Hydraulic Fracturing in the Karoo: Critical Legal and Environmental Perspectives explores a broad-ranging set of questions related to proposed hydraulic fracturing or `fracking' in the Karoo. The book is multidisciplinary, with contributors including natural scientists, social scientists, and academics from the humanities, all concerned with the ways in which scientific facts and debates about fracking have been framed and given meaning. The work comprises four parts: Part 1 provides an international, legal, energy, economic, and revenue overview of the topic. Part 2 has a physio-geographic theme, with chapters on the inter-related aspects of water, geology, geo-hydrology, seismicity and biodiversity, as well as archaeological and palaeontological considerations. Part 3 focuses on public health, and sociological and humanities-related aspects, and Part 4 addresses the relevant laws, emphasising their implementation and the role of governance. The underlying theme of Hydraulic Fracturing in the Karoo: Critical Legal and Environmental Perspectives is one of caution. The book emphasises the need for collaboration between the natural and social sciences and the responsibilities of those charged with the implementation and governance of the fracking enterprise if South Africa hopes to effectively manage fracking at all.

The Economics of Globally Shared and Public Goods responds to an urgent need to consolidate and refine the economic theories and explanations pertinent to globally shared resources. Making a clear distinction between theories and empirical models, it elucidates the problem of global public goods while incorporating insights from behavioral economics. Its comprehensive and technical review of existing theoretical models and their empirical results illuminate those models in practical applications. Relevant for economists and others working on challenges of globally shared goods such as climate change and global catastrophes, The Economics of Globally Shared and Public Goods provides a path toward greater co-operation and shared successes.

Buying and Selling the Environment: How to Design and Implement a PES Scheme provides a guide to the design and implementation of PES schemes that 'mimic' market processes, including three key elements: the estimation of the demand for environmental services, an understanding of the costs of supply, and how to predict the productivity of actions taken. This book will act as an instructional manual for practitioners, policymakers and their advisors in government and non-government organizations. Users will find a step-by-step demonstration based on firsthand experiences gained through a PES application at two case study sites. Finally, the book presents research in applied economics and bio-physical modeling.

This book studies smart green innovation through the prism of social entrepreneurship as a driver for sustainable development and the development of an environmental economy. It systematizes and analyzes the modern challenges of the environmental economy: climate change and environmental pollution. The tendencies and scenarios for the environmental economy are considered in the context of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Globalization and international trade are also considered factors in the sustainable development of the environmental economy.The book hones in on the international experience of ecological responsibility and fighting climate change through social entrepreneurship. The contribution of corporate responsibility in the fight against climate change is determined, and state regulation of corporate responsibility in the resource-based economies of developing countries is considered. The market mechanisms for stimulating the fight against climate change through social entrepreneurship in countries with developed environmental economies are also considered. The advantages of digitalization for fighting climate change through social entrepreneurship are offered.The book also reflects on the possibilities for the sustainable development of the environmental economy based on climate-smart innovation in social entrepreneurship. It presents a model of climate-smart enterprise and substantiates its advantages for corporate responsibility and sustainable development. The key climate-smart innovations in social entrepreneurship for sustainable development of the environmental economy—robots big data, AI, blockchain, and green finance—are determined. The book also develops policy recommendations to support climate-smart innovation in social entrepreneurship.

Public understanding of, and outcry over, the dire state of the climate and environment is greater than ever before. Parties across the political spectrum claim to be climate leaders, and overt denial is on the way out. Yet when it comes to slowing the course of the climate and nature crises, despite a growing number of pledges, policies and summits, little ever seems to change. Nature is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. We remain on course for a catastrophic 3 DegreesC of warming. What's holding us back? In this searing and insightful critique, Adrienne Buller examines the fatal biases that have shaped the response of our governing institutions to climate and environmental breakdown, and asks: are the 'solutions' being proposed really solutions? Tracing the intricate connections between financial power, economic injustice and ecological crisis, she exposes the myopic economism and market-centric thinking presently undermining a future where all life can flourish. The book examines what is wrong with mainstream climate and environmental governance, from carbon pricing and offset markets to 'green growth', the commodification of nature and the growing influence of the finance industry on environmental policy. In doing so, it exposes the self-defeating logic of a response to these challenges based on creating new opportunities for profit, and a refusal to grapple with the inequalities and injustices that have created them. Both honest and optimistic, The Value of a Whale asks us - in the face of crisis - what we really value. This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communities -- .

