A radical retelling of human history through collapse – from the dawn of our species to the urgent existential threats of the twentieth-first century and beyond – based on the latest research and a database of more than 440 societal lifespans over the last 5,000 years.

Why do civilisations collapse?

For the first 200,000 years of human history, hunter-gathering Homo sapiens lived in fluid, egalitarian civilizations that thwarted any individual or group from ruling permanently. Then, around 12,000 years ago, that began to change.

Slowly, reluctantly we congregated in the first farms and cities, and people began to rely on lootable resources like grain and fish for their daily sustenance. When more powerful weapons became available, small groups began to seize control of these valuable commodities. This inequality in resources soon tipped over into inequality in power, and we started to adopt more primal, hierarchical forms of organisation. Power was concentrated in masters, kings, pharaohs and emperors (and ideologies were born to justify their rule). Goliath-like states and empires – with vast bureaucracies and militaries – carved up and dominated the globe.

What brought them down? From Rome and the Aztec empire and the early cities of Cahokia and Teotihuacan, it was increasing inequality and concentrations of power which hollowed these Goliaths out before an external shock brought them crashing down. These collapses were written up as apocalyptic, but in truth they were usually a blessing for most of the population.

Now we live in a single global Goliath. Growth-obsessed, extractive institutions like the fossil fuel industry, big tech, and military-industrial complexes rule our world and produce new ways of annihilating our species, from climate change to nuclear war. Our systems are now so fast, complex and interconnected that a future collapse will likely be global, swift and irreversible. All of us now faces a choice: we must learn to democratically control Goliath, or the next collapse may be our last.

Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We have not used OCR(Optical Character Recognition), as this leads to bad quality books with introduced typos. (2) In books where there are images such as portraits, maps, sketches etc We have endeavoured to keep the quality of these images, so they represent accurately the original artefact. Although occasionally there may be certain imperfections with these old texts, we feel they deserve to be made available for future generations to enjoy.

The Handbook on European Union Climate Change Policy and Politics provides a wide-ranging and in-depth assessment of current and emerging challenges facing the EU in committing to and delivering increasingly ambitious climate policy objectives. It traces the development of climate and energy policies since the early 1990s and examines their continued evolution in the context of the 2019 European Green Deal. With contributions from leading international scholars, it describes the key dynamics driving policy developments and the role of key actors in climate and energy-related policy processes. Covering topics that have previously been relatively neglected, or have recently gained greater significance, such as finance and investment, ‘hard to abate’ sectors and negative emissions, this timely Handbook offers an up-to-date and unrivalled exploration of the complexities of climate policymaking. It will be of primary interest to academics researching EU politics, and environmental politics, policy, regulation and governance more widely. It will be especially pertinent to students and researchers who require more specialized knowledge of EU climate policy and politics.

This timely book provides a critical examination of the ways in which tax expenditures can be best used in order to enhance their efficacy as instruments for the implementation of environmental policy. Examining the capacity and limits of tax expenditures in financing environmental policy, Hope Ashiabor considers their use in various contexts and policies in order to clearly establish the common threads as well as any deviations that have emerged. The book outlines how, when used in environmental policy either to provide preferences to certain activities or to address the challenges of environmental degradation, the management of tax expenditures invariably results in unintended consequences that manifest in negative environmental outcomes and economic inefficiencies. It also examines some of the challenges encountered in re-structuring subsidies that have become environmentally harmful. Tax Expenditures and Environmental Policy will be of great interest to students and scholars in both tax and environmental law. It will also offer an essential tool for policy makers and practitioners through its focus on policy design and its doctrinal analysis.

Encouraging older people to age in place in their own homes is a common response internationally to the economic and social demands of population ageing. It is recognized that the nature of the built environment at various scales is critical to optimizing the social participation and wellbeing of older people and hence in facilitating ageing in place. This insightful book showcases a range of design, planning and policy responses to ageing populations from across the rapidly changing and dynamic Western Asia-Pacific region. Ageing in Place considers diverse cultural, political and environmental contexts and responses to show that regional governments, industries and communities can gain, as well as offer, important insights from their international counterparts. With significant changes in caring, family dynamics and the supporting roles of governments in both Eastern and Western societies, the chapters demonstrate a clear and increasingly convergent preference for and promotion of ageing in place and the need for collaborative efforts to facilitate this through policy and practice. The unique geographical focus and multi-disciplinary perspective of this book will greatly benefit academic researchers and students from a variety of backgrounds including architecture, urban planning, sociology and human geography. It also provides a unique entry point for practitioners seeking to understand the principles of design and practice for ageing in place in homes, neighbourhoods and care facilities.

