From Yellowstone to the Great Smoky Mountains, America's national parks are sprawling tracts of serenity, most of them carved out of public land for recreation and preservation around the turn of the last century. America has changed dramatically since then, and so has its conceptions of what parkland ought to be.

In this book, one of our premier environmental historians looks at the new phenomenon of urban parks, focusing on San Francisco's Golden Gate National Recreation Area as a prototype for the twenty-first century. Cobbled together from public and private lands in a politically charged arena, the GGNRA represents a new direction for parks as it highlights the long-standing tension within the National Park Service between preservation and recreation.

Long a center of conservation, the Bay Area was well positioned for such an innovative concept. Writing with insight and wit, Rothman reveals the many complex challenges that local leaders, politicians, and the NPS faced as they attempted to administer sites in this area. He tells how Representative Phillip Burton guided a comprehensive bill through Congress to establish the park and how he and others expanded the acreage of the GGNRA, redefined its mission to the public, forged an identity for interconnected parks, and struggled against formidable odds to obtain the San Francisco Presidio and convert it into a national park.

Engagingly written, "The New Urban Park" offers a balanced examination of grassroots politics and its effect on municipal, state, and federal policy. While most national parks dominate the economies of their regions, GGNRA was from the start tied to the multifaceted needs of its public and political constituents-including neighborhood, ethnic, and labor interests as well as the usual supporters from the conservation movement.

As a national recreation area, GGNRA helped redefine that category in the public mind. By the dawn of the new century, it had already become one of the premier national park areas in terms of visitation. Now as public lands become increasingly scarce, GGNRA may well represent the future of national parks in America. Rothman shows that this model works, and his book will be an invaluable resource for planning tomorrow's parks.

Human Resilience against Food Insecurity focuses on the human factors involved in building resilience against food and nutrition insecurity in perpetuity through better managing risks (such as 'better-spacing' of children), diversifying the asset portfolio, behavioral change, and communication strategies for to help achieve these goals. The better the coherence and convergence amongst these human factors that promote sustainable food and nutrition security, the lower the need to rectify their absence through post-facto, unsustainable 'firemen's work' of humanitarian assistance and CMAM clinics. The book includes references to countries which are not in the lowest of the categories prescribed in the UNDP Human Development reports, also including minority groups in developed countries, such as the hunter-gatherer Inuit communities of Canada, to provide an inclusive view of the issues and concerns relevant to addressing food insecurity.

This open access book aims to consolidate and advance debates on European and global energy poverty by exploring the political and infrastructural drivers and implications of the condition across a variety of spatial scales. It highlights the need for a geographical conceptualization of the different ways in which household-level energy deprivation both influences and is contingent upon disparities occurring at a wider range of spatial scales. There is a strong focus on the relationships among energy transformation, institutional change and place-based factors in determining the nature and location of energy-related injustices. The book also explores how patterns and structures of energy poverty have changed over time, as evidenced by some of the common measures used to describe the condition. In part, this means investigating the makeup of energy poor demographics across various social and spatial cleavages. More broadly, it also argues that energy sector reconfigurations are both reflected in and shaped by various domains of social and political organization, especially in terms of creating poverty-relevant outcomes.

This book investigates how actors organize in order to solve a water quality problem. Research on the use of environmental resources has mainly focused on the circumstances needed for users to self-organize or to maintain an already sustainable way of resource use. Few studies have investigated the reasons why actors start to cooperate when they are faced with an environmental problem. Actor networks in three regions of the Rhine catchment area are scrutinized regarding a) actors' cooperation pattern when managing an environmental problem; and b) the factors that trigger actors in a common-pool resource situation to initiate cooperation. Water quality policy is analysed in two European countries - Germany and Luxembourg - and one non-European country - Switzerland -, providing an overview of the distinctive measures applied in these regions aiming to tackle the water quality problem of micro-pollutants in river surface water. Applying the social-ecological system framework (SESF) devised by E. Ostrom and her colleagues and Social Network Analysis (SNA), the current book combines qualitative and quantitative methods to answer the question of why actors cooperate in the management process of an environmental problem like water pollution.

