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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Conservation of the environment > General
Trees and woodlands are an integral part of Britains heritage and culture, as well as an invaluable environmental and ecological resource. In an increasingly urbanized British population, romantic notions of bluebell-carpeted woods and deep-coloured wooded hillsides during autumn do not come easily. Instead, images of forgotten corners of land with a few sycamore trees and lots of brambles, or an area of dark, intimidating conifers are more common. The wide variety of types of woodland, whether closely managed or naturally-occuring, provide important habitats for a huge range of flora and fauna. This text explores the history and ecology of British woodlands, and explains why they are such a valuable resource. It offers a practical guide to issues of ecology of woodland habitats and organisms; conservation and management; coppicing, pasture woodland and commercial forestry; woodland grazing, ride management and recration in woodlands. Featuring illustrated species boxes as well as a full species list, notable sites with location maps and pictures, suggested projects and a full glossary, students and environmentalists should gain an understanding of the historical and present-day im
Environmental movements are at a crossroads. Increasingly institutionalized almost everywhere in the industrially developed societies, established environmental organizations are confronted by new radical groups and uninstitutionalized local protesters. Despite growing evidence of the universality of environmental problems and of economic and cultural globalization, the development of a truly global environmental movement is at best tentative. The dilemmas which confront environmental organizations are no less apparent at the global than at national levels. This volume is a collection of 1990s research on environmental movements in western and southern Europe, the US and the global arena.
Trees and woodlands are an integral part of Britains heritage and culture, as well as an invaluable environmental and ecological resource. In an increasingly urbanized British population, romantic notions of bluebell-carpeted woods and deep-coloured wooded hillsides during autumn do not come easily. Instead, images of forgotten corners of land with a few sycamore trees and lots of brambles, or an area of dark, intimidating conifers are more common. The wide variety of types of woodland, whether closely managed or naturally-occuring, provide important habitats for a huge range of flora and fauna. This text explores the history and ecology of British woodlands, and explains why they are such a valuable resource. It offers a practical guide to issues of ecology of woodland habitats and organisms; conservation and management; coppicing, pasture woodland and commercial forestry; woodland grazing, ride management and recration in woodlands. Featuring illustrated species boxes as well as a full species list, notable sites with location maps and pictures, suggested projects and a full glossary, students and environmentalists should gain an understanding of the historical and present-day im
The Arctic is a special world. The Arctic Ocean is covered by white sea ice, and its margins are surrounded by bare terrestrial regions, known as tundra. Tundra is a cold and dry environment without trees, but even in the absence of trees, tundra plants such as dwarf shrubs, grasses, herbs and moss support the harsh environment by providing sustenance and shelter. This book introduces representative arctic plants and their function in Svalbard, revealing the unique tundra ecosystem, and discussing the direct and indirect effects of climate change in the Arctic.
This book deals with the economic potentials of biodiversity and its capacity to support its own conservation aiming to provide livelihood for millions engaged in conservation, both now and for future generations. The book highlights the potentials of natural resources which are characterized as capital wealth (as defined in Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)), to finance its own conservation and to provide livelihood means to people who conserve it. The book is divided into five Parts. PART I explains about the Premise of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS), PART II describes about the Technology Transfer, PART III will provide details about the Access to Genetic Resources and Access to Associated Traditional Knowledge & Benefit Sharing, PART IV is the Implementation of ABS mechanisms and PART V is about ABS and its Economics. This book will be of interest to biodiversity policy makers, administrators, university and college students, researchers, biodiversity conservationists.
Energy efficiency and energy conservation are often thought to be the same. They are not, according to Herbert Inhaber. Only when less total energy is consumed by all users will energy actually be saved. Energy efficiency schemes do not accomplish this goal of conservation: when one person or nation conserves energy, there is just more of it for others to use elsewhere. This is the first book to answer, comprehensively and objectively, the question: Do government energy conservation programs hinder or help the nation? Says Inhaber, the fact that billions of dollars have been spent on energy conservation programs, without giving a searching look at what has been accomplished, is a national scandal. Clear, concise, and with numerous useful graphs and tables, this book is an important first step toward making us all aware of what energy conservation actually is-and is not-and how it can and should be implemented. This work includes chapters on how conservation is applied in the electric utility world, whether waste truly exists, the economic aspect of conservation, its relation to Marxism, and past examples of conservation failures. Inhaber reviews many of the points that were first made by Stanley Jevons, the father of modern quantitative economics, who stated more than 130 years ago that increased efficiency often produces greater overall energy use, not less. Inhaber concludes that a remedy claimed to cure all ills will cure none. The faith placed in conservation as a solution to a mountain of problems is, in large part, misplaced. The words 'energy conservation' have captivated people of almost all political and philosophical persuasions. My book should cause many people to rethink their blind faith.
