Anthropogenic influences to the earth's system, including the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, cryosphere and lithosphere, represent a serious challenge to our planet's ecosystems and natural environments. Bioclimatology, hydrology, bio-hydrology and eco-physiology are important scientific research areas with wide application to environmental protection, forestry, agriculture and water management, and protection against natural hazards including droughts, floods, windstorms, weather extremes, and wild fires. Bioclimatology helps to better understand the causes and impacts of natural hazards and how to prevent them. Improved knowledge of natural hazards is a vital prerequisite for the implementation of integrated resource management. It provides a useful framework for combating current climate variability and for adapting to ongoing climate change.

This book presents research on the interactions between meteorological, climatological, hydrological and biological processes in the atmospheric and terrestrial environment. It highlights a spectrum of topics associated with climate change and weather extremes and their impact on different economic sectors. The contributing authors come from renowned scientific research institutions and universities and specialise in issues of climate change, soil-plant-atmosphere interactions, hydrologic cycle, ecosystems, biosphere, and natural hazards.

This book looks at the principal consequences of climate change and its possible impact on conflict and security. It clarifies the impact of climate change on natural resources, on the frequency and expansion of natural disasters, and, as a consequence, the repercussions that can be foreseen on environmentally-induced migration.

Following release to the environment, synthetic chemicals may be degraded by biotic and abiotic processes. The degradation of the chemical can follow a plethora of pathways and a range of other substances can be formed via thesedifferentpathways(e.g.[1]).Anumberoftermshavebeenusedforthese substances including metabolites, degradates and transformation products - in this book we use the term transformation products. While we often know a lot about the environmental properties and effects of the parent synthetic chemical, we know much less about the transformationproducts. Transformationproductscanbehave very differently fromtheparent c- pound (e.g. [2]). For example, selected transformation products are much more persistent than their associated parent compound in soils, waters and sediments andsomemaybetransported aroundthelocal,regionalandglobal environmentstoadifferentextentthantheparentcompound.Transformation products can also have very different toxicities than the parent compound (e.g. [3]) and in some cases transformation products can be orders of mag- tude more toxic than their parent compound; although this situation is rare. The environmental risks of transformation products can therefore be very different than the risks of the parent compound. Thepotentialenvironmentalimpactsoftransformationproductsarerec- nised by many regulatory assessment schemes. For example, in the EU, pes- cideproducersarenotonlyrequiredtoassessthefateandeffectsoftheparent pesticide but are also required to assess the potential adverse effects of major metabolitesandminor metabolitesthat aredeemed tobeofconcern[4]. S- ilar requirements also exist for new human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and biocides (e.g. [5]). However, for many older substances and many other substance classes (e.g. industrial chemicals), data on the environmental risks of transformationproductscan be limited or non-existent.

Climate change is an issue in which every human being on the planet is a potential stakeholder. Therefore, equity and ethical considerations have an important role to play in determining a climate change response strategy that will prevent the worst case scenario. In this context, the authors of this important new book attempt to provide a better understanding of the practical and analytical issues surrounding climate change negotiations. Each of the chapters reflects on an issue linked to the concepts of ethics, equity and climate change such as economics, morality, politics, rights and law, philosophy, and atmospheric science. The authors, who come from a diverse range of national, disciplinary and sectoral backgrounds, advance pragmatic policy suggestions to enhance international negotiations on climate change and highlight the value of considering more humanistic aspects in the negotiation process. Greenhouse gas emissions are widely considered to be the ultimate environmental externality and consequently an issue of great contemporary concern. This insightful and original treatment of the important issues will be welcomed by climate change negotiators, policymakers, and economic, environmental and social researchers. It will also be of interest to anyone who believes that the negotiation process may benefit from a more deep-rooted shift in social attitudes and beliefs.

This collection of contributions from a diverse group of prominent international scientists and policy makers brings together their in-depth analyses and innovative ideas about how to resolve the 'energy for development' predicament. It includes studies quantifying the role of energy in socioeconomic development, analysis of the interplay between supranational and national institutions in policy implementation, the energy implications of demographic trends such as urbanisation, and exploration of supply-side issues such as the potential role of nuclear energy and 'cleaning' fossil fuel energy generation through carbon capture.

