From the #1 New York Times bestselling Alan Gratz comes this must-read middle grade novel tackling the urgent topic of climate change. Fire. Flood. Ice. Three natural disasters. Three kids who must fight to survive and change things for the better. In California, Akira Kristiansen is driving through the mountains with her mom when a wildfire sparks - and grows scarily fast. In just moments, Akira and her family have to evacuate... but which way is safe with fire all around them? In Churchill, Manitoba, Owen Mackenzie is running a tour for travellers who've come to see the polar bears. Lately the bears show up more and more as the ice thins. When Owen and his friend see a bear much too close for comfort, they end up in a fight for their lives. In Miami, a hurricane bears down on Natalie Torres. That's not so uncommon ... but everyone's saying this could be it. The Big One. Natalie and her mother don't have anywhere to run to, so they hunker down to ride out the storm. Akira, Owen, and Natalie are all swept up in the global effects of climate change, each struggling to survive. But the three kids are more deeply connected than they could ever imagine - in ways that will change them can change the world. From the bestselling author of Refugee, Allies and Ground Zero Sheds a light on the increasingly urgent threat of climate change in an engaging way Gratz writing is exciting and takes readers on a nonstop adventure

Since the first works introducing the aluminum intercalated clay family in the early 1970s, interest in the synthesis of pillared interlayered clays has increased tremendously, especially research into the properties and applications of new synthesis methods. The need for solids that could be used as cracking catalysts with larger pores than zeolitic materials has spurred the synthesis of new porous materials from clays. Pillared Clays and Related Catalysts reviews the properties and applications of pillared clays and other layered materials used as catalysts, focusing on: the acidity of pillared clays and the effect it has on catalytic performance the use of pillared clays as supports for catalytically active phases, and the use of the resulting solids in environmentally friendly reactions the applications of the selective reduction of NOx the comparison between the reactions of pillared clays and anionic clays.

This volume represents a contribution to the growing literature on international and comparative climate change policy. The product of a research project of the International Bar Association Section on Energy and Natural Resources Law (SERL), it brings together leading academic lawyers from around the world, who provide detailed perspectives on what individual countries are doing (or, in some cases, not doing) to address the climate change problem. The book illustrates the range of national actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including incentives for renewable energy sources, forestry activities, voluntary agreements with industry, and emissions trading schemes. By including experts from both industrialized and developing countries, it also highlights the very differing perspectives that must be addressed in any international climate change regime, whether under Kyoto or a successor. These detailed case studies provide a rich array of material, which should be of significant interest not only to academic and business lawyers, but also to economists and energy experts, government officials, and NGOs.

Britain's supremacy in the nineteenth century depended in large part on its vast deposits of coal. This coal not only powered steam engines in factories, ships, and railway locomotives but also warmed homes and cooked food. As coal consumption skyrocketed, the air in Britain's cities and towns became filled with ever-greater and denser clouds of smoke. In this far-reaching study, Peter Thorsheim explains that, for much of the nineteenth century, few people in Britain even considered coal smoke to be pollution. To them, pollution meant miasma: invisible gases generated by decomposing plant and animal matter. Far from viewing coal smoke as pollution, most people considered smoke to be a valuable disinfectant, for its carbon and sulfur were thought capable of rendering miasma harmless. Inventing Pollution examines the radically new understanding of pollution that emerged in the late nineteenth century, one that centered not on organic decay but on coal combustion. This change, as Peter Thorsheim argues, gave birth to the smoke-abatement movement and to new ways of thinking about the relationships among humanity, technology, and the environment.

This thesis investigates the combustion chemistry of cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, and ethylcyclohexane on the basis of state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation photoionization mass spectrometry experiments, quantum chemistry calculations, and extensive kinetic modeling. It explores the initial decomposition mechanism and distribution of the intermediates, proposes a novel formation mechanism of aromatics, and develops a detailed kinetic model to predict the three cycloalkanes' combustion properties under a wide range of conditions. Accordingly, the thesis provides an essential basis for studying much more complex cycloalkanes in transport fuels and has applications in engine and fuel design, as well as emission control.

