Modem techniques of environmental science allow us to explore our surroundings In ways that were unimaginable until relatively recently. These explorations have not only revealed the natural world in ever finer detail, they have also provided evidence to suggest that the activity of humans is, for the first time, causing changes to the environment on a global scale. Heightened interest in the nature and quality of our surroundings is reflected in the growing amount of published work conceming environmental issues, both in the press and in more specialist literature. This book was written to provide a clear and authoritative lntroductory. environmental science text. It strives to bridge the gap between the popularist and specialist environmental publications. It introduces the reader to the basic concepts and vocabulary necessary to explore complex environmental issues and problems.