Given what we know about climate change, should we still be raising and eating cattle? And how do we weigh the cultural and economic value of cattle against their environmental impact? This engaging book brings history, science, economics and popular culture together in a timely discussion about whether current practices can be justified in a period of rapid climate change.

Journalist Gregory Mthembu-Salter first encountered South Africa’s love of cattle during his own lobola negotiations. The book traces his personal journey through kraals, rangelands and feedlots across South Africa to find out more about the national hunger for cattle. He takes a broad sweep – drawing on such diverse sources as politicians involved in land reform, history, braai-side interviews with cattle farmers and abattoir owners, conversations with his mother-in-law, and analysis of cutting-edge science.

Mthembu-Salter suggests that perhaps 'cattle can remain wanted and treasured … more as living assets, kept in modest numbers on land where crops will not thrive, whose beef is eaten rarely – and, when it is, is savoured.'

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.

An acclaimed author and celebrated journalist breaks down the history of electricity and the impact of global energy use on the world and the environment.​

Global demand for power is doubling every two decades, but electricity remains one of the most difficult forms of energy to supply and do so reliably. Today, some three billion people live in places where per-capita electricity use is less than what's used by an average American refrigerator. How we close the colossal gap between the electricity rich and the electricity poor will determine our success in addressing issues like women's rights, inequality, and climate change.

In A Question of Power, veteran journalist Robert Bryce tells the human story of electricity, the world's most important form of energy. Through onsite reporting from India, Iceland, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, New York, and Colorado, he shows how our cities, our money--our very lives--depend on reliable flows of electricity. He highlights the factors needed for successful electrification and explains why so many people are still stuck in the dark.

With vivid writing and incisive analysis, he powerfully debunks the notion that our energy needs can be met solely with renewables and demonstrates why--if we are serious about addressing climate change--nuclear energy must play a much bigger role.

Electricity has fueled a new epoch in the history of civilization. A Question of Power explains how that happened and what it means for our future.

Post-conflict peacebuilding efforts can fail if they do not pay sufficient attention to natural resources. Natural resources - diamonds, oil, and minerals - are frequently at the heart of historic grievances, and have caused or funded at least eighteen conflicts since 1990. The same resources can play a central role in post-conflict peacebuilding, providing revenue for cash-starved governments, basic services for collapsed economies, and means for restoring livelihoods. To date, there is a striking gap in knowledge of what works, what does not, and how to improve peacebuilding through more effective and systematic management of natural resources. Post-Conflict Peacebuilding and Natural Resource Management addresses this gap by examining the growing literature on the topic and surveying experiences across more than forty post-conflict countries. The six-volume series includes more than 130 chapters from over 200 researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

McKittrick’s history of the 1918 Kalahari Thirstland Redemption Scheme reveals the environment to have been central to South African understandings of race. The plan fanned white settlers’ visions for South Africa, stoked mistrust in scientific experts, and influenced ideas about race and the environment in South Africa for decades to come.

In 1918, South Africa’s climate seemed to be drying up. White farmers claimed that rainfall was dwindling, while nineteenth-century missionaries and explorers had found riverbeds, seashells, and other evidence of a verdant past deep in the Kalahari Desert. Government experts insisted, however, that the rains weren’t disappearing; the land, long susceptible to periodic drought, had been further degraded by settler farmers’ agricultural practices—an explanation that white South Africans rejected. So when the geologist Ernest Schwarz blamed the land itself, the farmers listened. Schwarz held that erosion and topography had created arid conditions, that rainfall was declining, and that agriculture was not to blame. As a solution, he proposed diverting two rivers to the Kalahari’s basins, creating a lush country where white South Africans could thrive. This plan, which became known as the Kalahari Thirstland Redemption Scheme, was rejected by most scientists. But it found support among white South Africans who worried that struggling farmers undermined an image of racial superiority.

Green Lands for White Men explores how white agriculturalists in southern Africa grappled with a parched and changing terrain as they sought to consolidate control over a black population. Meredith McKittrick’s timely history of the Redemption Scheme reveals the environment to have been central to South African understandings of race.

While Schwarz’s plan was never implemented, it enjoyed suffi cient support to prompt government research into its feasibility, and years of debate. McKittrick shows how white farmers rallied around a plan that represented their interests over those of the South African state and delves into the reasons behind this schism between expert opinion and public perception. This backlash against the predominant scientific view, McKittrick argues, displayed the depth of popular mistrust in an expanding scientific elite.

A detailed look at the intersection of a settler society, climate change, white nationalism, and expert credibility, Green Lands for White Men examines the reverberations of a scheme that ultimately failed but influenced ideas about race and the environment in South Africa for decades to come.

