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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Conservation of the environment > General
A Greenhorn Naturalist in Borneo is about natural history, travel in the tropics, life sciences, and adventure, with the environment always in mind. It chronicles the nine years the author spent with his family on that equatorial island. The book's humorous style never detracts from the focus on the science, the island of Borneo and its natural wonders. The story begins in 2007 on top of a garage in Taiwan, where the author kept a greenhouse filled with hundreds of carnivorous tropical pitcher plants. In August of the same year, he attended a conference on these plants in Borneo and met them in the wild for the first time. This triggered an obsession with the island's legendary rainforest fauna and flora, and he decided to move to Borneo with his family for easier access to the jungle. In a tone reminiscent of Bill Bryson, Douglas Adams, and Gerald Durrell - funny, self-deprecating, but always satisfying for the science-minded reader - A Greenhorn Naturalist in Borneo documents the Breuer family's adventures with Borneo's enormous biodiversity: flying snakes, venomous primates, parachuting frogs, pangolins, king cobras, orangutans, masters of mimicry and camouflage, the world's rarest lizard and the world's longest snake. And these are just a fraction of the life forms the reader will meet. Adventure lurks behind every trail bend: toddler-sized monkeys terrorize night hikers, bearded jungle pigs hunt stray dogs, a giant python almost gets stepped on, and other encounters of the 'not so funny when it happened' kind. The reader will also meet the people inhabiting the island, such as Asia's last rainforest nomads, quaint government officials, and former headhunting tribes that still proudly display their trophies above their fireplaces. Inevitably, the author's life in Borneo also led to first-hand insight into the island's environmental tragedy caused by decades of severe over-exploitation, a recurring topic throughout the book. A Greenhorn Naturalist in Borneo puts the reader in a front-row seat to marvel at nature's wonders in all their magnificence visiting places unknown and creatures unheard of; and it is also an invitation to consider the state of the planet, to take it seriously, and to act before it's too late.
There is a growing need for environmental measurement personnel who possess a solid understanding of the techniques of air pollutant sampling. This essential book explains the fundamentals of air sampling, develops the theory of gas measurement, and presents several "how-to" examples of calibration and use of air and gas sampling devices. Other topics covered range from the basics of pressure measurement and units conversion to specific discussions regarding the use of a Volatile Organic Sampling Train or a SUMMA-polished canister sampling system.
Analyzing globalization and the increasing tension it has caused between the goals of free trade and environmental protection, International Trade and the Protection of the Environment provides a comprehensive and detailed legal analysis, both at the national and international level of what looks set to become the new legal order of the twenty-first Century. This book as the questions does the treatment of 'measures tantamount to expropriation' have the capacity to lead to a 'regulatory chill' on environmental protection and what are the possibilities for claims before the UK courts that are based on alleged violations of international law? The author offers:
Incisive and current, this text is a valuable tool for postgraduate law students studying international and commercial law.
The Everglades was once reviled as a liquid wasteland, and Americans dreamed of draining it. Now it is revered as a national treasure, and Americans have launched the largest environmental project in history to try to save it. "The Swamp" is the stunning story of the destruction and possible resurrection of the Everglades, the saga of man's abuse of nature in southern Florida and his unprecedented efforts to make amends. Michael Grunwald, a prize-winning national reporter for "The Washington Post," takes readers on a riveting journey from the Ice Ages to the present, illuminating the natural, social and political history of one of America's most beguiling but least understood patches of land. The Everglades was America's last frontier, a wild country long after the West was won. Grunwald chronicles how a series of visionaries tried to drain and "reclaim" it, and how Mother Nature refused to bend to their will; in the most harrowing tale, a 1928 hurricane drowned 2,500 people in the Everglades. But the Army Corps of Engineers finally tamed the beast with levees and canals, converting half the Everglades into sprawling suburbs and sugar plantations. And though the southern Everglades was preserved as a national park, it soon deteriorated into an ecological mess. The River of Grass stopped flowing, and 90 percent of its wading birds vanished. Now America wants its swamp back. Grunwald shows how a new breed of visionaries transformed Everglades politics, producing the $8 billion rescue plan. That plan is already the blueprint for a new worldwide era of ecosystem restoration. And this book is a cautionary tale for that era. Through gripping narrative and dogged reporting, Grunwald shows how the Everglades is still threatened by the same hubris, greed and well-intentioned folly that led to its decline. Michael Grunwald is a reporter at "The Washington Post." He has won the George Polk Award for national reporting, the Worth Bingham Prize for investigative reporting, and many other awards. He lives in Miami with his wife, Cristina Dominguez. Visit his website at www.michaelgrunwald.com.
