This book systematically investigates the nitrogen removal characteristics of two screened aerobic denitrifying bacteria and their applications in nitrogen oxides emissions reduction. It reveals that Pseudomonas stutzeri PCN-1 possesses excellent capacity for aerobic nitrogen removal, regardless of whether nitrate, nitrite or N2O were taken as denitrification substrates. It also demonstrates that the rapid N2O reduction is due to the coordinate expression of denitrification genes. Further, the book discusses the bioaugmentation experiments conducted in denitrifying SBR and a pilot-scale Carrousel oxidation ditch, which confirmed that the strain could significantly enhance denitrification performance, reduce N2O emission and improve system stability. The second strain, P.aeruginosa PCN-2 accumulated negligible NO during aerobic nitrate and nitrite removal and efficiently removed NO from flue gas. This study is of great significance for potential applications of aerobic denitrification in mitigating nitrogen oxides emissions from biological nitrogen removal systems.

Glaciers in the Andes are particularly important natural archives of present and past climatic and environmental changes, in significant part because of the N-S trend of this topographic barrier and its influence on the atmospheric circulation of the southern hemisphere. Strong gradients in the seasonality and amount of precipitation exist between the equator and 30 Degrees S. Large differences in amount east and west of the Andean divide also occur, as well as a change from tropical summer precipitation (additionally modified by the seasonal shift of the circulation belts) to winter precipitation in the west wind belt (e. g. , Yuille, 1999; Garraud and Aceituno, 2001). The so-called 'dry axis' lies between the tropical and extra tropical precipitation regimes (Figure 1). The high mountain desert within this axis responds most sensitively to the smallest changes in effective moisture. An important hydro-meteorological feature on a seasonal to inter-annual time-scale is the occurrence of EN SO events, which strongly control the mass balance of glaciers in this area (e. g. , Wagnon et ai. , 2001; Francou et ai. , in press). The precipitation pattern is an important factor for the interpretation of climatic and environmental records extracted from ice cores, because much of this information is related to conditions at the actual time of precipitation, and this is especially so for stable isotope records. Several ice cores have recently been drilled to bedrock in this area. From Huascanin (Thompson et ai. , 1995), Sajama (Thompson et ai.

Carbon Sequestration in Forest Ecosystems is a comprehensive book describing the basic processes of carbon dynamics in forest ecosystems, their contribution to carbon sequestration and implications for mitigating abrupt climate change. This book provides the information on processes, factors and causes influencing carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems. Drawing upon most up-to-date references, this book summarizes the current understanding of carbon sequestration processes in forest ecosystems while identifying knowledge gaps for future research, Thus, this book is a valuable knowledge source for students, scientists, forest managers and policy makers.

A summary of much of the experimental work on the spatial ecology of small mammals. This field has entered an exciting stage with such new techniques as GIS and systems modeling becoming available. Leading contributors describe and analyze the most well-known case studies and provide new insights into how landscape patterns and processes have had an impact on small mammals and how small mammals have, in turn, affected landscape structure and composition.

This book discusses the development, types and application principles of portable air purifiers in China. It analyzes the theoretical characteristics of air purifiers under various operational conditions, and points out that the term "Clean Air Delivery Rate" cannot be used to precisely reflect the problems that occur under various operational conditions. By comparing theoretical and measured data, it highlights the mainfeatures of air purifiers and key points in the design process for different applications. Calculation methods for the indoor particle concentration and the self-purification time are also provided. The book describes the conditions for window opening in smog and for selecting air purifiers, and proposes a newmethod for improvingtheir measurement. In closing, it includes a new assessment index.