Industrial Applications of Renewable Plastics: Environmental, Technological, and Economic Advances provides practical information to help engineers and materials scientists deploy renewable plastics in the plastics market. It explores the uses, possibilities, and problems of renewable plastics and composites to assist in material selection and rejection. The designer's main problems are examined, along with basic reminders that deal with structures and processing methods that can help those who are generally familiar with metals understand the unique properties of plastic materials. The book offers a candid overview of main issues, including conservation of fossil resources, geopolitical considerations, greenhouse effects, competition with food crops, deforestation, pollution, and disposal of renewable plastics. In addition, an overview of some tools related to sustainability (Life cycle assessments, CO2 emissions, carbon footprint, and more) is provided. The book is an essential resource for engineers and materials scientists involved in material selection, design, manufacturing, molding, fabrication, and other links in the supply chain of plastics. The material contained is of great relevance to many major industries, including automotive and transport, packaging, aeronautics, shipbuilding, industrial and military equipment, electrical and electronics, energy, and more.

In recent decades, the industrial revolution has increased economic growth despite its immersion in global environmental issues such as climate change. Researchers emphasize the adoption of circular economy practices in global supply chains and businesses for better socio-environmental sustainability without compromising economic growth. Integrating blockchain technology into business practices could promote the circular economy as well as global environmental sustainability. Integrating Blockchain Technology Into the Circular Economy discusses the technological advancements in circular economy practices, which provide better results for both economic growth and environmental sustainability. It provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in the applications of blockchain technology. Covering topics such as big data analytics, financial market infrastructure, and sustainable performance, this book is an essential resource for managers, operations managers, executives, manufacturers, environmentalists, researchers, industry practitioners, students and educators of higher education, and academicians.

The convertors would spew it out,"" employee Arturo Hernandez recalled, referring to molten metal. ""You'd see the ground, the dirt, catch on fire. . . . If you slip, you'd be like a little pat of butter, melting away."" Hernandez was describing work at ASARCO El Paso, a smelter and onetime economic powerhouse situated in the city's heart just a few yards north of the Mexican border. For more than a century the smelter produced vast quantities of copper - along with millions of tons of toxins. During six of those years, the smelter also burned highly toxic industrial waste under the guise of processing copper, with dire consequences for worker and community health. Copper Stain is a history of environmental injustice, corporate malfeasance, political treachery, and a community fighting for its life. The book gives voice to nearly one hundred Mexican Americans directly affected by these events. Their frank and often heartrending stories, published here for the first time, evoke the grim reality of laboring under giant machines and lava-spewing furnaces while turning mountains of rock into copper ingots, all in service to an employer largely indifferent to workers' welfare. With horror and humor, anger, courage, and sorrow, the authors and their interviewees reveal how ASARCO subjected its employees and an unsuspecting public to pollution, diseases, and early death - with little in the way of compensation. Elaine Hampton and Cynthia C. Ontiveros weave this eloquent testimony into a cautionary tale of toxic exposure, community activism, and a corporate employer's dubious relationship with ethics - set against the political tug-of-war between industry's demands and government's obligation to protect the health of its people and the environment.

A major theme of this book is that, contrary to what many experts believe, being endowed with a plenitude of natural resources is not a curse: rather it provides a potential advantage, if capitalized by the well-endowed economy. Much depends on the institutions that help frame the decision-making process that affects the process of growth and development. Canada is an example of a successful export-oriented economy. And, its export-orientation has been a focal point of discussion and debate, going way back to discussions of the early fur trade, the fishing industry, wheat farming, and mining and oil and gas exploration. Unlike other economies well-endowed with natural resources, Canada does not appear to be at all cursed, but rather blessed with natural resource abundance. This book, which ranges from the late seventeenth to the early twentieth century, provides insights from Canadian economic history on how such abundance can be a handmaiden of successful growth and development. From this perspective, the natural resource curse appears to be more of a 'man-made' phenomenon than anything else. This book also investigates aspects of gender inequality in Canada as well as the evolution of hours worked as it intersects with worker preferences and 'market forces'. The narratives in this book are contextualised by the construction of new or significantly revised data sets, which speaks to the importance of data construction to robust economic analysis and economic history.