This book aims to provide a comprehensive picture of UK and EC pollution regulation. Although written by a lawyer,it adopts an interdisciplinary approach to regulation, which seeks to move beyond the sociological and economic frameworks within which pollution regulation has typically been analysed in the UK. The UK and EC regulatory systems are examined within the context of 'regulatory federalism'. The aim of this is to explore how and why regulatory decisions concerning pollution are taken at different levels of a federal regulatory hierarchy. The book begins with a discussion of the essentials of pollution regulation, including traditional economic justifications for regulation and non-economic ones based on environmental ethics. It goes on to examine subsidiarity and the appropriate level for regulation - a particularly topical issue in the light of recent devolution within the UK. Models of regulatory decision-making are then addressed, comparing the rigours of 'ecologism' with the cost-benefit based alternative of 'economism' and the more participatory style of 'republicanism'. Other chapters include a comparison of the various regulatory techniques in terms of the values of accountability, equality, certainty, efficiency and effectiveness, and an examination of regulatory enforcement, covering issues such as accountability for enforcement decisions, corporate liability, strict liability and a critical analysis of the so-called 'co-operative' approach. CONTENTS 1 Regulatory Essentials 2 Privatisation, Liberalisation and Deregulation 3 Choosing the Level: Regulation and Federalism 4 The Institutional Legitimacy of Pollution Regulation 5 Deciding Regulatory Goals 6 Regulatory Techniques 7 Enforcement I: Enforcing National Command-and-control 8 Enforcement II: Enforcing EC Regulation, and Alternative Instruments 9 Pollution Regulation and Growth

A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing the world's largest and most populous continent-Asia. Asia tackles the tough issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies surrounding the environment of this vast landmass. This volume encompasses everything from economics, land use, energy and transportation, to air pollution, rivers and lakes, oceans, and species and habitat protection. In Malaysia, unchecked discharges of industrial waste and human sewage led the government to label 42 of its rivers officially "dead." According to some estimates, Southeast Asia alone accounts for more than half of the world's total transport of sediment to the oceans. In the Philippines, the Chico River dam project, which would have subjected 100,000 tribespeople to relocation, was canceled when the World Bank withdrew funding after fierce resistance from the indigenous people. This fascinating book offers a comprehensive look at how the most populated continent on earth contends with its complicated environment. Interesting sidebar articles, tables and figures, and photographs Overview maps of the continent and a listing of environment-related organizations on the Internet

This book brings out the innovations in textile wet or chemical processing to alleviate the environmental impacts arising from this sector. The major challenge in the textiles and fashion sector is that it requires a massive sustainable innovation to mitigate the huge environmental impacts arising from chemical or wet processing. This book also discusses innovations in eco-friendly methods for textile wet processes and applications of enzymes in textiles.

Chemistry is considered to be one of the prime causes of environmental pollution and degradation. The United Nations General Assembly also addressed the environmental challenges in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been adopted in 2015. A closer look shows that to meet these goals chemistry will play an important role. Green chemistry encompasses design and synthesis of environmentally benign chemical processes, green approaches to minimize and/or remediate environmental pollution, the development of biomaterials, biofuel, and bioenergy production, biocatalysis, and policies and ethics in green chemistry. When products in use today become waste, we need to treat that waste so that hazardous substances are not re-circulated into new products. In this context, circular economy is also an important point of discussion, which focuses on recycling, reuse and use of renewable sources. The theme of the International Conference on "Green Chemistry in Environmental Sustainability & Chemical Education (ICGC-2016) held in Delhi from 17-18 November 2016 was to discuss the emerging green trends in the direction of sustainability and environmental safety. ICGC-2016 consisted of keynote, plenary and invited lectures, panel discussion, contributed oral papers and poster presentations. The conference provided a platform for high school students, undergraduate and postgraduate students, teaching fraternity and young researchers to interact with eminent scientists and academicians from all over the world who shared their valuable views, experience and research on the harmonious methods in chemistry for a sustainable environment. This volume of proceedings from the conference provides an opportunity for readers to engage with a selection of refereed papers that were presented during the ICGC-2016 conference. The overarching goal of this book is to discuss most recent innovations and concerns in green chemistry as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted to remediate a scathed environment into a pristine one. It includes an extensive variety of contributions from participants of ICGC-2016 that demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to problem solving within green chemistry and environmental management. The proceedings is thus a green chemistry monograph resulting from the fruitful deliberations in the conference, which will deeply enhance awareness about our responsibility towards the environment.

