 180

Additional Resources 182

References 183

8 Can We Learn When We Have Enough? 188

Material Boys and Material Girls 188

Patterns of Consumption in Developed Countries 189

Patterns of Consumption in Developing Countries 196

A Feeding Frenzy and a Crisis in Public Health 200

Burning Fossil Fuels instead of Calories 202

Do We Have Enough Material Goods Now? 205

Additional Resources 207

References 208

9 Quality of Life: When Less is More 210

Resource Abundance versus Resource Scarcity 210

When Less is More 220

The Scale of the Problem and the Scale of the Solution 229

Restoring Our Balance: Valuing Community and Trust 233

Are We Happier When We Have More? 238

References 241

Index 244

Editorial Reviews

"The book offers a lively and well-researched introduction to human-environmental problems and ways of analysing them, drawing creatively on a range of scientific approaches … .A thoughtful and engaging text, which students of environmental anthropology, human geography, and environmental studies will find illuminating." (Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, December 2008)

"An anthropological reader on social movements is a welcome contribution to a synthesis and analysis of this interest." (The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, June 2008)

"The aim [of the book] … Is to offer a lively overview on a traditional area of anthropological study, an aim which Moran's book no doubt accomplishes." (European Association of Social Anthropologists, 2007)

"Moran...provides a primer of the field for beginning students, covering current environmental problems from an anthropological perspective and looking to hunter-gatherers, early farmers, and other ancient and traditional peoples for comparison. Students can learn what they can do to make the world simpler and better. Recommended for libraries serving high school and undergraduate students, and anyone interested in living more wisely." (Choice)

"Those among us who would like to better understand the intricate interaction between knowledge on environmental issues and societal reactions will most definitely profit from this little book, which can be whole heartedly recommended." (Environmental Geology)

"The major themes of People and Nature provide a menu rich enough to satisfy any beginning student of ecological anthropology." (BioScience)

"People and Nature is the first volume published within the series titled Primers in Anthropology. The aim of the series is to offer a lively overview on a traditional area of anthropological study, an aim which Moran's book no doubt accomplishes." (Journal of Social Anthropology)

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