Few other cities can compare with Rome's history of continuous habitation, nor with the survival of so many different epochs in its present. This volume explores how the city's past has shaped the way in which Rome has been built, rebuilt, represented and imagined throughout its history. Bringing together scholars from the disciplines of architectural history, urban studies, art history, archaeology and film studies, this book comprises a series of studies on the evolution of the city of Rome and the ways in which it has represented and reconfigured itself from the medieval period to the present day. Moving from material appropriations such as spolia in the medieval period, through the cartographic representations of the city in the early modern period, to filmic representation in the twentieth century, we encounter very different ways of making sense of the past across Rome's historical spectrum. The broad chronological arrangement of the chapters, and the choice of themes and urban locations examined in each, allows the reader to draw comparisons between historical periods. An imaginative approach to the study of the urban and architectural make-up of Rome, this volume will be valuable not only for historians of art and architecture, but also for students of cultural history and film studies.

This wide-ranging and path-breaking collection of essays on China's environmental crisis takes a new approach, transcending the typical "gloom and doom" media and scholarly report on China's environmental crisis, to address how the Chinese political and social systems were impacted and how they responded, or should respond, to the ecological challenges confronting China. Therefore, this collection provides innovative analyses about the impacts and responses--both domestically and globally--of China's political and social systems encompassing its social values, ameliorative, and preventative policies. It leaves us with such an important question to ponder: What social action will be needed in the near- and long-term future in order to avoid environmental disaster as well as to achieve environmental sustainability and social justice for the long term in China?

Environmental policy in its broadest context has been significantly renewed during the last two decades. That observation is nothing new, attested to by the number of publications, conferences and both private and public projects that have been initiated. However, our understanding of the dynamics of this renewal has generally been informed by studies on single policies & projects, leaving us with a limited understanding of what the 'newness' consists of in terms of an integrated perspective. This book presents fresh analyses of a number of well-known cases, but does so from one comprehensive view, the so-called policy arrangement approach. Cases discussed range over organic farming, integrated water management, nature policy, cultural heritage policy, integrated region-oriented policy, and corporate environmental management, always in search of the commonality of experience and conclusions to be drawn in understanding the past and in formulating future perspectives.

"Comedy Matters" traces the long tradition of the expansive comic embrace of cultural difference and diversity that manages to survive even in some of mankind's darkest moments. Demastes argues that comedy has a hard-nosed, pragmatic dimension that can be mobilized against belligerent cultural forces. Drawing from the works of Shakespeare, Stoppard, and a number of other comic masters, "Comedy Matters" demonstrates how comedy continues to work against cultural regimentation by striving to re-calibrate our decision-making processes and challenging the stultifying rigidity of human economy in the broadest sense of the term.

Mathematical Methods of Environmental Risk Modeling provides a working introduction to both the general mathematical methods and specific models used for human health risk assessment. Rather than being purely an applied math book, this book focuses on methods and models that students and professionals are likely to encounter in practice. Examples are given from exposure assessment, pharmacokinetic modeling, and dose-response modeling.

Since the computing revolution, modelling has become the most important way in which we further our knowledge about how the sea moves and how the processes in the sea operate. The coast and the continental shelf are two of the most important areas of the sea to understand. Coastal and Shelf Sea Modelling is therefore very timely and important. In this text, modelling the processes that occur in the sea is motivated continually through real life examples. Sometimes these are incorporated naturally within the text, but there are also a number of case studies taken from the recent research literature. These will be particularly valuable to students as they are presented in a style more readily accessible than that found in a typical research journal. The motivation for modelling is care for the environment. The well publicised problem of global warming, the phenomenon of El Nino, more localised pollution scares caused by tanker accidents and even smaller scale coastal erosion caused by storms all provide motivation for modelling and all get coverage in this text. Particularly novel features of the book include a systematic treatment of the modelling process in a marine context, the inclusion of diffusion in some detail, ecosystems modelling and a brief foray into wave prediction. The final chapter provides the reader with the opportunity to do some modelling; there are many worked examples followed by exercises that readers can try themselves. All answers are provided. Throughout, the style is informal and the technicalities in term of mathematics are kept to a minimum. Coastal and Shelf Sea Modelling is particularly suitable for graduate marine and oceanographic modelling courses, but will also prove useful to coastal engineers and students at any level interested in the quantitative modelling of marine processes. It is stressed that only a minimal level of mathematics (first year calculus or less) is required; the style and content is introductory.

