Ecology and the environment : the mechanisms, marring, and maintenance of nature / R. J. Berry.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Berry, R. J. (Robert James)

Series:

Templeton science and religion series.

Templeton science and religion series

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ecology.

Environmentalism.

Physical Description:

viii, 232 p.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

West Conshohocken, PA : Templeton Press, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Ecology and the Environment: The Mechanisms, Marring, and Maintenance of Nature is the ninth title published in the Templeton Science and Religion Series, in which scientists from a wide range of fields distill their experience and knowledge into brief tours of their respective specialties. In this volume, R. J. Berry, a well-known leader in the field of ecology, describes the basic concepts of ecology and seeks to put them into a general context for a reader who lacks any scientific background. Berry explores the implications of these basic concepts and how they affect human life and the decisions we have to make, both as individuals and as members of a species that has colonized and influenced every part of the globe. He points out that we are a part of the animal world, but at the same time, we are apart from it, and he makes it clear that how we relate to our environment affects the quality of our life-indeed, it may affect our very survival. Going beyond a simple introduction of concepts, the book explores wider questions about the nature of humanity and how human ecology relates to humanness. Berry proposes that we are more than machines or even advanced apes-we are Homo divinus, transformed from an organism descended from the same stock as the apes but qualitatively different and able to relate to a creator God. The book argues that those who conclude otherwise are neglecting relevant data. Berry offers the perfect introduction to these philosophical and theological issues, but his work never loses sight of the practical issues either-the kind that is increasingly being addressed by national and international environmental agencies. In order to grasp the full scope of these issues and to more fully understand the ubiquitous news headlines concerning environmental matters, a reader would do well to start with Ecology and the Environment.

Contents:

Cover

Half Title Page

Dedication

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: Ecology-The Study of Place

Chapter 2: A Green Machine

Chapter 3: From Deluge to Biogeography

Chapter 4: Stewardship and Ecological Services

Chapter 5: Environmental Literacy

Chapter 6: The Proper Study of Mankind

Chapter 7: The Most Dangerous Species

Chapter 8: God's Two Books

Acknowledgments

Notes

Further Reading

Index.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9786613286741

9781283286749

1283286742

9781599473994

1599473992

OCLC:

711044915