The book is the only technical volume that explains how equivalency analysis methods mentioned in Annex II of the European Environmental Liability Directive should be implemented. It uses case studies to illustrate real-world application of the methods, which are based on the experience in the USA and in the European Union and have been tested in three years of training programs funded by the European Commission. Academically rigorous and technically comprehensive, the book is intended for technical experts wanting to assess damage and remediation options as well as for decision-makers wishing to commission such assessments and judge their quality. These include competent authorities, operators, financial security providers, academics, consultants and NGOs.
Japan is one of the world's largest fish-eating countries with a long history, and has developed its own customs and values in terms of managing fisheries resources. The first half of this book introduces the history and institutional features of capture fisheries management in Japan, with 9 case studies from sub-arctic to tropical ecosystems, from sedentary to migratory species, and from small-scale coastal to offshore industrial fisheries. For example, coastal fisheries management is more community-based, and local people have the authority and take priority in the decision-making process. In contrast, offshore fisheries are more industrialized and commercially oriented, and the national government plays a major role in their management. One of the main challenges in world fisheries is to implement the ecosystem approach, but there is no one-size-fits-all solution for its implementation. The second half of this book considers the advantages and limitations of the Japanese fisheries management regime and discusses the necessary environmental policy measures to bridge the gaps between fisheries management and ecosystem-based management. As a case study, management measures in the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage area are analyzed. In closing, the Grand Plan of Japanese fisheries policy for the next 20 years and three future scenarios are presented.
Hotter temperatures, less arctic ice, loss of habitat-every other day, it seems, global warming and environmental issues make headlines. Consumer-driven environmental awareness combined with stricter recycling regulations have put the pressure on companies to produce and dispose of products in an environmentally responsible manner. Redefining industrial ecology, while reconsidering the original definition, Environment-Conscious Manufacturing explores topics such as industrial metabolism, product design for the environment, design of reverse and closed-loop supply chains, and disassembly modeling, using case studies to support the discussion. After introducing basic concepts and the historical roots of environment conscious manufacturing (ECM), the text covers algorithms and heuristics; design for disassembly; the environment, recycling, and remanufacturing; disassembly process planning and scheduling; environmental impact assessment models; lifecycle assessment; logistic aspects; product reuse and recovery; and sustainable products. The chapter contributors discuss the selection of economical products, collection centers, recovery facilities, production facilities, second-hand markets and new products, the optimal transportation of goods, and the evaluation of a marketing strategy and futurity of used products. The book ends with an overview of the barriers to ECM and explores how to use integrative structural modeling to investigate, analyze, and overcome them. "Environmentally friendly" has evolved from reluctant compliance with required regulations to a mechanism for gaining the competitive advantage and an important part of strategic management. Expected benefits of this paradigm shift include safer and cleaner facilities, lower future costs for disposal and worker protection, reduced environmental and health risks, and improved product quality at lower cost and higher productivity. Describing the basic elements of ECM, this book gives you the tool
A History of Ecology and Environmentalism in Spanish American Literature undertakes a comprehensive ecocritical examination of the region's literature from the foundational texts of the nineteenth century to the most recent fiction. The book begins with a consideration of the way in which Argentine Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's views of nature through the lens of the categories of "civilization" and "barbarity" from Facundo (1845) are systematically challenged and revised in the rest of the century. Subsequently, this book develops the argument that a vital part of the cultural critique and aesthetic innovations of Spanish American modernismo involve an ecological challenge to deepening discourses of untamed development from Europe and the United States. In other chapters, many of the well-established titles of regional and indigenista literature are contrasted to counter-traditions within those genres that express aspects of environmental justice, "deep ecology," the relational role of emotion in nature protectionism and conservationism, even the rights of non-human nature. Finally, the concluding chapters find that the articulation of ecological advocacy in recent fiction is both more explicit than what came before but also impacts the formal elements of literature in unique ways. Textual conventions such as language, imagery, focalization, narrative sequence, metafiction, satire, and parody represent innovations of form that proceed directly from the ethical advocacy of environmentalism. The book concludes with comments about what must follow as a result of the analysis including the revision of canon, the development of literary criticism from novel approaches such as critical animal studies, and the advent of a critical dialogue within the bounds of Spanish American environmentalist literature. A History of Ecology and Environmentalism in Spanish American Literature attempts to develop a sense of the way in which ecological ideas have developed over time in the literature, particularly the way in which many Spanish American texts anticipate several of the ecological discourses that have recently become so central to global culture, current environmentalist thought, and the future of humankind.