Management of Coking Coal Resources provides a one-stop reference that focuses on sustainable mining practices using a four-point approach that includes the economical, governmental, societal, and environmental aspects of coal exploration, coking coal mining, and steelmaking applications. This type of approach galvanizes the excavation, processing methods, and end uses of coal as an energy and steelmaking source, thus ensuring that the supply of coking coal meets the future demands of the rapidly expanding economies in India and other developing countries. The book provides information on the strategic planning and revitalization of India's Jharia coalfield, addressing actionable plans for methods of extraction, master plans for mine fires, subsidence management, land use planning, and sustainable mining. Users will find a multidisciplinary reference that presents the broad range of applications, techniques, and methodologies used in maintaining coking coal quality from exploration through extraction.

An award-winning journalist and Pulitzer Prize finalist offers an insightful, no-holds-barred exploration of today s most controversial yet promising new energy technology: fracking.
Fracking, or hydraulic fracturing, is the process of injecting fluid into the ground at extremely high pressure in order to fracture shale rocks and release the oil and natural gas inside. It has been the subject of three major films, countless news articles, and has become a hotly contested topic both for its environmental impact and its positive effect on the economy and job creation.
In "Frackistan," Russell Gold examines both sides of the arguments and illuminates the truth of this frequently misunderstood technology. It is a thrilling journey filled with memorable and colorful characters: a green-minded Texas oilman who created the first modern frack; an Oklahoman natural gas empire builder who gave the world an enormous new supply of energy but was brought down by his own success; and a cast of many. Gold melds his natural gift for engaging, in-depth storytelling and reportage with his insight into the energy industry to bring to life the fascinating history of how this major new source is changing the way we use energy.
"Frackistan" is not simply the story of fracking: It is the compelling and thought-provoking story of the modern global economy and how the United States and the world have been forever changed.

This book evaluates China's energy diplomacy across the globe and how it transcends the barriers to maintain both its security and its Chinese characteristics. How China graduated from 'self-sufficiency' to 'Go out' policy. How will China's energy security evolve within the ambit of Chinas new normal? For China, its energy security has been of primary importance, both domestically and internationally. This book explores the foreign dimension. The energy security in the Mao era was a necessity, a policy in the Deng era and a strategy in the period henceforth. The book identifies the evolution of China from a manufacturer to an investor, that is, its outbound direct investments in the energy field and the shift in its focus from traditional fuels to renewable energy sources. It goes beyond the traditional choices of energy like West Asia and Africa and explore the lesser suppliers who could have a stronger say in the future to come.

The new green industrial revolution is driven by a variety of global environmental concerns. In some regions, it is spurred by the scarcity of cheap affordable renewable energy that will also lead to a reduced reliance on fossil fuel in the production of power. In others, it is driven by a need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from power generation. This book provides a comprehensive review of the most popular green "disruptive" technologies in energy production as well as their economic impact. In addition, the book includes a multitude of international case studies where these technologies are currently deployed and their economic impact on the region.

Prosopis describes the enormous historical importance of these trees as a human food source and reviews the contemporary food science of the fruit derived from these trees. As well, this treatise reviews the native genetic resources of this genus on 4 continents and classical genetic and horticultural techniques that could help stabilize the environment and alleviate human suffering on some of the world's most destitute agro-ecosystems. This book is an essential read for researchers interested in forestry and plant science, environmental science, and functional foods. The legume family (Fabaceae) contains many genera and species that through their nitrogen fixing process provide high protein food and feed for humans and animals. As evidenced by its presence in Death Valley, California, which holds the record for the highest temperatures in the world, these types of plants can thrive in extreme environments.

1.2 billion people on Earth still don't have electricity. Even where cell phones are now common, like sub-Saharan Africa and parts of India, villagers still walk miles to charge them. But new large-scale, sustainable solutions will not only usher in a new era of light, but be an important first step in lifting people from poverty and putting them on a road of sustainable economic development. Also, a unique, transforming opportunity for Western thinkers and practitioners will be created. These areas have largely skipped the analog stage of power development, and have moved straight from the middle ages to the digital age. They are not encumbered by existing infrastructure, dependence on fossil fuels, or too many outdated laws and regulations. An ideal innovation incubator, the developing world might just be the best way to make progress on our own energy issues at home. Jim Rogers is leading a grand collaborative effort to bring sustainable, clean electrical power to everyone who lacks it. This reverse engineering, he contends, could solve the energy crises of America and Europe, while also making the world a cleaner, smarter place. But it won't be easy. In Lighting the World, Rogers details the bold thinking, international cooperation, and political will required to illuminate the future for everyone.