Elgar Advanced Introductions are stimulating and thoughtful introductions to major fields in the social sciences, business and law, expertly written by the world's leading scholars. Designed to be accessible yet rigorous, they offer concise and lucid surveys of the substantive and policy issues associated with discrete subject areas. Leading mobilities theorist Mimi Sheller offers an up-to-date, comprehensive analysis of the complex mobility disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath in this timely Advanced Introduction. It outlines the formation of the interdisciplinary field of mobility studies, arguing that mobilities theory is crucial to planning post-pandemic recovery, sustainable communities, and low-carbon transitions. From tourism to migration to urban infrastructure, to informal and reproductive mobilities, Sheller reveals how multiple im/mobilities are interconnected, as the novel coronavirus reminds us as it hitchhikes across the globe through its human hosts. Key features: Centres mobility justice as a key topic throughout, revealing the vast inequities in im/mobilities, structured by gender, race and nationality Challenges existing approaches to social science, calling for the extension of critical mobility studies to address complex contemporary challenges Offers up-to-date analysis of key policy programs such as the Green New Deal, and a comparative analysis of differing visions of alternative mobilities futures. This innovative Advanced Introduction will be a beneficial read for students and scholars of mobilities research, tourism studies, migration studies, human geography, urban studies and sustainability.

Attention deficit is the disorder of our times. What if a simple but powerful solution could be found on our doorstep?

With so many things vying for our attention, we’re suffering a global epidemic of distraction. Renowned professor of psychology Dr Marc Berman may have found a cure, through environmental neuroscience and the art of attention restoration.

What if we knew how to harness attention restoration for our brain health and focus, to help us become calmer, more productive, less distracted? If modern life is leaving you feeling drained, depleted, isolated or depressed, in Nature and the Mind, Dr Berman identifies the essential elements of a 'nature prescription' that can inspire happiness and hope, renew energy and attention, and spur cooperation and connection.

Nature and The Mind explains how nature holds the key to our cognitive performance and mental resilience, offering clear, practical tools for incorporating this knowledge into your immediate environment and practice, to reap the benefits for your mental clarity and physical calm. With practical check ins at the end of each chapter, we are gifted an accessible toolkit for immediately applying the neuroscience in our daily lives.

Nature and The Mind is an authoritative and groundbreaking book, the first of its kind to reveal the new science behind why exactly we need nature to enhance our focus and attention, strengthening our awareness of how humans are intertwined with our environment in myriad powerful ways.

Good quality large wall map; ideal for a classroom, bedroom or office wall Explore the world with this high quality, large, laminated, rolled map of the World. The Marco Polo World Wall Map is a perfect reference map covering the whole world. It shows the political units on each continent, mountain relief and sea depth. In addition to the beautiful, colourful illustration, it includes: national flags of each country country names, capital cities and country codes Supplied in a durable plastic tube, this fascinating, easy-to-read world wall map looks great on any wall. Ideal as a poster for a bedroom wall, school classroom or planning your dream trip. Dimensions: 120 x 80 cm Scale: 1: 35 000 000 | 1cm = 350km | 1inch = 550 miles

Lifelong friends Kranti and Bananabelle are rounded up during a protest and locked in a pen by a faraway railroad track. After their escape and when trying to gain proof of their capture, Kranti discovers that all signs of their imprisonment have disappeared - the holding pen, the train, the buildings. In piecing together what remains, she stumbles upon the future site of a nuclear power plant.

No man is an island, wrote John Donne. BBC Home Editor Mark Easton argues the opposite: that we are all islands, and it is upon the contradictory shoreline where isolation meets connectedness, where 'us' meets 'them', that we find out who we truly are. Suggesting that a continental bias has blinded us, Easton chronicles a sweep of 250 million years of island history: from Pangaea (the supercontinent mother of all islands) to the first intrepid islanders pointing their canoes over the horizon, from exploration to occupation, exploitation to liberation, a hopeful journey to paradise and a chastening reminder of our planet's fragility. But that is only half of this mesmerising book: aided by the muse he names Pangaea, Easton also interweaves reflections on what he calls 'the psychological islands that form the great archipelago of humankind'. Taking readers on an enchanting adventure, he illustrates how understanding islands and island syndrome might help humanity get closer to the truth about itself. Brave, intelligent and haunting, Islands is a deep dive into geography, myth, literature, politics and philosophy that reveals nothing less than a map of the human heart.

