One of the main outcomes of the eleven meetings of the Working Party was the recognition of the importance of interdisciplinary studies linking regional geochemistry with plant, animal and human health. The effects of major element deficiencies or excesses on plant health are well known; this is not the case for trace elements. In fact, rapid and reliable analytical methods for determining trace element abundances have only recently become available, and it is to be expected that important new information on trace element levels will be forthcoming.

The volume ‘‘Environmental Geochemistry: Site Characterization, Data Analysis, Case Histories’’ contains selected papers presented at the ‘‘Workshop: Environmental Geochemistry—Site Characterization, Waste Disposal, Data Analysis, Case Histories’’ held in Napoli (Italy) on May 4–5, 2006. Participants from private and public institutions of Canada, Finland, Greece, Italy, the UK, and USA, took part.

Environmental Geology, 3e focuses on the fascinating interaction between humans and the geologic processes that shape Earth’s environment. Because this text emphasizes how human survival is highly dependent on the natural environment, students should find the topics to be quite relevant to their own lives and, therefore, more interesting. One of the key themes of this textbook centers on a serious challenge facing modern society: the need to continue obtaining large quantities of energy, and at the same time, make the transition from fossil fuels to clean sources of energy that do not impact the climate system. Environmental Geology provides extensive coverage of the problems associated with our conventional fossil fuel supplies (Chapter 13), and an equally in-depth discussion of alternative energy sources (Chapter 14). The two chapters on energy are intimately linked to a comprehensive overview of global climate change (Chapter 16), which is arguably civilization’s most critical environmental challenge.

Environmental Geology is a new textbook that focuses on the fascinating interaction between humans and the geologic processes that shape Earth’s environment. Because this text emphasizes how human survival is  highly dependent on the natural environment, students should fi nd the topics to be quite relevant to their own lives, and therefore, more interesting. One of the  key themes of this textbook centers on a serious challenge facing modern society: the need to continue obtaining large quantities of energy, and at the same time, move from fossil fuels to clean sources of energy that do not impact the climate system. Environmental Geology provides extensive coverage of the problems associated with our conventional fossil fuel supplies (Chapter 13), and an equally in-depth discussion on alternative energy sources (Chapter 14). The two chapters on energy are then intimately linked to a comprehensive overview of global climate change (Chapter 16), which  is arguably civilization’s most critical environmental challenge<...>