This book provides a wide-range exploration on the ongoing research and developmental events in environmental nanotechnology. Emerging nanomaterials and its technology have been known to offer unique advantages and are continually showing promising potential attracting continuous global attention. This work thus discusses experimental studies of various nanomaterials along with their design and applications and with specific attention to chemical reactions and their challenges for catalytic systems. It will make a noteworthy appeal to scientists and researchers working in the field of nanotechnology for environmental sciences.

When it comes to the environment, Europe is a land of contrasts. The countries of the West have some of the most vigorous anti-pollution laws and some of the most energetic environmental parties in the world. The countries of the East, saddled with the legacy of a communist system that emphasized economic production over environmental protection, host some of the most ecologically devastated landscapes on the planet. What does the future hold for this ancient continent's environment? issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies surrounding the continent's checkered environmental past, complicated present and uncertain future. The book looks at the catastrophes - in January 2000, a massive spill of cyanide and heavy metals from a gold mining operation in Romania destroyed all biological life in the Tisza, Hungary's second biggest river. The poisons travelled 1000 kilometres through Hungary and Yugoslavia where they wreaked havoc on the Danube. It also examines the progress - European society has shown a greater interest in renewable energy technologies than most other industrialized regions in the last 30 years. Serving as a blueprint for the future, as well as a roadmap of the past, this work offers a look at Europe's ecological history.

Ein Blick auf die morphologischen, physikalischen und chemischen Eigenschaften von Aerosolen aus den unterschiedlichsten naturlichen und anthropogenen Quellen tragt zum besseren Verstandnis der Rolle bei, die Aerosolpartikel bei der Streuung und Absorption kurz- und langwelliger Strahlung spielen. Dieses Fachbuch bietet Informationen, die sonst schwer zu finden sind, und vermittelt ausfuhrlich die Kenntnisse, die erforderlich sind, um die mikrophysikalischen, chemischen und Strahlungsparameter zu charakterisieren, die bei der Wechselwirkung von Sonnen- und Erdstrahlen so uberaus wichtig sind. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf den indirekten Auswirkungen von Aerosolen auf das Klima im Rahmen des komplexen Systems aus Aerosolen, Wolken und der Atmosphare. Auch geht es vorrangig um die Wirkungen naturlicher und anthropogener Aerosole auf die Luftqualitat und die Umwelt, auf die menschliche Gesundheit und unser kulturelles Erbe. Mit einem durchgangig loesungsorientierten Ansatz werden nicht nur die Probleme und Gefahren dieser Aerosole behandelt, sondern auch praktikable Loesungswege aufgezeigt.

This unique volume offers an up-to-date overview of all the main aspects of groundwater in the Nile Delta and its fringes, as well as latest research findings. The themes covered include: * Nile Delta aquifer formation and its characteristics * The use of the groundwater in the Nile Delta and its implications * Sedimentology and hydrogeophysical characteristics * Groundwater investigations and aquifer characterization using current direct resistivity and induced polarization * Groundwater contamination and degradation * Saltwater intrusion and its control * Delineation of groundwater flow and seawater intrusion using various techniques, including one-dimensional subsurface temperature profiles, geoelectrical resistivity, and integrated subsurface thermal regime and hydrogeochemical data * Modeling of groundwater and of saltwater intrusion in the Nile Delta aquifer * Excessive pumping and groundwater quality assessment for irrigation and drinking purposes * Groundwater management for sustainability in the Nile Delta. The volume appeals to postgraduate students, researchers, scientists, professionals, decision makers and planners.

A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing the vast and diverse continent that is North America. In 1969, a drilling platform off Santa Barbara exploded, leading to one of the greatest oil spills in history. In 1970, the Cuyahoga, one of the world's most polluted rivers, actually caught fire. These environmental catastrophes and countless others, woke North Americans up to the problems of headless economic growth and a frontier attitude that said resources were boundless, and the landscape was a dump for civilization's refuse. North America, one of six titles in the World Environments series, tells the story of this environmental awakening and the continuing problems that the continent faces. It tackles the tough issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies of the North American environment. According to some estimates, one out of every nine barrels of oil used in the world every day is consumed by a North American motorist. Each year, 50 to 100 million tons of hazardous waste are generated in the watershed for the Great Lakes. The Mississippi River has now deposited so much excess nitrogen into the Gulf from agr

The Horn of Africa has suffered repeated disasters: wars, drought, famine, mass refugee movements and environmental decline. This book explains the historical and political background to these crises and outlines the prospects for development in the region. Experts on the Horn cover a broad range of topics, including ethnic conflict, gender and refugees, food security, the survival of pastoralism, the future of independent Eritrea, operations of intelligence agencies and the possibilities for regional co-operation.

