Book Review

by Paul Ganderton

Mackenzie FT. 1998. Our Changing Planet. 2nd edition. Prentice and Hall. ISBN 0 13 271321 7. Pp x + 486.

This text is subtitled "An Introduction to Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change" which clearly defines its perspective. The 12 chapters are divided into two parts corresponding to natural systems and human dimensions. Mackenzie starts with a description of the lithosphere with a good solid treatment of geological time, rocks and soils. A second chapter examines plate tectonics. The atmosphere and hydrosphere make up the third chapter leaving ecosphere, biogeochemical cycles and the history of global environmental change to be the subjects of the final three chapters in this first part. The second part examines aspects of human development and action. This starts, fittingly, with an overview of population development and resource usage. Such aspects are seen as crucial to the argument developed in the rest of this part. Chapter 8 examines human impact on vegetation with chapter 9 concentrating on soil and water. Regional and global air pollution are studied in the next two chapters with detailed coverage of acid deposition, smog and global warming. The final chapter is something of a departure. It poses questions about the direction humankind is facing, illustrating this with policy studies, business initiatives and sustainability. Further appendices on minerals, answers to study questions (which are found at the end of each chapter) and index complete the work.

This is an interesting work. It is not complete in its coverage but chooses a selection to illustrate its thesis. There is an expected heavy influence from the geological sciences with some advanced geological ideas being presented next to more elementary ecological material. Diagrams are in black and white and generally very clear and easy to understand. Despite gaps in subject material this book does have one advantage over many other texts. Being earth science oriented it is concerned with the passage of time. Most chapters have a historical dimension with one, chapter 6, devoted to it. This is one area that students (who would find much of the text accessible) are rarely given emphasis on. For this reason alone, the text is a useful addition to the literature.