This major, definitive anthology of writings is a complete and up-to-date guide to environmental literacy. This major anthology is the first to apply a fully interdisciplinary approach to environmental studies. A comprehensive guide to environmental literacy, the book demonstrates how the sciences, social sciences, and humanities all contribute to understanding our interrelationships with the natural world. Though not specialized, Environment is a book that even specialists can learn from. Ten innovative case studies--climate shock, species endangerment, nuclear power, biotechnology, sustainable development, deforestation, environmental security, globalization, wilderness, and the urban environment-are followed by readings from specific disciplines. These can be integrated with the case studies to shape individual interests and teaching strategies. The volume presents an imaginative array of texts, from scientific papers to poetry, legal decisions to historical accounts, personal essays to economic analysis. Taken together, these selections provide a balanced, authoritative, and up-to-date treatment of key issues in environmental studies.

This is the most urgent book ever to appear from the pen of cultural icon Koos Kombuis.

Sometimes, when he is in an irreverent mood, Koos writes under the fun-filled pseudonym ‘Joe Kitchen’.

This time around, though, he is deadly serious.

“The Death of History” is a climate change diary. When Koos started writing it more than two years ago, he did not intend for it to be published as a book, but the longer he continued writing, the more he became aware of the urgency of sharing his message with the world.

In short, “The Death of History” is a warning to all of humanity that must be heeded NOW.

Consisting of an assortment of landmark essays and the best in contemporary scholarship, this anthology delves deeply into the most pressing environmental issues of our times. Articles included in this anthology are distinguished for their relevance to real-life policy making and for their ability to promote rich and lively discussion about controversial matters. In addition, the editors' careful organization of the topics and illuminating section previews keep students focused on the most essential points of current environmental debates.

Handbook of Arsenic Toxicology, Second Edition presents the latest findings on arsenic, including its chemistry, sources and effects on the environment and human health. The book discusses both acute and chronic effects, discussing many aspects of arsenic, from physical and chemical properties, exposure, epidemiology, organ toxicity, diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Fully updated and revised, this new edition includes new topics on risk assessment, molecular mechanisms of arsenic, advances in the integrated approach to testing, assessment and development, evaluation and application of high content predictive models, and new alternative methods (NAMS) in the context of Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) to assess toxicology. This comprehensive resource allows readers to effectively assess the risks related to arsenic, providing them with all they need to know on arsenic exposure, toxicity and toxicity prevention.

Treatise on Geomorphology, Second Edition, Eleven Volume Set is organized into eleven volumes built on the outstanding success of the first edition. This comprehensive introduction to the large and diverse discipline of geomorphology provides a key reference tool for undergraduate geology students looking for term paper topics, graduate students starting a literature review for their thesis work, and for professionals seeking a concise summary of a particular topic. The tools available to understand geomorphology have greatly advanced in recent years, hence this new release will complement the work of a variety of professionals who are interested in topics such as GIScience, Remote Sensing and Karst.

Encyclopedia of Geology, Second Edition presents in six volumes state-of-the-art reviews on the various aspects of geologic research, all of which have moved on considerably since the writing of the first edition. New areas of discussion include extinctions, origins of life, plate tectonics and its influence on faunal provinces, new types of mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, new methods of dating rocks, and geological processes. Users will find this to be a fundamental resource for teachers and students of geology, as well as researchers and non-geology professionals seeking up-to-date reviews of geologic research.

The Cost of the Car is a dispassionate but engaging account of the consequences of predicating our habitat on the automobile, largely from a technical point of view. (The author is a former physicist and aerospace engineer.)

Treating transport as an engineering problem, the car is first assessed, in comparison with other options, with regard to efficacy, safety, price, and performance. The cost to the wider economy, community, health, and the environment is then also considered. While the extent of its deficiencies become clear, so does the value we place on privacy and control.

Three short stories attempt to relate the true nature of road accidents, obscure in dry statistics. Each is an account of real events but substitutes fictional characters to protect the individuals concerned. Only in this way can the aftermath be understood, and the full human cost counted.

An introduction to the greenhouse effect and global warming is included, along with a discussion of alternative sources of energy. The root cause of congestion is also explained, along with the nature of the 'modal inversion' that occurred between road and rail in the 1950s. The Cost of the Car represents the first widely accessible collected account of these issues.

Lastly, the author considers alternatives to sprawl which, while preserving the freedom to drive a private car, introduce the liberty not to.

This widely acclaimed, beautifully illustrated survey of Western architecture is now fully revised throughout, including essays on non-Western traditions. The expanded book vividly examines the structure, function, history, and meaning of architecture in ways that are both accessible and engaging.

