Introduction

The professional environmental scientist tackles issues ranging from local concerns about the impacts of development on a town forest to broad global challenges like deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. Working with a variety of other environmental professionals, these scientists carefully analyze available options for managing and reducing the environmental threat posed. With its wild fluctuations in temperature and precipitation patterns, climate change will make the tasks of analyzing the problem and selecting the best solution more difficult. The 12 units in this book are designed to help you build your capacity to analyze complex environmental issues while at the same time considering how climate change may affect your choice of a solution.