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Books > Earth & environment > The environment > Pollution & threats to the environment
This book offers a concrete contribution towards a better understanding of climate change communication. It ultimately helps to catalyse the sort of cross-sectoral action needed to address the phenomenon of climate change and its many consequences. There is a perceived need to foster a better understanding of what climate change is, and to identify approaches, processes, methods and tools which may help to better communicate it. There is also a need for successful examples showing how communication can take place across society and stakeholders. Addressing the challenges in communicating to various audiences and providing a platform for reflections, it showcases lessons learnt from research, field projects and best practices in various settings in various different countries. The acquired knowledge can be adapted and applied to other situations.
This book introduces readers to the development of novel optical biosensors for environmental analysis. Environmental pollution has now become a serious problem, which threatens the health of human beings. Traditional analytical methods have a number of drawbacks, such as the need for professional operators and complicated instruments. After millions of years of evolution, biomolecules can perform various functions with good accuracy and efficiency due to their unique structures, offering a viable alternative to traditional methods. This work focuses on using new biological sensing strategies, e.g. those based on special biomaterials, bio-reactions or living cells, to establish novel biosensors. As these biosensors offer satisfactory optical response performance, they can be used to transform the recognition behavior of specific targets into optical signals and effectively detect target objects.
A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing Latin America and the Caribbean-from the tip of South America to the Windward Islands. Snowy Andean peaks. Steaming Brazilian rainforest. Lush tropical islands. Few regions on Earth are as diverse or spectacular as Latin America and the Caribbean. And few are as threatened by expanding populations, industrial pollutants, and unsustainable farming methods. Latin America and the Caribbean, a new title in the World Environments series, explores the environmental problems facing our hemispheric neighbors. Home to the longest-mountain range, largest river, and greatest rainforest on Earth, no region on Earth boasts greater geographic extremes, faces greater environmental dangers, and enjoys more economic potential from its biodiversity than Latin America and the Caribbean. What are the political and economic factors affecting the Amazon's rapidly disappearing rainforest? What is being done to harvest life-saving drugs from the plants of the Orinoco? And what lies behind the mysterious disappearance of Central America's frogs? With essays, chronologies, biographies, and directory of organizati
Climate change cannot be fully understood or effectively mitigated without considering its ethical aspects. This volume brings together recent journal articles, written by eminent experts in the field, to illuminate the ethics of climate change and the related questions of justice. The editor has selected works that explore the themes of environmental philosophy, duties and responsibilities, intergenerational justice, international equity, cosmopolitanism, human rights, individual obligations and climate policy. With an original introduction by the editor, this volume is an essential resource for scholars, students, activists and policymakers.
In its 27th edition the conference on Air Pollution continues to produce valuable research on issues related to the modelling, monitoring and management of air pollution. The papers included in this book continue a wide ranging collection of high quality research works that develop the fundamental science of air pollution. Air pollution issues remain one of the most challenging problems facing society. The scientific knowledge derived from well-designed studies needs to be allied with further technical and economic studies in order to ensure cost effective and efficient mitigation. Increasingly, it is being recognised that the outcome of such research needs to be contextualised within well formulated communication strategies that help policy makers and citizens to understand and appreciate the risks and rewards arising from air pollution management. Details of the wide spread nature of the air pollution phenomena and in depth explorations of their impacts on human health and the environment are covered in this book. Topics covered include: Air pollution modelling; Aerosols and particles; Air pollutant emission studies; Air quality health effects; Indoor air pollution; Air data quality; Air pollution control technologies; Industrial air pollution; Climate change effects; Emerging pollutants; Air pollution management, policy and legislation.
Since the first works introducing the aluminum intercalated clay family in the early 1970s, interest in the synthesis of pillared interlayered clays has increased tremendously, especially research into the properties and applications of new synthesis methods. The need for solids that could be used as cracking catalysts with larger pores than zeolitic materials has spurred the synthesis of new porous materials from clays. Pillared Clays and Related Catalysts reviews the properties and applications of pillared clays and other layered materials used as catalysts, focusing on: the acidity of pillared clays and the effect it has on catalytic performance the use of pillared clays as supports for catalytically active phases, and the use of the resulting solids in environmentally friendly reactions the applications of the selective reduction of NOx the comparison between the reactions of pillared clays and anionic clays.
