The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), in cooperation with the International Water Association (IWA), has developed a rating system that assesses the performance of water and sanitation service providers in a comprehensive way. AquaRating: An international standard for assessing water and wastewater services aims to provide an industry standard for utilities. The innovative rating system seeks the improvement of the service delivered by means of a rigorous and systematic assessment. AquaRating comprises more than 100 assessment elements organized in eight rating areas: Service Quality, Efficiency in the Planning and Execution of Investments, Operating Efficiency, Business Management Efficiency, Financial Sustainability, Access to Service, Corporate Governance, Environmental Sustainability. Each of the assessment elements and consecutively rating areas is assigned a rating (from 0 to 100), which in turn are aggregated into a single rating for the utility. Assessment elements consist of qualitative good practices and quantitative indicators. The total compliance with practices and achievement of the most demanding indicators levels means delivery of an excellent service and, therefore, awards a maximum rating of 100 points. AquaRating takes into account the quality of the information supporting the ratings results by correcting the rating for the reliability level of such information. The rating results are certifiable thanks to an independent audit of the supporting information. The expected benefits of the system are manifold: * Utilities - Identify areas of improvement, receive guidance and monitor progress over time. - Obtain an external and credible performance rating, which contributes to foster reputation, accountability and acceptance by key stakeholders, gain access to new markets and finance, and attract qualified staff. - Get access to a knowledge and assessment framework that fosters continuous learning. * Governments, regulators and development agencies - Use the system to stimulate utilities to maintain or improve their performance and to target technical assistance and finance according to the specific opportunities for improvement identified. * Consumers - Obtain better services in terms of access, quality, efficiency, sustainability and transparency.

This book is a unique introduction to the economic costs of nuclear power. It examines the future of the nuclear power industry and unpacks the complicated relationships between its technical, economic and political variables. It does so by modelling the costs, risks and uncertainties of one of the world's most opaque industries using micro-econometrics, econometrics, and cost engineering. Economics of Nuclear Power examines the very important costs of externalities (storing of nuclear waste and the impact of a Chernobyl or Fukushima event) and compares those to the externalities of alternative carbon based energies (oil, coal, natural gas). With over 100 tables and figures this book details nuclear power production around the world - present and planned, providing a completely global focus. It also includes an overview of the past 70 years of international nuclear power developments. This book is essential reading for students, scholars and professionals interested in energy economics, nuclear engineering and energy policy.

This book brings together research into key aspects of the interconnections between Islam, crime and the criminal justice system in Britain, a particularly timely collection in the light of both the recent disturbances in several northern English cities as well as the impact of the events of 11 September 2001 and their aftermath. Chapters in the book focus on young Muslim men and criminal activity, Muslim women and their experiences of victimisation, the experiences of Muslim police officers, of Muslims in prison, issues of human rights in relation to Muslims in Britain, and the criminal justice policy implications of religious diversity. Main aims pursued through the book include issues of victimisation as perceived by Muslim communities, Muslim perspectives on crime and criminal justice, and ways of addressing issues of marginalisation and exclusion within Muslim communities. Overall the book provides an important contribution to debates over the role of Muslims in British society generally, as well as their experiences of and involvement in the criminal justice system and the policy implications that arise from this.

Slow sand filtration is credited with being the first drinking water treatment process utilised to improve the quality of water in both modern Europe and the USA. Within the last 10 years, there has been a renaissance of interest in the potential use of enhanced processes of slow sand filtration throughout the world, especially for small and rural communities, and it continues to be the primary treatment process for many major European cities. The book deals with the latest research developments in slow sand and alternative biological filtration processes for drinking water treatment, including advances in the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the processes. In addition, progress in the techniques of operation and upgrading of the processes are described, with case studies from around the world. The principal themes of the book are: General overview; Removal of Natural Organic Matter (NOM), Biodegradable Organic Carbon (BOC) and Ozonation by-products; Biofilter media characteristics; Influence of process design variables and modifications; Modelling process performance; Pre-treatment applications; Operational experience and cleaning; and Upgrading treatment processes. The book also has an international perspective with case-studies from around the world.

