Fundamentals of Practical Environmentalism

Drawing on some 20 years of professional engineering experience, resource conservation engineer Weldon (PepsiCo, Cedar Rapids, Iowa) introduces readers to a valuable tool for improving their daily interactions with the environment. Written for activists, policymakers, researchers, resource managers, government agencies, and students, the text opens with an overview of practical environmentalism and its four main components--environmental degradation, resource conservation, economic progress, and personal benefit--followed by a concise history of environmentalism in the US, environmentalism ethics, and elements that make environmental decision making difficult. Subsequent chapters explain each of the components in detail, including their combination into a holistic metric to guide environmental actions. Using real-world examples, Weldon demonstrates use of the metric to conduct practical and meaningful analyses of environmental issues and actions, both the individual and large scale. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dr. Weldon is an engineer by training and experience. He holds bachelors and masters degrees in Mechanical Engineering and earned his doctorate in Environmental Engineering from the University of Iowa. He has spent much of his career working in industrial power plants. His experience includes working for large corporations in the pulp and paper, building products, and food products industries. He has also worked as a plant engineer for a Midwestern municipal electrical utility. His current position is focused on energy conservation and environmental sustainability for a large food manufacturer. Dr. Weldon has been a college instructor and carried out research in the areas of ground source heat pump systems and the association of water quality in Midwestern rivers with agricultural land use patterns. He is married with four children and lives in a wonderful small town in eastern Iowa.