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 about the Mekong Delta presents a unique collection of state-of-the-art contributions by international experts from different scientific disciplines about the characteristics and pressing water-related challenges of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. The Mekong Delta belongs to one of the areas, which are to expect the largest challenges concerning environmental change and climate change induced sea level rise . The Delta acts as the "rice bowl" of Southeast Asia and is home to over 17 Million people, who need to cope with ecologic as well as socio-economic changes linked to the rapid economic development of the country. Annual floods, severe droughts, salt water intrusion, degrading water quality, tropical cyclones, hydrologic changes due to hydropower projects in the upstream of the Mekong, coastal erosion, and the loss of biodiversity are some of the problems in the region. Heterogeneous resource management responsibilities, and the fact that the Mekong - and thus also the Delta - is influenced by six countries aggravate the situation. Integrated water resources management and fostered cooperation and information exchange are pressing needs for the sustainable development of the Delta.

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 provides a mathematical introduction to the theory of large-scale ocean circulation. It is accessible for readers with an elementary knowledge of mathematics and physics, including continuum mechanics and solution methods for ordinary differential equations.

At the end of each chapter several exercises are formulated. Many of these are aimed to further develop methodological skills and to get familiar with the physical concepts. New material is introduced in only a few of these exercises. Fully worked out answers to all exercises can be downloaded from the book 's web site.

South America is a unique place where a number of past climate archives are ava- able from tropical to high latitude regions. It thus offers a unique opportunity to explore past climate variability along a latitudinal transect from the Equator to Polar regions and to study climate teleconnections. Most climate records from tropical and subtropical South America for the past 20,000 years have been interpreted as local responses to shift in the mean position and intensity of the InterTropical Conv- gence Zone due to tropical and extratropical forcings or to changes in the South American Summer Monsoon. Further South, the role of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds on global climate has been highly investigated with both paleodata and coupled climate models. However the regional response over South America during the last 20,000 years is much more variable from place to place than pre- ously thought. The factors that govern the spatial patterns of variability on millennial scale resolution are still to be understood. The question of past natural rates and ranges of climate conditions over South America is therefore of special relevance in this context since today millions of people live under climates where any changes in monsoon rainfall can lead to catastrophic consequences.

Despite having been published about two years ago for the first time, the continuous demand for this book encouraged me to prepare this revised and enlarged edition. Many parts of the text have been rewritten, type errors traced and corrected, and the bibliography largely modified to include many of the references published about the subject of soil pollution in the previous ten years. I should like to express my thanks to the staff of Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, for their cooperative efforts in preparing this edition. I also would like to thank Mr. Michael Sidwell (B.A.) for the extreme but characteristic care with which he read and revised the proofs. I hope that, in this new edition, the book may continue to serve the needs of students and professionals alike interested in the subject of soil pollution. Ibrahim A. Mirsal Preface to the First Edition Whoever has enjoyed following the legendary duel between the Egyptian Pharaoh and his magicians (Alchemists) on one side, and Moses and his brother Aaron on the other, as is vividly narrated in the Bible, must have realised that people (at least those living at, or near the eternal battlefields of the Middle East) have always had knowledge about the terrible consequences of soil pollution by chemicals. This knowledge must have existed long before Moses and his Pharaoh. Nobody knows when people became aware of this, yet it must have been born in very early times, reaching back to the dawn of human conscious.

Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology publishes authoritative reviews on the occurrence, effects, and fate of pesticide residues and other environmental contaminants. It will keep you informed of the latest significant issues by providing in-depth information in the areas of analytical chemistry, agricultural microbiology, biochemistry, human and veterinary medicine, toxicology, and food technology.

This comprehensive handbook provides a unique overview of the theory, methodologies and best practices in climate change communication from around the world. It fosters the exchange of information, ideas and experience gained in the execution of successful projects and initiatives, and discusses novel methodological approaches aimed at promoting a better understanding of climate change adaptation. Addressing a gap in the literature on climate change communication and pursuing an integrated approach, the handbook documents and disseminates the wealth of experience currently available in this field. Volume 1 of the handbook provides a unique description of the theoretical basis and of some of the key facts and phenomena which help in achieving a better understanding of the basis of climate change communication, providing an essential basis for successful initiatives in this complex field.