Professor William Nordhaus was honored with a Nobel Prize in Economics for his lifetime contributions to research and policy on climate change and macroeconomics. This book contains a collection of essays written by eleven leading climate change economists describing precisely how Professor Nordhaus changed climate change economics. The essays highlight the major contributions that Professor Nordhaus has made to understanding climate change. The book also discusses the important contributions Professor Nordhaus has made to develop effective policies to manage greenhouse gases both now and far into the future. Several authors also thank Professor Nordhaus for the influence he has had on the trajectory of their own careers. Finally, the essays press forward and discuss how the entire field continues to work on perfecting both climate change economics and policy.

How can markets help us address the challenges of climate change? Most current climate policies require hard-to-enforce collective action and focus on reducing greenhouse gases rather than adapting to their negative effects. Editor Terry L. Anderson brings together essays by nine leading policy analysts who argue that adaptive actions can typically deliver much more, faster and more cheaply than any realistic climate policy.

Economic Growth and the Environment explores the debate on how to reconcile economic growth with protection of the natural environment, and the closely related discussion on whether an increasing scarcity of natural resources will eventually force economic growth to cease. The debate focusses on whether environmental policies will benefit the economy or not, and is divided into growth optimists and growth pessimists. In general, economists have been optimistic and have pointed to the possibilities of technological progress and substitution, yet they also acknowledge that natural resources and environmental concern do restrict economic growth. The difficulty lies in quantifying the constraint to economic growth. Modern growth economists have constructed models to examine to what extent 'growth pessimism' is theoretically warranted. This book provides an introduction to some of these models, brings together the discussion between growth optimists and pessimists, and presents the theory behind their arguments. It aims to present models where both sides can meet and where both are able to derive expected results with the parameter values that they deem appropriate. From there, the discussions can turn to the empirical observations about these parameters. This book will be of interest to advanced undergraduates in economics, microeconomics, economic growth, sustainable development, and environmental economics. Each chapter concludes with a set of Exercises designed to help the reader master the models.

This volume spans economics, history, sociology, law, graphic design, religion, environmental science, politics and more to offer a transdisciplinary examination of debt. From this perspective, many of our most pressing social and environmental crises are explored to raise critical questions about debt's problems and possibilities. Who do we owe? Where are the offsetting credits? Why do such persistent deficits in care permeate so much of our lives? Can we imagine new approaches to balance sheets, measures of value, and justice to reconcile these deficits? Often regarded as a constraint on our ability to meet the challenges of our day, this volume reimagines debt as a social construct capable of empowering people to organize and produce sustainable prosperity for all. This text is ideal for provoking classroom discussions that not only point out the gravity of the crises we face in the twenty-first century, but also seeks to set readers' minds free to create innovative solutions.

There is widespread agreement that climate change is a serious problem. If we fail to regulate greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, or use alternative strategies for addressing the problem, the damages could be significant, and perhaps catastrophic. After several international meetings in which nation-states have tried unsuccessfully to address the climate change problem, there is a sense of frustration and urgency: frustration at the slow pace at which countries are moving toward an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; urgency because of the growing evidence that climate change is a serious problem that should be addressed globally and quickly. This book takes a close look at the fundamental political and economic processes driving climate change policy. It identifies institutional arrangements and policies that are needed to design more effective climate change policy. It also examines ethical and distributional arguments that are critical in understanding and framing the climate debate. The book is built around a conference honouring Tom Schelling that took place at the Sustainable Consumption Institute at The University of Manchester. Each chapter represents a significant contribution to the literature on the political economy of climate change.

This important collection of essays from the leading writers in the field, focuses on the importance of taking environmental issues into account in the process of development and poverty reduction. This book deepens our understanding of environmental sustainability in a context of economic
growth, putting sustainable development firmly back on the agenda.