Protected areas in Europe have experienced considerable change with regard to their objectives. While originally created as reserves for beautiful landscapes and endangered species, they subsequently were used as a means to preserve whole ecosystems, with restrictions on human activities and impacts. More recently, protected areas are being considered as instruments for regional development, particularly in marginal regions that are facing severe economic and socio-cultural problems. Contrary to previous policies, where the focus was on conservation, new approaches aim to integrate conservation and development functions, making protected areas real 'living landscapes'. The policies attempt to integrate activities such as agriculture, forestry, handicrafts, tourism and education with the conservation and sustainability aspects. The past decade has seen a noticeable increase of these innovative and dynamic types of protected areas, such as Biosphere reserves or regional parks. However, the policies of individual European countries regarding protected areas is very varied, with some adopting these new policies and others much more traditional in approach.On top of this, EU regional policy needs to be considered. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the relation between protected areas and regional development policies, both in theory and practice. Illustrated with a wide range of case studies from across Europe, it compares different concepts, strategies and instruments being used. In conclusion, it suggests the most innovatives and successful ways to use protected areas for regeneration and sustainable regional development.
The perfect gift for nature lovers and weather watchers. A fascinating month-by-month collection of facts, figures and explanations related to UK weather alongside details of famous meteorologists and their influence. Discover historical facts, amazing statistics and anecdotes that will keep you informed and entertained all year round. You can delve as deeply as you like, or follow your own favourite subject throughout the year. discover little-known secrets about the weather learn fascinating facts and notable meterological anniversaries Written by weather expert, Storm Dunlop.
The context in which environmental policy decision-making occurs has changed, resulting from widening environmental problems, increased demands from groups and citizens, continuing pressure on the continent's resources and normative shifts. The complexity of current issues is related to an even broader contextual shift: the globalization of environmental issues exacerbated by trade liberalization, especially on a regional level and the potential contradictions between trade and the environmental international agenda that this implies. This volume studies the new dimensions of resource conflict between Canada and the United States, accounting for the emergence of new bilateral environmental issues and detailing how trade liberalization has fostered both disputes and policy convergence. It also examines the recent shifts in America towards a unilateral foreign policy and how this affects active Canadian diplomacy Ideal as a resource tool for students and academics, this book will be a key resource in the areas of global governance, US-Canadian foreign policy and environmental policy.
This updated edition of the 1979 original covers the landmark struggle to save the New River from damming in the 1970s. The grassroots movement emphasized the river's cultural and historical value rather than narrow environmental issues and became one of the great victories of the environmental movement. This edition also includes a new epilogue examining the current ecological status of the New River and the ongoing impact of the original conservation efforts in the face of new environmental threats. The 1979 edition won the Weatherford Award presented by Berea College and the Appalachian Studies Association.