The vast majority of existing academic research of coastal tourism resort management has been undertaken in northern and southern Europe at the expense of a wider global consideration. This book aims to address this deficit and develop a global perspective on the management issues facing coastal resorts. By drawing on examples, it incorporates a detailed analysis of a range of economic, socio-cultural, political and environmental issues which are being experienced, to differing extents, by coastal tourism resorts which are at different life-cycle stages of development. The major management themes highlighted include the processes of restructuring, attempts to develop sustainable agendas and environmental issues of developing resorts in sensitive areas. Written by key experts, this book provides a critical assessment of the key management issues facing coastal tourism resorts globally. In doing so, it represents more than a mere amalgamation of existing literature as it aims to advance conceptual understanding of resort evolution and change.

This thesis presents a new method for following evolving interactions between coupled oscillatory systems of the kind that abound in nature. Examples range from the subcellular level, to ecosystems, through climate dynamics, to the movements of planets and stars. Such systems mutually interact, adjusting their internal clocks, and may correspondingly move between synchronized and non-synchronized states. The thesis describes a way of using Bayesian inference to exploit the presence of random fluctuations, thus analyzing these processes in unprecedented detail. It first develops the basic theory of interacting oscillators whose frequencies are non-constant, and then applies it to the human heart and lungs as an example. Their coupling function can be used to follow with great precision the transitions into and out of synchronization. The method described has the potential to illuminate the ageing process as well as to improve diagnostics in cardiology, anesthesiology and neuroscience, and yields insights into a wide diversity of natural processes.

The purpose of this study is to question whether liberal political theories ought to inform the way policymakers and administrators analyze risk in proposed courses of environmental practice. In order to explore the relationship of liberal theory to rational practice in environmental policy, this project examines the risk analysis used to approve the genetically engineered bovine growth hormone in American agricultural policy. The Political Theories of Risk Analysis suggests that American environmental public policy is attempting to assess danger with an incomplete notion of utility, to eliminate the hazards of society with an inadequate contractual justification of political authority, and to publicly debate accepted levels of risk with an unfulfilled critical social theory. Because environmental risk analyses are incorrectly perceived as technically rational and socially apolitical, they result in practices that are muddled and misdirected. Making theoretical foundations explicit, however, could lead to improved practice. Public policy and administrative decisions regarding agricultural biotechnologies should and can function with more concern for democratic values. The Political Theories of Risk Analysis is for environmental scientists, philosophers, public policy planners, applied ethicists, political scientists and environmentalists.

Human influences create both environmental problems and barriers to effective policy aimed at addressing those problems. In effect, environmental managers manage people as much as they manage the environment. Therefore, they must gain an understanding of the psychological and sociopolitical dimensions of environmental problems that they are attempting to resolve. In Environmental Problem Solving, Alan Miller reappraises conventional analyses of environmental problems using lessons from the psychosocial disciplines. He combines the disciplines of ecology, political sociology and psychology to produce a more adaptive approach to problem-solving that is specifically geared toward the environmetal field. Numerous case studies demonstrate the practical application of theory in a way that is useful to technical and scientific professionals as well as to policy makers and planners. Alan Miller is Professor of Psychology at the University of New Brunswick.

The success of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) at military facilities requires support and leadership from the highest levels of management, adequate resources for development and implementation, and an acknowledgement by the military commanders that EMS is an integral part of facilities and operations management. The theme of this book is the effective communication of environmental concerns in a changing military environment.

Disparate perceptions and conceptual frameworks of environment and the relationship between humans and nature often lead to confusion, constraints on co-operation and collaboration and even conflict when society tries to deal with todaya (TM)s urgent and complex environment research and policy challenges. Such disparities in perception and "world view" are driven by many factors. They include differences in culture, religion, ethical frameworks, scientific methodologies and approaches, disciplines, political, social and philosophical traditions, life styles and consumption patterns as well as alternative economic paradigms. Distribution of poverty or wealth between north and south may thus be seen as consequence of the above mentioned disparities, which is a challenge for ita (TM)s universal reasoned evaluation. This volume discusses a wide range of factors influencing "Environment across Cultures" with a view to identifying ways and means to better understand, reflect and manage such disparities within future global environmental research and policy agendas for bridging the gap between ecology and economy as well as between societies. The book is based upon the results of a scientific symposium on this topic and covers the following sections: Cross Cultural Perception of Environment; Ethics and Nature; Environment, Sustainability and Society. Corresponding contributions were made by well-known scientific authors representing different cultural spheres in accordance with the inter-cultural approach of this effort.