China is the largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world and also suffers from devastating climate catastrophes. Increasingly, policymakers in China have come to realize that government alone cannot adequately prevent or defray climate-related disaster risks. This book contends that a better way to manage catastrophe risk in China is through private insurance rather than directly through the Chinese government. In addition, private insurance could function as a substitute for, or complement to, government regulation of catastrophe risks by causing policyholders to take greater precautions to reduce climate change risks. This book's unique contribution lies in explaining how private sector insurance could be harnessed to better protect China from climate change risks, addressing the shortcomings in China's private sector when it comes to the incentive and capacity to provide catastrophe insurance. Following the dual principles of insurers acting as private risk regulators and the government acting as a last resort, this book proposes a multi-layered public-private catastrophe insurance partnership in China. It uses a thorough combination of law and economics methodology to analyze these issues. Researchers, academics, and journalists writing on climate change in China will have a strong interest in this book, as will practitioners and policy-making bodies, Chinese government officials and agencies in insurance, finance and environmental regulation, private lawyers, private insurers, and global reinsurers.

This book has to capture the heart of the reader. Rosaleen has produced yet another masterpiece, as her poetic talent knows no bounds. Her style is jaunty, amusing, entertaining and above all informmative, showing a style that she has made her own. As she compares energy demands in various countries, she points to the sustainability factors and takes this book to the fireplaces. of every home, college, and university. all member of all communities who endorse HRH Prince Charles's work with reference to 'Going Green' will use this information to act as a catalyst to take them forward and enjoy a cleaner, more affordable environment. Rosaleen has such writing techniques that she fires passion from her fountain pen. Having read this book the reader will go on making choices about energy only the choice now will mean a better informed choice. Reminding us that there is no free lunch and everything we do has a consequence, this 'best Selling Author' has been described as a writer with enormous talent and is obviously comfortable with her readers. When asked what made her write on energy, she responded that there are some countries where it is law that one can only use electricity for one hour a day, this caused her to see that such people face anxiety provoking situation on a daily basis and she says it inspired her to research and write on the subject. Energy - is a thought provoking book and issues like fracking, wind turbines, and use of coal are all addressed in simple straightforward language by this writer who writes with such panache...Enjoy.

Elgar Research Agendas outline the future of research in a given area. Leading scholars are given the space to explore their subject in provocative ways, and map out the potential directions of travel. They are relevant but also visionary. This innovative Research Agenda draws together discussions on the conceptualization of territory and the ways in which territory and territorial practices are intimately bound with issues of power and control. Expert contributors provide a critical assessment of key areas of scholarship on territory and territoriality across a wide range of spatial scales and with examples drawn from the global landscape. After an introduction to shifting ideas of territory, territoriality and sovereignty, the book deals with territory in its more traditional macro-scale sense at the level of the nation-state before going on to explore questions of territory, identity and belonging at a more micro-scale focusing on issues of citizenship, inclusion and exclusion. A Research Agenda for Territory and Territoriality will be a key resource for scholars and students in geopolitics and social and cultural geography, whilst also being a thought-provoking read for those interested in nations and nationalism, sovereignty, conflict, citizenship, and territory, place and locality.

This insightful book reappraises how traditional high culture attractions have been supplemented by popular culture events, contemporary creativity and everyday life through inventive styles of tourism. Greg Richards draws on over three decades of research to provide a new approach to the topic, combining practice and interaction ritual theories and developing a model of cultural tourism as a social practice. Taking readers on a concise journey from the 1900s to the present day, Rethinking Cultural Tourism examines the evolution of cultural tourism and the resulting consequences, analysing the dynamics of new practices and emerging trends. The book concludes by considering how technology is causing a shift in tourist behaviour and experiences to meet the ever-growing demand for new travelling experiences and discovering new places and cultures. This innovative, thought-provoking book is an essential read for researchers of cultural and creative tourism and social practices, as well as providing a useful review of the development of cultural tourism for scholars in related fields such as human geography.

"It stood out for me for a number of reasons. The first, and by far the most important to me, being that the composition is absolutely gorgeous." - Tim Clinch, Amateur Photographer "Packed with compelling visuals and important discussions around some of the planet's biggest issues, it's an excellent compendium of some of the world's best photographers working today." - Amateur Photographer "As compelling in its visuals as it is in its messaging, Fire is an unforgettable document." - Jonathan McIntosh, Royal Photographic Society Journal Fire is the fourth element. It destroys and creates something new. In its heat, colours, and magnitude, it provides a terrifying spectacle as much as an existential threat. Today, it speaks as much to the fragility of human structures as to the damage wrought on nature: the fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, forest fires from the Amazon to Australia, and infernos in California so colossal that the sky turned red. Reason enough for the Prix Pictet, the world's leading award for photography and sustainability, to dedicate this year's photo book to the many facets of fire. Selected by photography experts from around the world, this impressive publication features 100 images from the Prix Pictet shortlist and beyond. As compelling in its visuals as it is in its messaging, this is an unforgettable document of an elemental force, and of the increasing extremes of climate change.

