On Human Impact on Global Warming - Annotated Bibliography Example

?Annotated Bibliography Abernethy, V. (2000). Population politics. Piscataway, N.J: Transaction. In her book, Abernethy examines the economic, sociocultural and agricultural aspects that spurred population growth. As a disciple of Malthus, she elucidated how the environment is greatly affected by the spiraling growth of human population all over the globe. Achard, F., Eva, H. D., Stibig, H. J., Mayaux P., Gallego, J., Richards, T., & Malingreau, J. P. (2002). Determination of Deforestation Rates of the World's Humid Tropical Forests. Science, 9 (297), 5583: 999-1002. Retrieved from http://www.geog.umd.edu/homepage/ courses/372/fall08/articles/Achard%20science.pdf The quantitative study looked into the deforestation rates that occurred in majority of the world’s humid tropical forests and assumed the destruction of the animal and plant life due to this practice. It hypothesized that almost 6 million hectares of humid tropical forest were lost each year, with a further 2.3 million hectares of forest visibly degraded. It obtained data from tropical deforestation and atmospheric carbon emissions back in the 1990’s, of which Fearnside and Laurence (2003) attempted to dispute by citing that greenhouse gas emissions included in the study were underestimated. Other weaknesses of the study, as communicated by Fearnside and Laurence (2003) were the exclusion of land-based industries located in the perimeters of the area and the carbon amounts already present in the landscapes. Atkinson, P., & Housley, W. (2003). Interactionism: An essay in sociological amnesia. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE. The book argued that the school of interactionism could not only be applied in the disciplines of education, psychology and linguistics but also in the field of ecology and sociology, where experts are mindful of the fact that society’s behavior greatly impact the environment. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). What do Australians think about protecting the environment? paper prepared for the 2006 Australian State of the Environment Committee, Department of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra. Retrieved from http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2006/publications/emerging/peoples- views/index.html This government data revealed how Australians put their environmental concern into action. By observing various communities in the ‘Land Down Under,’ the researchers came to draw the conclusion that the practices of the people are pro-environment, and in fact these people organize activities that aim to instill environmentalism in their neighborhoods. Bradshaw, C. J., Sodhi, N. S., & Brook, B. W. (2008). Tropical turmoil: a biodiversity tragedy in progress. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, (7) 2, 79-87. Retrieved from http://www.frontiersinecology.org/current_issue/bradshaw.pdf The review explained how the world has lost the battle of preserving its tropical forests. It further denoted the habitat loss and the potentiality of disaster it has on biodiversity and human health. The locales of the study were the rain forests, savannas and mangroves in select regions across the globe. It inferred that the loss and degradation of essential ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination, carbon sequestration, water cycling) and services (eg. flood mitigation, topsoil retention, non-timber forest products) are harming billions of people living in tropical countries, and that poor governance and corruption are some of the key socioeconomic threats to tropical biodiversity conservation Butler, R. A., & Laurance, W. F. (2008). New strategies for conserving tropical forests. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, (23) 9, 469-472. Retrieved from http://www.ecology.ethz.ch/ education/Resilience_Stuff/Butler_and_Laurance_2008.pdf The scholarly work focused on how to combat the rapid deforestation rates by setting as an example the practices of large transnational corporations. Utilizing the data provided by the United Nations Population Division, it noted the severe conditions of the tropical forests in Latin America, Africa and Asia and demonstrated their degradations since the 1950’s and projected their severing conditions until 2030. De Souza, R. M., Williams, J. S., & Meyerson, F. A. B. (2003). Critical Links: Population, Health, and the Environment. Population Bulletin, (58) 3, 2-12. This study elucidated how poor nations contribute to the worldwide degradation of the environment and pollution. It remarked that while wealthy nations have relatively large industries, some countries in the Third World also operate manufacturing sites that are hazardous to the environment and deplete finite resources, which can be considered as exemplifications of capitalism. The authors also included the everyday practices of the rural folks in destroying forests and polluting the rivers and other bodies of water. Dietz, T., & Rosa, E. A. (1997). Effects of population and affluence on CO2 emissions. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 35 (94), 175-179. Retrieved from http://www.pnas.org/content/94/1/175.long The collaborative venture of these environmentalists underscored how the population and wealth of nations positively correlated with the level of carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. They concluded that rich nations, where industrialization and urbanization are concentrated, have tremendous impacts to the natural environment than that of the poor ones. The output of the study was a stochastic version of the Impact = Population·Affluence·Technology (IPAT) model to accurately estimate the effects of population, affluence, and technology on national CO2 emissions. Dunlap, R. E., & Scarce, R. (1991). The Polls—Poll Trends: Environmental Problems and Protection. Public Opinion Quarterly, (55) 3, 713–734. Retrieved from http://eab.sagepub.com/content/27/6/723.full.pdf+html Their research surveyed a sample of more than one thousand people across the United States and found out that 75% of them considers themselves as ‘environmentalists.’ They purported the role of popular culture in the advent of Environmental America that has begun since the 1960’s. Fellman, J. D., Getis, A., & Getis, J. (1997). Human geography: landscapes of human activities. Poulton, FY: Surendra Kumar. The book outlined the various human activities that gradually altered the face of the planet. It also implicated the society on its role in environmental degradation and resources depletion. Fien, J., Yencken, D., & Sykes, H. (2002). Young people and the environment: An Asia-Pacific perspective. London: Kluwer Academic. Noting how the youth in the Asia-Pacific region behaved in relation to the environment, the researchers inferred that education really helps in inculcating environmentalism among the minds of the people. It accentuated the role of the community in affecting the behavior and attitude of individuals with regard to environmental preservation and protection. Fletcher, T. (2011). Monitoring the health of populations with polluted drinking water: The example of perfluorinated compounds. Epidemiology, (22) 1, 58-65.Retrieved from http://www.usask.ca/toxicology/jgiesy/pdf/publications/JA-266.pdf The study focused on the negative effects polluted water has on the health of the people. It analyzed the samples obtained from the drinking water of more than one hundred households, and found out that the presence of perfluorinated compounds posed significant hazards to the physical well-being of the residents. Guth, J. L., Green, J. C., Kellstedt, L. A., & Smidt, C. E. (1995). Faith and the environment: Religious beliefs and attitudes on environmental policy. American Journal of Political Science, (39) 2, 364-382. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/pss/2111617 The research investigated on the different beliefs and attitudes of people towards environmental policies whether or not they are in accordance with their religious standpoints. Using data from four national surveys of clergy, religious activists, political-party contributors, and the mass public, it examined the impact of religious variables on attitudes toward environmental protection. By looking at their doctrines and practices, the team investigators arrived at the inference that there is an undeniable impact religion bears on the environmental behaviors of people. Accordingly, some religions are pro-environment and others exhibit an ‘I-do-not-care’ position that resulted from what their doctrines state. Hardin, G. J. (1993). Living within limits: ecology, economics and population taboos. Oxford: Oxford UP. This book argued that the Earth has already reached its limit of supporting life, and that worldwide action to stop population growth should already be carried out. Dr. Hardin, another Malthusian disciple, noted how the swelling populations speedily exhaust all the natural resources accessible to them. Harvey, P. (2007). Avoiding unintended harm to the environment and the Buddhist ethic of intention. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, (14) 3, 1-34. Retrieved from ftp://scorpio.gold.ac.uk/pub/jbe/vol2/harris.txt Harvey anchored his study on the moral and ethical side of environmentalism by citing as an example the Buddhist tradition. He heavily emphasized on the monumental beliefs and practices of Buddhists that have substantial influence on how they treat animals, plants and the environment in general. Hill, M. K. (2004). Understanding environmental pollution: A primer. Cambridge, CB: Cambridge UP. The treatise revolved around the ill effects of environmental pollution, of which the author pointed to the habits of people that caused it. An identification of several sources of information that may lead to the ‘awakening’ of the people is also included therein. The power of the media in the understanding of environmental issues was also accentuated. Imhoff, M. L., Bounoua, L., Ricketts, T., Loucks, C., Harris, R., & Lawrence, W. T. (2004). Global patterns in human consumption of net primary production. Nature, (15) 429: 870-873. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15215863 Imhoff’s team disclosed that the increased production of energy needed to support human life is contributory to the rise of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, which in turn leads to global warming. They documented the irrepressible proliferation of power plants in both highly industrialized and Third World countries that also explained the rising temperatures of the Earth. Jorgenson, A. K. (2009). The transnational organization of production, the scale of degradation, and eco-efficiency: A study of carbon dioxide emissions in less-developed countries. Human Ecology Review, (16) 1, 64-74. Retrieved from http://revista-rio.org/index.php/revista_rio/article/viewFile/51/pdf_12 Carbon dioxide emission levels in Third World countries are the centers of this research paradigm. It also looked into the contamination of the atmosphere due to the chemical ejections of some manufacturing industries in these poor nations. By studying a sample of over 20 countries, the author recommended for stricter laws that would prohibit the irresponsible operations of large companies situated in these areas. Kasun, J. (1989). Too Many People? The Myth of Excess Population. Economic Affairs, (9) 5, 15-18. Retrieved from http://www.usccb.org/prolife/programs/rlp/ Peoplenottheproblem94.pdf Kasun’s study contradicted the universally accepted fact that population growth poses harm to the environment. The author argued that instead of putting large populations in a bad light, they should be commended because of their contributions to the economy and the security of nations. Kazi, T. G., Arain, M. B., Jamalia, M. K., Jalbania, N., Afridia, H. I., Sarfraza, R. A., Baiga, J. A., & Shaha, A. Q. (2009). Assessment of water quality of polluted lakes using multivariate statistical techniques: A case study. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, (72) 2, 301-309. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_ udi=B6WDM-4S9NG9C-1&_user=10&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2009&_ rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor= &view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5= ba2001f04d605fd226870365b8625750&searchtype=a The group examined the different chemicals present in the water systems of the American region. It found out that most of the chemicals were derived from agricultural products and household contaminants such as pesticides and laundry detergents. The experimental case study employed descriptive and quantitative approaches to analyze the water samples and the zonal conditions of the said locales. Lande, R., Engen, S., & Saether, B. E. (2009). An evolutionary maximum principle for density-dependent population dynamics in a ?uctuating environment. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B, (20) 364, 1511–1518. Retrieved from http://rstb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/364/1523/1511.full The study revealed how large populations swiftly deplete the natural resources available to them. It focused its attention primarily to China, India, Brazil, Mexico and some other nations in Southeast Asia where overpopulation and poverty seem to interface with each other. It anchored some methods of diffusion theory to analyze a system of coupled ecological and evolutionary dynamics to derive an evolutionary maximum principle for density-dependent population activities in a fluctuating environment. Leahy, T. (2008). Discussion of Global Warming and Sociology. Current Sociology, (56) 3, 475–484. Retrieved from http://ireswb.cc.ku.edu/~crgc/NSFWorkshop/Readings/ Leahy%20Current%20Sociology%202008.pdf In her descriptive-qualitative work, Leahy clearly established the role of Capitalism in the degradation of the environment and in the emergence of climate change. She also noted the prevalence of oil shortage, mineral deposit exhaustion, soil destruction and sea-based devastation as consequences of the capitalist tradition. Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., & Roser-Renouf, C. (2010) Climate change in the American Mind: Americans’ global warming beliefs and attitudes in January 2010. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change. The recent survey indicated that less than half of the American population believes that environmental problems are caused by human activities; and that only 57% percent of them think that global warming is a reality. This surprising yet alarming finding marked the signal that there needs to be a massive education and awareness campaign on environmental issues across America. Mcintosh, R. J., Tainter, J. A., & Mcintosh, S. K. (2000). The way the wind blows: Climate, history, and human action. New York: Columbia UP. The book is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to study sociology and ecology. It highlights the different concepts and theories in the social sciences to explain the behavior of people towards the environment. By reviewing various events and synchronizing them with sociological footnotes, the book is truly a testament of environmentalism on print. Mooney L. A., Knox, D., & Schacht, C. (2010). Understanding social problems. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. Another social science resource, this book enumerated the aspects and contexts of social problems, including some overwhelming environmental issues. The authors employed the theories of Functionalism, side by side with Capitalism and Utilitarianism, as an explanation to the massive degradation and depletion of natural resources. Neumayer, E. (2006). An empirical test of a neo-malthusian theory of fertility change. Population and Environment, (27) 4, 327-336. Retrieved from http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/986/1/NeumayerEmpirical.pdf The research propounded the idea that fertility is a basic factor to population explosion. By anchoring on Malthusian tenets, the author was able to ascertain the fact that population control initiatives of the government cannot be effectively performed unless the fertility conditions of the reproductive segments of the population are not studied well. It utilized the natural log of real gross domestic product per capita of countries, the infant mortality rates among them and the female labour force participation rate, with data taken from government records. Patterson, R. (2010). A great dilemma generates another great transformation: Incompatibility of capitalism and sustainable environments. Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, (9) 1-2, 74-83. Retrieved from http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ brill/pgdt/2010/00000009/F0020001/art00007 Capitalism is undeniably hard to reconcile with Environmentalism. This is the contention of Patterson’s qualitative (descriptive) study where he determined the role of profit, markets, demands, employment in human beings’ deliberate neglect of the environment. As a quasi-social commentary, he also implicated large corporations on their greed that they are just keeping themselves blind of the realities around them. In fact, the author alleged that there are some powerful companies that attempted to alter and twist information just to make it appear that their businesses have nothing to do with environmental depletion and destruction. Petkus, E. (1992). Implications of the Symbolic Interactionist Perspective for the study of environmentally-responsible consumption. Advances in Consumer Research, (19) 2, 861-869. Retrieved from http://www.acrwebsite.org/volumes/display.asp?id=7403 The author postulated that consumer trends can be manipulated in favor of the environment by a robust education drive and invaluable advertisement schemes. He noted that there was already a widespread and sincere environmental concern professed by people all over the globe. In his longitudinal research, he indicated that 76% of adults described themselves as ‘very concerned’ about environmental issues; and this concern was manifested in their purchasing behavior and consumption inclinations. Smith, K., & Petley, D. N. (2009). Environmental hazards: Assessing risk and reducing disaster. Abingdon, OX: Taylor & Francis. The book cited the pivotal role of megacorporations of industries such as textile, electronics, petroleum, chemical production and smelting in the appearance of hazards that affect not only the environment but also the human health. While proposing certain measures to reduce such hazards, the author never failed to mention that the practices and operations of industries should be minimized in order for environmental restoration and protection to be in full swing. World Bank. (2003). World Development Indicators 2003. Washington, D.C: World Bank. An authority in the field of global statistics, the World Bank released its scientific approximation that by 2050, the global population will eventually reach over nine billion if population control is not observed. The report further noted that the ones who will be greatly affected by environmental catastrophes are the poor nations, where fertility rates are much higher than in the First World. In reference to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, the said international financial institution also supported the calls for lowering population growth in order to counter poverty and restore the remaining natural resources for future generations. Read More