The extraordinary story of Israel's forests, from ancient times to the present. In this insightful and provocative book, Alon Tal provides a detailed account of Israeli forests, tracing their history from the Bible to the present, and outlines the effort to transform drylands and degraded soils into prosperous parks, rangelands, and ecosystems. Tal's description of Israel's trials and errors, and his exploration of both the environmental history and the current policy dilemmas surrounding that country's forests, will provide valuable lessons in the years to come for other parts of the world seeking to reestablish timberlands.

The research and its outcomes presented here focuses on tropospheric or ground level ozone, in particular due to its surfacing as a major threat to crop productivity around the world. This book presents the ozone concentration data for a variety of geographical regions, examines the factors responsible for its increasing concentrations and its potential effects on physiological and biochemical responses culminating in crop productivity losses which, in turn may pose a serious threat to global food security. Beside this, certain ameliorative measures that could be adopted to assess ozone injury in plants are also discussed. Global climate change scenarios predict a significant increase in future tropospheric ozone concentration. Particular attention is therefore given to evaluate the effect of global climate change on ozone concentrations. Readers will also discover how yield losses due to ozone are related to changes in the socio-economic conditions of the society, especially in South Asian regions. Students and researchers studying crop and soil science, environmental scientists, risk assessment professionals and policy makers will find this book of interest.

The Conquest of Bread is Peter Kropotkin's famous critique of capitalism, wherein he excoriates that system in favor of anarcho-communism; a form of government he believed could ensure fairness for all. Kropotkin had an alternate vision of the way society, work, and population should be organized - in The Conquest of Bread, he interweaves his plans for a social revolution with critiques of the prevailing orthodoxy. We receive outlines of how his propositions will eliminate poverty and scarcity - conditions Kropotkin believed were artificially enforced in order to maintain control upon the working populace. As a philosopher and scientist, Peter Kropotkin abhorred the manner in which abject poverty characterized industrialized society. He also held a great resentment for centralized authority of government and the owners of capital, which he felt acted in concert to undermine the majority of humanity.

This book discusses cancers and the resurgence of public interest in plant-based and herbal drugs. It also describes ways of obtaining anti-cancer drugs from plants and improving their production using biotechnological techniques. It presents methods such as cell culture, shoot and root culture, hairy root culture, purification of plant raw materials, genetic engineering, optimization of culture conditions as well as metabolic engineering with examples of successes like taxol, shikonin, ingenol mebutate and podophylotoxin. In addition, it describes the applications and limitations of large-scale production of anti-cancer compounds using biotechnological means. Lastly, it discusses future economical and eco-friendly strategies for obtaining anti-cancer compounds using biotechnology.

Emerging Technologies for Promoting Food Security: Overcoming the World Food Crisis discusses rising energy prices, increased biofuel use, water scarcity, and the rising world population, all factors that directly affect worldwide food security. The book examines the range of approaches to promoting global food security, including novel and existing agricultural and husbandry techniques for safe and sustainable food production. It is divided into three parts beginning with an overview of food security, an analysis of key drivers of food insecurity, and nutrition and food security. Part Two examines emerging technologies for plant and animal food security, with subsequent chapters discussing topics from genetic and aquaculture technologies, pest and disease control, environmental and policy issues affecting food security, and an in-depth analysis of water management and methods to reduce post-harvest losses.

Energy Management Principles: Applications, Benefits, Savings, Second Edition is a comprehensive guide to the fundamental principles and systematic processes of maintaining and improving energy efficiency and reducing waste. Fully revised and updated with analysis of world energy utilization, incentives and utility rates, and new content highlighting how energy efficiency can be achieved through 1 of 16 outlined principles and programs, the book presents cost effective analysis, case studies, global examples, and guidance on building and site auditing. This fully revised edition provides a theoretical basis for conservation, as well as the avenues for its application, and by doing so, outlines the potential for cost reductions through an analysis of inefficiencies.

This book focuses on water pollution, water management and water structures. Presenting contributions on water quality and quantity issues from the engineering point of view, it discusses a variety of issues, from storm water management in urban areas and water quantity, to hydraulic structures, hydrodynamic modeling and flood protection. The book also provides state-of-the-art insights, which that can be used to effectively solve a variety of problems in integrated water resources management, and introduces the latest research advances. Edited and authored by pioneers in the field who have been at the forefront of water management development in the Czech Republic, this book is a valuable resource for environmental professionals, including scientists and policymakers, interested in water-related issues both in the Czech Republic and elsewhere.

This book offers up-to-date information on the impact of climate change on water resources in Slovakia, the occurrence of drought and floods, hazards and protection methods. The topics covered include hydrological extremes, such as droughts and flood, in Slovakia; risk assessment and protection; sustainable management; and water management in buildings. The closing chapter provides general conclusions and recommendations for future research. It appeals to graduate students and researchers as well as to decision makers involved in planning future water resources in Slovakia.