This book offers a revealing picture of the myths and realities of the energy world by one of our most renowned energy experts and managers. At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the human race finds itself caught in an "energy trap." Carbon-rich fossil fuels—coal, petroleum and natural gas—are firmly entrenched as the dominant sources of our energy and power. Their highly concentrated forms, versatility of use, ease of transport and storage, ready availability, and comparatively low costs combine to give fossil fuels an unassailable competitive advantage over all alternative sources of energy. This economic reality means that fossil fuels will inevitably continue to be the backbone of the global economy for the next quarter of a century, even while the adverse climate and environmental effects of our dependence on fossil fuels hurtle toward global crisis levels. To avert unacceptable environmental consequences, the world must deliberately and incrementally supplant fossil fuels with alternative energy sources, on a schedule that will have them overtake fossil fuels in the world's energy budget by 2035. To achieve this urgent goal without massive economic dislocation and reduction in standards of living, global investment in fossil fuel efficiency will be just as important as the development and massive deployment of alternative energy technologies and delivery systems. In this eagerly awaited sequel to his prize-winning bestseller, The Age of Oil, Leonardo Maugeri, the strategy director of one of the world's biggest energy companies, puts forward a hard-headed, concrete plan in simple everyday language for how to shift the world economy's primary energy dependence from fossil fuels to renewable energies by 2035. Assuming no specialized knowledge, the author walks the reader chapter by chapter through each of the fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) and each of the alternative energy sources (nuclear, hydroelectric, biofuel, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen). Drawing on the unparalleled data and analysis resources at his command, Maugeri assesses the problems and advantages of each energy source in turn in order to constrain the optimal mix of energy sources that the world should be aiming for in 2035. Critically, he lays out the arduous path for getting from here to there. Maugeri shows that the next 25 years will be a rocky marriage between the old and the new energy paradigms, during which we must dramatically improve the efficiency of our continuing use of fossil fuels, while driving ahead on all fronts to an energy future based on a suite of sustainable energy sources.

This unique book brings together high-quality research contributions on ecological aspects of urbanization, water quality concerns in an urban environment, and climate change issues with a strong Indian focus under one umbrella. It includes several case studies that discuss urban water management, particularly highlighting the quality aspects. Urbanization is an ecological disturbance that the modern world accepts as essential in the absence of a better alternative that could provide an equal level of comfort. The prohibitive costs of eco-friendly production technologies are forcing the developing world to generate industrial waste that is detrimental to the environment. At the same time, the availability of adequate fresh water is another challenge for our climate-change impacted world. The scientific community is, therefore, searching for ways towards ecologically sustainable urban development. Discussing all these issues, this book offers a useful guide for academicians, researchers, practicing engineers, and managers dealing with diverse water-related problems in urban areas.

This book systematically introduces readers to the framework of China's ETS pilots, exploring their design and operating process, the current state of the carbon market, and various barriers encountered. To do so, it deconstructs the Guangdong ETS, which is the largest and most representative of China's seven ETS pilots. The book subsequently describes and evaluates all seven pilots in terms of their efficiency, macro and micro effects, the method involved in the DEA model, the CGE model, and cost-benefit analysis. In turn, in the assessment section it demonstrates how some ETS pilots have failed to control carbon emissions due to inordinately high emissions quotas issued by the local government etc. Further, it argues that ETS should focus on those industries with large emissions and high mitigating potential for the time being, and then gradually expand the scale of its coverage. As China's national ETS is slated for launch on the basis of the lessons learned from the ETS pilots, the book offers a timely and valuable resource for all those who want to understand and forecast the development of China's ETS. It includes a wealth of descriptions and explanations of Chinese government policies involving carbon emissions control, making it a unique resource.

This book highlights what are likely to be the future megatrends in the water sector and why and how they should be incorporated to improve water governance in the coming decades. In this first ever book on megatrends for the water sector, 22 leading world experts from different disciplines representing academia, business, government, national and international organisations discuss what the major megatrends of the future are and how they will radically change water governance in the coming decades.

This book comprising seven parts is organized under two sections. The first section deals with environment containing four parts, whereas the second section, containing three parts, is on energy. The first part deals with some aspects of hydrologic impacts of global warming and anthropogenic changes. Part II is on bio-environment and discusses plants, biomass, and bacterial species. Part III focuses on chemical environment. Section one is concluded with Part IV on social environment. Section two starts out with Part V on solar energy. Hydropower is discussed in Part VI. The concluding Part VII deals with biogas. The book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of water resources, hydrology, environmental resources, agricultural engineering, watershed management, earth sciences, as well as those engaged in natural resources planning and management. Graduate students and those wishing to conduct further research in water and environment and their development and management may find the book to be of value.