Early applications of desalination were small-scale plants deploying a range of technologies. However with the technological developments in Reverse Osmosis, most new plants use this technology because it has a proven history of use and low energy and capital costs compared with other available desalination technologies. This has led to the recent trend for larger seawater desalination plants in an effort to further reduce costs, and 1000 MLD seawater desalination plants are projected by 2020. Efficient Desalination by Reverse Osmosis recognises that desalination by reverse osmosis has progressed significantly over the last decades and provides an up to date review of the state of the art for the reverse osmosis process. It covers issues that arise from desalination operations, environmental issues and ideas for research that will bring further improvements in this technology. Efficient Desalination by Reverse Osmosis provides a complete guide to best practice from pre-treatment through to project delivery. Editors: Stewart Burn, Visiting Scientist, CSIRO Manufacturing. Adjunct Professor, Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University. Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University. Stephen Gray, Director, Institute of Sustainability and Innovation, Victoria University.

The United Kingdom is committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by at least eighty per cent by 2050, a target that will only be achieved by transforming the way that energy is supplied and used. At the same time there are anxieties about the security of energy provision in terms of European dependency on natural gas and the reliability of electricity supply. This book explores in detail those factors which could help or hinder the attainment of the UK's climate change targets, and how these factors interact with the parallel objective of maintaining a robust and secure energy system. The book is the result of a major national energy research effort by the UK Energy Research Centre, which includes some of the UK's leading energy experts. The results and recommendations are essential reading for policymakers, professionals, researchers, and anyone concerned with achieving large-scale reductions in carbon emissions, both from the UK and internationally. Energy 2050 begins by exploring the evolution of the UK energy system over recent decades: the trends, technologies and environmental impacts related to energy use, and the structures and institutions of governance that have influenced this evolution. It then moves on to changes in energy policy to emphasise decarbonization and resilience, and introduce the approach to scenarios and modelling used in the rest of the book. Later chapters explore different aspects of the uncertainties that may enable or constrain the creation of a low-carbon, resilient UK energy system, related to accelerated technology development, the creation of an infrastructure to support de-centralized energy and microgeneration, to lifestyle and behaviour change, and to public attitudes to wider environmental impacts associated with energy system change.

Throughout the world, the threat of climate change is pressing governments to accelerate the deployment of technologies to generate low carbon electricity or heat. But this is frequently leading to controversy, as energy and planning policies are revised to support new energy sources or technologies (e.g. offshore wind, tidal, bioenergy or hydrogen energy) and communities face the prospect of unfamiliar, often large-scale energy technologies being sited near to their homes. Policy makers in many countries face tensions between 'streamlining' planning procedures, engaging with diverse publics to address what is commonly conceived as 'NIMBY' (not in my back yard) opposition, and the need to maintain democratic, participatory values in planning systems. This volume provides a timely, international review of research on public engagement, in contexts of diverse, innovative energy technologies. Public engagement is conceived broadly - as the interaction between how developers and other key actors engage with publics about energy technologies (including assumptions held about the methods used, such as the provision of financial benefits or the holding of deliberative events), and how individuals and groups engage with energy policies and projects (including indirectly through the media and directly through emotional and behavioural responses). The book's contributors are leading experts in the UK, Europe, North and South America and Australia drawn from a variety of relevant social science disciplinary perspectives. The book makes a significant contribution to our existing knowledge, as well as providing interested professionals, policymakers and members of the public with a timely overview of the critical issues involved in public engagement with low carbon energy technologies.

Firm-to-firm relationships, along with the overall structure of industry, have changed markedly over the past decades. Replacing the model of vertical integration with one of global business, firms have started to outsource more by using a wider global network. At the same time, they have begun to increase their control and coordination along the value chain to remain competitive, blurring the boundaries between companies. Understanding the nature of the firm and its role in coordinating the supply chain will help firms to better define global competitive strategies.. The challenges that lie ahead for global business render obsolete the traditional model of procuring each service without long-term supply chain management. Current trends suggest that in the future there will be even deeper supply chain integration in most industries. The Nature of the Firm in the Oil Industry aims to facilitate the understanding of 'the firm' via the analysis of the specific relationship between international oil companies, which are among the world's biggest firms and which act as 'core system integrators', and the oil services companies, which help to find, extract, produce and distribute oil along the petroleum industry supply chain. This relationship serves as an example of deep integration by core system integrators and provides insights into the change in the nature of the firm in the era of modern globalization. Aimed at researchers and academics, The Nature of the Firm in the Oil Industry offers a thorough examination of this relationship in an effort to shed light on the nature of the firm, both in the oil industry and in global business today. It is a humble attempt to better understand the firm in a crucial industry.