This book offers a comprehensive view on resilience based upon state-of-the-science theories and methodological applications that resilience may fill. Specifically, this text provides a compendium of knowledge on the theory, methods, and practice of resilience across a variety of country and case contexts, and demonstrates how a resilience-based approach can help further improved infrastructure, vibrant societies, and sustainable environments and ecologies, among many others. Resilience is a term with thousands of years of history. Only recently has resilience been applied to the management of complex interconnected systems, yet its impact as a governing philosophy and an engineering practice has been pronounced. Colloquially, resilience has been used as a synonym for 'bouncing back'. Philosophically and methodologically, however, it is much more. In a world defined by interconnected and interdependent systems such as water, food, energy, transportation, and the internet, a sudden and unexpected disruption to one critical system can lead to significant challenges for many others. The Science and Practice of Resilience is beneficial for those seeking to gain a rich knowledge of the resilience world, as well as for practitioners looking for methods and tools by which resilience may be applied in real-world contexts.

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.

This book summarizes the evidence from different African countries about the local impacts of climate change, and how farmers are coping with current climate risks. The different contributors show how agricultural systems in developing countries are affected by climate changes and how communities prepare and adapt to these changes.

This book presents essential insights into lifelong learning and education in healthy and sustainable cities, providing a basis for strategies to help achieve the 2030 Agenda sustainable development and health promotion goals. The interface between environment, health and lifelong learning is fundamental to attaining these goals, and as such, the book gathers interdisciplinary reflections from researchers, educators and other experts concerning the links between environmental quality, human health, human education and well-being, and addressing inequality, unplanned urbanization, migration, lifestyles, and consumption and production patterns. Topics include: Urban planning to address inequality in health and urban poverty; Healthy cities and healthy environments; Governance for sustainable development; Social determinants of health oriented on sustainable development goals; Education and lifelong learning for sustainability; Energy security, access and efficiency; Sustainable cities, buildings and infrastructure.

This book reviews the consequences of improper disposal of greywater into the environment and the most appropriate treatment technologies for developing countries, focusing on the potential to reuse greywater as a production medium for biomass and bio-products. It also describes the quantities and qualitative characteristics, as well as the common practice of discharging greywater in developing countries, and highlights the associated health risks. Further, it compares the management of greywater in developed and developing countries and explores the advantages and disadvantages of various treatment technologies, discussing the reuse of greywater for irrigation purposes in arid and sub-arid countries, especially in the Middle East. The book shows the benefits of greywater and introduces low-cost technologies based on the available local facilities can be used to discharge, reuse, and recycle it.

Creating and Restoring Wetlands: From Theory to Practice describes the challenges and opportunities relating to the restoration of freshwater and estuarine wetlands in natural, agricultural, and urban environments in the coming century. The underpinnings of restoration, driven by ecological (disturbance, dispersal, succession) theory, are described and applied to various activities (restoring hydrology, soils, and biota) that are used to improve the short- and long-term success of wetland restoration projects. Unforeseen problems that hinder restoration efforts and solutions to these problems are discussed in this comprehensive book that contains five sections and 13 chapters that include an introduction describing the defining characteristics of wetland - hydrology, soils, biota, the role of theory in guiding wetland succession, ecosystem development following restoration, and differentiating wetland reclamation, restoration, and creation, restoration of various estuarine and freshwater wetlands, case studies of estuarine and freshwater restoration and large-scale restoration, and finally, the future of wetland restoration.

This book presents readers with an integrated modeling approach for analyzing and understanding the interconnection of water, energy, and food resources and discusses the relationship between resilience and sustainability of the food- energy -water (FEW) system. Authors provide novel frameworks, models, and algorithms designed to balance the theoretical and applicative aspects of each chapter. The book covers an integrated modeling approach for FEW systems along with developed methods, codes, and planning tools for designing interdependent energy, water and food systems. In-depth chapters discuss the impact of renewable energy resources in FEW systems, sustainable design and operation, net zero energy buildings, and challenges and opportunities of the FEW nexus in the sustainable development of different countries. This book is useful for graduate students, researchers, and engineers seeking to understand how sustainable FEW systems contribute to the resilience of these systems and help policy and design makers allocate and prioritize resources in an integrated manner across the food, energy, and water sectors.

