Environmental Geology

This volume in the Encyclopedia of Sustainability Science and Technology, Second Edition, brings together chapters examining water, energy, minerals and the environment in a holistic approach to land use planning and utilization. The work examines some of the problems, techniques, and solutions for managing resources so that a balance can be maintained between development and the environment. As world population increases, greater demand is placed on finite resources that earth can provide. Geographic areas once judged inadequate or inappropriate for construction, water and wastewater management, or transportation routes, among other activities, are being considered for, and being used, for development.
Topics covered in this volume include impacts of natural disasters such as earthquakes and sinkholes, water and its use, overuse, and role in energy generation, and carbon sequestration. The topics covered here all play a role in development and the potential to sustain a growing world population. Interactions among system components mean that no single aspect can be addressed without including another. Environmental Geology places these different factors into perspective so that scientists, politicians, economists, planners, and stakeholders can work together to develop solutions that provide an acceptable balance between development and the environmental services on which we all depend.