Although fossil fuels remain the primary global energy source, developing and expanding economies are creating an ever-widening gap between supply and demand. Efficient energy management offers a cost-effective opportunity for both industrialized and developing nations to limit the enormous financial and environmental costs associated with burning fossil fuels. The implication of photovoltaic systems in particular presents the potential for clean and sustainable electrical energy to be generated from an unrestricted source. "Energy Management in Buildings Using Photovoltaics "demonstrates how adopting 'best practices' for energy management and harvesting can reduce the need to construct new generating facilities.

Illustrated with figures, tables and photos, "Energy Management in Buildings Using Photovoltaics" provides an introduction and step by step instructions on designing and planning photovoltaic systems and energy policies for both residential and industrial buildings. With particular focus on the example of provided by European industry, the creation of energy efficient systems is explored including chapters on:

Zero Energy Buildings,

Photovoltaics Technology, and

Connection of the Network

By presenting this topic from basic introduction to highly technical analysis, "Energy Management in Buildings Using Photovoltaics "acts a study guide for postgraduate students as well as a key point of reference for researchers and technical consultants in the field of photovoltaic systems.

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The majority of the world's population live in environments with artificially weakened wind as buildings in urban areas form wind-breaks and reduce wind speeds. Anthropogenic heat is also generated and during the summer dense urban areas suffer from the urban heat island effect, a known urban climate problem. This book discusses how to evaluate the urban wind environment, including ventilation performance and thermal comfort. This book is organized in two parts; Wind Environment and the Urban Environment and Criteria for Assessing Breeze Environments. It includes chapters on sea breeze in urban areas; thermal adaptation and the effect of wind on thermal comfort; health risk of exposures; pollutant transport in dense urban areas; legal regulations for urban ventilation and new criteria for assessing the local wind environment. Keywords: urban wind environments, urban heat island, urban climate, land use change, thermal comfort, risk assessment, urban air pollution, urban ventilation

The use of water for industrial purposes is of foremost importance. It is used as a coolant and industrial activities dealing with power generation, steel and iron, paper and pulp and oil require very large amounts of water. The industry, therefore, resorts to large scale abstraction of water from natural water bodies. This water is often treated with chemicals to combat operational problems like biofouling and corrosion. Such withdrawal and subsequent discharge of large amounts of water have the potential to impart significant impact on the recipient water body. The organisms drawn along with the cooling water, as well as those residing at the discharge zone, are subjected to a combination of mechanical, thermal and chemical stress on a continuous basis.

The Watt Committee on Energy became active in of the effects on buildings, for instance. Proposals the study of Acid Rain during 1982. Perhaps the for action should therefore concentrate on measures only aspect of the subject that has become more that promise a real improvement as a result of certain during the subsequent five years is that the expenditure. expression 'Acid Rain' is used loosely in public The Watt Committee's study of this subject has been in two phases. The first dealt with the nature debate for a complex of industrial and environ mental phenomena. Among these, Acid Rain in the of the problem, and culminated in the publication straightforward meaning of the words-rain and of Watt Committee Report No. 14 in 1984. That perhaps snow having a significantly high level of Report was divided into four sections, each of acidity-is of only limited importance. To represent which was prepared by a sub-group of the working this perspective, therefore, the Watt Committee Ex group: they dealt respectively with the fate of air borne pollution, vegetation and soils, fresh water ecutive decided that the study leading to the present Report should be entitled 'Air Pollution, Acid Rain and remedial strategy. In the second phase, these and the Environment'. sub-groups have brought their sections up-to-date The Watt Committee's interest in Acid Rain and a fifth sub-group was appointed to study arises from the fact that, among its causes, the buildings and non-living materials."

It is the publicity about the Pollutant Release Inventory's data which creates an incentive for firms to achieve emission reductions. Accordingly, public access to environmental information constitutes a core characteristic of the aforementioned inventory. Here, in essence, two facets arise. First, with regard to the collection, it is disputed whether such information, which may comprise confidential commercial and industrial information in the EU as well as trade secrets in the US, can be protected under fundamental and constitutional property rights respectively. Second, in the context of dissemination and utilisation, it is arguable whether the information indeed impacts polluters and produces an outcome that secures a certain level of environmental protection. The author responds to the first issue by taking the EU and US jurisdictions into account and strives to analyse how this novel form of Internet disclosure liberates market mechanisms in the quest for effective and efficient emission reductions.