Although the problem of controlling the spread of exotic invasive plant and animal species in the United States has been recognized for quite some time, it has been lacking an adequate legislative mandate, public awareness, and sufficient funding to meet the challenge. This ACS Symposium Series title showcases the many diverse efforts being made to control invasive species at the federal, state, and local levels. It recognizes the global extent of the problem and compares the methods used in other countries with those of the U.S., and includes recommendations of how best to proceed from here.

ISO 14001 is the new international standard for environmental management systems. But what difference will it make to the environmental performance of companies that receive it? Will it do anything to further sustainable industrial development? This edition seeks to argue that it will not and further that it does not have a legitimate practice in discussions of sustainable industrial development.;The authors point to a massive democratic deficit in the process of establishing the standard in which small and medium-size enterprises, developing country officals, public opinion and environmental groups may have trouble participating. They aim to argue that this has put up barriers to the full participation of these parties. Moreover, they seek to describe how the standard reverses the trend for firms to innovate to meet the challenge of sustainability.

'Gow reinvents what it means to be a guardian of the countryside.'-Guardian 'This authentic, impassioned manifesto-cum-memoir will hopefully have a major impact on what is likely to be a long-running controversy.'-The Spectator 'Gow has a fire in his belly. We need more like him.'-BBC Wildlife Magazine A Waterstones Best Nature Writing Book of 2020 'Bringing Back the Beaver is a hilarious, eccentric and magnificent account of a struggle . . . to reintroduce a species crucial to the health of our ecosystems.'-George Monbiot Bringing Back the Beaver is farmer-turned-ecologist Derek Gow's inspirational and often riotously funny first-hand account of how the movement to rewild beavers into the British landscape became the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era. Since the early 1990s - in the face of outright opposition from government, landowning elites and even some conservation professionals - Gow has imported, quarantined and assisted the reestablishment of beavers in waterways across England and Scotland. With a foreword by bestselling author of Wilding, Isabella Tree, Bringing Back the Beaver makes a passionate case as to why the return of one of nature's great problem solvers will be critical as part of a sustainable fix for the UK's growing flooding problems, whilst ensuring the creation of essential landscapes that enable the broadest spectrum of Britain's wildlife to thrive. 'It is wonderful to see that beavers are now officially back on the list of native species, having been absent for so long . . . far too long!'-Dame Judi Dench

Economic issues arise in almost every water policy context. Water is of most concern when scarce, but physical scarcity is often overcome as human beings move water from place to place, sometimes creating monumental structures. The roles that cost and economic value play in water resource allocation are implicit, but often poorly understood. This second edition clarifies the role of economics and offers material that can be applied to water resource allocation problems around the world. Topics covered include: groundwater, floods and droughts, in situ uses of water, and institutions and law. New to the book is an exploration of water issues outside the United States as well as a new application of behavioral and experimental economics to the topic. A concise introduction to issues of water quality and quantity in both urban and agricultural settings, Water Resource Economics and Policy will be a valuable resource or text for students and researchers in the fields of agricultural economics, geography, law, and hydrology. Those involved in water resource agencies and private utilities will also find the book a useful reference. Acclaim for the first edition: 'This textbook is written for first-year graduate students and senior level undergraduates in economics. ... Graduate students in geography, water resources, and environmental management should also be interested. The well-done helpful diagrams and charts are those expected for a textbook in economics at this level. In every chapter many interesting real-world examples illustrate the concept being discussed. Some chapters have easy-to-read case studies set off from the text. ... I plan on keeping this excellent book as a shelf reference and would willingly adopt it for a class in water resource economics.' - Donald E. Agthe, Journal of the American Water Resources Association 'This is a much-needed book, which introduces the interested reader to the economics of water resource allocation, and analyzes relevant policy issues derived from all over the world. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first book which is focused on communicating the basic economic concepts that govern water resources allocation. ... The lively writing style of W. Douglass Shaw, which is enriched with excellent examples and case studies from various countries, makes this book an obvious choice for a textbook in relevant courses ... this excellent book should be a compulsory reading for all of us who work in the field of water resources management.' - Phoebe Koundouri, Ecological Economics

Offering a unique and critical perspective on energy justice, this Handbook delves into an emerging field of inquiry encapsulating multiple strands of scholarship on energy systems. Covering key topics including generation, transmission, distribution and demand, it explores fundamental questions surrounding policy, climate change, security and social movements. The Handbook illuminates the rapidly expanding and diversifying scholarly domains where energy justice has developed to date. Chapters provide an overview on energy justice issues across a range of socio-technical and political contexts, including differences along lines of race, gender, age, geography, housing, socio-economic status and infrastructure. The Handbook further incorporates non-Western perspectives to expand the transitional vocabulary and frameworks of energy justice. Grounded in empirically rich case studies from across the world to support nuanced framings, situated methods and informed policy, this Handbook will be of interest to students of development, human geography, environmental policy and politics. It will also be useful to practitioners working in international organisations and agencies working in development and the environment.