This book provides an introduction to peatlands for the non-specialist student reader and for all those concerned about environmental protection, and is an essential guide to peatland history and heritage for scientists and enthusiasts. Peat is formed when vegetation partially decays in a waterlogged environment and occurs extensively throughout both temperate and tropical regions. Interest in peatlands is currently high due to the degradation of global peatlands which is disrupting hydrology and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. This book opens by explaining how peat is formed, its properties and worldwide distribution, and defines related terms such as mires, wetlands, bogs and marshes. There is discussion of the ecology and wildlife of peatlands as well as their ability to preserve pollen and organic remains as environmental archives. It also addresses the history, heritage and cultural exploitation of peat, extending back to pre-Roman times, and the degradation of peatlands over the centuries, particularly as a source of fuel but more recently for commercial horticulture. Other chapters discuss the ecosystem services delivered by peatlands, and how their destruction is contributing to biodiversity loss, flooding or drought, and climate change. Finally, the many current peatland restoration projects around the world are highlighted. Overall the book provides a wide-ranging but concise overview of peatlands from both a natural and social science perspective, and will be invaluable for students of ecology, geography, environmental studies and history.
Increase in the population has led to rapid industrialization, thus leading to pollution at all levels. With industries of various types discharging their all types of effluents in various sources of water, a constant need has been felt for recycling of these effluents, before discharging them in to these sources. The book makes an attempt to equip it's readers with each and every aspect of recycling of industrial effluents. The entire book provides adequate information from the very basics to various types of recycling techniques.
Mediating Nature provides a history of the present nature of mass mediation. It examines the ways in which a number of discourses, technologies and institutions have historically shaped the current ways of imagining nature in the mass media. Where much of the existing research treats mass mediation as a matter of media technologies, texts, or institutions, this text adopts a somewhat different approach: it considers mass mediation as a historical process by means of which the members of audiences and indeed the public more generally came to be incorporated as observers in, and of mass culture. This approach allows the book to investigate the roles that a wide range of genres relating to nature played in constructing senses of nature but also of mass culture itself. The genres include landscape paintings and gardens, modern zoos, photography, early cinema, nature essays, disaster and 'animal attack' films, as well as wildlife documentaries on television. The investigation develops what Lindahl Elliot describes as a 'social semeiotic' approach that combines the semeiotic theory of Charles Peirce with a historical sociology of cultural formations. Topical and timely, this fascinating book will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of media, sociology, cultural geography and environmental studies.
Australia and Canada have been at the forefront of efforts to operationalize integrated oceans and coastal management. Throughout the 1990s both countries devoted considerable effort to developing strategies to give effect to international ocean management obligations. This key book focuses on principles of marine environmental conservation and management, maritime regulation and enforcement, and regional maritime planning and implementation. With contributions from respected scholars, this informative book collectively assesses the obligations, compliance, implementation and trends in international ocean law, particularly in giving effect to an Oceans Policy, regional maritime planning, international oceans governance, and maritime security. This book will be of interest to all academics involved with maritime studies and international law.
Desertification affects 70 per cent of all arable lands on the planet in more than 100 countries. Inextricably linked to poverty, it is estimated that the livelihood of 250 million people are directly affected while another billion living in rural drylands are threatened by this phenomenon. This volume examines the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) signed in 1994. It studies the linkages between land degradation and poverty, the role of civil society and good governance in implementing the UNCCD and the various approaches to fighting desertification. Furthermore, this volume assesses the National Action Programmes, development planning and new avenues for strengthening implementation. Synthesising the main strengths and weaknesses of the UNCCD as a tool for environmental and developmental governance, this candid and informative volume highlights the main challenges facing the UNCCD in the future.
