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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Conservation of the environment > General
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.
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.
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.
Science, not politics, can take us beyond the hype and headlines to forge a realistic green new deal. Since it was first proposed in the US House of Representatives, the Green New Deal has been hotly debated, often using partisan characterizations that critique it as extreme or socialist. The intent was not simply to fight climate change or address a specific environmental concern, but rather to tackle how climate change and other environmental challenges affect the economy, the vulnerable, and social justice-and vice versa. In Science for a Green New Deal, Eric Davidson dissects this legislative resolution. He also shows how green new deal thinking offers a framework for a much-needed convergence of the natural sciences, social science, economics, and community engagement to develop holistic policy solutions to the most pressing issues of our day. Davidson weaves the case for linkages among multiple global crises, including a pandemic that has reversed progress on fighting poverty and hunger, an acceleration of climate change that has exacerbated storms, floods, droughts, and fires, and a renewed awareness of profound social injustices highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement. Illustrating these points with his personal life experiences as a child growing up in Montana and as a famed researcher leading a large scientific society, Davidson relates these complex challenges to our everyday lives and decision-making. How, he asks, can we extract from the Earth's resources what we need for the prosperity, well-being, and dignity of current and future generations of billions of people without exhausting or polluting those resources? Written in clear, jargon-free prose, Science for a Green New Deal is a realistic and optimistic look at how we can attain a more sustainable, prosperous, and just future.
Simple Life describes a rich outdoor life with simple means, a life
experiment where we explore what has value in life, during our free
time. Simple Life portrays an outdoor life with strong historical
roots, one that holds promise for everyone. The inspiration for
Simple Life by Roger Isberg, came from twenty-five years of
experience working with traditional outdoor life ("friluftsliv") at
Sjoviks Folk College in Sweden, where Roger was founder and mentor
of the Simple Life - Leadership - Handcraft course, a two-year
college program.
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.
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.
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.
You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to take an interest in how we treat other creatures. All of us, with few exceptions, use animals in some way: for food, research, recreation and companionship. In Britain we eat around a billion chickens every year, while 60% of all mammals on Earth, by biomass, are now livestock. In 2020, approximately 2.88 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain. Because all this happens in our name, as consumers and citizens we have a duty to understand, to care and to exert some influence over how animals are used. But because such use is ingrained in our daily lives and largely happens behind closed doors, we are barely aware of it. The animals deserve better. Understanding the inconsistencies in our attitudes, in the law and in what is deemed acceptable practice is an important first step. This timely and incisive book makes compelling reading for anyone who has an interest in animals, whether wild or domestic, free-living or captive, people intrigued about how their food is produced, and those keen to make informed and intelligent decisions.
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 is a 'Whole Earth Catalog' for the 21st century: an impressive and wide-ranging analysis of what's wrong with our societies, organizations, ideologies, worldviews and cultures - and how to put them right. The book covers the finance system, agriculture, design, ecology, economy, sustainability, organizations and society at large. In it, Daniel Wahl explores ways in which we can reframe and understand the crises that we currently face and explores how we can live our way into the future. Moving from patterns of thinking and believing to our practice of education, design and community living, he systematically shows how we can stop chasing the mirage of certainty and control in a complex and unpredictable world. The book asks how can we collaborate in the creation of diverse regenerative cultures adapted to the unique biocultural conditions of place? How can we create conditions conducive to life? "This book is a valuable contribution to the important discussion of the worldview and value system we need to redesign our businesses, economies, and technologies - in fact, our entire culture - so as to make them regenerative rather than destructive." Fritjof Capra, author of The Web of Life, coauthor of The Systems View of Life: A Unifying Vision. "This is an excellent addition to the literature on ecological design and it will certainly form a keystone in the foundations of the new MA in Ecological Design Thinking at Schumacher College, Devon. It not only contains a wealth of ideas on what Dr Wahl has termed 'Designing Regenerative Cultures' but what is probably more important, it provides some stimulating new ways of looking at persistent problems in our contemporary culture and hence opens up new ways of thinking and acting in the future." Seaton Baxter OBE, Professor in Ecological Design Thinking, Schumacher College, UK
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.
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.
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).
The seventh volume in the series "Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals" describes aspects of the often-complex relationship between humans and marine mammals. From a primeval condition of occasional predators, during the last century humans have become a major factor negatively affecting the status of most marine mammals through over-hunting, habitat encroachment and environmental degradation. This has led to the extirpation of many marine mammal populations and even to the extinction of species. However, in parallel to this destructive drive, since antiquity humanity has been influenced by a strong fascination for marine mammals, which contributes today to an increased human appreciation of the natural world admixed with widespread concern for its degrading condition. The special status occupied by marine mammals in human imagination and affection stands in stark contrast with the current predicament of many populations still threatened by the doings of Homo sapiens: a condition emblematic of the relationship of humanity with nature, and key to understanding where humanity is heading.
Many countries have areas with special natural qualities characterized by the harmonious interaction between resident populations and the land. This book sets out the varied approaches to establishing such areas as protected landscapes. It provides guidance on criteria for selection of a landscape, implementation, management and the legal measures involved if protection is to be achieved. The application of the concept of protected landscape is illustrated through 11 diverse case studies from around the world.
"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. |
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