The Closing Circle: Nature, Man, and Technology"I regard him as right and compassionate on nearly every major issue." — Stephen Jay Gould A radical argument about the root causes of climate change, The Closing Circle was progressive when it was written in 1971 and its message remains increasingly relevant today. Barry Commoner, the father of modern ecology, claims that production for profit creates dangerous ecological ramifications and offers a concise analysis of the nature, causes, and possible solutions to impending ecological disaster. His analysis is a must-read for those attempting to understand how the global economy impacts our environment and contributes to climate change and for those seeking the steps to be taken in saving our planet. "Readers interested in the history of environmental thought will be fascinated to see how many of today's crises were already understood almost fifty years ago. We've made progress in a few places, but it's hard to read Commoner's prescient warnings without a sigh for how little attention we've actually paid to these great challenges." — Bill McKibben, author of Falter and The End of Nature |
Contents
The Environmental Crisis | 3 |
The Ecosphere | 12 |
Nuclear Fire | 44 |
Los Angeles Air | 61 |
Illinois Earth | 75 |
Lake Erie Water | 88 |
Man in the Ecosphere | 105 |
Population and Affluence | 117 |
The Technological Flaw | 132 |
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accumulate activities agricultural air pollution algae algal amount animals atomic automobile bacteria Barry Commoner basic become biological birth rate capita carbon dioxide changes chemical complex cost course crop death rate degradation detergents displaced earth Earth Day ecological economic system ecosphere ecosystem effects emissions energy engine environment environmental crisis environmental impact environmental pollution eutrophication example fallout fertilizer nitrogen fibers fish hazard human humus increased industry inorganic Lake Erie living things manufacture materials mercury modern technology molecules natural nitrate nitrogen oxides nonreturnable nuclear power nutrients operation organic compounds organic matter output oxygen percent pesticides phosphate photochemical smog plastic political pollution levels pollution problem population growth postwar private enterprise system production profit quotation radiation radioactive recent reduced reported result scientific scientists sewage smog soap social soil strontium 90 substance sulfur dioxide surface waters survive synthetic synthetic fibers United water pollution yield