A free, self-paced textbook in 8 chapters. Read a chapter, then drill it with the 216 companion flashcards using spaced repetition.
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the interactions between humans and the natural environment, while ecology is the narrower study of relationships a...
The same atoms of life cycle repeatedly through the biosphere. The carbon cycle moves carbon among the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living organisms through photosynthesis, respir...
Rising temperatures are reshaping ecosystems and physical systems worldwide. Cities often experience the urban heat island effect, where dense construction, dark surfaces, and huma...
How we grow food has enormous consequences for ecosystems and the climate. Sustainable agriculture aims to meet present needs without compromising future capacity, while regenerati...
The energy system is the largest single source of human greenhouse gas emissions, so transforming it is central to addressing climate change. Energy sources divide into renewable s...
Earth is experiencing a sharp decline in biodiversity, sometimes called the sixth mass extinction because its rate rivals the five major mass extinctions in the geological record....
The dominant industrial model is a linear economy organized around taking resources, making products, and disposing of them, which depletes resources and generates waste. A circula...
Responses to climate change divide into two broad strategies: mitigation, actions that reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions, and adaptation, adjustments to actual or expected...