This book investigates the multifaceted nature of change in today's Nordic Arctic and the necessary research and policy development required to address the challenges and opportunities currently faced by this region. It focuses its attention on the recent efforts of the Nordic community to create specialized Centers of Excellence in Arctic Research in order to facilitate this process of scientific inquiry and policy articulation. The volume seeks to describe both the steps that lead to this decision and the manner in which this undertaking as evolved. The work highlights the research efforts of the four Centers and their investigations of a variety of issues including those related to ecosystem and wildlife management, the revitalization resource dependent communities, the emergence of new climate-born diseases and the development of adequate modeling techniques to assist northern communities in their efforts at adaptation and resilience building. Major discoveries and insights arising from these and other efforts are detailed and possible policy implications considered. The book also focuses attention on the challenges of creating and supporting multidisciplinary teams of researchers to investigate such concerns and the methods and means for facilitating their collaboration and the integration of their findings to form new and useful perspectives on the nature of change in the contemporary Arctic. It also provides helpful consideration and examples of how local and indigenous communities can be engaged in the co-production of knowledge regarding the region. The volume discusses how such research findings can be best communicated and shared between scientists, policymakers and northern residents. It considers the challenges of building common concern not just among different research disciplines but also between bureaucracies and the public. Only when this bridge-building effort is undertaken can true pathways to action be established.

This book gives a comprehensive overview of our present understanding of the Earth's cryosphere, its changes and their consequences for mean sea level changes. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been an increase of sea level height by 20-25 cm. Some 8-10 cm of this is due to net losses from glaciers, the remainder being due to mass losses from land ice and thermal expansion of the oceans. The mean sea level rise is slowly accelerating; at present it is some 3 mm/year. Recent space observations made by the GRACE satellite combined with ocean temperature and volume measurements have enabled the separate contributions to sea level rise from melting ice and from thermal expansion to be better estimated. The estimation of mean sea level change is complicated by changes in land level due to tectonic effects and to ongoing changes following the latest major glaciation. The book gives an up-to-date survey of our present knowledge of this crucial subject.

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.

These days human beings have a profound influence on aspects of the planetary ecosystem, e.g. on climate change and biodiversity, to name only two. This manual is intended to help practitioners, who are dealing with human-based rural and urban settlement-ecosystems, in the key steps towards their realization (design, implementation, and operation) and helpful for all, who are concerned about ensuring their practical sustainability. The ecosystem-approach is holistic and integrative, encompassing various disciplines like architecture, landscape architecture, environmental engineering, social sciences, life sciences, ecology, and management. It also considers issues such as energy-savings, ecological cycles, reuse, natural resources, socio-cultural background, real participation, and holistic quality management. Thus it not only explains the general concept, the steps of realization and the respective involved stakeholders, but also gives hints and tools for practitioners. The information, recommendations and tools are directed to the following target groups, among others: * Local planning authorities (giving hints for the procedure and the involved stakeholders) * Designers (holistic approach, procedures, tools) * Regulatory bodies, licensing and financing authorities (requirements for approach and procedures) * Construction and implementing firms and institutions (recommendations, tools) * Operating bodies (hints for operation, tools) The experiences are based on a joint German-Ghanaian program at Valley View University, the biggest private university in Ghana, intended to help realize the vision of a truly holistic ecological university. It was financed originally by the German Ministry of Education and Research and recently by the German Ministry for the Environment in the frame of the Climate Change Initiative of the Federal Government of Germany.

This book discusses the agency and responsibility of individuals in climate change, and argues that these are underemphasized, enabling individuals to maintain their consumptive lifestyles without having to accept moral responsibility for their luxury emissions.

Aviation is integral to the global economy but it is also one of the main obstacles to environmentally sustainable development. It is one of the world's fastest growing - and most polluting - industries. What can be done to retain the economic and other benefits it brings, without the associated pollution, noise, congestion and loss of countryside? In this volume, industry, policy and research experts examine how to address the problems, and what it would take to achieve genuinely sustainable aviation - looking at technological, policy and demand-management options. Without far-reaching changes the problems caused by aviation can only multiply and worsen. This work seeks to take an important step in diagnosing the problems and in pointing towards their solutions.

Climate change brings about a new set of major economic risks arising from changing weather patterns, extreme weather events and rising sea levels. Most at risk are developing countries who, despite considerable post-disaster donor aid, have been bearing the major brunt of disaster-related losses. One adaptation solution that is rapidly gaining the support of countries and international donors is a risk transfer to the global reinsurance and capital markets. This volume, a special issue of the journal Climate Policy, explores the role that insurance-based mechanisms can play in helping developing countries prepare for climate change. It offers a unique and comprehensive perspective on the potential role of insurance solutions in global adaptation to climate change and attempts to engender debate on the role of insurance in reducing global emissions and encouraging climate-friendly corporate behaviour.