Mediating Nature provides a history of the present nature of mass mediation. It examines the ways in which a number of discourses, technologies and institutions have historically shaped the current ways of imagining nature in the mass media. Where much of the existing research treats mass mediation as a matter of media technologies, texts, or institutions, this text adopts a somewhat different approach: it considers mass mediation as a historical process by means of which the members of audiences and indeed the public more generally came to be incorporated as observers in, and of mass culture. This approach allows the book to investigate the roles that a wide range of genres relating to nature played in constructing senses of nature but also of mass culture itself. The genres include landscape paintings and gardens, modern zoos, photography, early cinema, nature essays, disaster and 'animal attack' films, as well as wildlife documentaries on television. The investigation develops what Lindahl Elliot describes as a 'social semeiotic' approach that combines the semeiotic theory of Charles Peirce with a historical sociology of cultural formations. Topical and timely, this fascinating book will be of great interest to students and researchers in the fields of media, sociology, cultural geography and environmental studies.
The international community is putting some pressure on scientific researchers to come up with reliable indicators to estimate emissions from greenhouse gases. The development towards integrative multi gas strategy approaches has allowed the inclusion of the agricultural sector in the political agenda. Modelling alternatives for the estimation of emission factors, definition of policy instruments for greenhouse gas emission abatement as well as measurement of their economic effects are at this stage quite important for the coming multilateral negotiations.
Policy-makers are increasingly trying to assign economic values to areas such as ecologies, the atmosphere, even human lives. These new values, assigned to areas previously considered outside of economic systems, often act to qualify, alter or replace former non-pecuniary values. Valuing Development, Environment and Conservation looks to explore the complex interdependencies, contradictions and trade-offs that can take place between economic values and the social, environmental, political and ethical systems that inform non-monetary valuation processes. Using rich empirical material, the book explores the processes of valuation, their components, calculative technologies, and outcomes in different social, ecological and conservation domains. The book gives reasons for why economic calculation tends to dominate in practice, but also presents new insights on how the disobedient materiality of things and the ingenuity of human and non-human agencies can combine and frustrate the dominant economic models within calculative processes. This book highlights the tension between, on the one hand, a dominant model that emphasises technical and 'universalising' criteria, and on the other hand, valuation practice in specific local contexts which is more likely to negotiate criteria that are plural, incommensurable and political. This book is perfect for researchers and students within development studies, environment, geography, politics, sociology and anthropology who are looking for new insights into how processes of valuation take place in the 21st century, and with what consequential outcomes.
The book aims to give, via a collection of representative papers
from the journal Environmental Politics, an overview of both the
evolution and the diverse themes found in contemporary green
political thought, especially as found in the industrialized
nations. Accordingly, it charts the key research papers from the
leading European journal of environmental politics since the early
1990s, a period in which environmental politics developed from a
marginal status in society and the academy through to its current
place as a mainstream intellectual consideration; in doing so the
book will both trace a development of ideas and give an overview of
the diverse vital considerations in the field today. Subdivided
into sections on political theory, social movements, political
economy and policy questions, and assisted by a contextualizing
introduction, the collection deals with a set of themes that
include the following:
Simple, tempting, eco-friendly recipes that support the environment and don't make you feel like you're missing out. If the way we eat globally continues, the world is at risk of failing to meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. From extreme weather patterns to wild fires raging in Australia, it's little wonder that more of us than ever are worried about the environmental impact of our food decisions. Enter award-winning recipe writer for Mail on Sunday's YOU magazine and registered nutritionist, Annie Bell. The easy, family-friendly recipes in Eat to Save the Planet follow recommendations from the Lancet-EAT commissioned Planetary Health Diet, written by an international group of scientists. This flexitarian reference diet is so simple, easily accessible and tempting that you will hardly believe you're helping to save the planet as you eat. The mainstays of the Planetary Health Diet are plant-based foods, but while these ingredients are central to its recommendations, the diet doesn’t go as far as being vegetarian or vegan. So recipes in the book include modest quantities of seafood and poultry, with a small amount of red meat being optional – making this new approach to eating achievable and realistic for everyone. Whether it's Spinach, Nut and Goat's Cheese Pie, Aubergine Stuffed with Lamb and Buckwheat, or Speedy Cauliflower, Lentil and Watercress Risotto, these comforting, filling and delicious dishes will quickly become the day-to-day favourites in your kitchen.
