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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Pollution & threats to the environment > General
Controlling the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOC) became a very prominent environmental issue with the passage of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, and will continue to be an environmental priority through the next decade. No single technology has played as important a role in the control of VOC emissions as thermal oxidation. It has the ability to destroy VOCs in a one-step process that produces innocuous by-products.
As global capitalism expands and reaches ever-further corners of the world, practical problems continue to escalate and repercussions become increasingly serious and irreversible. These practical problems carry with them equally important and ethical issues. This text explores these ethical issues from a range of perspectives and using a wide range of case studies. Chapters focus on: the impact of development in new industrial regions; the ethical relationship between human and non-human nature; the application of ethics in different cultural and institutional contexts; environmental injustice in the location of hazardous materials and processes; the ethics of the impact of a single event (Chernobyl) on the global community; and the ethics of transitional institutions. This collection aims to both stimulate debate and provide a resource for wide-ranging case study material and solid academic context.
It is becoming increasingly important to understand how and why
semivolatile atmospheric pollutants partition between gas phase and
particulate matter in the atmosphere. In this text the world's
leading researchers in the field explain the significance of
gas/particle ratios; physical and chemical parameters determining
how semivolatiles partition in the atmosphere; how gas/particle
ratio measurements are made; what artefacts occur during sampling;
and novel new techniques and instruments for obtaining
artefact-free results.
Phytoremediation is an exciting, new technology that utilizes metal-accumulating plants to rid soil of heavy metal and radionuclides. Hyperaccumulation plants are an appealing and economical alternative to current methods of soil recovery. Phytoremediation of Contaminated Soil and Water is the most thorough literary examination of the subject available today.
The increasing population densities of Asia, Africa and Oceania are in conflict with the ecosystem. A growing demand for food and fiber causes agriculture to rely heavily upon chemical fertilization, herbicides and pesticides. Rising industrial output creates higher contamination from cadmium, lead, selenium, and other metals. Soils and Groundwater Remediation explores the toxic levels of metals, radionuclides, inorganics, and anthropogenic organic compounds found in the soils and groundwater of Asia, Africa and Oceania. This 14 chapter book reviews the distribution, transformation, and dynamics of the pollutants. The authors also reflect on the impact of Acid-rain. The contributors to this book are well-known scientists from Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Australia, and Kenya. The authors address their findings to researchers, educators, government regulators, and students. As the title suggests, the book is ultimately concerned with remediation. Huang and Iskandar feel "the potential for restoring ecosystem health ... in these areas is enormous." The contributions of Soils and Groundwater Remediation will bring science closer to achieving that possibility.
'Cool Companies' turns on its head the idea that measures to avert global warming and climate change will pile massive costs on to the industrial sector. It shows how the smartest companies have been able to make money through the improvements that reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. Industry is going to have to adjust to the new tax and regulatory regimes being introduced around the world, aimed at reducing emissions and meeting internationally agreed targets. The more far-sighted companies have recognised the opportunities this offers. Joseph Romm shows how successful they have been in taking them. Romm profiles more than 50 companies, and describes their experiences in the context of their corporate strategies. All are leaders in their sectors and many are household names such as Xerox, Toyota, BP (now BP Amoco), DuPont, Compaq and 3M. They grasped early on the strategic importance of cutting emissions. By working to do so, through increased efficiency, new technologies and improved processes, they have cut their energy costs and boosted their productivity, often dramatically - improvements which translate straight down to the bottom line. The message is clear. Cool Companies - those prepared to overhaul their policies and innovate - are much more likely to thrive in the new climate for business, while those which have to be dragged backwards into the future will face higher costs and tougher competition.
This text looks at the physical and chemical properties of particulate matter, including the use of various microscopic techniques. It then describes the effects that these particles have on the biology and health of humans, particularly on the effects studied in the lungs. The book describes how particulate matter is monitored, looks at the ways to decrease particles in the air, and includes discussions of government policy and legislation. Particle toxicology studies have undergone significant changes since 1995, and this book captures the current picture.
Water is the most basic need of mankind. Drinking water is considered the most essential use of water in life. Therefore it must be free of pathogens, toxins and carcinogens.
Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands presents the program of the first International Conference on the Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands. This collection reviews the extent of resource debasement and offers solutions for their restoration. The 14-part first section deals with mine management and rehabilitation. Topics include the devastating results of open-cut mining, open-pit mining, lignite surface mining and acid mining. Despite such ruin, the articles reveal the possibilities for reclamation. Part two devotes nine chapters to the management of derelict lands. Reforestation, soil fertility prognosis, and the uses of nitrogen are just a few of the covered subjects. This portion of the book pays special attention to the successful results of remediation in China and Hong Kong. The final division addresses soil contamination and reclamation. There are eleven chapters on subjects that include the single and interactive effects of aluminum, the effectiveness of EDTA/HCI and the value of pig-on-litter compost as a tool for edible crop growth. These and other innovative techniques make Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands a valuable addition to any environmental library.
Microbiological tests have proven to be an indispensable part of environmental contaminant detection. It has also been tremendously difficult to find a comprehensive training manual and laboratory manual for those procedures.
A comprehensive, thoroughly modern approach to environmental quality assessment The only textbook to combine engineering transport fundamentals and equilibrium aquatic chemistry, Environmental Modeling brings a uniquely contemporary perspective to the assessment of environmental quality. Addressing key questions about fate, transport, and long-term effects of chemical pollutants in the environment, this inherently practical text gives readers the important tools they need to develop and solve their own mathematical models. Contains detailed examples from a wide range of crucial water quality areas—conventional pollutants in rivers, eutrophication of lakes, and toxic organic chemicals and heavy metals in both surface and groundwaters Examines current global issues, including atmospheric deposition, hazardous wastes, soil pollution, global change, and more Features over 200 high-quality illustrations, plus skill-building problems in every chapter Fresh in approach and broad in scope, Environmental Modeling is must reading for today's graduate and advanced undergraduate students in environmental sciences and engineering—a rich, invaluable, and superlative new resource.
This book describes a methodology for imputing a monetary value to the loss in beach recreational services that would result from a hypothetical oil spill in the Georges Bank area off Massachusetts. It is a valuable resource for students interested in environmental studies.
In the wake of the Clean Air Amendments of 1970 in the United States, sources of emissions could be held accountable for the degradation of air quality in the local environment. This case study of air quality management in New Mexico was produced to shed some light on the procedures and activities used by agencies in order to control air quality. Originally published in 1981, Winston Harrington uses New Mexico as a case study for its largely centralised control system in Santa Fe to explore the behaviour of air quality agencies and pollution sources and comments on policy implications from this study's conclusions. This title will be of interest to students of environmental studies and policy makers.
This is a translation of "Les sites pollues: traitement des sols et des eaux souterraines," second edition. It covers: contaminated sites; environmental diagnosis; assessment of hazard; remediaiton; costs; new legal requirements; and investments and role of insurance.
Local environments are becoming increasingly unsustainable - environmentally, socially and economically. Increasing wealth in the West creates more pollution, congestion and degradation of species and their habits, often at the environmental and social expense of the South. The local element of Agenda 21, agreed by the nation states present at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, is the most ambitious international attempt to both address environmental problems at the local level and encourage full local democratic participation in local policy making. This text draws on contributions from the UK, Europe, Australia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, to argue that there is scope for local areas to improve their environments, provided local people are involved. International case studies throughout the book demonstrate the importance of respect for indigenous knowledge, the need for all groups - especially those usually excluded through disadvantage - to be involved in the decision-making process, and the need to remove layers of bureaucracy from policy making. This text provides an insight into the experiences of the parallel projects across the world, particularly in the UK and rest of Europe, Aust
Any mention of the "greenhouse effect" tends to ignite controversy. While the rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases-especially carbon dioxide- are certainly among the most pressing issues today, theoretical and perceived consequences have been subject to conjecture and misinformation.
Exposure to Contaminants in Drinking Water: Estimating Uptake through the Skin and by Inhalation examines the current state of science in this field by identifying and reviewing the available information resources; evaluating various models and approaches; and demonstrating the feasibility of developing estimates of the distribution of absorbed doses of contaminants in drinking water through contact with the skin and by inhalation. This book, the product of a fifteen-member expert working group convened by the Risk Science Institute of the International Life Sciences Institute under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water, includes contributions from experts in exposure modeling and measurement; water chemistry; time-activity patterns; dermal and respiratory uptake; and the use of probability distributions in characterizing exposures.
"Zero Emissions" has become a definitive term in the debate on sustainable development. While considered a utopian target by some, the concept describes what business and industry of the future must aim to achieve: no pollution and no waste. This volume presents findings from the research work of over 2000 scientists undertaken under the banner of ZERI (Zero Emissions Research Initiative), a business foundation working jointly with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in a number of developing countries. Gunter Pauli feels that if we are serious about creating jobs, generating more income and eliminating pollution, we have to build on the assets we have instead of continuing to analyze the problems we face. The volume examines how the adoption of Zero Emissions concepts not only reduces pollution and waste but can contribute significantly to the generation of income and jobs - specifically for those who need them most - the rural poor in less developed countries.