This multidisciplinary book focuses on best practices in sustainability research in the Asia-Pacific Region. Drawing links between research, practice, education for sustainability and the needs of industry, it addresses the sustainable development goals (SDGs). The book also presents research undertaken by a wide range of universities on matters related to sustainable development, in order to promote research in this area across multiple disciplines. Four key themes are explored: (1) Education for Sustainability. (2) Sustainable Cities. (3) Sustainable Buildings. (4) Sustainable Infrastructure. This unique book documents and disseminates the wealth of know-how on sustainable development research in the Asia-Pacific Region today. It presents lessons learned and comparative case studies from various countries, including India, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Bangladesh, New Zealand and Australia.

This book is designed as a basic text for courses that are part of an interdisciplinary program in environmental studies. The intended reader is anyone who expects environmental stewardship to be an important part of his or her life, as a citizen, a policy maker, or an environmental management professional. In addition to discussing major issues in environmental ethics, it invites readers to think about how an ethicist's perspective differs from the perspectives encountered in other environmental studies courses. Additional topics covered include corporate social responsibility, ecological citizenship, property theory, and the concept of stewardship as a vocation.

Green Banking is the first guide encompassing all the disciplines necessary to realize renewable energy projects. This book focuses on cost-competitive and mature technologies, and on the processes enabling to develop, finance and execute such utility-scale projects. The book starts with the aspects relevant for every form of renewable energy. It covers essential themes such as the role of renewables amid a changing energy world, the importance of the regulatory regime, its social acceptance and bankability criteria, to name only a few. Chapters describe project financings vehicles for a range of renewable energy technologies including solar photovoltaic power plants, onshore wind farms and offshore wind farms. The book give readers a unique perspective on how renewable energy projects are realized, and is a go-to reference manual for understanding how the different project stakeholders act. All of the articles are provided by authors with an ample experience in renewable energies and many years experience. This book is especially useful for people working in this industry or students willing to get better knowledge out of their field of experience.

Water Policy Science and Politics: An Indian Perspective presents the importance of politics and science working together in policymaking in the water sector. Many countries around the developed and developing world, including India, are experiencing major water scarcity problems that will undoubtedly increase with the impacts of climate change. This book discusses specific topics in India's water, agriculture and energy sectors, focusing on scientific aspects, academic and political discourse, and policy issues. The author presents cases from the interrelated sectors of water resources, supplies, sanitation, and energy and climate, including controversial topics that illustrate how science and politics can work together.

In this "Tropical Peatland Eco-management" book, eco-management is new terminology as an abbreviation of "ecology-based management for natural capital enhancement". Key concept on this eco-management is derived from previous book: "Tropical Peatland Ecosystem"(Springer, 2015, eds. by M. Osaki and N. Tsuji). Based on this new concept, this book thoroughly examines tropical peatland eco-management for scientists, political decision makers, governmental officials, land managers, students, and NGO/NPOs who are interested in 1) what the impact of peatland on climate change and ecosystem function, 2) how the management of disturbed peatland, and 3) drawing global scale restoration mechanisms of peatland and wetland. In tropical peatland, a large amount of GHGs (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) is emitted due to the unappropriate development and inadequate management of peatland. The peatland ecosystems consist of the carbon-water complex, which is affected easily by the impact of human and climate change. Throughout much research of tropical peatland, the problems that result from development of tropical peatland are found to stem mainly from a lack of understanding of the complexities of this ecosystem and the fragility of the relationship between peat and forest and also between carbon and water. In past, almost all peatland development and management system have been generally designed on "water drainage system". On the contrast of old system, an innovated eco- management is, here, proposed as "water irrigation system", including water cycling and natural capital enhancement. Through this book readers will learn the advanced peatland eco-management, with more practical methods and procedure based on ecosystem knowledge.

This book derives an explicit analytical pattern (or framework) that permits the examination and optimization of biogas production systems. It provides a concise overview of the current status of biogas and biogas coupled agricultural systems in China, and introduces evaluation methods for energy efficiency, environmental emissions, economic performance and sustainability assessment approaches. Based on empirical studies, it also explores future options for the system development by focusing on emissions mitigation, biogas energy efficiency and system sustainability. Systematic methods of life cycle assessment and thermodynamic analysis may provide new angles for biogas system evaluation. The system discussed is not only a biogas producer, but also a biogas-linked ecological agricultural system, which has the potential to broaden the applicable scopes of renewable energy and eco-agricultural management. The comprehensive, in-depth knowledge and experience presented provide new analytical approaches for researchers in relevant fields and shed light on the construction and operation of emerging anaerobic digestion and biogas industries. This book is a valuable resource for researchers focusing on biogas system modeling, project managers and policymakers.