This compendium contains a collection of key papers from the
journal "Energy Policy," offering a valuable reference point on the
role of flexibility mechanisms in the mitigation of climate change.
Originally published between December 1999 and August 2001, all of
these articles concern particular aspects of the Kyoto mechanisms
or variations on the theme of flexibility that have evolved
elsewhere.
This book presents the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use and land cover in the central Tibetan Plateau during the last two decades, based on various types of satellite data, long-term field investigation and GIS techniques. Further, it demonstrates how remote sensing can be used to map and characterize land use, land cover and their dynamic processes in mountainous regions, and to monitor and model relevant biophysical parameters. The Tibetan Plateau, the highest and largest plateau on the Earth and well known as "the roof of the world," is a huge mountainous area on the Eurasian continent and covers millions of square kilometers, with an average elevation of over 4000 m. After providing an overview of the background and an introduction to land use and land cover change, the book analyzes the current land use status, dynamic changes and spatial distribution patterns of different land-use types in the study area, using various types of remotely sensed data, digital elevation models and GIS spatial analysis methods to do so. In turn, it discusses the main driving forces, based on the main physical environment variables and socioeconomic data, and provides a future scenario analysis of land use change using a Markov chain model. Given its scope, it provides a valuable reference guide for researchers, scientists and graduate students working on environmental change in mountainous regions around the globe, and for practitioners working at government and non-government agencies.
Climate Change: Alternate Governance Policy for South Asia provides an assessment of climate change issues through the socioeconomic lens of one of the world's poorest, most populous regions. Although climate change is a global issue, localized solutions have become increasingly necessary to address political, economic and cultural factors in underdeveloped regions. Identifying successes, gaps and shortcomings in existing policies and regional laws relating to climate change, this book evaluates the sustainability of current practices, examining mitigation strategies and suggesting a comprehensive, innovative model of sustainable policies and governance strategy specific to the region. While the book approaches climate change, policy and mitigation from a regionally-focused standpoint, it has an underlying philosophy of Think Global, Act Local, making it universally applicable to anyone interested in climate change and its effects.
This thesis investigates the combustion chemistry of cyclohexane, methylcyclohexane, and ethylcyclohexane on the basis of state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation photoionization mass spectrometry experiments, quantum chemistry calculations, and extensive kinetic modeling. It explores the initial decomposition mechanism and distribution of the intermediates, proposes a novel formation mechanism of aromatics, and develops a detailed kinetic model to predict the three cycloalkanes' combustion properties under a wide range of conditions. Accordingly, the thesis provides an essential basis for studying much more complex cycloalkanes in transport fuels and has applications in engine and fuel design, as well as emission control.
This book aims to provide a comprehensive picture of UK and EC pollution regulation. Although written by a lawyer,it adopts an interdisciplinary approach to regulation, which seeks to move beyond the sociological and economic frameworks within which pollution regulation has typically been analysed in the UK. The UK and EC regulatory systems are examined within the context of 'regulatory federalism'. The aim of this is to explore how and why regulatory decisions concerning pollution are taken at different levels of a federal regulatory hierarchy. The book begins with a discussion of the essentials of pollution regulation, including traditional economic justifications for regulation and non-economic ones based on environmental ethics. It goes on to examine subsidiarity and the appropriate level for regulation - a particularly topical issue in the light of recent devolution within the UK. Models of regulatory decision-making are then addressed, comparing the rigours of 'ecologism' with the cost-benefit based alternative of 'economism' and the more participatory style of 'republicanism'. Other chapters include a comparison of the various regulatory techniques in terms of the values of accountability, equality, certainty, efficiency and effectiveness, and an examination of regulatory enforcement, covering issues such as accountability for enforcement decisions, corporate liability, strict liability and a critical analysis of the so-called 'co-operative' approach. CONTENTS 1 Regulatory Essentials 2 Privatisation, Liberalisation and Deregulation 3 Choosing the Level: Regulation and Federalism 4 The Institutional Legitimacy of Pollution Regulation 5 Deciding Regulatory Goals 6 Regulatory Techniques 7 Enforcement I: Enforcing National Command-and-control 8 Enforcement II: Enforcing EC Regulation, and Alternative Instruments 9 Pollution Regulation and Growth