This text brings together disparate bodies of ecological knowledge pertinent to countryside areas used for recreation. It summarizes our understanding of recreation as an ecological factor and outlines the problems needing further research, for the benefit of students and others concerned with countryside conservation. Information is drawn from several countries and the text highlights common features as a means for providing a theoretical base for practical advice which the planner or manager can use as a guide when faced with problems for which there is no direct information. This work should be of interest to conservation biologists, ecologists and land managers concerned with habitat management for recreation purposes.
Since the industrial revolution progress has meant an increase in labour productivity. Factor Four describes a new form of progress, resource productivity, one which meets the overriding imperative for the future: sustainability. It shows how at least four times as much wealth can be extracted from the resources we use. As the authors put it, the book is about doing more with less, but this is not the same as doing less, doing worse or doing without.;In 1972, the Club of Rome published "Limits to Growth", which sent shock waves around the world by arguing that we were rapidly running out of essential resources. This "Report to the Club of Rome" offers a solution. It lies in using resources more efficiently, in ways which can already be achieved, not at a cost but at a profit. The book contains a wealth of examples of revolutionizing productivity, in the use of energy, from hypercars to low-energy beef; materials, from sub-surface drip irrigation to electronic books; and transport, from video conferencing to CyberTran, demonstrating how much more could be generated from much less, today.; It explains how markets can be organized and taxes re-based to eliminate perverse incentives and
This book offers a new ecosystemic approach to the understanding of mangrove and salt marsh ecosystems. Brazil has one of the largest areas of mangroves in the world, where salt marshes might or might not be associated. Different landscapes comprise the extensive coastline, where mangrove and salt marsh species' composition is discussed through the analysis of physiography, zonation, and succession processes. Both salt marsh and mangrove plants and the associated macroalgae will be characterized in their ecophysiological and phenological aspects, as well as genetic and epigenetic diversity. The chapters on microbial diversity and litterfall expose the well-known importance of these ecosystems as highly productive carbon sinks and pumps. The associated fauna of invertebrates (benthic meio and macrofaunas, especially brachyuran crabs) and vertebrates (fishes, birds, and mammals) are presented in a special section. The conservational approach encompasses issues, such as historical ecology, economic valuation, protected areas, environmental education, climate changes, and adaptive management.
The Rio Summit has pointed to the urgency for the development of an international conservation policy, and the post-Maastricht debates in Europe have highlighted the need for the EU to reassess structural funding in nature conservation, as well as the influences on policy and practice. This text is a "route map" through the legislative and policy frameworks and explains how conservation works in Europe. It goes through the policies for nature conservation in the European Community and its constituent member states and sets out the mechanisms for delivering this policy. Practitioners in the fields of countryside, conservation and general land management should find this text a useful guide to the working of the EU, as well as helpful in appreciating their local role within the wider community objectives.
Reconciling wealth creation and environmental care is one of the key challenges in the pursuit of sustainable development. Companies considering greener modes of operation are mindful of their formal responsibilities to advance shareholders' interests. The age of globalization and intensified competition has increased disincentives to be 'green' for its own sake. And yet, a surprisingly high proportion of large companies have put in place environmental management regimes and invest considerable time and resources in them. However, the public continues to believe that these companies are failing to take their environmental responsibilities seriously, and campaigners are unimpressed with the results of industrial self-regulation. In short, there is a gulf in perception between industry and the consumer. Clean and Competitive explores the challenge of motivating industry to address environmental issues, drawing on work undertaken by Sussex University's Science Policy Research Unit (SPRU) and the Centre for the Exploitation of Science and Technology (CEST). The authors explore in detail industrial responses to prominent environmental issues, including: climate change, air quality, water pollution, waste minimization, and product recycling. They assess various approaches to environmental problems, such as: traditional regulation, partnership, voluntary agreements, and market-based instruments. Finally, they recommend practical ways forward for addressing an ever more complex environmental agenda. This thoughtful and articulate text is recommended for students on environmental management courses, policy makers, and environmental managers within industry.
