Man and his physical environment. readings in environmental geology

Geoforum

86

stagnierenden und durch ihre politischeo

Beispiel Malayas besondere

Probieme

finden:

behinderten

Indonesien,

Staaten

Kambodscha,

- gegeniibergestellt

-

Burma,

Laos und Vietnam

werden.

Ein gutes Vier-

tel des Buches nimmt die Darsteilung wichtigsten

Geofaktoren

fiir den gesamten

Ubersicht

die physischgeographischen den wichtigsten

Wirtschaftsformen

shifting cultivation,

Urbanisierung,

und

wie

Nallreisbau,

und den Problemen

iungsprojekte,

iiber

Grundlagen

Staaten

werden

der NeusiedIndustrialisie-

leg&, rum anderen

Hauptprobiemen

Iagt der Autor

daR er sich die Freiheit einige Lander,

hat, Singapur

aus denen er iiber die inten-

sivsten personlichen

Kenntnisse

zu behandein.

heit nimmt

ge-

erkennen,

genommen

vor allem Malaysia,

und Indonesien, fiihrlicher

der einzelnen

einerseits Schwerpunkte

nach ihren jeweiligen

verfiigt, aus-

Diese Unausgewogen-

man gerne in Kauf, da sie durch

Einsichten

aus erster Hand aufgewogen

mit denen zugleich das wirtschaftlich und zum anderen

das mit Abstand

Land der Region hervorgehoben Ebenso niitzlich

renden Problemen, s&aft

ausgebauten

LIndern

“small hoider”-Wirtdcm wechselndcn

der Kautschukwirtschaft

Zinnbergbaus,

vcr-

der lntensivierung

und des des Reis-

baues und seiner marktwirtschaftlichen richtung

besondere

met wird.

gewid-

Das gilt such fur neuere GroRvor-

haben, 2.6. das Lower Stadterneuerung gen in Malaysia lndonesien struktiven

Aus-

Aufmerksamkeit Mekong

Singapurs,

Project,

die Neusiediun-

und die “Transmigrasi”

usw., die ausfBhrlich Karten,

dungen dargesteilt

die

Diagrammen

in

und mit inund Abbil-

ais neues

UHLIG,

Element

nach der Errich-

in die wirtschafts-

geographische

Situation

purs zieienden

Aussage wird ein weltge-

angelegter

der bis zu Adam

Malayas und Singa-

Ricardo

und Fried-

wobei die Relevanz

des Buches in der Abwagung

fiir das

der Frei-

on its frontispiece and back, the aim of this book, edited in the year of the United Nations Conference

lntr~duction

applications

Settlements,

der Straits

besonders von Singapur

Penang, ausschlaggebend

werden

Background

und

sollten.

Im

Kapnel

,,Regional

werden

die natur- und wirtschaftsgeographi-

schen Verhzltnisse dargestellt,

dcr malayischen

employing

des Aufstieges

seiner Ablesung

Malaccas und

wobei die Freihandels-

such stimulierende

die konkurrierende

Wirkung

Entwicklung

Exportwirtschaft

Malaysias folgt eine Behandlung Anstrengungen

hIngigen

Maiayen,

und zur Schaf-

Arbeitsplltze

Bevijlkerung.

Chinesen

fiir die rasch

Privilegien

die ihnen das Aufholen

schaftlichen

und lndern

Volksgruppen

erleichtern

Spannungen fihren,

den soil und die

mit den anderen

werden ehenso be-

wie die mit der Entstehung

seitigen Bevdlkerungsschwergewichtes

fur die

ihres wirt-

Rcckstandesgegenlber

zu erheblichen handelt,

zur weltmarktab-

Rohstoffproduktion

wachsende

der gegen-

urn eine Industriali-

sierung als Gegengewicht iung ausreichender

auf

der nieder-

zeigten. Der auf Kaut-

schuk und Zinn beruhenden wsrtigen

des

durch Penang, Batavia und

schlieRlich Singapur,

des ein-

und ErschIieRungs-

im “Rubber

and Tin Belt”

und mrt den jiingeren industrialisierungsver~ suchen cinhergehenden

Prozesse der UrbaDokumentation

der historischen

Raum gewahrende

und

Entwicklung Darstellung

kenn-

das Buch, das fiir eine Beschltrtgung

Informationen

Wirtschaftssyste-

und Singapur

wertvolle

bringt.