'When Singapore became a sovereign state in 1965, the fledgling nation faced very similar problems as most other developing countries: high unemployment, low standard of living, and poor environmental conditions. In a scant four decades, it has become the 6th wealthiest country in the world in terms of per capita GDP and has managed its environment so well that it is now considered to be one of the best in the world. In this remarkable book, Tan Yong Soon authoritatively and objectively analyses how the environmental conditions were radically transformed within this period, and the enabling conditions which made this extraordinary transformation possible.This book will unquestionably make all Singaporeans proud of their environmental achievements, and at the same time enable other countries, both developed and developing, to learn many lessons from a most remarkable success story. This book is a must read for any individual interested in environment-development issues' - Prof Asit K. Biswas, President, Third World Centre for Water Management, Mexico and Distinguished Visiting Professor, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore.

Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security comprehensively deals with important aspects of climate resilient agriculture for food security using adaptation and mitigation measures. Climatic changes and increasing climatic variability are likely to aggravate the problem of future food security by exerting pressure on agriculture. For the past few decades, the gaseous composition of the earth's atmosphere has been undergoing significant changes, largely through increased emissions from the energy, industry and agriculture sectors; widespread deforestation as well as fast changes in land use and land management practices. Agriculture and food systems must improve and ensure food security, and to do so they need to adapt to climate change and natural resource pressures, and contribute to mitigating climate change. Climate-resilient agriculture contributes to sustainably increasing agricultural productivity and incomes, adapting and building resilience to climate change and reducing and/or eliminating greenhouse gas emissions where possible. The information on climate resilient agriculture for ensuring food security is widely scattered. There is currently no other book that comprehensively and exclusively deals with the above aspects of agriculture and focuses on ensuring food security. This volume is divided into fourteen chapters, which include the Introduction, Causes of Climate Change, Agriculture as a Source of Greenhouse Gases, Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture, Regional Impacts on Climate Change, Impacts on Crop Protection, Impacts on Insect and Mite Pests, Impacts on Plant Pathogens, Impacts on Nematode Pests, Impacts on Weeds, Impacts on Integrated Pest Management, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Change Mitigation, and A Road Map Ahead. The book is extensively illustrated with excellent photographs, which enhance the quality of publication. It is clearly written, using easy-to-understand language. It also provides adoptable recommendations involving eco-friendly adaptation and mitigation measures. This book will be of immense value to the scientific community involved in teaching, research and extension activities. The material can also be used for teaching post-graduate courses. It will also serve as a very useful reference source for policy makers.

This book covers a variety of topics regarding environmental practices in our day-to-day lives, as well as topics concerning sustainable development as a broader concept embracing ecological, social, and economic aspects to improve the quality of life for people around the world. Starting with the traditional controversy between the neoclassical economy and sustainable economy, which may be overcome by scientific progress due to more intensive scientific studies of the sustainability paradigm, the book proceeds to discuss various problems and challenges regarding environmental protection and sustainable development in different countries and on different continents. This includes analyses of recent, sometimes fatal mining disasters in South and North America, challenges and opportunities for rural development in Africa and Australia, an exploration of the role of women for sustainable development in Palestine, water safety and water security issues in Asia and Australia, the environmental exploitation of popular tourism destinations like Acapulco, and deforestation in Malaysia, suggesting innovative approaches to turn challenges into opportunities to effectively tackle these problems. Other topics addressed involve sustainable energy creation for future generations, a research survey among Romanian students on sustainable consumption behavior, validity testing for a heat transfer model in a greenhouse, and a case study on sustainability risk management practices at Malaysia's environmentally sensitive companies. The book closes with an examination of highly digitalized Smart Cities as a potentially valuable complement to conventional urban and rural lifestyles in connection with achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This book provides extensive and comprehensive knowledge to researchers and academics who work on strontium contaminated areas. Topics covered include impact on plants and environment, as well as remediation strategies. This book will inform graduate and undergraduate students who are specializing in radioecology, especially strontium uptake via soil to plants, safe disposal of strontium waste, remediation legacies and impact of strontium waste material on the natural and manmade environment. A broad overview of reviews is provided covering a number of original publications on strontium plant uptake, including case studies that present the latest technological developments and future trends for investigating strontium mobility in soil and treatment of strontium contaminated areas.

This book describes the huge efforts by the Chinese Government concerning the restoration and future sustainable management of Chinese water systems. It presents the results of a Sino-European joint project concerning the Songhuajiang-Liaohe River Basin (SLRB) in Northeast China conducted by the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences (CRAES), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Germany, and the Natural Environment Research Council as represented by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), UK. The book explains in great detail the development of risk assessment and corresponding management methods for (i) controlling water pollution, (ii) assessing river health and ecological restoration options, (iii) characterizing persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and (iv) protecting fragile groundwater resources. It also describes the implemented demonstration sites of SLRB during the project course as well as lessons learnt on efficient project management and the dissemination of knowledge and technologies.