Lakes and Empires in Macedonian History: Contesting the Waters tells the story of Psarades, a lakeside village in Macedonian Greece on the shores of the Prespa lake. This village, which is in many ways a completely typical Greek settlement and yet remains unconventional in its way of life, embodies the many contradictions of modern history and in exploring its roots James Pettifer and Miranda Vickers skilfully uncover the wider social, cultural and political history of this lake region. Drawing from oral testimonies and attentive to the construction of national histories, this book considers how the development of international borders, movement of people and role of national identities within imperial borderlands shaped Macedonia today. What is more, by centering the lakes and making use of an innovative environmental historical methodology, Pettifer and Vickers offer the first environmental history of this multi-ethnic borderland region shared by Greece, North Macedonia and Albania. The result is a nuanced and sophisticated transnational account of Macedonia from prehistory to the 21st century which will be essential reading for all Balkan scholars.

This comprehensive treatment of the environmental history of northern North America offers a compelling account of the complex encounters of people, technology, culture, and ecology that shaped modern-day Canada and Alaska. From the arrival of the earliest humans to the very latest scientific controversies, the environmental history of Canada and Arctic North America is dramatic, diverse, and crucial for the very survival of the human race. Packed with key facts and analysis, this expert guide explores the complex interplay between human societies and the environment from the Aleutian Islands to the Grand Banks and from the Great Lakes to the Arctic Islands How has the challenging environment of America's most northerly regions—with some areas still dominated by native peoples—helped shape politics and trade? What have been the consequences of European contact with this region and its indigenous inhabitants? How did natives and newcomers cope with, and change this vast and forbidding territory? Can a perspective on the past help us in grappling with the conflict between oil exploration and wilderness preservation on the North Slope of Alaska? Part of ABC-CLIO's Nature and Human Societies series, this unique work charts the region's environmental history from prehistory to modern times and is essential reading for students and experts alike.

This book focuses on three interdependent challenges related to managing transitions toward sustainable development, namely (a) mapping sustainability for global knowledge e-networking, (b) extending the value chain of knowledge and e-networking, and (c) engaging in explorations of new methods and venues for further developing knowledge and e-networking. While each of these challenges constitutes fundamentally different types of endeavors, they are highly interconnected. Jointly, they contribute to our expansion of knowledge and its applications in support of transitions toward sustainable development.

The central theme of this book revolves around ways of transcending barriers that impede the use of knowledge and knowledge networking in transitions toward sustainability. In order to transcend these barriers, we examine the potential contributions of innovations in information technologies as well as computation and representation of attendant complexities. A related theme addresses new ways of managing information and systematic observation for the purpose of enhancing the value of knowledge. Finally, this book shows applications of new methodologies and related findings that would contribute to our understanding of sustainablity issues that have not yet been explored. In many ways, this is a book of theory and of practice; and it is one of methods as well as policy and performance.

Fiber Crop-Based Phytoremediation: Socio-economic and Environmental Sustainability provides an informative source of information on using fiber crops for phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is gaining attention globally due to ever-increasing numbers and areas of industrially polluted sites. The major challenge is to develop new and cost-effective solutions to decontaminate polluted sites. In this regard, plant-based remediation, especially using fiber crops, is a promising and cost-effective approach for environmental remediation on a large-scale due to its socio-economic and ecological sustainability. Furthermore, changing environmental conditions also cause various biotic and abiotic stresses in fiber crops and thereby negatively affect the fiber crop establishment, growth and yield. This book will be specifically important to these readers who need to be able to select specific fiber crop species according to site-specificity of the contaminated site.