A concise yet thorough overview of the environmental issues, problems, and controversies facing the world's largest and most populous continent-Asia. Asia tackles the tough issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies surrounding the environment of this vast landmass. This volume encompasses everything from economics, land use, energy and transportation, to air pollution, rivers and lakes, oceans, and species and habitat protection. In Malaysia, unchecked discharges of industrial waste and human sewage led the government to label 42 of its rivers officially "dead." According to some estimates, Southeast Asia alone accounts for more than half of the world's total transport of sediment to the oceans. In the Philippines, the Chico River dam project, which would have subjected 100,000 tribespeople to relocation, was canceled when the World Bank withdrew funding after fierce resistance from the indigenous people. This fascinating book offers a comprehensive look at how the most populated continent on earth contends with its complicated environment. Interesting sidebar articles, tables and figures, and photographs Overview maps of the continent and a listing of environment-related organizations on the Internet
This book provides a unique and comprehensive assessment of the changes that have been taking place in the Himalayas. It describes in detail all the aspects of change, both natural and cultural, along with their implications, and suggests policy measures to help mitigate them. The book is divided into two major sections - on natural changes and cultural changes - and 11 chapters: an introduction, six addressing changes that concern natural aspects, and four exploring cultural changes and presenting the book's conclusions. The content is based on a study conducted using a participatory observation/empirical method. Time series data from secondary sources is also included, helping to analyze the various changes. The findings are presented in the form of color graphs, models, maps, photographs, and tables. The book offers a valuable resource for policymakers, and will prove equally useful for all other stakeholders, e.g. researchers, students and development agents.
This book brings out the innovations in textile wet or chemical processing to alleviate the environmental impacts arising from this sector. The major challenge in the textiles and fashion sector is that it requires a massive sustainable innovation to mitigate the huge environmental impacts arising from chemical or wet processing. This book also discusses innovations in eco-friendly methods for textile wet processes and applications of enzymes in textiles.
Chemistry is considered to be one of the prime causes of environmental pollution and degradation. The United Nations General Assembly also addressed the environmental challenges in its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been adopted in 2015. A closer look shows that to meet these goals chemistry will play an important role. Green chemistry encompasses design and synthesis of environmentally benign chemical processes, green approaches to minimize and/or remediate environmental pollution, the development of biomaterials, biofuel, and bioenergy production, biocatalysis, and policies and ethics in green chemistry. When products in use today become waste, we need to treat that waste so that hazardous substances are not re-circulated into new products. In this context, circular economy is also an important point of discussion, which focuses on recycling, reuse and use of renewable sources. The theme of the International Conference on "Green Chemistry in Environmental Sustainability & Chemical Education (ICGC-2016) held in Delhi from 17-18 November 2016 was to discuss the emerging green trends in the direction of sustainability and environmental safety. ICGC-2016 consisted of keynote, plenary and invited lectures, panel discussion, contributed oral papers and poster presentations. The conference provided a platform for high school students, undergraduate and postgraduate students, teaching fraternity and young researchers to interact with eminent scientists and academicians from all over the world who shared their valuable views, experience and research on the harmonious methods in chemistry for a sustainable environment. This volume of proceedings from the conference provides an opportunity for readers to engage with a selection of refereed papers that were presented during the ICGC-2016 conference. The overarching goal of this book is to discuss most recent innovations and concerns in green chemistry as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted to remediate a scathed environment into a pristine one. It includes an extensive variety of contributions from participants of ICGC-2016 that demonstrate the importance of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to problem solving within green chemistry and environmental management. The proceedings is thus a green chemistry monograph resulting from the fruitful deliberations in the conference, which will deeply enhance awareness about our responsibility towards the environment.