This book examines the environmental footprints of recycled polyesters, highlighting the benefits and impact of recycling polyester waste and preparing it to replace virgin polyester in the raw material stage. It also discusses the importance of recycled polyester as a sustainable raw material in textile production.

The effective and efficient management of water is a major problem, not just for economic growth and development in the Nile River basin, but also for the peaceful coexistence of the millions of people who live in the region. Of critical importance to the people of this part of Africa is the reasonable, equitable and sustainable management of the waters of the Nile River and its tributaries. Written by scholars trained in economics and law, and with significant experience in African political economy, this book explores new ways to deal with conflict over the allocation of the waters of the Nile River and its tributaries. The monograph provides policymakers in the Nile River riparian states and other stakeholders with practical and effective policy options for dealing with what has become a very contentious problem - the effective management of the waters of the Nile River. The analysis is quite rigorous but also extremely accessible.

Biodegradation has been the subject of active concern for the past 40 years. Recently, the field has expanded to encompass a wide variety of chemicals, a broad array of issues, and the development of the new bioremediation industry. This book presents the basic principles of biodegradation and shows how these principles relate to bioremediation. Authored by a world-renowned environmental microbiologist, Biodegradation and Bioremediation presents microbiological, chemical, toxicological, environmental, engineering, and technological aspects of the subject.
* Praise for the First Edition
* "Serves an important function in presenting a complete picture of biodegradation in the environment. I t] provides biologists, chemists and engineers interested in this process with information complementary to their own fields and thus belongs on the shelf of everybody active in the study of biodegradation and bioremediation."
* --JOURNAL OF CONTAMINANT HYDROLOGY
* "A compendious account of the field in a form accessible to microbiologists, chemists, toxicologists and environmental scientists and engineers. His book succeeds admirably...Well indexed, its diagrams large and clear....It will serve as an excellent text for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses and as an invaluable source of reference to all those with a research interest in this expanding field."
* --SOCIETY FOR GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY QUARTERLY
* "The book could serve as a text for an upper-level or graduate class in the principles of biodegradation and bioremediation for microbiologists and environmental engineers. In summary, Alexander has prepared a cogent and well-organized review of the principles of biodegradation in a book that should prove useful to a great many people."
* --JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
* "Provides a unity of style, and generally, an excellent intellectual flow between topics....Alexander does a spectacular job of addressing the kinetics of degradation reactions--the discussion is one of the best I have seen, especially for those not well versed in mathematics."
* --BIOSCIENCE
* "Written by a very knowledgeable scientist...A very timely book...Recommended as a valuable resource for environmental scientists, engineers, or other persons with an interest in the use of organisms for environmental decontamination and a need for better insight into the principles underlying bioremediation."
* --SOIL SCIENCE

This book presents a comprehensive account of the energy and environmental security perspectives of the developing countries. To address the subject comprehensively, it covers four geographically diverse clusters of developing countries from across the world. The regions particularly focused on are: South Asia, South East Asia, Sub Sahara Africa, and Latin America. It is a valuable contribution to the debate, and policy and research activities around the subjects of energy and environmental security in the developing countries and beyond. The book covers the interwoven subjects of energy security and environmental security in the context of developing countries for the first time. It discusses the latest dimensions, challenges, and solutions around taking into account technical, economic, social, and policy perspectives. It incorporates up-to-date data, case studies, and comparative assessment. This edited book has contributions from established as well as emerging scholars from around the world. It benefits a wide range of stakeholders from the fields of energy, environment, and sustainable development. It is of help to academics, researchers, and analysts in these fields besides having appeal for policymakers, and national and international developmental organizations. It also helps developing countries to learn from each other's experiences.

Water Use Management, and Planning in the United States is designed with new college classes on water resources in mind. It provides information on hydrology, biology, geology, economics, and geography along with historical water policies and regional regulations. The text reflects the transdisciplinary nature of water resources management, moving between descriptive discussions and quantitative analysis to bridge the social and physical sciences. Also providedare frequent case studies and examples to illustrate real-world applications, and includes sidebars throughout to reinforce major points. This book is a result of the authors years of teaching, giving a prescription for an intelligent integrated systemsapproach to water resources management.
Key Features
* Classroom tested
* Quantitative analyses are accompanied by worked examples
* Frequent case studies highlight important applications
* Sidebars reinforce major points and provide parenthetical information