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Sustaining life : how human health depends on biodiversity Cover Image Book

Sustaining life : how human health depends on biodiversity / edited by Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein ; foreword by Edward O. Wilson ; prologue by Kofi Annan.

Bernstein, Aaron, 1976- (Added Author). Chivian, Eric. (Added Author). IUCN--The World Conservation Union. (Added Author). Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. (Added Author). United Nations Development Programme. (Added Author). United Nations Environment Programme. (Added Author).

Summary:

From the Publisher: The Earth's biodiversity-the rich variety of life on our planet-is disappearing at an alarming rate. And while many books have focused on the expected ecological consequences, or on the aesthetic, ethical, sociological, or economic dimensions of this loss, Sustaining Life is the first book to examine the full range of potential threats that diminishing biodiversity poses to human health. Edited and written by Harvard Medical School physicians Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein, along with more than 100 leading scientists who contributed to writing and reviewing the book, Sustaining Life presents a comprehensive-and sobering-view of how human medicines, biomedical research, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and the production of food, both on land and in the oceans, depend on biodiversity. The book's ten chapters cover everything from what biodiversity is and how human activity threatens it to how we as individuals can help conserve the world's richly varied biota. Seven groups of organisms, some of the most endangered on Earth, provide detailed case studies to illustrate the contributions they have already made to human medicine, and those they are expected to make if we do not drive them to extinction. Drawing on the latest research, but written in language a general reader can easily follow, Sustaining Life argues that we can no longer see ourselves as separate from the natural world, nor assume that we will not be harmed by its alteration. Our health, as the authors so vividly show, depends on the health of other species and on the vitality of natural ecosystems. With a foreword by E.O. Wilson and a prologue by Kofi Annan, and more than 200 poignant color illustrations, Sustaining Life contributes essential perspective to the debate over how humans affect biodiversity and a compelling demonstration of the human health costs.

Record details

  • ISBN: 0195175093
  • ISBN: 9780195175097
  • Physical Description: xxiii, 542 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; 29 cm
  • Publisher: Oxford ; Oxford University Press, 2008.

Content descriptions

General Note:
"Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity; United Nations Development Programme; United Nations Environment Programme; IUCN--The World Conservation Union."
Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 445-514) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
Foreword / Edward O. Wilson -- Prologue / Kofi Annan -- 1: What Is Biodiversity? / Stuart L. Pimm, Maria Alice S Alves, Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein -- Determining rates of species extinction -- Secondary extinctions -- Loss of populations and genes -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 2: How Is Biodiversity Threatened By Human Activity? / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- Habitat loss : on land -- Habitat loss : in the oceans -- Habitat loss : fresh water -- Overexploitation -- Introduced species -- Infectious diseases -- Pollution -- Ultraviolet radiation -- War and conflict -- Global climate change -- Suggested readings -- 3: Ecosystem Services / Jerry Melillo and Osvaldo Sala -- Character of ecosystem services -- Economic value of ecosystem services -- Threats to ecosystem services -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 4: Medicines From Nature / David J Newman, John Kilama, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian -- Why natural medicines? -- History of natural products as medicines -- Role of traditional medicine in drug discovery -- South American indigenous medicines -- Review of some medicines derived from nature -- Herbal medicines in industrialized countries -- Potential medicines in food -- Natural products as insecticides and fungicides -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 5: Biodiversity And Biomedical Research / Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein, and Joshua P. Rosenthal -- Brief history of biomedical research -- Role of animals and microbes in biomedical research -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 6: Threatened Groups Of Organisms Valuable To Medicine / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- Amphibians -- Bears -- Primates -- Gymnosperms -- Cone snails -- Sharks -- Horseshoe crabs -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 7: Ecosystem Disturbance, Biodiversity Loss, And Human Infectious Disease / David H. Molyneux, Richard S. Ostfeld, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian -- Ecosystem disturbances and their effects on infectious diseases -- Vector, pathogen, and host diversity and human infectious disease -- Biological controls -- Species exploitation and the consumption of bushmeat -- Climate change and its effects on infectious diseases -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 8: Biodiversity And Food Production / Daniel Hillel and Cynthia Rosenzweig -- Historical background -- Agriculture -- Livestock production -- Food from aquatic systems -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 9: Genetically Modified Foods And Organic Farming / Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- Genetically modified foods -- Organic farming -- Integrated farming -- Conclusion -- Suggested readings -- 10: What Individuals Can Do To Help Conserve Biodiversity / Jeffrey A McNeely, Eleanor Sterling and Kalemani Jo Mulongoy -- What are we doing to our planet? -- Why do we consume so much? -- How can we conserve biodiversity? -- Some collective actions that have made a difference -- Individuals who have made a difference -- Ten things we all can do that can help conserve biodiversity -- Suggested readings -- Appendix A: Co-sponsors of sustaining life : how human health depends on biodiversity -- Appendix B: Treaties, conventions, and intergovernmental organizations for the conservation of biodiversity -- Appendix C: Nongovernmental organizations working to conserve biodiversity.
Target Audience Note:
1600L Lexile

