Understanding Environmental Issues provides an excellent foundation for developing critical thinking about contemporary environmental concerns and the ways in which these are debated, represented and managed. The book should achieve its aim of stimulating students to engage with how ideas of sustainability and environmental justice can be applied both in policy and in practical actionProfessor Gordon Walker, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University 'The arena of environmental issues is a minefield for undergraduate students seeking clarity about key problems and solutions. This is where Understanding Environmental Issues will play a major role, providing a stimulating guide through the wealth of material and complex ideas. In particular the unification of social and physical science in the case studies provides a holistic approach to the subject that is essential for students and a refreshing innovation for environmental textbooksAnna R. Davies, Trinity College, University of Dublin Straight outta Uxbridge something special emerged from the grim surroundings of Brunel University, a concrete jungle in the London suburbs, in the 1990s - a passionate, committed group of geographers and geologists with a commitment to innovative pedagogy, to the application of knowledge, and to tackling the big environmental issues of the day. This book, written by a Brunel University team that includes at least two media stars, shows that understanding the environment should involve engagement, and reaching out beyond the campus. It also tackles the big issues of the day, and how we value them and approach them as scholars, citizens and activists. A useful set of thematic chapters introduce students to key environmental issues - the food and waste streams, climate change, natural hazards, and urban environments. Highly recommendedSimon P J BatterburySchool of Resource Management and geography, University of Melbourne and ECI, University of Oxford As I write this brief review of Understanding Environmental Issues a highly damming report from Ofsted 'Geography in Schools - Changing Practice' has just been published. As the Independent reported 'Children are being let down by boring geography lessons which fail to teach them about global issues such as climate change' (17/1/08) in a report entitled 'Geography classes 'ignore key issues''. Probably related to this has been a fall in numbers of 11% of both GCSE and A level students since 2003. What's to be done about this state of affairs? Well for a start teachers - both geographers and others - should read this book to be informed and enthused to teach stimulating and up to date lessons on matters of environmental concern. Similarly although the market for the book is the undergraduate student - as with other excellent such books - there is a clear market in the talented A level student here - arguably even for the interested layman as well - and dare I say also parents who might begin to understand the great vehicle that geography is for environmental education! The book's strengths are to do with the pedagogic backgrounds and commitment of the authors and the spread of expertise revealed. I do like section 1 where some of the big ideas and concepts are explored followed by section 2 where case studies are written by partnerships of scientists and social scientists. The case studies provided are of worldwide environmental significance and the final chapter on Mexico City touches on many of the concepts and cases written about earlier in the text. A key objective was to stimulate interest and action by the readers - I think it will achieve that and not just for an undergraduate audience. I found it was written and illustrated in an accessible way. Highly recommendedProfessor Ashley KentInstitute of Education University of London Understanding Environmental Issues will stimulate critical thinking and debate about the inextricable links between the physical and socio-political determinants of our planet's futureJulian AgyemanAssociate Professor and Chair, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning,Tufts University In a world where concrete environmental systems are in a state of change at the same time our understandings of these systems are in upheaval, teaching environmental issues has become impossible without meaningful integration of earth systems and political-economic relationships. Buckingham, Turner, and their collaborators accomplish this extremely difficult task and make a range of complex and iterative synergies clear, immediate, and compelling: hydrology and water rights; agronomy and land control; carbon loading and carbon trading; systems of flows and systems of meaning. A terrific teaching textProfessor Paul RobbinsUniversity of Arizona

An engaging and well-written text useful as an introduction to environmental issues and providing valuable information concerning debates relating to environmental policy debates.

Dr Angus Nurse, Department of Criminology, Middlesex University

This book is a great resource for instructors and teachers who are involved in any undergraduate environmental education course. I particularly find case study chapters very helpful. These chapters on food, waste, climate change and hazards focus on wide variety of aspects of the issues such as environmental patterns, environmental and health impacts, moral and ethical considerations. Although Chapter 1 has some good pointers on the relationship between approaches to the society and environment nexus and talks about environmental justice and ecofeminism, it would also have been nice to read other contemporary approaches such as ecojustice.

Dr Bahadir Namdar, Primary Education/ Science Education Program, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University

Section two is very useful with the individual chapters on specific issues.

Dr Oliver Harrison, School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University

This book contains relevant information and advice for students carrying out independent research projects in areas of Physical Geography that overlap with Environmental Science, and as such is valuable reading for many of our students although it is not central to our core teaching.

Dr Peter Knight, School of Physical & Geographical Sci, Keele University

A good textbook that conveys the complexity of contemporary environmental issues in a clear way. The many boxes and illustrations are useful, as are the learning outcomes at the beginning of each chapter. Case studies provide a holistic view of key issues.

Dr Rebecca Schaaf, Department of Geography, Bath Spa University

Detailed and informative.

Mr David Ness, Social Science, Moray College UHI

Gives examples for the practical uses of GIS

Mr Helge Simon, Institute of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz

A good introduction to the issues around. The first half of hte book is stronger than the second. The case studies do not always relate to each other.

Mr Paul Cowie, Newcastle Business School, Newcastle Univ.

The book is an excellent read and supplement text for tow modules one at a masters level and another at the undergraduate level. I will recommend that the masters students consider purchasing this book.

Ms Bernadette Snow, Development Studies, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University