Situating a comprehensive microbehavioral analysis of the economics of climate change within a discussion of the most pressing global climate change issues and policy negotiations, the Handbook of Behavioral Economics and Climate Change is a timely collection of new research on the behaviors of economic agents that are essential to an exposition of climate change economics and policymaking. Chapters identify both microbehavioral causes of and responses to climate change by numerous economic agents, in doing so elucidating the relationship between climate policies and behavioral changes. This includes examination of individuals' behaviors to cope with and adapt to climate change; the policy decisions aimed at altering behaviurs at individual, business, and international levels to achieve climate policy goals; and the motivations behind behaviours driven by culture, history, or religion with regards to climate change. These behaviors are contextualised within a global analysis of pressing climate change issues in land-based and ocean-based systems, including Sub-Saharan agriculture, hurricanes and sea-level rises in North America, Latin American Pampas, the small island alliance, South Asian rice agriculture, and hydroelectricity in the Himalayas. With a global scope, this Handbook will prove invaluable to students and scholars of climate change, environmental studies, and behavioral economics. With practical examples and case studies, it will also prove useful for policymakers working in climate legislation.

As the world population increases, food security is a major global issue. This book provides an in-depth examination of the three necessary conditions for the achievement of food security: (1) availability of food; (2) adequate incomes and (3) increasing agricultural productivity. The author draws lessons from history, explores these three conditions and discusses the prospect of feeding an expected nine billion people in 2050. The author discusses the major factors inhibiting food being available and explores how these constraints can be lifted. First, the book describes conditions necessary for food to be truly, consistently available. Second, adequate incomes and programs such as food stamps and foodbanks are explored. Third, the drivers of increasing agricultural productivity are examined. Agricultural economists and scientists, food policy practitioners in government and international organizations and food aid NGOs, and students of agriculture and public policy will find Food Security as thought-provoking as it is informative.

Synthesizing current understandings on the relationship between transport and land use, this timely Handbook proposes an agenda for research and practice that leads toward more human-centered communities within an increasingly urbanized world facing rapid technological change.   Leading scholars reframe and expand conventional transport policy holistically with concepts grounded in behavioral, economic, psychological and sociological theories in this fundamental reference work. Chapters explore the role of institutional policies and informal cultural contexts in influencing transport and land use systems, before examining the impacts of transportation and land use decisions across multiple areas, including equity, public health, climate, environment, and lifestyle preferences. The Handbook concludes by emphasizing pathways for human-centered development, planning, and policy in an age of rapid innovation in new mobility technologies.   Outlining the fundamental, emerging and developing theories, methods, models and policies across the fields of transportation and land use, this interdisciplinary Handbook will be invaluable to students and scholars of urban planning and transport studies. Setting an agenda for future research and policy initiatives, it will also prove a useful resource to policymakers and practitioners working within transport and land use planning.

Offering a unique and critical perspective on energy justice, this Handbook delves into an emerging field of inquiry encapsulating multiple strands of scholarship on energy systems. Covering key topics including generation, transmission, distribution and demand, it explores fundamental questions surrounding policy, climate change, security and social movements. The Handbook illuminates the rapidly expanding and diversifying scholarly domains where energy justice has developed to date. Chapters provide an overview on energy justice issues across a range of socio-technical and political contexts, including differences along lines of race, gender, age, geography, housing, socio-economic status and infrastructure. The Handbook further incorporates non-Western perspectives to expand the transitional vocabulary and frameworks of energy justice. Grounded in empirically rich case studies from across the world to support nuanced framings, situated methods and informed policy, this Handbook will be of interest to students of development, human geography, environmental policy and politics. It will also be useful to practitioners working in international organisations and agencies working in development and the environment.

