Understanding Our Environment

Simon Dalby is a research associate at the Centre for International
Studies at Simon Fraser University.

This is a high-school textbook on environmental matters written
specifically for Canadian students. In 234 pages the authors manage to
pack in numerous illustrations, lots of tables and figures, a few maps,
and a couple of apposite cartoons for much-needed light relief. Each
chapter ends with review questions and suggests specific projects that
students might follow up. A glossary rounds out this dense but fairly
“user-friendly” text.

Given the enormous scope of environmental issues, this book is
ambitious in trying to cover a lot of ground. Early chapters deal with
ecosystems and large- and small-scale natural processes. Chapters in the
middle section deal with such matters as air, water, energy, and land,
but overlap with the issues of management and conservation considered in
the final section.

The book’s greatest strength is probably its richness of Canadian
examples, giving students material that relates to their experience
living in Canada. Given the widespread concern about the environment
expressed by Canadian youth in the last few years, a possible weakness
is how the difficult questions of ethics and environmental philosophy
are somewhat downplayed as a theme in favor of more technical
information. Non-high-school readers may also find useful introductory
information on environmental issues in this book if they are not
deterred by its obviously “textbook” format and style.