Search for related items by subject

Subject:
Biodiversity.
Environmental health.

Available copies

  • 6 of 6 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Onslow County Public Library.

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Jacksonville Main Library 333.95 SUS (Text) 36015000027769 Adult Nonfiction Available -

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MARC Record

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24500. ‡aSustaining life : ‡bhow human health depends on biodiversity / ‡cedited by Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein ; foreword by Edward O. Wilson ; prologue by Kofi Annan.
264 1. ‡aOxford ; ‡aNew York : ‡bOxford University Press, ‡c2008.
300 . ‡axxiii, 542 pages : ‡billustrations (chiefly color), color maps ; ‡c29 cm
336 . ‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent
337 . ‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia
338 . ‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier
500 . ‡a"Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity; United Nations Development Programme; United Nations Environment Programme; IUCN--The World Conservation Union."
504 . ‡aIncludes bibliographical references (pages 445-514) and index.
50500. ‡gForeword / ‡rEdward O. Wilson -- ‡gPrologue / ‡rKofi Annan -- ‡g1: ‡tWhat Is Biodiversity? / ‡rStuart L. Pimm, Maria Alice S Alves, Eric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein -- ‡tDetermining rates of species extinction -- ‡tSecondary extinctions -- ‡tLoss of populations and genes -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g2: ‡tHow Is Biodiversity Threatened By Human Activity? / ‡rEric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- ‡tHabitat loss : ‡ton land -- ‡tHabitat loss : ‡tin the oceans -- ‡tHabitat loss : ‡tfresh water -- ‡tOverexploitation -- ‡tIntroduced species -- ‡tInfectious diseases -- ‡tPollution -- ‡tUltraviolet radiation -- ‡tWar and conflict -- ‡tGlobal climate change -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g3: ‡tEcosystem Services / ‡rJerry Melillo and Osvaldo Sala -- ‡tCharacter of ecosystem services -- ‡tEconomic value of ecosystem services -- ‡tThreats to ecosystem services -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g4: ‡tMedicines From Nature / ‡rDavid J Newman, John Kilama, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian -- ‡tWhy natural medicines? -- ‡tHistory of natural products as medicines -- ‡tRole of traditional medicine in drug discovery -- ‡tSouth American indigenous medicines -- ‡tReview of some medicines derived from nature -- ‡tHerbal medicines in industrialized countries -- ‡tPotential medicines in food -- ‡tNatural products as insecticides and fungicides -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g5: ‡tBiodiversity And Biomedical Research / ‡rEric Chivian, Aaron Bernstein, and Joshua P. Rosenthal -- ‡tBrief history of biomedical research -- ‡tRole of animals and microbes in biomedical research -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g6: ‡tThreatened Groups Of Organisms Valuable To Medicine / ‡rEric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- ‡tAmphibians -- ‡tBears -- ‡tPrimates -- ‡tGymnosperms -- ‡tCone snails -- ‡tSharks -- ‡tHorseshoe crabs -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g7: ‡tEcosystem Disturbance, Biodiversity Loss, And Human Infectious Disease / ‡rDavid H. Molyneux, Richard S. Ostfeld, Aaron Bernstein and Eric Chivian -- ‡tEcosystem disturbances and their effects on infectious diseases -- ‡tVector, pathogen, and host diversity and human infectious disease -- ‡tBiological controls -- ‡tSpecies exploitation and the consumption of bushmeat -- ‡tClimate change and its effects on infectious diseases -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g8: ‡tBiodiversity And Food