In his Ark of the Broken Covenant, Kunich showed that Earth's species are concentrated in 25 zones of ecological significance known as biodiversity hotspots, and maintained that we'd go a long way toward saving many species from extinction if we'd focus our protective laws and regulations on these zones. In Killing Our Oceans he extends this analysis to the extraordinary pockets of life in the oceans that are similarly threatened. In his Ark of the Broken Covenant, Kunich showed that Earth's species are concentrated in 25 zones of ecological significance known as biodiversity hotspots, and that we'd go a long way toward saving many species from extinction if we'd focus our protective laws and regulations on these zones. In Killing Our Oceans he extends this analysis to the extraordinary pockets of life in the oceans that are similarly threatened. From coral reefs to recently discovered hydrothermal vents, the oceans contain vast numbers of endangered species. We are rapidly losing these unique, irreplaceable treasures, due in part to an appalling lack of efficacious safeguards. What's in it for us if we intervene to halt this mass extinction? Quite possibly the greatest medical, nutritional, and scientific breakthroughs in all of human history, just waiting to be discovered and harnessed-or forever lost along with the dying species that hold the keys to these secrets. Kunich examines in detail the applicable international laws as well as domestic laws of the nations with key marine resources, and demonstrates the abject failure of these measures to prevent or halt a mass extinction in our oceans. He concludes with a set of legal proposals that could start us down the road to preserving the marine hotspots and, with them, most of Earth's biodiversity. Legal solutions are not the only answer, but they are a beginning.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.

Environmental Issues Concerning Hydraulic Fracturing, Volume One captures the state-of-the-art research currently used to evaluate the potential impact of unconventional gas and oil gas extraction processes. Topics in this comprehensive guide on the topic include chapters on The Human Health Implications of Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, The use of Noble Gas Analysis and other Forensic Techniques in Characterizing Contamination Pathways Associated with Oil and Gas Development, Well Integrity, Contamination Mechanisms and Groundwater Impacts Associated with Unconventional Oil and Gas Development, and Advances in Fracturing and Well Construction: Improving Efficiency and Reducing Risks. This serial explores a wide breadth of emerging and state-of-the-art technologies used to study the potential environmental impact and various processes in the massive industrial process of shale exploration and resource extraction.

This book focuses on interdisciplinary issues of human health in the changing urban environments of India's largest megacities-Delhi and Mumbai. The authors explore human health concerns related to increased temperatures and air pollution in these cities in a study based on primary data collected through interviews, as well as secondary data on causes of mortality from 2001 to 2012. During this period, the surface temperatures for both megacities were mapped using Landsat Images. The rapidly increasing populations of cities and urban centers alter ecosystem services such as water, air and land cover, with disastrous impacts on health and wellbeing, particularly in megacities. In 2015, polluted air was estimated to have been responsible for 6.4 million deaths worldwide, and it is projected that it will cause between 6 and 9 million deaths per year by 2060. In 2017, outdoor air pollution resulted in 1.2 million deaths in India and brought about a 3% loss in GDP. The increase in population, vehicles, and industries has led to changes in land use and land cover and a rise in city temperatures and air pollution, creating urban heat islands (UHIs). Together, UHIs and air pollution have damaging impacts on human health that range from stress and headache to asthma, bronchitis, and chronic diseases, and even to death. Delhi has been experiencing emergency conditions in terms of environmental health over the past two years. At the same time, both the Delhi and Mumbai urban agglomerations are growing at a rapid pace, and the United Nations has projected that they will be the second and third most populous cities in the world by 2025. In this context, the book offers significant insights into the past patterns and responses to the present global urban health emergencies, and explores sustainable means of combating the problem to enable college and university researchers to develop innovative solutions. Further. It presents trans-disciplinary research that cuts across the WHO Action Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and Habitat III to help policymakers gain a better understanding of the global challenges of urban health and wellbeing. The book is especially useful for students and researchers in geography, urban demography, urban studies, environmental studies, health sciences, and policy studies.