This book assesses the causes and consequences of environmental change in East Africa, asking whether local African communities are sufficiently resilient to cope with the ecological and social challenges that confront them. It focuses on the savannahs of the Baringo-Bogoria basin, and the surrounding highlands of Kenya's northern Rift Valley that form the social-ecological system of the specialised cattle pastoralists and niche agricultural farmers who occupy these semi-arid lands. Historical studies of resilience spanning the past two centuries are linked with analysis of current environmental challenges, and the ecological, social, economic and political responses mounted by local communities. The authors question whether the most recent challenges confronting the peoples of eastern Africa's savannahs - intensified conflicts, mounting poverty driven by demographic pressures, and dramatic ecological changes brought by invasive species - might soon led to a collapse in essential elements of the specialised cattle pastoralism that dominates the region, requiring a re-orientation of the social-ecological system. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Eastern African Studies.
This volume deals with water quality issues drawing on examples from around the former Soviet Union. It commences by providing the background to the natural water resources and composition of surface and ground waters of the former Soviet Union and then proceeds to examine the influence of human activity on those resources and water quality systems. With unique material not previously available in English, the text presents detailed analyses of generic problems and possible solutions applicable beyond the former Soviet Union. It covers: salinization, eutrophication and acidification; heavy metal, organic and microbial pollution; ecological state of water bodies; water quality monitoring systems in the former USSR; and impact of pollution on fisheries. With more than 200 line illustrations and tables, the long term detailed case studies of the Lower Don Basin, the Amy Darya river, the Rybinsk reservoir, the Dnieper river, Lakes Baikal and Ladoga, and water resources in Moscow and the Moscow region, should enable valuable lessons in environmental management to be learnt. The text should be a valuable source of information and case studies for professionals in government, national and
The number-one environmental threat to public health, air pollution remains a pressing problem-made even more complicated by the massive quantity and diversity of air pollution sources.
In the ongoing courageous struggle of a relatively small group of Chinese to prevent the completion of the Three Gorges Dam in China, Dai Qing is the outspoken leader whose eloquent voice is always heard despite threats and intimidation by the Chinese authorities to silence it. Dai Qing, an investigative journalist and author with a wide audience in China and abroad, compiled this book of essays and field reports assessing the impact of the Three Gorges megadam now under construction at Sandouping in China's Hubei province at great risk to her own freedom. This book is an effort to prevent history from repeating itself ten-fold (a reference to the great floods in 1975 during which over 60 dams collapsed and at least 100,000 people lost their lives) if the 39 billion cubic metres of water in the Three Gorges reservoir ever escapes by natural or man-made catastrophes. These comprehensive essays reveal the deep rooted problems presented by the Three Gorges project that the government is attempting to disguise or suppress. The main concerns are population resettlement and human rights, the irreversible environmental and economic impact, the loss of cultural antiquities and historical sites, military considerations, and hidden dam disasters from the past. Opponents of the dam are attempting to kill the project or at least reduce the size of the megadam now planned to be the biggest, most expensive and, incidentally, the most hazardous of all hydro-electric projects on this planet.
In the ongoing courageous struggle of a relatively small group of Chinese to prevent the completion of the Three Gorges Dam in China, Dai Qing is the outspoken leader whose eloquent voice is always heard despite threats and intimidation by the Chinese authorities to silence it. Dai Qing, an investigative journalist and author with a wide audience in China and abroad, compiled this book of essays and field reports assessing the impact of the Three Gorges megadam now under construction at Sandouping in China's Hubei province at great risk to her own freedom. This book is an effort to prevent history from repeating itself ten-fold (a reference to the great floods in 1975 during which over 60 dams collapsed and at least 100,000 people lost their lives) if the 39 billion cubic metres of water in the Three Gorges reservoir ever escapes by natural or man-made catastrophes. These comprehensive essays reveal the deep rooted problems presented by the Three Gorges project that the government is attempting to disguise or suppress. The main concerns are population resettlement and human rights, the irreversible environmental and economic impact, the loss of cultural antiquities and historical sites, military considerations, and hidden dam disasters from the past. Opponents of the dam are attempting to kill the project or at least reduce the size of the megadam now planned to be the biggest, most expensive and, incidentally, the most hazardous of all hydro-electric projects on this planet. |
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