This text demonstrates how businesses and institutions continue to operate outside the ecological carrying capacity of the environment, and highlights the need for participation and social innovation on their part. It asserts that senior executives and middle management in large corporations have often sought, deliberately or unconsciously, to block the advancement of environmentalism. Industry has reconstructed the more radical environmental agenda to suit its own purposes, in effect hijacking it, by taking it out of its traditional discourse and placing it in a liberal-productivist framework. The book concludes by examining the way forward for more sustainable business, presenting new models that place greater emphasis on issues such as equity and ethics.
Increasing numbers of Americans are fleeing cities and suburbs for the small towns and open spaces that surround national and state parks, wildlife refuges, historic sites, and other public lands. With their scenic beauty and high quality of life, these "gateway communities" have become a magnet for those looking to escape the congestion and fast tempo of contemporary American society.Yet without savvy planning, gateway communities could easily meet the same fate as the suburban communities that were the promised land of an earlier generation. This volume can help prevent that from happening.The authors offer practical and proven lessons on how residents of gateway communities can protect their community's identity while stimulating a healthy economy and safeguarding nearby natural and historic resources. They describe economic development strategies, land-use planning processes, and conservation tools that communities from all over the country have found effective. Each strategy or process is explained with specific examples, and numerous profiles and case studies clearly demonstrate how different communities have coped with the challenges of growth and development. Among the cities profiled are Boulder, Colorado; Townsend and Pittman Center Tennessee; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Tyrrell County, North Carolina; Jackson Hole, Wyoming; Sanibel Island, Florida; Calvert County, Maryland; Tuscon, Arizona; and Mount Desert Island, Maine."Balancing Nature and Commerce in Gateway Communities" provides important lessons in how to preserve the character and integrity of communities and landscapes without sacrificing local economic well-being. It is an important resource for planners, developers, local officials, and concerned citizens working to retain the high quality of life and natural beauty of these cities and towns.
People's relationship to nature is the greatest issue facing the world at the turn of the millennium, and all over the world young people have shown enormous enthusiasm for environmental action. Many countries are radically reassessing both the role of citizens in managing their environment and the rights and responsibilities of children to be involved in shaping their own and their communities' futures. This book, by one of the world's leading authorities on environmental education, is written in the conviction that children can play a valuable and lasting role in sustainable development, if their participation is taken seriously and planned with thought for their developing capabilities and unique strengths. Through direct participation, children can develop a genuine appreciation of democracy and a sense of their own competence and responsibility. The planning, design, monitoring and management of the physical environment is an ideal domain for their participation, in part because their commitment to it is so strong. The book is for planners, educationalists and environmentalists, introducing the theory and the practice of children's participation, and its importance for developing democracy and sustainable communities. It emphasises genuine participation, where children are themselves involved in defining problems and acting as reflective, critical participants in issues affecting their communities. The 'environment' is interpreted broadly to include, for example, the planning of housing areas and the management of playgrounds. Detailed case studies are provided from urban and rural, poor and middle class communities from both the North and South. For teachers, group facilitators and community leaders, it presents organising principles, successful models, practical techniques and resources for involving young people in environmental projects.
Sudbury, Ontario is one of the world's most polluted areas. A
century of industrial activities has resulted in thousands of
acidified lakes and vast areas of denuded land. This book
describes, in a manner accessible to a wide audience, the damage
and the efforts at environmental restoration at Sudbury which
resulted in its winning a United Nations award in 1992 for land
reclamation.
This book of readings, meditations, rituals and workshop notes prepared on three continents helps us remember that environmental defense is nothing less than "Self" defense. Including magnificent illustrations of Australia's rainforests, Thinking Like a Mountain provides a context for ritual identification with the natural environment, inviting us to begin a process of "community therapy" in defense of Mother Earth. It helps us experience our place in the web of life, rather than on the apex of some human-centred pyramid. An important deep ecology educational tool for activist, school and religious groups, Thinking Like a Mountain can also be used for personal reflection. Thinking Like a Mountain has been made available through New Catalyst Books. New Catalyst Books is an imprint of New Society Publishers, aimed at providing readers with access to a wider range of books dealing with sustainability issues by bringing books back into print that have enduring value in the field. For more information on New Catalyst Books click here .