27 Fig., 47 Tab. London:

A Geography

Harald

UHLIC,

tion”. Purr contains

artificial

and that of prediction

earthquakes of natural

subsidence rockfalls

iiber Plantation

von COURTENAY, eines ~hnlichen

permafrost

Agriculture

hervorgetreten

McKENZIE,G.

D. and R.O.

(1972):

Stud&m

Readings in Environmental

crop&her

L;inder, die dem koloni-

alen Status entwachsen genkomplexe

sind, typische

herausgestellt,

Fra-

die dann am

$ 4.95.

UTGARD,eds.

Man and His Physical Environment.

figs., tables. Minneapolis:

and

regions are demonstrated

good examples.

There

ance on hydrology

by

is a paper of import-

for urban planing.

dom and hazardous

lake formation

Geology.

338 pp.,

Burgess Publ. Co.

Ran-

in

Missouri proves the necessity of complex scientific

planning.

Houses may suffer from

subsidence caused by mining. In Part Three:

Environmental

Health

geologic aspects are enumerated. the well-known

connections

and deficiency

some

Besides

between

goiter

of iodine in soils (e.g. in the

Great Lakes region) ous elements

there are some poison-

in rocks and radioactives

like

iead2re. There are several associations between trace elements

in soil, in ground-

and

surface water and public health and disease (like fluoride

content

of water and caries

etc). Parr Four:

W&e

important

Qisposul

is one of the most

and largest parts of the book

(14 papers on 72 pages). “In the United States the average citizien

produces 6 to 8

pounds of solid wastes per day. . . . The practice of open burning of wastes has been discontinued

because of air pollution

trol legislation. . . ” “Sterilization wastes by atomic

radiation

ion-

of solid

is under investiga-

tion”. of lakes and rivers is in many

concerning

plan is

the revitalizing

of the

is urgent need for a

policy on ocean dumping

quantities

is&, drei fiir das w~rtschaftsgeo~raphische

highways,

earth slides caused by heated pipe lines in

quantity

wastes has been dumped

der Buches

Land

of fluids (water,

mass-movements:

due to building

Great Lakes. There

Bell & Sons ltd.

of

ones is treated.

due to extraction

oil and gas), man-made

displayed

286 S,

Earth-

The possibility

national

werden

papers on Geologic in the USA.

quakes are described.

1962 no significant Einleitend

to meet the

cases already a sad fact. A concrete

Giessen

f 3.00.

schon als Verfasser

the solution

Man will be

the environment

The pollution

in Malaya.

problems.

needs and desires of an increasing popuia-

and control

Zinnlager

es foigt die friihe Geschichte

Seehandels,

konzepte

to Trade”

Viewpoints.

of geology toward

of environmental

Huzords observed mostly

mit den hochentwickeiten

P. P. (1972):

and

next decade will be one of ramifying

folge der britischen

Griindungen

in

Environment

seven parts with

62 readings. Fart One:

The Second

men von Malaysia

of Trade and Development

on Human

The work contains

handeiskonzepte gegeniiber dem Merkantilismus liegt, von denen die ersteren fir die Er-

reichnen

COURTENAY,

by man of a wrinkled

apple, showing the earth’s globe, expresses,

“The

Umweg eingeschiagen,

Smith,

rich List ausgreift, Thema

hreiten

Giessen

Ent-

The consumption

Sweden.

