Grade level: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

This volume focuses on the breakdown in sustainability -- the capacity of the planet to provide quality of life now and in the future -- that is signaled by disaster. The authors bring to light why land use and sustainability have been ignored in devising public policies to deal with natural hazards. They lay out a vision of sustainability, concrete suggestions for policy reform, and procedures for planning. The book chronicles the long evolution...

Explains the different types of volcanoes, where they are located, what causes them to erupt, and how people protect themselves from an eruption.

Explains why earthquakes occur and describes the technology used to study them, the damage they inflict, and some of the more famous earthquakes in history.

Describes how and why tornadoes happen, the damage they can cause, and some of the most destructive tornadoes of the past.

Examines the formation and eruption of volcanoes and describes the damage they can cause.