Until now no overview of the Quaternary deposits of northeastern Europe has been available. This book fills the gap. It presents the state of research on Quaternary stratigraphy and geology, with emphasis on glacial deposits, discusses the general scientific ideas and gives an overview of the methods of investigation, some of which have rarely been applied elsewhere. It has become apparent that the region covered has many environmental problems, and a proper understanding of the Quaternary deposits is a basic requirement for dealing with them. The same is true for civil engineering. In the formerly glaciated areas almost all construction sites for roads and houses will encounter glacial deposits. This volume provides an authoritative and fascinating overview for anyone planning to venture into this field. In its 53 regional chapters the book covers Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic and eastern Germany. From the text it becomes clear that not all the stratigraphical schemes are yet fully compatible or comprehensible. There can be no doubt, however, that the east was subjected to very extensive ice advances during the earlier Pleistocene. Also, in contrast to western Europe, there was a significant Early Weichselian ice advance, although not as extensive as the last, Late Weichselian event. The book is illustrated by 421 figures and 74 colour plates (mostly photographs). There are 23 tables, a detailed index and a list of over 1000 references, providing a unique collection of northeastern European geoscience literature, much of which has so far escaped the attention of western scientists. The volume, composed of contributions by 60 scientists, completes the trilogy on glacial deposits of northern Europe. Together with its two companion volumes, the Glacial deposits in North-West Europe and the Glacial Deposits in Great Britain and Ireland, it represents an invaluable source of information for the geoscientist, the advanced student or the amateur.
Built on a strong foundation in restoration ecology, this unique handbook provides practitioners, academics, and managers with vital tools needed to plan for ecosystem conservation, to restore degraded ecosystems, to make cost-effective restoration decisions, and to understand important legal issues. Rehabilitation of Damaged Ecosystems, Second Edition boasts three completely new chapters and five major chapter revisions. Coastal wetlands restoration, watershed rehabilitation and management, mined land reclamation, revegetation of disturbed ecosystems, and river and stream restoration are only a few of the critical topics explored in this timely reference handbook.
"Architecture in Conservation" addresses the problems museums and
heritage organizations face in their attempts to adapt old
buildings and historic sites to meet the needs of both
administrators and visitors. More specifically, this book discusses
how to integrate new buildings into historic sites. James Strike
answers for example, the question of how to create a visitors'
center at Stonehenge.
Over millions of years, living creatures have evolved in relation to the Earth's electromagnetic energy. Now, we're surrounded by human-made frequencies that challenge our health and survival. An Electric Silent Spring reports the effects of electrification and wireless devices on people, plants, bee colonies, and frogs around the globe. It presents solutions for people who want to reduce their exposure to electromagnetic radiation. This pioneering book is for anyone concerned about the health of the environment and the people and other creatures that inhabit it. "This is a 'Stop, Look, and Listen' book. Katie Singer has performed a great public service by assembling compelling scientific studies and personal experiences about the effects of exposure to radiation from man-made electricity and wireless devices on birds, wildlife, and human health. Like Rachel Carson, Singer's warnings will not be popular with power company and telecommunications executives, investors, and lobbyists, who can be counted on to attempt to undermine her work. However, her findings deserve thoughtful analysis and action by concerned citizens and elected officials and must not be swept under the rug." -Whitney North Seymour, Jr., former New York State Senator, United States Attorney, and co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council "An Electric Silent Spring illuminates how human-made electricity and wireless devices impact bee colonies, birds, cows and human cell structure. It describes actions we can each take to reduce and mitigate the harm caused by the electromagnetic radiation emitted by mobile devices. This is an important and thoughtful book for every person concerned about the environment and human health." -Kenny Ausubel, Co-CEO and Founder, Bioneers "A must-read for those of us rushing heedlessly into the wireless age. Katie Singer describes the dangers of EMFs in a way that goes beyond the science with moving personal stories." -Sally Fallon Morell, President, The Weston A. Price Foundation and author of Nourishing Traditions "With brilliant clarity, An Electric Silent Spring shows how radiation emitted by our beloved electronic devices can cause biological harm. It describes the steps that individuals, manufacturers and policy makers can take to reduce our emissions and exposure. Because these issues matter to every parent, teacher and technology user, everyone needs to read this book." -Frank Clegg, former President of Microsoft Canada, founding CEO of Canadians for Safe Technology (c4st.org). |
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