Environmental Science for the Liberal Arts
Environmental challenges such as climate change, pollution, waste, and chemical risks have become increasingly complex and urgent. Although scientific knowledge is essential for understanding these issues, environmental science often remains inaccessible to students and researchers in the social sciences and humanities, where its concepts and mechanisms are perceived as a “black box.”
This textbook offers a clear and accessible introduction to environmental science for readers without formal training in mathematics, chemistry, or physics. Avoiding equations and chemical formulas, the book explains environmental processes intuitively, using plain language and visual reasoning to show how human activities interact with natural systems. Readers are guided to understand not only what environmental problems are, but how they arise and what kinds of technical, regulatory, and policy responses are available.
The book gives particular attention to climate change, drawing on the latest scientific understanding presented in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, and examines both its physical basis and the challenges of mitigation and adaptation. It also addresses the growing global concern over plastic pollution, including international negotiations toward a legally binding agreement and Japan’s Plastic Resource Circulation Act.
A distinctive feature of this volume is its systematic integration of Japan’s pollution control experience. Through cases ranging from air and water pollution to waste management, contaminated soil, and post-disaster environmental responses, Japan is presented as a lens for understanding broader principles of environmental science and environmental governance.
Ryo Fujikura is Professor Emeritus at Hosei University, Japan. He served as Chair of the Society of Environmental Science, Japan, from 2023 to 2025. He received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the University of Tokyo and his Doctor of Natural Science from the University of Innsbruck, Austria. After joining the Environment Agency of Japan (now the Ministry of the Environment), he served in several positions. He subsequently held academic appointments at Kyushu University, Ritsumeikan University, Keio University, and Hosei University. From 2013 to 2018, he served on the Board of Directors of the Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), Hungary. His research interests include environmental policy, environmental impact assessment, climate change adaptation.
Manami Fujikura is Professor in the College of Liberal Arts at J. F. Oberlin University, Japan. She received her B.Eng. and M.Eng. from Kyoto University and her Ph.D. in Engineering from Hokkaido University. After joining the Environment Agency of Japan (now the Ministry of the Environment), she served as Director of the Environmental Information Office at the Ministry of the Environment. She later became Professor in the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies at Keio University before joining J. F. Oberlin University. Her research interests include environmental policy, waste management, and sustainability studies.