This text focuses on helping non-science majors develop an understanding of how geology and humanity interact. Ed Keller—the author who first defined the environmental geology curriculum—focuses on five fundamental concepts of environmental geology: Human Population Growth, Sustainability, Earth as a System, Hazardous Earth Processes, and Scientific Knowledge and Values. These concepts are introduced at the outset of the text, integrated throughout the text, and revisited at the end of each chapter. TheFifth Edition emphasizes currency, which is essential to this dynamic subject, and strengthens Keller's hallmark “Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Geology,” unifying the text's diverse topics while applying the concepts to real-world examples.