This book is about African and Asian cities. Illustrated through selected case cities, the book brings together a rich collection of papers by leading scholars and practitioners in Africa and Asia to offer empirical analysis and up-to-date discussions and assessments of the urban challenges and solutions for their cities. A number of key topics concerning housing, sustainable urban development and climate change in Africa and Asia are explored along with how policy interventions and partnerships deliver specific forms of urban development. It is intended for all who are interested in the state of the cities and urban development in Africa and Asia. Africa and Asia present, in many ways, useful lessons in dealing with the burgeoning urban population, and the problems surrounding this influx of people and climate change in the developing word.

This book is a translation of the French book "Pollution atmospherique. Des p- cessus a la modelisation", published by Springer France (2007). The content is mainly derived from a course devoted to air pollution I taught at Ecole nationale des ponts et chaussees (ENPC; one of the foremost French high schools, at ParisTech Institute of Technology and University Paris-Est) during the decade 1997-2006. This book has of course been deeply in uenced by my research activity at CEREA, the Teaching and Research Center for Atmospheric Envir- ment, a joint laboratory between ENPC and the Research and Development Di- sion of Electricite de France (EDF R&D), that I created and then headed from 2002 to 2007. I want to thank many of my colleagues for discussions, help and review. Thanks to Vivien Mallet for his careful review, his availability and his pieces of advice (both for the content and the form of this book). Thanks to Marc Bocquet, Karine Sartelet- Kata, Irene Korsakissok for their help in reviewing chapters. I want also to thank a few colleagues for having provided me illustrations from their research work. Thanks to Bastien Albriet, Marc Bocquet, Edouard Debry, Irene Korsakissok, H- sein Malakooti, Denis Quelo, Yelva Roustan, Karine Sartelet, Christian Seigneur and Marilyne Tombette. Thanks also to the American family, Celine and Julien, for their review of the introduction.

which successfully passed the QA-process (i.e., met the Data Quality Objectices) were included into the TFS-central data bank. The following summary of major results obtained in TFS would not have been possible without the contribution of many experimentalists and modellers participating in this project. I would like to thank these colleagues for their support. All participants are grateful for the financial support by the BMBF and for the assistance by the Projekttragerschaft (UKF-GSF-Miinchen). Garmisch-Partenkirchen, WOLFGANG SEILER February 2002 DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A MESOSCALE MODEL HIERARCHY FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND FORECAST OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF POLLUTANTS OVER GERMANY AND EUROPE Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 42: 5-22, 2002. 5 (c) 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers. An Empirical, Receptor-Based Procedure for Assessing the Effect of Different Ozone Mitigation Strategies WOLFGANG FRICKE, WINFRIED VANDERSEE and STEFAN GILGE Deutscher Wetterdienst, Meteorologisches Observatorium, Albin-Schwaiger-Weg 10, D-82383 Hohenpeissenberg, Germany, e-mail: [email protected] (Received: 6 November 2000; in final form: 29 May 2(01) Abstract. The paper presents a new receptor-based approach for investigating the effect of differ- ent mitigation strategies on surface ozone concentrations. The empirical approach relates measured ozone concentrations to 3-D back trajectories and European precursor emission data (NOx, VOC, isoprene). These are the only parameters used as input. Following a description of the method, results for two German stations, an urban and a rural mountain site, are described, and discussed in detail.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop "Environmental Protection Against Radioactive Pollution" was held in Almaty on September 16-19, 2002. Experts from Azerbaijan, Denmark, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Norway, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Ukraine, USA, Uzbekistan and the IAEA have participated and made presentations. The Workshop was organized parallel to the "2nd Eurasia Conference on Nuclear Science and its Application" held in Almaty on September 16-19, 2002 that was organized by Institute of Nuclear Physics of Kazakhstan with Turkish Atomic Energy Authority and National Academy of Science of Azerbaijan, National Academy of Science of Kyrgyzstan, Institute of Nuclear Physics of Uzbekistan. So, the number of participants for the Workshop was rather high. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop generated important interactions and provided a mechanism for scientists of different nations and of varied disciplines to discuss challenges that confront many countries around the world. The reports presented at the Workshop were published in this NATO Science Series. The main directions of the presented reports were as follows; General estimation of the radioactive contamination of the territories and radiation hazardous objects, including former military test sites, areas influenced due to Chernobly and Mayak accidents, and territories of oil fields; Techniques and procedures of radioecological monitoring; Techniques of determination of radionuclide concentrations and its species in the environment.