Production / ‡rDaniel Hillel and Cynthia Rosenzweig -- ‡tHistorical background -- ‡tAgriculture -- ‡tLivestock production -- ‡tFood from aquatic systems -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g9: ‡tGenetically Modified Foods And Organic Farming / ‡rEric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein -- ‡tGenetically modified foods -- ‡tOrganic farming -- ‡tIntegrated farming -- ‡gConclusion -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡g10: ‡tWhat Individuals Can Do To Help Conserve Biodiversity / ‡rJeffrey A McNeely, Eleanor Sterling and Kalemani Jo Mulongoy -- ‡tWhat are we doing to our planet? -- ‡tWhy do we consume so much? -- ‡tHow can we conserve biodiversity? -- ‡tSome collective actions that have made a difference -- ‡tIndividuals who have made a difference -- ‡tTen things we all can do that can help conserve biodiversity -- ‡gSuggested readings -- ‡gAppendix A: ‡tCo-sponsors of sustaining life : ‡thow human health depends on biodiversity -- ‡gAppendix B: ‡tTreaties, conventions, and intergovernmental organizations for the conservation of biodiversity -- ‡gAppendix C: ‡tNongovernmental organizations working to conserve biodiversity.
520 . ‡aFrom the Publisher: The Earth's biodiversity-the rich variety of life on our planet-is disappearing at an alarming rate. And while many books have focused on the expected ecological consequences, or on the aesthetic, ethical, sociological, or economic dimensions of this loss, Sustaining Life is the first book to examine the full range of potential threats that diminishing biodiversity poses to human health. Edited and written by Harvard Medical School physicians Eric Chivian and Aaron Bernstein, along with more than 100 leading scientists who contributed to writing and reviewing the book, Sustaining Life presents a comprehensive-and sobering-view of how human medicines, biomedical research, the emergence and spread of infectious diseases, and the production of food, both on land and in the oceans, depend on biodiversity. The book's ten chapters cover everything from what biodiversity is and how human activity threatens it to how we as individuals can help conserve the world's richly varied biota. Seven groups of organisms, some of the most endangered on Earth, provide detailed case studies to illustrate the contributions they have already made to human medicine, and those they are expected to make if we do not drive them to extinction. Drawing on the latest research, but written in language a general reader can easily follow, Sustaining Life argues that we can no longer see ourselves as separate from the natural world, nor assume that we will not be harmed by its alteration. Our health, as the authors so vividly show, depends on the health of other species and on the vitality of natural ecosystems. With a foreword by E.O. Wilson and a prologue by Kofi Annan, and more than 200 poignant color illustrations, Sustaining Life contributes essential perspective to the debate over how humans affect biodiversity and a compelling demonstration of the human health costs.
5218 . ‡a1600L ‡bLexile
650 0. ‡aBiodiversity. ‡0(CARDINAL)260094
650 0. ‡aEnvironmental health. ‡0(CARDINAL)237614
7001 . ‡aBernstein, Aaron, ‡d1976- ‡0(CARDINAL)337984
7001 . ‡aChivian, Eric. ‡0(CARDINAL)337985
7102 . ‡aIUCN--The World Conservation Union. ‡0(CARDINAL)322445
7102 . ‡aSecretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity. ‡0(CARDINAL)337983
7102 . ‡aUnited Nations Development Programme. ‡0(CARDINAL)324018
7102 . ‡aUnited Nations Environment Programme. ‡0(CARDINAL)149220
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201809
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201909
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 201912
902 . ‡aMARCIVE 202106
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