Previous editions (1997, 2000), with the title Sources : notable selections in environmental studies, were edited by Theodore D. Goldfarb.

ch. 1: Preservation vs. conservation. 1. from Man and nature / George Perkins Marsh -- 2. from The mountains of California / John Muir -- 3. from The fight for conservation / Gifford Pinchot -- 4. from A Sand County almanac, and sketches here and there / Aldo Leopold -- ch. 2: Fundamental causes of environmental problems. 5. from "Prehistoric overkill," in Quaternary extinctions : a prehistoric revolution / Paul S. Martin -- 6. from "The historical roots of our ecological crisis," Science / Lynn White, Jr. -- 7. from "The tragedy of the commons," Science / Garrett Hardin -- 8. from The limits to growth : the 30-year update / Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers, Dennis Meadows -- ch. 3: Ecosystems and ecosystem services. 9. from "Human domination of Earth's ecosystems," Science / Peter M. Vitousek, Harold A. Mooney, Jerry M. Melillo -- 10. from Life and death of the salt marsh / John Teal, Mildred Teal -- 11. from "Will Hurricane Katrina impact shoreline management?" Journal of coastal research / Orrin H. Pilkey,