Natural Resources

This three-volume survey of traditional and recent views of the earth's resources collects 438 alphabetically arranged articles by numerous contributors on such topics as resource categories, the oil industry, plant and animal resources, natural systems, human aspects of resource exploration, energy politics and economics, resource management, recycling, conservation, sustainable development, preservation, waste disposal, and the role of US legislation and government agencies in overseeing resource use. Articles on 84 specific mineral resources explain where they are found, and their primary uses and characteristics. Entries range in length from 250 to nearly 4,000 words, and include summaries, bibliographies, and cross-references. The editors append lists of the locations of US and international mineral resources, a chronology, an index of entries by category, and related materials. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.