This expansive Handbook guides readers through a multi-layered landscape of the interpretations and uses of transdisciplinary thinking and practices worldwide. It advances understanding of the strengths and limits of transdisciplinary research in the context of societal power relations, institutional structures and social inequalities. Original chapters from 116 scholars and experts in 27 countries create a multi-cultural constellation of conceptual and methodological approaches to transdisciplinary research, teaching, training and community projects, showcasing the diversity and plurality of transdisciplinary contributions. Framed through the core themes of thinking, doing and being, this Handbook thoroughly reviews key topics including philosophies and theories, research and practice, education and training and financial and institutional resources with examples from innovative transdisciplinary global projects. Inclusive in its approach, this Handbook will be an ideal resource for public and private domain professionals wishing to explore collaborative working practices. Scholars looking for a better understanding of transdisciplinarity and how it differs from interdisciplinarity will find the case studies illustrative and informative.

Addressing one of the most pressing environmental issues, this topical book carefully inspects the current extent of the plastic pollution crisis and observes contemporary approaches to its regulation. By adopting a strong interdisciplinary approach, the book fully encapsulates the key challenges and solutions surrounding this globally applicable problem. Through critical analysis, this insightful book methodically identifies the faults in existing efforts to tackle the problem of plastic pollution such as often-fragmented regulation tactics, proposing potential approaches to policy reform. It utilises stakeholder analysis to offer a study of key participants such as governments and industries and comprehensively surveys the ongoing nature of this provocative issue. This comprehensive book will be crucial for students and scholars of law, economics, politics, and environmental studies endeavouring to further understand the multi dimensional issue of global plastic pollution. It will additionally be valuable for policy and decision-makers seeking to understand the challenges involved in environmental policy regulation.

Our brand new and up to date whisky map shows over 150 distilleries on our exceptionally clear road mapping, allowing you to navigate to your chosen destination. Enlarged inset map of Speyside & clearly defined production regions allows you to plan your distilleries tour according to your taste buds! Distilleries are indexed with addresses and full contact details and clearly defined as those with and without visitor facilities. The best thing to go with your dram apart from a splash of water. Foreword by Blair Bowman, whisky consultant Over 150 whisky distilleries shown with & without visitor facilities Clearly defined whisky producing regions Exceptionally clear road mapping with mileage markers Index to distilleries with full address & contact details Fun facts & information on the reverse Index to place names

This incisive book integrates the academic fields of sustainable production and consumption (SCP) and sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) as a framework for challenging the current economic paradigm and addressing the significant ecological and environmental problems faced by the contemporary business world. Outlining the growth and progress of consumption in the developed world, initial chapters explore the numerous problems that have emerged from the current mode of consuming resources, and how we might engage in more sustainable consumption practices. The book goes on to address the historical development of mass production and the ecological damage caused by an unsustainable linkage between mass consumption and mass production. Considering the future of the supply web, it illustrates how SSCM can play a leading role in the transition towards a more sustainable economic system if it is able to address contemporary ecological concerns more effectively. This insightful and optimistic platform for ecological supply chain management is a rousing call to arms for business and management scholars hoping to propose innovative methods of improving the sustainability of consumption, production and supply webs. It will also benefit the work of business practitioners and entrepreneurs looking to engage in more sustainable business operations.

Discover the astonishing truth about our aquatic cousins: how they think and what they know, their experiences and unique behaviours, and the many things we have in common. There are 33,000 species of fish on our planet, and that number is constantly increasing. In context, that is more than all the species of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles added together, making fish the most numerous vertebrates on our planet. Waters worldwide are teeming with these elusive creatures, but how much do we really know about them? Grouped into thematic chapters - including the Dangerous and Deadly,Unusual Giants and Mini Marvels - in this comprehensive book biologist Doug Mackay-Hope profiles the secret lives of 50 of our most interesting underwater cousins in an insightful and myth-busting study, complete with charming watercolour diagrams and expert insights. Learn about the White-Spotted Pufferfish, whose spines hide a deadly toxin, or the Ocellate River Stingray, who lurks in the rivers of South America and who can kill with just one touch of it's barbed stinger. Meet Bargibant's Pygmy Seahorse, who measures just 2cm in length, as well as the enourmous Whale Shark, which grows to around 13m in length. Be fascinated by the wierd creatures of the deep ocean, such as the Peter's Elephantnosed Fish or the kaleidescopic Picasso's Triggerfish. With a foreword by Jeremy Wade, presenter of River Monsters and Mighty Rivers, and official fish aficionado, this book is a complete compendium of fascinating fish facts, with maps showing where in the globe they can be found, plus facts on how they live, hunt and escape predators. Beautiful illustrations and photographs accompany each entry, as well as interesting facts on how they evolved to adapt tochanging environments, making this book the perfect guide to all things aquatic.