Our interest in the microbial biodegradation of xenobiotics has increased many folds in recent years to find out sustainable ways for environmental cleanup. Bioremediation and biotransformation processes harness the naturally occurring ability of microbes to degrade, transform or accumulate a wide range of organic pollutants. Major methodological breakthroughs in recent years through detailed genomic, metagenomic, proteomic, bioinformatic and other high-throughput analyses of environmentally relevant microorganisms have provided us unprecedented insights into key biodegradative pathways and the ability of organisms to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The degradation of a wide spectrum of organic pollutants and wastes discharged into the environment by anthropogenic activities is an emerging need today to promote sustainable development of our society with low environmental impact. Microbial processes play a major role in the removal of recalcitrant compounds taking advantage of the astonishing catabolic versatility of microorganisms to degrade or transform such compounds. New breakthroughs in sequencing, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and imaging are generating vital information which opens a new era providing new insights of metabolic and regulatory networks, as well as clues to the evolution of degradation pathways and to the molecular adaptation strategies to changing environmental conditions. Functional genomic and metagenomic approaches are increasing our understanding of the relative importance of different pathways and regulatory networks to carbon flux in particular environments and for particular compounds. New approaches will certainly accelerate the development of bioremediation technologies and biotransformation processes in coming years for natural attenuation of contaminated environments

Pesticides play an important role in controlling pests that carry diseases and threaten crop production. In recent years, however, there has been increased concern about the adverse impacts of pesticides and their degradation products on public health and the environment. A considerable amount of work is being done to develop nonchemical methods of pest control, but it is not yet feasible to dispense with the use of chemical pesticides. Pesticides: Evaluation of Environmental Pollution brings together, in a single volume, current knowledge on environmental pollution caused by pesticides. It helps readers evaluate the effects that pesticide residues have in all compartments of the environment. Featuring contributions by eminent scientists from around the world, the book gives an overview of the fate and transport of pesticides and their degradation in the environment. Detailing the sources, concentration, and hazards of residues, it examines their effects in humans, birds and mammals, fish, soil invertebrates, soil microflora, aquatic invertebrates, water, milk products, and more. The book also addresses endocrine-disrupting pesticides and explores biopesticides as alternatives to chemical pesticides. A review of data on the potential hazards of pesticides, this reference will be of interest to readers working in the areas of chemical crop protection and pollution management. It adds a balanced perspective to the debate between those who think that pesticides should be banned and those who consider the continued use of large quantities to be necessary for the survival of humanity. See also Handbook of Pesticides: Methods of Pesticide Residues Analysis (CRC Press, 2009).

Most publications on heavy metals and the environment have focused on environmental pathways and risks. The present book establishes a link between the environmental risks of heavy metals and the societal causes of the risks. Economic models, substance flow models and environmental fate and risk assessment models have been integrated into a single analytical framework that has been used to trace and understand the routes by which four heavy metals enter the economy, through to their final destination in the environment. The long-term impacts of the current metals management regime in the Netherlands have been used as a case study by which to assess the effectiveness of certain policy measures. Readership: Environmental scientists, especially those practising in the areas of ecological economics, industrial ecology, materials flow accounting and integrated environmental assessment. Environmental policy makers will also find the book an invaluable aid in their deliberations.

This book does not give a prediction of what the efficiency will be of the energy use of industrial processes in the future. However, it does give an exploration of limits to the efficiency of current processes and an indication of what might be achieved if new technologies can be developed. At the Department of Science, Technology and Society of Utrecht University research had been done to the opportunities for improvement of the energy efficiency in the short term since the 1980's. This had resulted in a comprehensive database on energy efficient measures. This database and a possible application are described in Chapter 3 of this book. The use of the database induced new research themes around efficiency improvement, e.g. concerning barriers for implementation of measures. It was around 1993 that I did a preliminary study to the potential for efficiency improvement in the long term. Historical analysis had shown us that the short term potential stayed constant over the years. It seemed to be replenished by the introduction of new technologies. This lead to the question whether there are limits to the efficiency, taking into account both thermodynamic considerations and ideas on the development and dissemination of new technologies.

This book summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge on naturally occurring organohalogens, of which more than 3700 are documented. The chapters cover all aspects of this field, including the structural diversity and sources of organohalogens, the mechanisms for their formation and biodegradation, the clinical use of dichloroacetate, and the synthesis of the powerful anticancer chlorine-containing cryptophycin. Both biogenic and abiogenic sources of organohalogens are treated, the latter of which include volcanic emissions and abiogenic formation in soil. Halogenation in humans, fungi, and in the ocean are covered in separate chapters. Sources and biosynthesis of the relatively rare natural organofluorines are also discussed in this volume. By better understanding of the role nature plays in the area of organohalogens, we can more intelligently regulate the production, use, and disposal of man-made organohalogen compounds.

