Balanced, broad-based, and up to date, this comprehensive text explores the nature and critical issues of earth resources and the impacts that resource usage has on the earth environment. The authors offer full coverage of all major types of earth resources-energy, metallic, nonmetallic, water, soil. A minimal scientific background is assumed. Minerals: The Foundations of Society; Plate Tectonics and the Origins of Resources; Earth Resources Through History; Environmental Impacts of Resource Exploitation and Use; Energy From Fossil Fuels; Nuclear and Renewable Energy Sources; Abundant Metals; The Geochemically Scarce Metals; Fertilizer and Chemical Minerals; Building Materials and Other Industrial Minerals; Water Resources; Soil as a Resource; Future Resources. A comprehensive, up-to-date reference on Earth resources.