Nach dieser schon mitten

detaillierte, Harald

der Koto-

industrielle

rung der Unabhangigkeit.

nisrerung. SorgfEItige

werden.

der einheimischen

die Plantagenwirtschaft

und die geplante

Ihndischen Besitzungen

zur kompiemen-

fiir Exportprodukte,

Geschick

werden.

besonders gravie-

thr -- und in den einzelnen sch.&

stIrks&e groR&e

z.8. der Plantagenwirt-

und ihrem Verhaltnis

schieden

wird,

is& es, da& den wirtschafts-

und entw~ckiungspolit~sch

nialzeit

schichtlich

Plantagen-

rung, von Bergbau und ErdolaufschlieRung usw. In den Darstellungen

Wirtschaft; wicklung

Raum ein, mit einer (viet-

leicht zu knapp geratenen)

wirtschaft

der

und Entwicklungen

Beriicksichtigung

die Selbstversorger

19/74

too. After

of radioactive

at sea. But large

of explosives and some chemical

warfare

agents have been disposed of at sea.

Nuclear

wastes are carefully

buried

graveyards

on land. The location

graveyards

is a geological

mines are prefered.

problem.

in nuclear

of nuclear Salt

a7

Geoforum 19/74

Liquid wastes of high radioactive tion may either be converted centration

before surface dumping,

jected into deep ground.

COX,C.

concentra-

B., I. N. HEALEY

or in-

index. Oxford,

Thus design of

London,

disposal wells is a planning work of geological

Melbourne:

character.

tions. Softbound

There are also man-made tamination

groundwater

hazards: non-living

inorganic

particles,

cals, and ieachings from landfills.

Blackwell

Traditionally,

“The

biogeography

has been pre-

descriptive

especially

terms, with

special emphasis upon the structure

and

mining of coal in many cases produces an

formations.

Such a treatment,

acid drainage with high concentration

with the progress made in recent years

of

iron and sulfate.”

allowed.”

particularly “The

spicuous consumption

whether

may be possible. Another and quality.

the exploration

resources

of scrap metals

problem

is that of

As a new opportunity

and exploitation

minerals from seabottom Geothermal

our con-

of natural

can be cyclic. The recycling quantity

or

resources . . . cannot be

It is a question

of hard

is mentioned.

energy, scarce on the earth’s

surface, seems to be a greater energy source. Part Six: Geology

and Regional

Planning

contains five papers on the application geology,

hydrogeology

in different

problems.

positions for environmental

scientists are filled predominantly logists and engineers. as a factor

of

and flood control

regions with different

“At present,

by bio-

. . . The use of geology

in the solution

of environmentat

together

of geology to the problem mental

issues.

develops in the

. . . Geologists

will help . . . the solutions mental

problems

foster a tendency a somewhat

old-fashioned,

as

albeit unavoid-

able, part of the training of future

biologists

and geographers.

they educate

Computer

and MOORE’s

concise

this rule. In a condensed

form

to

it provides

The appendices

of pollution

predicts

i~~orrnatj~~s

a Glossary of selected environmental

and and

geologic terms) are useful for undergradua~ students and for environmental not trained

scientists

study: “geology,

geophysics,

climatology,

introducing

plant and animal systematics

category

and taxonomy,

evolution,

approach,

ecology”.

Rather

and

than erect a monument

to the science generally graphy,

physiology

known

the authors have evidently

Finally,

tried to

mental scientists untrained and environmental without

is: environin geosciences,

science, an earth science,

geoscientists?

the field. Books in the first overview”

while those in the second usually questions or concepts”

a third orientation

view.

may take what

is described

as “the way to look at political

geography”

strategy.

bring out the basic principles

The book under review falls in the first

present distribution

underlying

pattern

the

of living

category,

organisms on the earth.

although

Two typical examples

it is by no means a rapid

survey of the discipline. a detailed of their concise style

the entire vast subject in only twelve pages,

treatment

Gepgraphy Systematic

(1972), Political

glaciation

Geography

in slightly under

for the text is eminently

and clearly written authors’

and there are ample

to more detailed

numerous

well

examples

also help to

make clear what points they wish to emphasize. carefully

And as these examples

selected to represent

of the world,

have been

various parts

they have managed to avoid of scope.

stunted

by the distortions

in the subject has been of an infamous

in the 1930s.