Britain's supremacy in the nineteenth century depended in large part on its vast deposits of coal. This coal not only powered steam engines in factories, ships, and railway locomotives but also warmed homes and cooked food. As coal consumption skyrocketed, the air in Britain's cities and towns became filled with ever-greater and denser clouds of smoke. In this far-reaching study, Peter Thorsheim explains that, for much of the nineteenth century, few people in Britain even considered coal smoke to be pollution. To them, pollution meant miasma: invisible gases generated by decomposing plant and animal matter. Far from viewing coal smoke as pollution, most people considered smoke to be a valuable disinfectant, for its carbon and sulfur were thought capable of rendering miasma harmless. Inventing Pollution examines the radically new understanding of pollution that emerged in the late nineteenth century, one that centered not on organic decay but on coal combustion. This change, as Peter Thorsheim argues, gave birth to the smoke-abatement movement and to new ways of thinking about the relationships among humanity, technology, and the environment.
The book principally addresses climate change and describes the remedial strategies for developing countries based on the 'Clean Development Mechanism' of the 'Kyoto Protocol'. It provides a very comprehensive account of the array of proposals and economic instruments devised by the international community - including the Joint Implementation and Emissions Trading initiatives of the Protocol - to abate global warming. The effects of other major atmospheric, land and water pollutants from industries and domestic sources are also covered.
When it comes to the environment, Europe is a land of contrasts. The countries of the West have some of the most vigorous anti-pollution laws and some of the most energetic environmental parties in the world. The countries of the East, saddled with the legacy of a communist system that emphasized economic production over environmental protection, host some of the most ecologically devastated landscapes on the planet. What does the future hold for this ancient continent's environment? issues, the complex problems, and the political controversies surrounding the continent's checkered environmental past, complicated present and uncertain future. The book looks at the catastrophes - in January 2000, a massive spill of cyanide and heavy metals from a gold mining operation in Romania destroyed all biological life in the Tisza, Hungary's second biggest river. The poisons travelled 1000 kilometres through Hungary and Yugoslavia where they wreaked havoc on the Danube. It also examines the progress - European society has shown a greater interest in renewable energy technologies than most other industrialized regions in the last 30 years. Serving as a blueprint for the future, as well as a roadmap of the past, this work offers a look at Europe's ecological history.
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 focuses on the role of higher education institutions in addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges, contributing to the development of this fast-growing field. Further, it includes the results of empirical research and offers ideas regarding on-going and future research initiatives. The contributions also * showcase the research and projects on issues pertaining to climate change at universities from across the globe; * document and promote ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of research projects, especially successful initiatives and best practices; and * introduce methodological approaches and projects that offer a better understanding of climate change across society and economic sectors. The book is structured around two parts: lessons learned from climate change research, education, studies and projects. Each part focuses on mitigation and adaptation respectively, with many responses of the two modalities overlapping. This book is a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners in the fields of environment, human geography, business and economics, as well as academics and students, as it presents education, communication and awareness-raising projects on matters related to climate change at universities in both industrialised and developing countries, often in cooperation with government bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders.
This book focuses on managing risks and building resilience to climate change, showcasing experiences from research, field projects and best practices to foster climate change adaptation in Eastern Europe that can be implemented elsewhere. Climate change affects countries in Eastern Europe, i.e. the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe in a variety of ways. Apart from severe floods, there are reports of decreasing water reserves in the southern regions, and of gradual changes in biodiversity and agricultural production. In the South Caucasus area, for instance, climate change models project a decline in precipitation and suggest that it will continue to become drier this century. Many Eastern European countries, especially the non-EU ones, have weak national climate policies, and transboundary collaborations, as well as limited public engagement in matters related to climate change. As a result, climate change poses a serious threat to their economic stability and development and to the sustainable development of the region. The above state of affairs illustrates the need for a better understanding of how climate change influences Eastern Europe, and for the identification of processes, methods and tools that may help the countries and the communities in the region to adapt. There is also a perceived need to showcase successful examples of how to cope with the social, economic and political problems posed by floods/droughts in the region, especially ways of increasing the resilience of agriculture systems and of communities. Addressing this need, the book presents papers written by scholars, social practitioners and members of government agencies involved in research and/or climate change projects in Eastern Europe. |
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