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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Pollution & threats to the environment > General
We are destroying our natural environment at a constantly increasing pace, and in so doing undermining the preconditions of our own existence. Why is this so? This book reveals that our ecologically disruptive behavior is in fact rooted in our very nature as a species. Drawing on evolution theory, biology, anthropology, archaeology, economics, environmental science and history, this book explains the ecological predicament of humankind by placing it in the context of the first scientific theory of our species development, taking over where Darwin left off. The theory presented is applied in detail to the whole of our seven-million-year history. Due to its comprehensiveness, and in part thanks to its extensive glossary and index, this book can function as a compact encyclopedia covering the whole development of Homo sapiens. It would also suit a variety of courses in the life and social sciences. Most importantly, Too Smart makes evident the very core of the paradigm to which our species must shift if it is to survive. Anyone concerned about the future of humankind should read this ground-breaking work. This book: Provides the first and only theory of humankind s development Explains that economic and political (military) power have their respective biological bases in individual vs. group territoriality Provides the first classification of human instincts: into the survival, sexual and social instincts Provides the most inclusive characterization of different kinds of population check yet presented Explains the importance of the anthropological, archaeological and economic findings of the past 50 years to understanding humankind s development Clarifies the preconditions for human life on earth Predicts what will happen to us in the near future
The potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and global climate change is one factor driving agricultural policy development of programs that might pay farmers for practices with a high potential to sequester carbon. With chapters by economists, policy makers, farmers, land managers, energy company representatives, and soil scientists, Agricultural Practices and Policies for Carbon Sequestration in Soil explores a broad range of topics. It examines topics such as the effects of soil tillage and mulch rate, soil monitoring and assessment, soil fertility management, policy options, and the economic issues associated with carbon sequestration.
How can environmental regulators use information on 48-hour toxicity tests to predict the effects of a few minutes of pollution? Or, at the other extreme, what is the relevance of 96-hour toxicity data for organisms that may have been exposed to a pollutant for six months or more? Time to event methods are the key to answering these types of questions.
Assessing the full scale of environmental impacts is essential for effective planning of transport and land use. This is an analysis of transport and land-use planning using strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It establishes the effectiveness of SEA through comparative studies of practice in three countries: Britain, the Netherlands and Germany. The author shows that use of SEA is widespread but far from systematic. He demonstrates the advantages of adopting a systematic application of a comprehensive form of SEA derived from all the major current approaches. Only once this approach is fully understood and systematically applied will all the full benefits be achieved and environmental impacts be minimalized.
This work reflects preoccupations with the threats posed to our environment due to climatic factors, major and natural hazards of all kinds and demographic influences. Topics covered include land surface processes, coastal zones and atmospheric risks.
This timely work examines one core corporate function that has a profound and direct impact on corporate environmental performance manufacturing and operations. This area has been of concern in recent years to researchers and practitioners in fields ranging from the social and natural sciences to management and technical engineering. The book reflects this diversity with global contributions on topics such as design for the environment, total quality environmental management, green supply chains, reverse logistics, environmental management systems and standards, industrial ecology, closed-loop manufacturing, life-cycle management, pollution prevention (P2), environmental technologies and energy efficiency."
The leading professional guide to RF and microwave safety issues
The second edition takes into account a wide range of technical
and legislative changes, and has been revised in line with the
latest EU and international standards. Issues raised by increasing
levels of microwave pollution from mobile phones and other sources
are also confronted.
Understanding the mechanisms associated with metal complexes and the sequestering metal contaminants in the environment is essential for effective remediation. Heavy Metal Release in Soils describes and quantifies desorption/release kinetics and dissolution reactions in the release of heavy metals from soil.
Shattered Consensus: The True State of Global Warming should be required reading for any serious student of the issue of climate change. Edited and introduced by iconoclastic climatologist Patrick J. Michaels, Shattered Consensus demonstrates the remarkable disparities between so-called consensus documents on global warming, such as the reports of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and climate reality. Shattered Consensus consists of nine expert essays on global warming, covering the earth's temperature history and disparities between what has been predicted about climate change and what has actually been observed. The reader will discover substantial disconnections and new information not generally discussed in mainstream reports about climate science. For example, the oft-quoted statement that recent years are the warmest of the last millennium is now in serious doubt. Temperature changes observed through the atmosphere (not just at the surface) are clearly different than what has been projected to occur. Disparities between observed precipitation and the simulations of computer models can be several hundred percent. Shattered Consensus will surely shatter commonly-held opinions about global warming and leave the reader with serious questions about whether or not policies to "fight" climate change are warranted at all.
This handbook is a practical guide for the methods and procedures required in assessing the nature, degree and related risk of hydrocarbon pollution in contaminated sites. As such, it is the first of its kind which focuses on the techniques for investigating and remediating oil-contaminated sites within a specifically European context. It is the result of a four-year research and development programme initiated by the European Union, named RESCOPP (The REmediation of Soils COntaminated by Petrochemical Products). The approach is to combine a review of current state-of-the-art diagnostic procedures for petroleum-contaminated sites with the experiences of such activities by several companies directly involved in this field. The contents include an introduction to the types of product involved, preliminary studies required in assessing a contaminated site and field survey activities, results analysis, and survey costs involved. The main text is supported by appendices providing a summary of legislation, identification of the different petrochemical pollutants, and different remediation systems. The contributors to this handbook are all experts within the industry. This book will provide an excellent review and problem-solving reference for hydrocarbon manufacturers, distributors and engineers, as well as operating managers and site investigation contractors and consultants.