For this reason a

volume of such incomparable depth is a most welcome growing literature

in German.

introductory language.

that it is intended

to help students

and interactions

without

master the of ecological

biology and of geography

the need for much prior knowtedge

of biology.

The book would certainly

suitable as an introductory students of environmental aid for high-school

textbook

be very for

studies and as an

teachers who want to

give their pupils an up-to-date

overall view of

Indeed

it is no

Stuoten-

represents one of the most import-

in the German

of both biology and geography

and

to the

to state that Allgemeine

practical explain

breadth

addition

ant up-to-date

to

in

language. Undoubtedly,

interest

exaggeration

geography

this is not true in regard

The authors do not clearly state the exact purpose of their book except

(1967)

et al: World Political

German

geographie

J. de

Geography

f 1957).

English are many,

Geopofitik

G. POUNDS: Harm

While text books on political to the German

studies. The

it represents

subject. And it is able to stand in a class with such classic texts by Norman

and G. Etzel PEARCY,

are summarised

Rather

of a very complex

while the main theories of the causes of

basic principles

Debrecen

a

and

survey the subject from a fresh angle and so

and evolutionary

L. KADAR,

overlap

each represents

tend to take a “brief

adopt a “central

as biogeo-

Putting down this sentence one feels how strange the present situation

there may be considerable

palaeontology,

any suggestion of narrowness

in geosciences.

on political

separate strategy for conceptualizing

references

of the book (The geologic

textbooks

fall into one of three categories.

Although

fields of

Geo57 Tab.

& Co. DM 94,-.

tion gathered from

many different

Staaten-

585 S., 94 Abb.,

among these categories,

superficiality,

Programs.

Allgtmeine

der Allgemeinen

the reader with a vast selection of informa-

BLIZ:

years at the latest.

rime chart, ~athemaricu/

geography

has been handled

of today

Band VIII.

Most introductory

offers a refreshing exception

two pages. Yet the reader has no feeling of

simulation

graphie,

Politicd

all the undergraduates

a crash after fifty

Lehrbuch

of the biomes and their present distribution

and tomorrow.” Part Seven: Environmental

M. (1972):

Berlin: Walter de Gruyter

HEALEY

handbook

SCHWIND, geographie.

and educators in which

Oulu

has helped

to regard biogeography

may be mentioned:

to our environ-

times are

and clearly set out,

and open up wide perspectives on the future,

in the environ-

by the manner

noteworthy.

in the fields of expprimental

ecology and human geography,

COX,

well written

Yrjo VASARI,

problems will develop only as the relevance minds of other participants

both in the past

too.

of the earth’s major vegetational

waste of our finite

the biosphere

The last two chapters on the Mark of Man

distribution

supply of mineral resources available on planet Earth is finite. .__Overconsumption

of his environment

and at present is particularly

Publica-

E 3.00.

sented in principaily

chemi-

Parr Five: Resources and Conservation.

prevailing within

tion given here to the role of Man as a modifier

Edinburgh,

Scientific

the principles

of our globe. In this respect the considera-

in his early days and in modern

con-

organic and

micro-organisms,

and P. D. MOORE

(1973): Biogeography - an ecological and evolutionary approach. 179 pp., 75 figures,

to less con-

texts to appear

The publisher

has designed an attractive

with excellent

paper, clear type, many useful

maps, photographs

and charts. The footnotes

are modest (for German not clutter

scholarship)

and do

the text, which after all is meant

for the beginning student.

While the biblio-

graphy is not at all complete,

it is not meant

to be; most of the sources are in German. Lastly, there is both a name and subject index.

book,