This book is targeted for chemists and environmental scientists and engineers who are engaged in understanding the chemistry of high-valent iron (Ferrate) and in applications of chemical oxidants to treat contaminants in water, wastewater, and industrial effluents. This book will be of interest to biochemical engineers and microbiologists who want to understand Ferrate's disinfection performance. Additionally, the book will be of tremendous interest to graduate students who are performing research on the understanding of the mechanism of higher oxidation states of iron and in developing innovative drinking water and wastewater treatment technologies.
This book addresses synthesis and properties of Ferrate(VI), which is an environmentally friendly chemical for oxidation, coagulation, and disinfection for the multipurpose treatment of water and wastewater. It provides information on using different approaches to synthesize ferrate(VI). New processes to synthesize ferrate(VI) are detailed. Properties and generations of high oxidation states of iron including ferrate(IV) and ferrate(V) are discussed. Interestingly, possible formations of iron in unusual oxidation states, +7 and +8 are also discussed. The potential use of ferrate(VI) in high energy density rechargeable batteries is thoroughly reviewed. Chapters of the book demonstrate development of new technology for removing emerging pollutants without forming toxic side reactions or by-products. Examples include endocrine disruptors (EDs) and pharmaceuticals, which are of a great concern because of their possible toxic effects on humans and the ecology of the environment. Ferrate(VI) is an emerging water-treatment disinfectant, whichcan address the concerns raised by the currently used oxidants and disinfectants. Interestingly, ferrate(VI) does not react with the bromide ion; carcinogenic bromate ion would thus not be produced in the treatment of bromide-containing water. Ferrate(VI) can inactivate chlorine resistant bacteria. This book also provides information on the means to oxidize highly resistant organics and microorganisms in order to design appropriate remediation and water treatment technology which is cleaner and greener.

Compatibility, ethics, hearings, record keeping, variances, and appeals. There are so many things board of adjustment members must consider-and so few sources to guide them. This book explains them all. Novice members will gain insight into the board's unique role, while veterans can turn to the tips and strategies that will make their work smoother. With checklists, sample reports, real-world examples, and easy-to-understand prose, the book demystifies waivers, conditional uses, legal issues, and more. It also covers bylaws, record keeping, and day-to-day operations. This is a must-have reference for all board of adjustment members.

Debates about the causes and impacts of global environmental degradation go to the heart of economic and political systems and raise fundamental questions about power and inequity in a globalized world. The comprehensively revised 2nd edition of this popular text provides wide-ranging coverage of the international negotiations and on assessment of the international political economy of the environment, normative and policy debates on environmental governance, and of prospects for the pursuit of environmental security.

Worldwide, urbanization is steadily increasing, yet many modern cities are becoming less and less able to accommodate the growth in their population. Congestion, pollution, low-quality housing, social fragmentation, noise, crime and inadequate social services all contribute to a declining quality of urban life. Planners and policy makers are battling to alleviate the problems with a variety of urban renewal initiatives, and energy-environmental policies have become central to their quest for urban sustainability."Sustainable Cities in Europe" gives a comprehensive introduction to the available urban energy and environmental policies. Drawing on a detailed analysis of the CITIES programme of the Commission of the European Communities, the book includes detailed case studies of European cities which are devising and implementing alternative strategies for sustainable growth and development. The cities discussed include: Amsterdam, Besancon, Braganca, Cadiz, Dublin, Esch/Alzette, Gent, Mannheim, Newcastle, Odense, Thessaloniki and Turin.The policy discussions and case studies in this book will be invaluable for all those professionally or academically involved in the pressing issue of city planning development.

A journey into the world of carbon, the most versatile element on the planet, by the New York Times bestselling author Paul Hawken.

Carbon is the only element that animates the entirety of the living world. Though comprising a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet is lifeless without it. Yet it is maligned as the driver of climate change, scorned as an errant element blamed for the possible demise of civilization.

Here, Paul Hawken looks at the flow of life through the lens of carbon. Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, he explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life. Hawken charts a course across our planetary history, guiding us into the realms of plants, animals, insects, fungi, food, and farms to offer a new narrative for embracing carbon’s life-giving power and its possibilities for the future of human endeavor.

In this stirring, hopeful, and deeply humane book, Hawken illuminates the subtle connections between carbon and our collective human experience and asks us to see nature, carbon, and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined—inseparably connected.

