Description
Arguing that one of the most prominent legislative acts for protecting the environment, the Endangered Species Act, is itself endangered, Burgess (biodiversity and wildlife conservation, Johns Hopkins U.) presents a defense of the act and discusses some of the social and political reasons why the act is no longer as effective as it should be. After discussing the importance of biodiversity, she separately examines the impediments to the preservation of endangered species as the have emerged from the White House, the Congress, and U.S. government bureaucracies. Finally she argues for a complete reevaluation of the way we view the environment societally, saying that through public education and cooperation, Americans will realize that the protection of species will benefit us all. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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Given widespread concern over the worldwide loss of biodiversity and popular crusades to "save" endangered species and habitats, why has the Endangered Species Act remained unauthorized since October 1992? In Fate of the Wild Bonnie B. Burgess offers an illuminating assembly of facts about biodiversity and straightforward analysis of the legislative stalemate surrounding the Endangered Species Act. Fate of the Wild surveys the history of and analyzes the conflict over the legislation itself, the heated issues regarding its enforcement, and the land-use and habitat battles waged between conservationists, environmental activists, and private property proponents.Burgess's meticulous and exhaustive research makes Fate of the Wild a valuable resource for professionals in conservation biology, public policy, environmental law, and environmental organizations, while the narrative clarity of the book will appeal to anyone interested in the fate of nonhuman species.Burgess explains how wilderness has been consumed by concrete and asphalt, the effects of toxins on plants and animals, strip mine tailings, oil slicks, and smog. She exposes, as well, the "invisible" damage that manifests itself in the subtle degradation of natural systems and in the increased incidence and number of diseases, the rise in human infertility, and the drastic alteration of weather patterns and landscapes.Fate of the Wild presents a factual and balanced discussion of the various sides of the contemporary debate over the Endangered Species Act, alongside the author's clearly stated position: We are overpopulating, polluting, and overdeveloping our environment, and as a species we have embarked on a crash course toward a sixth great extinction event on this Earth.
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