Renewable energy technologies produce many measurable benefits, such as a clear reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is also apparent that these methods of energy production come with costs. Discussing renewable energy developments within an economic context, this pertinent Handbook provides a comprehensive view of the present and future dimensions of renewable energy use. Divided into six authoritative parts, the Handbook employs economic evaluation to provide an analysis of the benefits and costs of renewable energy, allowing authors to extrapolate potential policy changes. Chapters address the conceptual, methodological and empirical dimensions of renewable energy, providing a broad coverage of key topics while maintaining a clear policy-oriented philosophy. With a structured application of energy economics to renewable energy issues, this enlightening Handbook will be beneficial for environmental and energy policy makers. It will also be an interesting read for academics within such fields as policy regulation, energy economics and environmental economics.

As the world population increases, food security is a major global issue. This book provides an in-depth examination of the three necessary conditions for the achievement of food security: (1) availability of food; (2) adequate incomes and (3) increasing agricultural productivity. The author draws lessons from history, explores these three conditions and discusses the prospect of feeding an expected nine billion people in 2050. The author discusses the major factors inhibiting food being available and explores how these constraints can be lifted. First, the book describes conditions necessary for food to be truly, consistently available. Second, adequate incomes and programs such as food stamps and foodbanks are explored. Third, the drivers of increasing agricultural productivity are examined. Agricultural economists and scientists, food policy practitioners in government and international organizations and food aid NGOs, and students of agriculture and public policy will find Food Security as thought-provoking as it is informative.

This text is a synthesis of research in production and management since the inception of the discipline as an agricultural science in the 1930s. All the ecological regions are covered extensively, but the main emphasis is on the three biomes (grassland, savanna and karoo) which produce the bulk of the forage supporting the domestic livestock, conservation and the game farming industries. The book has an audience beyond the borders of South Africa in the grassland and savanna areas which stretch through southern and central Africa.;The text is aimed at students concerned with the management of natural ecosystems and also livestock producers and game ranchers who rely on the veld to feed their animals. The text throughout emphasizes the interpretation and application of research results to the practical situation.;All major aspects of veld production and management are covered in this book. It outlines the physiological and ecological principles on which management is based and which underpin the science. The book presents management options based on these underlying principles before dealing with recommended management procedures in each of the main ecological regions of the country.;The contributions to this book collectively represent a component of the expertise available on issues related to veld management in South Africa. They are veld and animal production researchers, conservation managers and planners working both at a practical level, closely in touch with livestock and game farmers, and at the more theoretical level as teachers at colleges and universities.

This Modern Guide provides detailed theoretical and empirical insights into key areas of research in food economics. It takes a forward-looking perspective on how different actors in the food system shape the sustainability of food production, distribution, and consumption, as well as on major challenges to efficient and inclusive food systems. Analysing the main characteristics of modern food markets, chapters introduce readers to the economics of food systems, product differentiation, the mediating role of food retailers, and the increasing significance and complexity of international trade in food. Encapsulating new methods in the study of food economics and policy, this Modern Guide explores changes in food value chains and consumption. It further pushes the boundaries of food economics to include economic perspectives on the role of social media and technology such as genomics in shaping food systems. Offering key insights into the state-of-the-art debates in the field, this Modern Guide will be critical reading for graduate students and researchers of food economics. It will also be a timely book for practitioners in the field wishing to take a fresh look at issues shaping food systems.

Providing an extensive comparative and international study of water innovations and the issues that arise in their implementation, David Lewis Feldman analyses the technical, economic, health and environmental impacts of water innovations and their policy implications. Discussing desalination, rainwater harvesting, wastewater reuse, and demand-side innovations as well as emerging cyber-infrastructure issues, The Governance of Water Innovations analyses the historical and contemporary challenges involved in water innovations. With a global reach, exploring water innovations across The Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe, chapters consider potential areas of contention involving land use, aesthetics, recreational impacts, user costs, and environmental quality. Illuminating the importance of these challenges and determining the most effective and equitable ways of meeting them, Feldman advises how innovations should be deployed, governed and implemented democratically in ways that harbour public acceptance, trust, and engagement for a water resilient future. A comprehensive study of the governance of water innovations, this book will prove invaluable to students and scholars of public policy, environmental and water studies and geopolitics. With its pioneering analysis of adaptive governance, it will also prove an essential reference guide to practitioners, professionals and policymakers working in water governance and management, including water agency officials and water resource legislators.