What are the potential adverse impacts of climate change? How can society determine the amount of protection against climate change that is warranted, given the benefits and costs of various policies? In concise, informative chapters, Climate Economics and Policy considers the key issues involved in one of the most important policy debates of our time. Beginning with an overview and policy history, it explores the potential impact of climate change on a variety of domains, including water resources, agriculture, and forests. The contributors then provide assessments of policies that will affect greenhouse gas emissions, including electricity restructuring, carbon sequestration in forests, and early reduction programs. In considering both domestic and international policy options, the authors examine command and control strategies, energy efficiency opportunities, taxes, emissions trading, subsidy reform, and inducements for technological progress. Both policymakers and the general public will find this volume to be a convenient and authoritative guide to climate change risk and policy. It is a useful resource for professional education programs, and an important addition for college courses in environmental economics and environmental studies. Climate Economics and Policy is a collection of Issue Briefs, prepared by the staff of Resources for the Future (RFF) and outside experts. Many are adapted from pieces originally disseminated on Weathervane, RFF s acclaimed web site on global climate change.
Provides approaches and methodologies for implementing pollution preve This book focuses on reducing manufacturing and environmental complian Streamlines environmental management and pollution control practices a Containing helpful tables and matrixes that furnish suggestions, ideas, and proven technologies to control pollution and minimize waste Base d on the authorFs first-hand experience as an international consultant, the Handbook of Pollution Prevention Practices is a blue-ribbon refe rence for chemical, civil, environmental, pollution control, pharmaceu tical, metallurgical, and occupational health and safety engineers; au tomotive parts manufacturers; health and safety officers in government and industry; industrial hygienists and toxicologists; environmental regulators; and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in the se disciplines.
These results from the National Research Programme on Climate Change of the Netherlands offer a synthesis of present knowledge in the fields of: source and sinks of greenhouse gases and aerosols; land-atmosphere interactions; the global energy balance; and radiative forcing and climate variability.
Completely revised and updated, the second edition of the bestselling In Situ Treatment Technology adds three new chapters to provide the reader with an even more comprehensive reference source on remediation.
A core textbook series that aims to provide students with accessible, up-to-date accounts of Ecogeography - the marriage of ecology with geography - in the primary terrestrial and marine environments. This is the first book in the series on Mediterranean Ecogeography. Biological diversity in the Mediterranean Basin is amongst the highest of any region on earth, both in terms of total species numbers and endemism. The flora is estimated at about 25,000 species of flowering plants and ferns, compared with about 6000 species in non-Mediterranean Europe. About 50% of these are endemic. Diversity amongst vertebrate animals is also high, though endemism rates are lower than for plants. The high levels of diversity contribute to, and are a reflection of, the considerable variability of landscape. This results from a combination of factors including geological and tectonic history, relief and physiography, climate, geomorphological processes, hydrology, soils, the incidence of fires and impact of human activities. The landscapes of the Mediterranean Basin are thus varied and fragmented; a mosaic of ecosystems and communities. Mediterranean Ecogeography aims to examine and explain this heterogeneity, and the approach is focused on the ecogeography of the region. Analysing the factors which account for the present distributions of plants and animals, and the functioning of ecosystems within the Mediterranean Basin can help in the understanding of the relationship between people and natural ecosystems. A key to the conservation of these ecosystems is the wise use of resources, biological and physical. In addition, it is vital to assess how the natural environments of the region will respond to further change. In the last twenty years, understanding of the functioning of mediterranean-type ecosystems has advanced through several international projects. This book draws upon the findings of these, and other research in the Mediterranean Basin, to present a comprehensive text on a key region of the world, and the problems and prospects of its environmental exploitation.
For the anthropologists, people-wildlife conflicts readily invite symbolic analysis. This volume examines people-wildlife conflicts in Europe, Africa and Asia from an anthropological perspective. It contributes to a discussion which with growing human populations, expanding developmental activity, and progressive loss of wildlife habitat, is likely to intensify in the 21st century.
Estuaries is a comprehensive introductory text emphasizing the physical processes involved in the mixing of sea and river water and the transport of fine sediments within the complex estuarine topographic context. The theoretical and mathematical formulation of these processes are treated at a fairly elementary level, and are used to develop a foundation for more extensive study. The second edition retains the classical approaches to the tidally averaged circulation and mixing conditions but broadens them to consider recent advances in the understanding of processes occurring within the tide. The scope has also been widened to include more detail on the morphology of estuaries and their development, the fluxes of suspended fine sediments, and the generation and maintenance of turbidity maximum. The book provides an excellent introduction for research students in oceanography, environmental science, geography, geology, and water and coastal engineering. It will also be useful as a reference book for those working in water quality, morphological modelling and estuarine environmental management.
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