Human and Nature (Upper, Middle, Lower)

Author: Chief Editor: Feng Xiaozhe et al
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-01-01
Features: This book is jointly launched by Northeast Forestry University Press and the "Man and Nature" program of China Central Television. Set against the backdrop of the millennium in the Anthropocene era, with the relationship between humans and nature as the fundamental perspective and the evolution of human culture as the ideological thread, it vividly describes and comprehensively portrays the magnificent picture of the relationship between humans and nature. It elucidates a new cultural view that integrates nature, humanity, and science, emphasizing coordinated interaction, ecological prosperity, and harmonious development. It tentatively proposes several possible paths for the future development of humanity. The author guides readers with a unique perspective, leading them from the primordial wilderness of the earth to the modern civilization illuminated by the light of science, and from the damaged world where nature has receded to the sunny human green corridor of the cultural new era. The book is divided into three volumes and ten chapters, with the following chapter titles:
1. The Beginning of Heaven and Earth – The Evolution of Nature and the Birth of Life
2. Rising Civilization – A Cultural Perspective on Human Origins
3. Paradise of Singers – The Naturalistic Spirit of Chinese Culture
4. The Retreat of Nature – The Scientific Revolution and the Birth of the World Picture
5. The Carnival of Reason – The Technological Revolution and the Formation of the Technological World
6. The Damaged World – The Shadow of Modern Civilization
7. The Cultural New Era – Theoretical Interpretation of Ecological Culture
8. The Source of Vitality – The Regenerative Paths for Resources, Environment, and Humanity
9. Lighting the Heart Lamp – A Description of the Morphology of the Intelligent Society
10. The Wind Blows Again – The Green Road to the 21st Century
Notes: Each chapter of the book has structural connections, but the content of each chapter is relatively independent for the convenience of reading. The figure numbers of each chapter are arranged separately.
Excerpt: The Human Homeland – Earth The home of humanity, Earth, has been a subject of contemplation for thoughtful people since ancient times. Over thousands of years, people's understanding of the Earth has deepened continuously. From the concept of a flat Earth to a spherical Earth, and then to an ellipsoid, it has taken a long journey. In 1957, artificial satellites were launched, and many photographs of the Earth's shape were taken from them. From these photographs, the Earth's appearance can be seen in its entirety. The Earth's orbital parameters observed by artificial satellites indicate that the geoid is asymmetric with three axes. In fact, considering that the Northern Hemisphere has more land and the Southern Hemisphere has more ocean, and that the Eastern Hemisphere has more land than the Western Hemisphere, one can intuitively understand the Earth's asymmetry. Although the Earth is not a standard ellipsoid, it is very close to one, so we still refer to the Earth as an ellipsoid when dealing with certain issues. The parameters of the Earth revised by the 16th International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics in 1975 are as follows:
Equatorial radius: 6,378.140 kilometers
Polar radius: 6,356.755 kilometers
Difference between the equatorial and polar radii: 21.385 kilometers
Average radius: 6,371.004 kilometers
Flattening: 0.0033528 kilometers
Equatorial circumference: 40,075.036 kilometers
Meridional circumference: 39,940.670 kilometers
Surface area: 510,064,471.9 square kilometers
Volume: 1,083,206,900,000 cubic kilometers.
Regarding the structure of the Earth, many researchers have reached a relatively consistent view: the Earth is a layered structure composed of concentric layers of material. The Earth's layers can be divided into the inner and outer circles, which are commonly referred to as underground and above ground.