This book addresses the diverse ways in which international law governs the uses, management, and protection of fresh water. The international law of fresh water is most comprehensively understood in the light of the different bodies of norms applicable to these varied uses and functions. The regulation of fresh water has primarily developed through the conclusion of treaties concerning international watercourses. Yet a number of other legal regimes also apply to the governance of fresh water. In particular, there has been an increasing recognition of the importance of fresh water to environmental protection. The development of international human rights law and international humanitarian law has also proven crucial for ensuring the sound and equitable management of this resource. In addition, the economic uses of fresh water feature prominently in the law applicable to watercourses, while water itself has become an important element of the trade and investment regimes. These bodies of rules and principles not only surface in an array of dispute settlement mechanisms, but also stimulate wider trends of institutionalization. The book investigates the origin and scope of these bodies of norms as they apply to fresh water, and demonstrates how they connect and adapt to one another, forming an integrated body of international principles. This approach is accompanied by a detailed analysis of the practice of states and of international organizations, taking into account the activities of the many non-state actors involved in the treatment of fresh water.

Groundwater amounts to 97% of available global freshwater resources. Emphasising the crucial importance of this in the context of increasing population, climate change and the overall global water crisis, Francesco Sindico offers a comprehensive study of the emerging body of international law applicable to transboundary aquifers. Adopting a scenario-based approach, this much-needed book analyses a diverse set of transboundary aquifer agreements and arrangements. With just a handful of such agreements and arrangements around the world, it demonstrates how identifying a normative roadmap for countries that want to begin jointly managing a transboundary aquifer is of paramount importance. Offering an in-depth exploration into the ILC Draft Articles on the Law of Transboundary Aquifers, it provides insight into how this body of law is evolving, and discusses its relation to customary international law. Academics and researchers interested in international water law, environmental law and public international law more widely will find this a unique and compelling work, whilst the book’s practical approach will also make it a useful tool for transboundary aquifer professionals and wider stakeholders working in governments and public bodies dealing with water management around the world.

This crucial Handbook investigates an urgent area for policy-makers, academia and industries alike: the circular economy. International experts on the subject bring together the latest thinking on this critical global issue. Providing a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms and consequences of the circular economy, as well as its limitations, it raises important questions concerning how the world should proceed when non-renewable resources, such as fossil fuels and minerals, are being depleted and the environment is struggling to cope with the waste and emissions of unsustainable production and consumption systems. Contributors explore a broad range of themes, such as new sustainable production and consumption systems, new design requirements, recycling systems, new business models and the social impacts of the circular economy, while also consolidating the many ways in which the topic has been dealt with in research, business and policy-making. Shedding light on a concept that has become increasingly relevant during the last decade, the Handbook of the Circular Economy is essential reading for students, academics and policy-makers trying to make sense of the plethora of ways in which the term has been applied and interpreted.

The world food situation is deteriorating. Grain stocks have dropped to a dangerously low level. The World Food Price Index has doubled in one decade. The ranks of the hungry are expanding; political unrest is spreading. On the demand side of the food equation, there will be 219,000 people at the dinner table tonight who were not there last night. And some 3 billion increasingly affluent people are moving up the food chain, consuming grain-intensive livestock and poultry products. At the same time, water shortages and heat waves are making it more difficult for farmers to keep pace with demand. As grain-exporting countries ban exports to keep their food prices down, importing countries are panicking. In response, they are buying large tracts of land in other countries to grow food for themselves. The land rush is on. Could food become the weak link for us as it was for so many earlier civilizations? Lester Brown, one of the leading environmentalists of our time, explains why world food supplies are tightening and tells what we need to do about it.

This illuminating book analyses energy transitions, carbon dioxide emissions and the security of energy supply in Mediterranean countries. Unpacking the history of energy transitions, from coal to oil and natural gas, and from non-renewable to renewable energy sources, Silvana Bartoletto offers a comparative approach to the major trends in energy consumption, production, trade and security in Mediterranean countries in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.   Chapters illustrate the key similarities and differences between Mediterranean countries that have influenced energy supply and consumption patterns. Tracing economic convergence in the last century and highlighting its impact on energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, this timely book offers critical insights into the problems of energy dependency and security in areas of political turmoil, as well as crucial insights into the future of the energy crisis. It concludes with a look to the future of energy consumption in the age of climate change and the slow but critical transition to renewable sources.   Enlightening and provocative, this book is key reading for scholars of political science and economics engaged with energy production and consumption, as well as those studying climate change. Its historical insights and overview of significant energy trends will also be useful for policymakers and climate scientists.