Here is the first book written about collectibles from the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, including Esso, Humble, and affiliate companies. To complete this authoritative guide, the author enlisted help from other collectors and included photographs of their prized collections. The result contains photographs and comments about some items so rare that the only ones known are reproduced here for the first time-this may be the only time you will ever see them. Also photographs of common items are here with comments on their origins. Globes, pumps, cans, signs, map racks, banners, lighters, ashtrays, buttons, toys, knives, and credit cards all will bring back memories. Gas and oil memorabilia collectors and all those with an affection for Esso and Standard Oil Company of New Jersey memorabilia will want this valuable reference work.

Regulation & Investments in Energy Markets: Solutions for the Mediterranean presents the status of advancement and maturity of the Mediterranean energy policy, identifying patterns of development as well as lessons learned. Mediterranean countries are facing unprecedented challenges in the energy sector which affect the entire region. Energy policy and regulation is the key to tackling energy efficiency challenges, and providing favorable conditions for engineering infrastructures, investments, and improving security of energy supply. The assumption that the normative model, on which the EC energy policy is based, could be adopted outside EU boundaries has proven to be difficult to implement. This book looks at the Mediterranean regions search for a revised model for regulatory convergence and provides answers to those research questions, allowing the reader to understand the different technical, institutional, and financial frameworks for energy policy.

Corporate Governance and the Nuclear Industry explores the UK nuclear Legacy - governance issues associated with the decommissioning of a range of early-generation civil nuclear facilities. This book traces how we got here and the risks that have been taken, whilst presenting new research and thinking that is required to manage our nuclear Legacy. The book addresses a new analytical approach using notions of governance to review key historic events. This approach analyses these events using concepts of stakeholder control, accountability and regulation. Using these concepts and undertaking a more detailed analysis of the Legacy's current governance arrangements; the conventional public sector-based solutions that attempt to harness private sector expertise, this book will contrast these with government responses to determine the degree of control over the Legacy and any possible control issues. Corporate Governance and the Nuclear Industry concludes that we need to recognise the legacy's problems as exceptional rather than prosaic, and suggests that this requires exceptional governance solutions rather than the current form that is clearly failing.

Nuclear power is often characterized as a "green technology." Technologies are rarely, if ever, socially isolated artefacts. Instead, they materially represent an embodiment of values and priorities. Nuclear power is no different. It is a product of a particular political economy and the question is whether that political economy can helpfully engage with the challenge of addressing the environmental crisis on a finite, inequitable and shared planet. For developing countries like India, who are presently making infrastructure investments which will have long legacies, it is imperative that these investments wrestle with such questions and prove themselves capable of sufficiency, greater equality and inclusiveness. This book offers a critique of civilian nuclear power as a green energy strategy for India and develops and proposes an alternative "synergy for sustainability." It situates nuclear power as a socio-technical infrastructure embodying a particular development discourse and practice of energy and economic development. The book reveals the political economy of this arrangement and examines the latter's ability to respond to the environmental crisis. Manu V. Mathai argues that the existing overwhelmingly growth-focused, highly technology-centric approach for organizing economic activity is unsustainable and needs to be reformed. Within this imperative for change, nuclear power in India is found to be and is characterized as an "authoritarian technology." Based on this political economy critique the book proposes an alternative, a synergy of ideas from the fields of development economics, energy planning and science, technology and society studies.

A pioneering study on energy sector reform and liberalization in developing countries.

Attention all automotive and petroleum collectors: here is a new book focusing on the Continental Oil Company and its products. Conoco became well-established as an oil supplier during the era of the horse and buggy, and when the automobile craze began to sweep the country, Conoco was ready. It has been providing oil, automobile products, and assistance to travellers for one hundred and twenty years. With almost three hundred full-color pictures of filling stations, car products, promotional giveaways, and original advertisements, this book provides a fascinating glance at American history. It also contains detailed descriptions of Conoco motor oils, road maps, and `Touraide' travel programs, with tips on identifying and dating them. Each item pictured is described in detail, and a price guide is included.

