Preface
Welcome!
Environmental Science, an Evidence-Based Study of Earth’s Natural Systems, is an introductory textbook intended to provide no-cost yet quality learning materials for college students with little or no background in the subject.
You might wonder: as there is no shortage of introductory environmental science textbooks on the market, why write yet another? That’s a good question, one I have wrestled with for some time. First and foremost, no single published volume has met all the needs I have for the course I teach most often. After over two decades of failing to find the right fit, I decided it was time for me to author my own book. I hope it also serves students and instructors beyond my campus. Second and related to the first, I want students to have a book that is firmly grounded in science, one driven by data and evidence rather than advocacy and ideology. In other words, I have tried to stay objective in my approach to a field that can be emotionally charged. Third, I think a book on environmental science can and should be accessible, engaging, and dare I say, entertaining, while maintaining rigor and relevance. Frankly, you must learn a lot of new vocabulary and concepts in your study of such a complex subject, but I have worked to weave these ideas into a coherent and readable narrative. In other words, you should not equate my stated attempt to stay objective with “dry” or “dull”. My wish is that some of my love for the story of Earth’s natural systems—and all their intricacies—rubs off on and inspires you to learn more about your world.
I wish you well on your educational journey, whether you continue to pursue environmental science or if this will be your only foray into the field. Since our understanding of the natural world advances through good science, scrutiny, and communication, I encourage you to reach out to me to make comments, suggestions, or to ask questions. I would love to hear from you.
Jason W. Kelsey, Ph.D.,
Allentown, Pennsylvania
kelsey@muhlenberg.edu
April, 2023
Textbook features at a glace
- Accessible introduction to the broad field of environmental science
- Evidence-based coverage of the science of important and controversial topics
- Key concepts listed at the beginning of each chapter and questions to promote additional self-guided learning presented at the end of each chapter
- Extensive cross referencing within and among chapters
- Glossary which can be searched or accessed through highlighted terms
- Regular updates and revisions to the text as science advances
- The book layout has been optimized for web browsers on computer screens; some formatting may be lost on tablets and mobile phones or if the text is converted to pdf.
Acknowledgements
To the thousands of students who have taken courses with me: thank you for your inspiration to share, laugh, teach, and learn.
To the many colleagues at Muhlenberg College and elsewhere who provided reviews and comments: thank you for generously sharing your time, expertise, and insights. The late Don Shive, a long-time Muhlenberg Chemistry Professor and informal mentor to me, was particularly important in providing encouragement, instruction, and suggestions right up to the day he died.
To Tim Clarke and Lora Taub in the Muhlenberg Digital Learning Center and Kelly Cannon in Muhlenberg’s Trexler Library: thank you for all the help, time, and patience.
To Alissa Knopf: thank you for your assistance in the preparation of the Key-concepts and Think-about-it-some-more boxes.
To my children: thank you for enduring the years of writing and, apologies for the world I will leave to you.
To my wife Nicki: thank you for your support, patience, encouragement, and love during all the ups and downs of this project.
A grant from the Pennsylvania Consortium for the Liberal Arts (PCLA), as well as sabbatical leaves provided by Muhlenberg College, enabled me to complete some of the work on this book.
About the author
Jason Kelsey has been a member of the faculty at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA, since 2002. He is a professor and director of The Program in Environmental Science. Previously, he taught in the Biology Department at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Environmental Toxicology from Cornell University and his A.B. in Geology and English from Lafayette College. He has published numerous scholarly papers on the biodegradation and bioaccumulation of soil pollutants.