Cities and towns across the United States are making concerted efforts to restore nature and increase green space as a means of community renewal and downtown revitalization. For local government the goals are twofold: to provide an enhanced cityscape that brings residents back to the downtown to live, work and play; and to bring in tourists and further private investment. The result is revitalized areas that provide an enhanced quality of life for residents and visitors alike. This work brings together essays from more than 50 experts throughout the United States, providing a wide-ranging view of the cities-and-nature efforts that exist throughout the country. Creation, protection, preservation and restoration projects are fully covered. Divided into three sections?cities and nature, best practices, and the future?these case studies come from cities across the nation. Differing geographically, politically and culturally, these cities offer a variety of ideas and inspirations while sharing a commitment to an urban environment enhanced by natural beauty. Regional and national resource directories are also included.
As external forces increase the demand for land conversion, communities are increasingly open to policies that encourage conservation of farm and forest lands. This interest in conservation notwithstanding, the consequences of land-use policy and the drivers of land conversions are often unclear. One of the first books to deal exclusively with the economics of rural-urban sprawl, Economics and Contemporary Land Use Policy explores the causes and consequences of rapidly accelerating land conversions in urban-fringe areas, as well as implications for effective policy responses. This book emphasizes the critical role of both spatial and economic-ecological interactions in contemporary land use, and the importance of a practical, policy-oriented perspective. Chapters illustrate an interaction of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical approaches to land-use policy and highlight advances in policy-oriented economics associated with the conservation and development of urban-fringe land. Issues addressed include (1) the appropriate role of economics in land-use policy, (2) forecasting and management of land conversion, (3) interactions among land use, property values, and local taxes, and (4) relationships among rural amenities, rural character, and urban-fringe land-use policy. Economics and Contemporary Land Use Policy is a timely and relevant contribution to the land-use policy debate and will prove an essential reference for policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels. It will also be of interest to students, academics, and anyone with an interest in the practical application of economics to land-use issues. "The convergence of land use and policy represents a criticalarea of ongoing research, yet one that is fraught with special challenges.... The reemergence of the economics of land use as a compelling field of inquiry reflects the many dimensions in which land contributes to social well-being and the many policy arenas in which land plays an important role. Once viewed only as an input in the production of food and fiber, land now stands as a key element in the definition of households' quality of life." -- Nancy E. Bockstael, University of Maryland, from the foreword
As external forces increase the demand for land conversion, communities are increasingly open to policies that encourage conservation of farm and forest lands. This interest in conservation notwithstanding, the consequences of land-use policy and the drivers of land conversions are often unclear. One of the first books to deal exclusively with the economics of rural-urban sprawl, Economics and Contemporary Land Use Policy explores the causes and consequences of rapidly accelerating land conversions in urban-fringe areas, as well as implications for effective policy responses. This book emphasizes the critical role of both spatial and economic-ecological interactions in contemporary land use, and the importance of a practical, policy-oriented perspective. Chapters illustrate an interaction of conceptual, theoretical, and empirical approaches to land-use policy and highlight advances in policy-oriented economics associated with the conservation and development of urban-fringe land. Issues addressed include (1) the appropriate role of economics in land-use policy, (2) forecasting and management of land conversion, (3) interactions among land use, property values, and local taxes, and (4) relationships among rural amenities, rural character, and urban-fringe land-use policy. Economics and Contemporary Land Use Policy is a timely and relevant contribution to the land-use policy debate and will prove an essential reference for policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels. It will also be of interest to students, academics, and anyone with an interest in the practical application of economics to land-use issues. "The convergence of land use and policy represents a criticalarea of ongoing research, yet one that is fraught with special challenges.... The reemergence of the economics of land use as a compelling field of inquiry reflects the many dimensions in which land contributes to social well-being and the many policy arenas in which land plays an important role. Once viewed only as an input in the production of food and fiber, land now stands as a key element in the definition of households' quality of life." -- Nancy E. Bockstael, University of Maryland, from the foreword |
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