This book helps power industry executives to systematically navigate the complex technological and organizational changes necessary to recreate power grids. This is especially pertinent in the current environment characterized by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity conditions. Across the globe, the electric power sector is facing many forces of change as it transitions from a fossil-based system to cleaner sustainable resources. Leaders in the power sector face unprecedented challenges in responding to these changes while continuing to provide safe, reliable, clean, and affordable electricity. Recognizing that historical and existing ways will not work, Jagoron Mukherjee and Marco C. Janssen present a new paradigm for industry leaders to tackle some of the key questions to determine the best path forward: What will the business be like in the future? What technologies will likely prevail? How should my company respond to constant change? How expensive will the transition be? Will the customer expectations be met? How fast do we need to change? Drawing on well-known management principles, the book helps industry leaders to provide a methodology to tackle these questions and sharpen their decisions as they embrace innovation, new customer expectations and digitization in their efforts to steer the energy transition. Taking a holistic problem-solving approach, which addresses the power company as a whole, Recreating the Power Grid will be a valuable resource for all professionals working in this quickly evolving field.

Peacemaking and the Extractive Industries addresses a significant gap in research on the political and diplomatic role of multinational corporations in peace processes in intrastate conflict: Corporate Peacemaking. The author focuses on corporations in the oil and mining sectors, supporting or participating in peace negotiations and mediation. The chapters explore national-level peace processes, as well as those at community and global levels. While the focus is on extractive companies, the findings are valuable to companies from all industries looking at peace-related processes. This ground-breaking book gives a comprehensive picture of how Corporate Peacemaking currently works, how it can be developed and implemented, and how it is likely to impact global governance and corporate culture in the future. The book demonstrates that Corporate Peacemaking has the potential to be a powerful element in international governance and peace efforts; and Ralph shows through the business case that companies, as well as communities, will benefit. Ralph presents a new framework for Corporate Peace that will assist companies from all sectors in countries experiencing violent conflict, in addition to instability, human rights abuses and poor governance. Based on rigorous academic research with practical case studies, it is essential reading for practitioners, academics, policy-makers and NGOs.

Peacemaking and the Extractive Industries addresses a significant gap in research on the political and diplomatic role of multinational corporations in peace processes in intrastate conflict: Corporate Peacemaking. The author focuses on corporations in the oil and mining sectors, supporting or participating in peace negotiations and mediation. The chapters explore national-level peace processes, as well as those at community and global levels. While the focus is on extractive companies, the findings are valuable to companies from all industries looking at peace-related processes. This ground-breaking book gives a comprehensive picture of how Corporate Peacemaking currently works, how it can be developed and implemented, and how it is likely to impact global governance and corporate culture in the future. The book demonstrates that Corporate Peacemaking has the potential to be a powerful element in international governance and peace efforts; and Ralph shows through the business case that companies, as well as communities, will benefit. Ralph presents a new framework for Corporate Peace that will assist companies from all sectors in countries experiencing violent conflict, in addition to instability, human rights abuses and poor governance. Based on rigorous academic research with practical case studies, it is essential reading for practitioners, academics, policy-makers and NGOs.

R. Quentin Grafton brings together more than 90 previously published articles in this two volume collection on the economics of water resources. The articles featured cover a vast range of subjects, locations and methodologies and are divided into nine broad theme areas including environmental valuation, water pollution, irrigation, residential and non-residential water use and water pricing and management. During a period of increased international environmental awareness and change, this collection identifies the most important and influential pieces and will be an invaluable resource for students and water professionals alike.

East Asia is a key region in the global economy, including both the second and third largest global economies already and, led by China, continuing to expand at a rapid rate. This economic growth has led to unprecedented gains in prosperity in the region but it has also led to increasing environmental pressures and energy issues. This book assesses ways in which East Asia can continue or even increase existing rates of economic growth while at the same time reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental degradation. Using advanced modelling approaches, future scenarios for four East Asian countries are assessed in detail, including analysis of particular challenges in each country (e.g. coal power in China, nuclear power in Japan). Prospects for each country's energy system are assessed in detail and the potential effects of various types of Environmental Tax Reform in the four countries are also considered carefully. The final section of the book explores the interaction between trade liberalization, a key driver of growth, and emission levels in the East Asia region.