Biotechnology offers a natural' way of addressing environmental problems, ranging from identification of biohazards to bioremediation techniques for industrial, agricultural and municipal effluents and residues. Biotechnology is also a crucial element in the paradigm of sustainable development'. This collection of 66 papers, by authors from 20 countries spanning 4 continents, addresses many of these issues. The material presented will interest scientists, engineers, and others in industry, government and academia. It incorporates both introductory and advanced aspects of the subject matter, which includes water, air and soil treatment, biosensor and biomonitoring technology, genetic engineering of microorganisms, and policy issues in applying biotechnology to environmental problems. The papers present a variety of aspects ranging from current state-of-the-art research, to examples of applications of these technologies.

Does money blur perspectives for a better life?
Lifting the money veil from our yardsticks of progress, income and wealth, reveals the trade-offs of economic growth. The book presents new indicators of the social, economic and ecological impacts of our lifestyles and production techniques. The indicators help to identify those responsible for these impacts and account for their accountability in terms of environmental and other ("social") costs.
Sustainable development is to bring about long-term prosperity without undermining its natural foundation. For the assessment of the opaque concept we need both, physical impact measures and environmentally modified ("green") indicators of income, capital and output.
Peter Bartelmus opens the dialogue between frequently hostile camps of economists and environmentalists, data producers and users, and scientists and policy makers. Together, they may steer us towards a sustainable future.

The automobile is one of the inventions that has made a decisive contribution to human mobility, and consequently it has become an inseparable part of modern human society. However, it is through this widespread use that its negative impacts on the environment have become so highly visible. Achievements in improving the ecological characteristics of the automobile are highly impressive: a modern car emits only a fraction of the amounts of noise and exhaust pollutants produced by its predecessors 30 years ago. The contributions to this book were written by experts, most of whom have been actively involved in the development of modern automobiles and their combustion engines for more than 30 years. They have participated in all phases of the ecological development of the automobile and summarize their experience and know-how in this book .

Heavy metals can be emitted into environment by both natural and anthropogenic sources, mainly mining and industrial activity. Human exposure occurs through all environmental media. Infants are more susceptible to the adverse effects of exposure. Increasing attention is now being paid to the mental development of children exposed to heavy metals. The purpose of this book is to evaluate the existing knowledge on intellectual impairment in children exposed to heavy metals in their living environment and to identify the research needs in order to obtain a clearer picture of the situation in countries and regions at risk, in which the economy is closely related to metallurgy and heavy metals emission, and to recommend a strategy for human protection. In greater detail the main objectives could be formulated as follows: to review the principal sources of single, and complex mixtures of, heavy metal pollutants in the environment; to identify suitable methodology for chemical analyses in the environment and in humans; to evaluate the existing methods for measuring mental impairment, including their reliability and validity; to recommend a standard testing protocol to be used in future research; to assess the future role of environmental heavy metal pollution in countries and regions at risk and its effects on children's neurological development; to recommend a prevention strategy for protecting children's health and development.

The overall goal in this book is to explain key economic, environmental, technology, and transportation factors that are affecting the provincial and industrial energy intensities and environmental pollution in the People s Republic of China (China). The author defines energy intensity as the energy consumption per unit of output. She concentrates on China, because it is the second largest energy user and pollution generator in the world. In this book, the focus is on the cokemaking sector in the Shanxi Province. Cokemaking is the largest consumer of coal in the region, using more than one-half of the coal consumed there.

Throughout the book, the author stresses the important role of the Shanxi Province in encouraging improvements in energy efficiency and pollution by (1) introducing new coke-oven technologies and (2) encouraging pollution-abatement measures for the older ovens. Economic, environmental, technology, transportation, and social aspects of cokemaking are discussed and the author examines how these factors are affecting the energy intensities and pollution in the Shanxi Province. "

This book publishes detailed scientific review articles on all aspects of environmental contamination and associated toxicological consequences. The book will facilitate the task of accessing and interpreting cogent scientific data. It is likely to be of interest to researchers, resource managers, and policy administrators.

Metals have been vital to human civilization for many thousands of years. Their durability and recyclability should make them ideal materials for a sustainable economy. This book assembles experts from many fields to discuss the conditions and limits of sustainable metals management. The contributors examine the theoretical ideas and goals of sustainability, and apply them across the metal making and trading process.

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.

Heavy-metal contamination is one of the world's major environmental problems, posing significant risks to agro-ecosystems. However, conventional technologies for metal-contaminated soil remediation have often been expensive and disruptive. This book provides comprehensive, state-of-the-art coverage of the natural, sustainable alternatives that use a wide range of biological materials in the removal/detoxification of heavy metals, consequently leading to the improvement of crops in these soils. Novel, environmentally friendly and inexpensive solutions are presented based on a sound understanding of metal contamination and the roles of plants and microbes in the management of these toxic soils. Written by more than forty worldwide experts drawing on their wealth of experience in this field, the book provides not only the necessary scientific background but also addresses the challenging questions that require special attention in order to better understand metal toxicity in soils and its management through bioremediation. This book will be of interest to a wide range of students/researchers/practitioners specializing in the areas of environmental microbiology, soil pollution, sustainable development, crop science, soil biology, and related disciplines. It will be especially useful to anyone engaged in identifying metal-contamination problems and trying to solve them through the application of natural and inexpensive biological materials.