Nature is one of the greatest gifts, gifted to man by the Creator. It provides us with all that we need to survive, from the food we eat, the water we drink and the homes we live in.

This book for kids is aimed at highlighting the importance of Agriculture and why we must always be kind to nature and the animals.

'. . . there is a quiet here that doesn't exist on land, a fluid suspension that reminds me that humans were never meant to be so rigid, so fixed in place. In the sea, we are both vulnerable and free . . .'

Deep Blue is a love letter to the sea, exploring humans' deep connection with the ocean and the bliss of swimming, diving, dipping and simply being in salt water.

Join Veruska De Vita, a learner free diver and open-water swimmer, as she delves into why the ocean calls to us. Along the way she talks to those who find healing and wellness in swimming groups and cold-water immersion, scientists who study complex marine environments, elite athletes who swim super-human distances along our coasts and free divers who plumb the depths with one breath.

Water is primordial. It gives life. It represents hope and renewal. This book is not only for sea worshippers. It promises to inspire everyone to jump with joy into the waves - and offers reflections on our intimate relationship with the sea, which supports life on earth and requests that we respect it.

In this ambitious, myth-busting book, leading scientist and internationally bestselling author Vaclav Smil investigates many of the burning questions facing the world today:

Why are some of the world’s biggest food producers also the countries with the most undernourished populations?

Why is food waste a colossal 1,000kcal per person daily, and how can we solve that?

Could we all go vegan and be healthy? Should we?

How will we feed the ballooning population without killing the planet?

How Food Really Works shows how we misunderstand the essentials of where our food really comes from, how our dietary requirements shape us, and why this impacts our planet in drastic ways. Ultimately, this data-based, rigorously researched guide explains how we will survive and thrive long into the future.

Why Animals Talk is a scientific journey through the untamed world of animal communication. From the majestic howls of wolves and the enchanting chatter of parrots to the melodic clicks of dolphins and the spirited grunts of chimpanzees, these diverse and seemingly bizarre expressions are far from mere noise. In fact, they hold secrets that we are just beginning to decipher.

For example, wolves – just like humans – possess unique accents that distinguish their howls, and not only do dolphins give themselves names, but they also respond excitedly to recordings of the whistles of long-lost companions.

Chapter by chapter and animal by animal, Kershenbaum draws on his extensive research and observations of animals in the wild to explain the science behind why animals are communicating. Also revealing profound insights into our own language and why it is different, Why Animals Talks tells the comprehensive story of communication and how it works across the entire animal kingdom.

An eye-opening account of the tech arms race shaping out planet, from an award-winning journalist and AI insider to the world of Sam Altman and OpenAI

When longtime AI expert and journalist Karen Hao first began covering OpenAI in 2019, she thought they were the good guys. Founded as a nonprofit with safety enshrined as its core mission, it was meant, its leader Sam Altman told us, to act as a check against more purely market forces.

But the core truth of this massively disruptive sector is that it requires an unprecedented amount of proprietary resources: the ‘compute’ power of scarce high-end chips, the sheer volume of data that needs to be amassed at scale, the humans on the ground ‘cleaning it up’ for sweatshop wages throughout the Global South, and a truly alarming spike in the need for energy and water underlying everything. We have entered a new, ominous age of empire with OpenAI setting a breakneck pace, as a small group of the most valuable companies in human history try to chase it down.

In exhilarating prose and with unparalleled access to those closest to Sam Altman, Hao recounts the meteoric rise of OpenAI and shows us the sinister impact that this industry is having on society.

The Handbook of Multi-Level Climate Actions emphasizes the need for significant climate action by every capable person on the planet at multiple levels of human experience and society. This includes individuals/households, formal and informal groups, organizations/communities, from local to global, and all levels of businesses, governments, and nonprofit organizations. It highlights the many ways that our species can meet the climate crisis and how entities at every level of human experience are, could be, and should be developing and implementing climate solutions, including those advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy utilization, and nature’s ability to sequester carbon. Nearly two dozen knowledgeable, caring, and active authors, representing both academics and practitioners, from multiple countries and disciplines, have risen to the challenge of attempting to motivate as many people as possible to take whatever actions they can as urgently as possible, to ensure that future generations of both humans and non-humans on this planet will have a sustainable climate that meets their on-going needs. This Handbook is an important work for scholars and practitioners working in the realm of environmental and climate issues, sustainability and CSR. It provides a comprehensive exploration of the current global situation, while also inspiring immediate action and forward thinking.

A transporting exploration of the deep sea, and how our planet’s strangest, most ancient and astonishing creatures have urgent relevance to cutting-edge science today.