"The complete story of the devastating BP oil spill of 2010. The author puts forward an objective account of what happened, a documentation of the true costs, not the hyperbolic costs, and an explanation of the science and business of the spill and its remediation"--

This book addresses the use of Benedict Spinoza's philosophy in current attempts to elaborate an ecological basis for international environmental law. Because the question of environmental protection has not been satisfactory resolved, the legal debate concerning our responsibility for the environment has - as evidenced in the recent UN report series Harmony with Nature - come to invite calls for a new eco-centric, rather than anthropocentric, legal paradigm. In this respect, Spinoza appears as a key figure. He is one of the few philosophers in the history of western philosophy who cares, and writes extensively, about the roots of anthropocentrism; the core issue of contemporary normative debates in ecology. And in response to the rapidly developing ecological crisis, his work has become central to a re-thinking of the human relationship with nature. Addressing the contention that Spinoza's ethics might provide a useful source for developing a new, eco-centred framework for environmental law, this book elaborates a more nuanced understanding of Spinoza's philosophy. Spinoza cannot, it is argued here, simply be reduced to an eco-ethicist. That is: his metaphysics cannot be used as basis of an essentially naturalised or extended human morality. At the same time, however, this book argues that the radicality of Spinoza's naturalism nevertheless offers the possibility of developing a more adequate ecological basis for environmental law.

The changes and significant developments that have accompanied the relatively young field of environmental science are documented in this addition to the "Oryx Frontiers of Science Series." From major causes for environmental concern to possible solutions, "Environmental Science" presents a balanced and comprehensive view of the collective fields of ecology, sociology, demography, and waste management. Special focus is on important environmental events and discoveries that occurred between 1996 and 1999. Additionally, related information is presented on key people, career opportunities, organizations, resources, and more. This is a must-have reference tool for understanding a larger view of environmental science.

Scientists and regulators have struggled to define the role of theory, experiments, models and common sense in risk analysis. This situation has been made worse by the isolation of theory from modeling, of experimentation from theory, and of practical action from basic science. This book arises from efforts at regulatory agencies and industries to bring more science into health risk analysis so that society may better use limited resources to improve public health. This book covers: the characterization of exposure to pollutants and other sources of risk; the movement of pollutants into the body via inhalation; ingestion, dermal absorption, and exposures to radiation; the movement of a pollutant as it cascades through the tissues and organs of the body; and the development of principles and models for dose-response modeling. The book shows how an understanding of the biological, chemical, and physical properties of the environment and of the human body can guide the selection of mathematical models, and how these models can aid in estimating risks. Included in the book are models covering the full range of topics in human health risk analysis: exposure assessment, rates of intake, deposition and uptake by organs, absorption across membranes, biokinetics, dosimetry, and dose-response. The reader will gain from the book a better understanding of how environmental health science, as applied in risk analysis, can be used to create a more rational basis for the improvement of public health.

This book makes a significant contribution to the history of placemaking, presenting grassroots to top-down practices and socially engaged, situated artistic practices and artsled spatial inquiry that go beyond instrumentalising the arts for development. The book brings together a range of scholars to critique and deconstruct the notion of creative placemaking, presenting diverse case studies from researcher, practitioner, funder and policymaker perspectives from across the globe. It opens with the creators of the 2010 White Paper that named and defined creative placemaking, Ann Markusen and Anne Gadwa Nicodemus, who offer a cortically reflexive narrative on the founding of the sector and its development. This book looks at vernacular creativity in place, a topic continued through the book with its focus on the practitioner and community-placed projects. It closes with a consideration of aesthetics, metrics and, from the editors, a consideration of the next ten years for the sector. If creative placemaking is to contribute to places-in-the-making and encourage citizenled agency, new conceptual frameworks and practical methodologies are required. This book joins theorists and practitioners in dialogue, advocating for transdisciplinary, resilient processes.

India in Art in Ireland is the first book to address how the relationship between these two ends of the British Empire played out in the visual arts. It demonstrates that Irish ambivalence about British imperialism in India complicates the assumption that colonialism precluded identifying with an exotic other. Examining a wide range of media, including manuscript illuminations, paintings, prints, architecture, stained glass, and photography, its authors demonstrate the complex nature of empire in India, compare these empires to British imperialism in Ireland, and explore the contemporary relationship between what are now two independent countries through a consideration of works of art in Irish collections, supplemented by a consideration of Irish architecture and of contemporary Irish visual culture. The collection features essays on Rajput and Mughal miniatures, on a portrait of an Indian woman by the Irish painter Thomas Hickey, on the gate lodge to the Dromana estate in County Waterford, and a consideration of the intellectual context of Harry Clarke's Eve of St. Agnes window. This book should appeal not only to those seeking to learn more about some of Ireland's most cherished works of art, but to all those curious about the complex interplay between empire, anti-colonialism, and the visual arts.