Harvesting the Biosphere

This book, Harvesting the Biosphere, provides a comprehensive account of human impact on Earth's living matter, from prehistoric hunting to our modern-day use of energy production. Vaclav Smil explores the different types of harvests and uses of biomass, showing how they have allowed human evolution to advance. However, Smil also highlights how the intensity and scale of these harvests are changing civilization's well-being, affecting the environment in significant and long-lasting ways. By offering quantifications of losses and assessing global environmental changes, Smil provides a valuable perspective on human-caused changes to the planet.