In recent years a boom can be seen in the literature dealing with phytoremediation. This Volume contains detailed explanation of the basic methods where plants are exploited in environmental remediation. The chapters represent an excellent description of the hottest topics in the field of phyto- and rhizoremediation.

The first part of Volume 9 will supply the readers with up-to-date information concerning the necessary theoretical background, both concerning removal of heavy metals from the contaminated environment, and removal, detoxication and even degradation of toxic organic contaminants. Until recently phytoremediation has been discussed mostly in monographs dealing with microbiological remediation methods as a separate chapter, just to illustrate an additional possibility of use of biological systems. This book intends to show especially the importance of cooperation between plant and microorganisms, there is practically no phytoremediation without rhizoremediation. Newest approaches based on methods of molecular biology and genetic engineering are described, as well as plant science achievements. The great advantage of this volume is that the reader will find here in addition to a survey of published data also a lot of original findings, thus supplying an up-to-date review of this quickly developing field of science.

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 textbook and reference fills a critical gap in literature on the comprehensive environmental impacts of industrial organizations. Nineteen chapters examine individual industrial sectors inherent "potential to pollute." The text goes on to analyze new technologies and practices for transforming environmentally degrading effects of industry, and shows how managers can navigate these changes and move their organizations towards long-term environmental sustainability.

Environmental voluntary agreements (VAs) between regulators and polluters are becoming an increasingly relevant environmental policy instrument, thanks to their flexibility and consensual character. These agreements can assume a wide variety of forms and aims. Efficiency conditions and effectiveness in their use depend on their design, rules of implementation and framework conditions.

The book provides a comprehensive economic theory and analysis of environmental voluntary agreements, which takes into account the variety of forms and application situations characterizing this environmental policy instrument. Common methodologies, implementation rules and evaluation criteria for researchers, policy makers and business operators in the use of environmental voluntary agreements are discussed.

Case analysis complements the theoretical analysis. A European and an American approach to VAs are distinguished, and cases in China and Australia are also included. National and sector experiences are investigated in order to consider the full range of applications which the flexibility of VAs allows. Opportunities and risks in the use of VAs are examined. Their evaluation, also in comparison and in conjunction with other policy tools, is performed. VAs are still an instrument in evolution, so the trends in their design and enforcement rules are considered.

The authors are mainly economists and law scholars from Universities, research centers, environmental agencies and international institutions. The book is destined to researchers, scholars and graduate and post-graduate students. Most contributions can be of great interest also for environmental officers in various Public Administration administrative and technical bodies and for environmental managers and consultants.

Transport and mobility are essential parts of the current organization of society. Complex activities are interwoven in such a way that problems occurring from the actual process of constant movement cannot be separated, as they are so tightly interconnected.

This book examines the health effects of transport and mobility by addressing the major issues related to the subject and analyzing their consequences. Thus not only are air pollution, noise, and sedentarism and its related endocrine problems discussed, but topics such as jet-lag, accidents and violent displacement are also addressed. The strength of this book over others in the field lies in its multidisciplinary approach to the issues by a number of experts in different scientific fields who are documenting the health effects of transport and mobility. Moreover, it enhances the understanding of the issues by integrating information from different geographical regions.

Audience: Presented in a comprehensive manner, this book is useful as both grassroots, background information and state-of-the art knowledge to a wide range of readers, including experts and non-experts alike, professionals in both environmental and health sciences, decision-makers, research scientists, journalists, and post-graduate students.

1.1 Life Cycle Assessment (LeA): a fascinating and sophisticated tool The greening of the economy is not a new task, but it is a challenge for which a lot of tasks still have to be done. It is known that the main source of environ mental deterioration by industry is not any more the chimneys and other process related emissions, but the products and services produced. Products are regarded as carriers of polIution: they are not only a potential source of polIution and waste during their use; they are also a cause of resource depletion, energy consumption, and emissions du ring their life starting with the extraction of the raw materials and ending with their disposal (i.e. connecting production and consumption stages). The challenge of these decades is now the greening of products and services. The new focus on products (cp. OosterhuislRubik/ScholI 1996) was introduced as a policy approach of shared responsibility in which different actors are in volved along the life-cycle of a product, each having specific responsibilities."