Bioremediation is the use of microorganisms' metabolism to degrade waste contaminants (sewage, domestic, and industrial effluents) into non-toxic or less toxic materials by natural biological processes. Volume 2 offers new discussion of remediation through fungi-or mycoremediation-and its multifarious possibilities in applied remediation engineering and the future of environmental sustainability. Fungi have the biochemical and ecological capability to degrade environmental organic chemicals and to decrease the risk associated with metals, semi-metals, noble metals, and radionuclides, either by chemical modification or by manipulating chemical bioavailability. Additional expanded texts shows the capability of these fungi to form extended mycelia networks, the low specificity of their catabolic enzymes, and their use against pollutants as a growth substrate, making these fungi well suited for bioremediation processes. Their mycelia exhibit the robustness of adapting to highly limiting environmental conditions often experienced in the presence of persistent pollutants, which makes them more useful compared to other microbes. Despite dominating the living biomass in soil and being abundant in aquatic ecosystems, however, fungi have not been exploited for the bioremediation of such environments until this added Volume 2. This book covers the various types of fungi and associated fungal processes used to clean up waste and wastewaters in contaminated environments and discusses future potential applications.

This book focuses on various aspects related to air pollution, including major sources of air pollution, measurement techniques, modeling studies and solution approaches to control. The book also presents case studies on measuring air pollution in major urban areas, such as Delhi, India. The book examines vehicles as a source of air pollution and addresses the quantitative analysis of engine exhaust emissions. Subsequent chapters discuss particulate matter from engines and coal-fired power plants as a major pollutant, as well as emission control techniques using various after treatment systems. The book's final chapter considers future perspectives and a way forward for sustainable development. It also discusses several emission control techniques that will gain relevance in the future, when stricter emission norms will be enforced for international combustion (IC) engines as well as power plants. Given its breadth of coverage, the book will benefit a wide variety of readers, including researchers, professionals, and policymakers.

This comprehensive analysis of garbage trafficking, wildlife trafficking, illegal fishing, and illegal logging highlights the difficulty in balancing human interests and environmental responsibility. The alarming consequences of eco-crime go far beyond the widespread degradation of the natural world; important societal institutions are undermined and negative social and economic impacts also result from garbage trafficking, wildlife trafficking, illegal fishing, and illegal logging. In order to successfully combat these problems, a consistent, international response will be necessary. Crimes Against Nature: Illegal Industries and the Global Environment addresses an important topic that is largely unknown and rarely documented other than in reports published by environmental NGOs and a limited number of academic articles and journalistic accounts. A comprehensive and up-to-date description of each illicit industry is provided, emphasizing the damages caused, the transnational nature of these activities, the roles played by organized crime and public and private elites, and the range of possible solutions. The author addresses the complexity of balancing human concerns with environmental interests and concludes with information regarding promising recent developments. Provides a comprehensive overview of environmental damage worldwide from illicit industries Includes coverage of key environmental regulations, including the Basel Convention, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and the Lacey Act Presents a chronology of the development of illegal industries and the advent of legislation intended to fight these exploitative businesses Includes seven tables relevant to garbage trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and illegal fishing A bibliography and endnotes with each chapter document the sources used

Understanding and protecting our environment is a key component of environmental development, yet access to a wide range of high-quality information is currently based on very limited data due to lack of the exchange of data between source and recipient.
This three part book that first discusses the importance of data exchange and describes why it is essential for gathering data in the environmental sciences. Part Two takes the results of the Environmental Data Exchange Network for Inland Water project (EDEN-IW), and addresses its objectives for ensuring that the needs of citizens and enterprises of the environmental sciences community are met. Finally, Part Three takes a look at the wide variety of data policies and addresses how environment administrators in Europe can enhance their efficiency, openness and accountability.
* Discusses the importance of data exchange, as well as database integration and distribution of data with software agents
* Provides the results, objectives, and focus of the EDEN-IW project for sharing knowledge
* Addresses current data exchange policies and its future impact within the environmental fields