Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories retains all the popular features of its parent volume, Environment: The Science behind the Stories--including its integrated central case study approach and its focus on the scientific process, current data, and critical thinking--in a brief 17-chapter text. The Third Edition features expanded coverage of global climate change in a new stand-alone chapter. Coverage of geology, minerals, and mining is also enhanced in a new chapter. A new Activities Workbook supplement provides more activities and exercises than ever, and the Viewpoints essays are now in their own supplement with questions and web links. Myenvironmentplace.com offers a diverse selection of resources and interactive exercises that help students succeed in the course and hone the skills they need to make informed decisions on environmental issues.