Hundred-year-old giant clams, coral kingdoms the size and shape of cities, and jellyfish that glow in the dark: ocean invertebrates are among the oldest and most diverse organisms on Earth, seeming to bend the rules of land-based biology. Although sometimes unseen in the deep, these incredible spineless creatures contain 600 million years of adaptation to problems of disease, energy consumption, nutrition, and defence.

Marine ecologist Dr Drew Harvell takes us diving from Hawaii to the Salish Sea, from the Caribbean to Indonesia, to uncover the incredible underwater ‘superpowers’ of spineless creatures: we meet corals many times stronger than steel or concrete, sponges who create potent chemical compounds to fight off disease, and sea stars who garden the coastlines, keeping all the other nearby species in perfect balance. As our planet changes fast, the biomedical, engineering and energy innovations of these wondrous creatures hold ever more important secrets to our own survival.

The Ocean’s Menagerie is a tale of biological marvels, a story of a woman’s passionate connection to an adventurous career in science and a call to arms to protect the world’s most ancient ecosystems.

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. Presenting cutting-edge research on the future of energy geopolitics, this visionary and provocative Research Agenda takes a hard look at the pressing issues faced by energy researchers in the new world (dis)order. Analyzing through three distinct lenses of affordability, security and sustainability, this innovative book begins by tracking the history and evolution of energy politics. Leading experts in the field identify the sources of instability within world energy markets, the problems of capital allocation to finance a growing demand for smart and renewable energy, and the benefits and costs of geo-economic shifts. A global range of case studies discuss the future of energy geopolitics, asking pressing questions about the deployment of clean energy technology, the implications of hydrocarbon price climbing, and the feasibility and possibilities of space mining. Ultimately, the book seeks to elucidate the uncertainties, paths, and impacts of the future developments in the energy transition and clearly define a future research agenda for energy politics. In doing so, it attempts to capture the complexity and constraints facing energy and its different sources — some that are complementary, some that compete with one another. Interdisciplinary and international in scope, this book will prove vital to students and scholars interested in energy security, politics and policy, alongside those studying energy markets and finance. It will also prove useful to policymakers and organizations in the energy sector concerned with the future of energy.

Providing an in-depth exploration of the formation, building, development, and evolutionary phases of sustainable alliances, this book presents a new perspective on organizational change that goes beyond modern institutions and offers practical insights on how to cope with paradoxes in the life cycle of alliances. Combining theoretical ideas, practical concepts, and critical reflections on the topic, this insightful and timely book supports the conception and progression of purpose-driven alliances which contribute to a more positive and sustainable world. The authors present a historical overview of alliances, as well as discussing the factors pertaining to the successes and failures of collaborating organizations. The book further outlines the life cycle of sustainable alliances, using the Global Alliance in Management Education (CEMS) and the Global Alliance for Banking on Values (GABV) as contemporary case studies. Analysing the strength and scope of alliances, it explores opportunities for these partnerships to contribute to a sustainable future. Offering inspiration and guidance for those looking to contribute to profound economic and social change, this book will be an invaluable resource for students and scholars of business management, international business, and sustainable development, as well as the new generation of business people. It will also be beneficial for consultants, leaders, and managers who are dedicated to the creation and development of global alliances.

Jean Liedloff, an American writer, spent two and a half years in the South American jungle living with Stone Age Indians. The experience demolished her Western preconceptions of how we should live and led her to a radically different view of what human nature really is. She offers a new understanding of how we have lost much of our natural well-being and shows us practical ways to regain it for our children and for ourselves.

This original book examines the experiences cities and urban areas have had with two principal concerns that confront them today: sustainability and competitiveness. Focusing on major cities in East Asia, North America, and Western Europe, Towards a Competitive, Sustainable Modern City illuminates the ways in which cities differ not only in their course and stages of development, but in the nature of their economies and their administrative structures. Featuring a wide-ranging set of contributions from top researchers, this book discusses and analyzes the issues that different cities face, such as social cohesion, tolerance and cultural diversity, and how this will determine their developmental trajectories through the coming decade. These issues are explored in relation to contemporary topics including the growing economy of robotics, the rising importance and use of artificial intelligence and the information and communications economy. Towards a Competitive, Sustainable Modern City will be an invaluable read for scholars and professors in urban economics and urban studies more broadly, particularly those who are focusing on the importance of sustainability in both areas. Its stimulating, yet accessible, approach to the topic and key case studies will also greatly benefit urban planners and economic policy makers looking to improve contemporary cities.