Comprehensive insight into the offshore oil and gas industry for those intending to choose it as a career Full syllabus coverage for OPITO BOSIET, FOET, MIST and IMIST courses Produced in full colour with over 180 images Basic Offshore Safety covers everything that newcomers to the offshore oil and gas industry need to know prior to travelling offshore or when attending OPITO's Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), Minimum Industry Safety Training (MIST), Further Offshore Emergency Training (FOET) and International MIST courses. Primarily focused on the oil industry, this book introduces readers to the key safety topics in the offshore support vessel industry and common to the renewable industry. Written in easy to follow steps and including references to both the legislation and guidance where relevant, Abdul Khalique walks the reader through the hazards they are likely to encounter when travelling to, from or working offshore, showing how to minimise risks and deal with any issues that may arise at any stage of the work.

Groundbreakers describes an amazing technical journey in man's effort to find and produce oil and gas, with more than 450 pages and 130 illustrations. This is the first ever, comprehensive account of how upstream technology developed. The story is packed with human drama, extraordinary innovation and oversized personalities who dared to dream. By any standards, the story is unmatched for the sheer physical and intellectual bravado of its key players. The book relies on interviews with more than 125 technical leaders in the upstream and an exhaustive review of literature and patents since the mid-19th century. In addition, the book features timelines for exploration, drilling, reservoir engineering and production engineering innovations. There are copious endnotes and references, including an index of the key players.

Moving beyond most conventional thinking about energy security in Europe which revolves around stability of supplies and the reliability of suppliers, this book presents the history of European policy-making regarding energy resources, including recent controversies about shale gas and fracking. Using the United States as a benchmark, the author tests the hypothesis that EU energy security is at risk primarily because of a lack of market integration and cooperation between member states. This lack of integration still prohibits natural gas to flow freely throughout the continent, which makes parts of Europe vulnerable in case of supply disruptions. The book demonstrates that the EU gas market has been developing at different speeds, leaving the Northwest of the continent reasonably well integrated, with sufficient trade and liquidity and different supplies, whereas other parts are less developed. In these parts of Europe there is a structural lack of investments in infrastructure, interconnectors, reverse flow options and storage facilities. Thus, even though substantial progress has been made in parts of the EU, single source dependency often prevails, leaving the relevant member states vulnerable to market power abuse. Detailed comparisons are made of the situations in the Netherlands and Poland, and of energy policy in the USA. The book dismantles some of the existing assumptions about the concept of energy security, and touches upon the level of rhetoric that features in most energy security and policy debates in Europe.

Local Energy Governance: Opportunities and Challenges for Renewable and Decentralised Energy in France and Japan examines the extent of the energy transition taking place at a local level in France and Japan, two countries that share ambitious targets regarding the reduction of GHG emissions, their share of renewable energy and their degree of market liberalization. This book observes local energy policies and initiatives and applies an institutional and legal analysis to help identify barriers but also opportunities in the development of renewable energies in the territories. The book will highlight governance features that incubate energy transition at the local level through interdisciplinary contributions that offer legal, political, sociological and technological perspectives. Overall, the book will draw conclusions that will also be informative for other countries aiming at promoting renewable energies. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of energy policy and energy governance.

The future of clean energy is no longer about science and technology; it's all about access to finance. The fossil fuel industry has been subsidized for decades with tax breaks and government backing, while renewables have struggled to compete. But now clean energy is the safe bet for investors, as is argued in Renewable Energy Finance: Powering the Future, edited by Dr Charles Donovan, Principal Teaching Fellow at Imperial College Business School.With a foreword by Lord Brown and contributions from some of the world's leading experts in energy finance, this timely book documents how investors are spending over US$250 billion each year on new renewable energy projects and positioning themselves in a global investment market that will continue to expand at double-digit growth rates until 2020. It documents first-hand experiences of the challenges of balancing risk and return amid volatile market conditions and rapid shifts in government policy.Renewable Energy Finance provides an insider's perspective on renewable energy transactions, and insight into how countries like the US, India and China are responding to the global energy challenge. Drawing together contributions from senior executives and leading academics, Renewable Energy Finance serves an audience of readers craving intelligent, practical perspectives on the future of clean energy investment.

What we call the nation's energy policy attempts to give direction to the production, use, transportation, and distribution of energy to help achieve an array of societal goals in the most compatible ways. In this title, originally published in 1993, noted analysts provide insight into complex policy issues of significant importance. Among the topics addressed are difficulties encountered in trying to fashion energy policy in the U.S. congress, the nature of energy policies and environmental polices, the challenges arising from regional conflict over energy policies, and the viability of deregulating electric power production. This collection of lectures is a valuable resource for students interested in environmental studies and public policy.