Soil organic carbon (SOC), a key component of the global carbon (C) pool, plays an important role in C cycling, regulating climate, water supplies and biodiversity, and therefore in providing the ecosystem services that are essential to human well-being. Most agricultural soils in temperate regions have now lost as much as 60% of their SOC, and as much as 75% in tropical regions, due to conversion from natural ecosystems to agricultural uses and mainly due to continuous soil degradation. Sequestering C can help to offset C emissions from fossil fuel combustion and other C-emitting activities, while also enhancing soil quality and long-term agronomic productivity. However, developing effective policies for creating terrestrial C sinks is a serious challenge in tropical and subtropical soils, due to the high average annual temperatures in these regions. It can be accomplished by implementing improved land management practices that add substantial amounts of biomass to soil, cause minimal soil disturbance, conserve soil and water, improve soil structure, and enhance soil fauna activity. Continuous no-till crop production is arguably the best example. These soils need technically sound and economically feasible strategies to sustainably enhance their SOC pools. Hence, this book provides comprehensive information on SOC and its management in different land-use systems, with a focus on preserving soils and their ecosystem services. The only book of its kind, it offers a valuable asset for students, researchers, policymakers and other stakeholders involved in the sustainable development and management of natural resources at the global level.

This balanced analysis shows that the current Kyoto-Protocol Climate Protection System, and other proposals for improving the commitment system may not be capable of meeting the ultimate objective 'to prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system'. On the other hand, says the author, there is hope that the implementation of Global Climate Certification Systems are a beginning that offers a chance for mankind to prevent dangerous climate change.

As our economic and natural systems continue on their collision course, Bruce Jennings asks whether we have the political capacity to avoid large-scale environmental disaster. Can liberal democracy, he wonders, respond in time to ecological challenges that require dramatic changes in the way we approach the natural world? Must a more effective governance be less democratic and more autocratic? Or can a new form of grassroots ecological democracy save us from ourselves and the false promises of material consumption run amok? Ecological Governance is an ethicist's reckoning with how our political culture, broadly construed, must change in response to climate change. Jennings argues that during the Anthropocene era a social contract of consumption has been forged. Under it people have given political and economic control to elites in exchange for the promise of economic growth. In a new political economy of the future, the terms of the consumptive contract cannot be met without severe ecological damage. We will need a new guiding vision and collective aim, a new social contract of ecological trusteeship and responsibility.

Environmental legislation emphasises the need for industries to control and monitor the environmental impact of their activities and this requires laboratory analysis of pollutants. This practical handbook covers current methods for detecting and monitoring pollution in air, soil and water in the context of legal requirements and industry standards. It provides comprehensive coverage of all the major, broadly applicable methods, from traditional methods to biosensors and remote sensing, giving practical guidance on their use. This text will be a valuable reference for any environmental scientist with an interest in analytical techniques. It is appropriate for MSc and postgraduate courses in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering and Environmental Analytical Chemistry.

This book shows that the problem of climate adaptation, which is described in social planning terms as 'wicked,' is at odds with the contemporary practice of spatial planning. The author proposes a new adjusted framework which is more adaptable to unpredictable, wicked, dynamic and non-linear processes. The inspiration for this new method is the behaviour of swarms: bees, ants, birds and fish are capable of self-organization, which enables the system to become less vulnerable to sudden environmental changes. The framework proposed in Swarm Planning consists of these four elements: Two levels of complexity, the first being the whole system and the second its individual components. Each of these has different attributes for adapting to change. Five layers, consisting of networks, focal points, unplanned space, natural resources and emerging occupation patterns. Each layer has its own spatial dynamic, and each is connected to a spatial scale. Non-linear processes, which emerge in different parts of the framework and include emerging patterns, connectedness and tipping points among others. Two planning processes; the first, 'from small to large' works upward from the slowest changing elements to more rapidly-changing ones. The second, 'on the list of partners' addresses each layer from networks through emerging occupation patterns. Swarm Planning applies this framework to a series of pilot studies, and appraises its performance using criteria for an adaptive landscape. The results show that the use of the Swarm Planning Framework reduces the vulnerability of landscapes as well as the impact of climate hazards and disasters, improves response to unexpected hazards and contains adaptation strategies. "This book is a must for planners in government and the private sector as it outlines the concept, strategies and techniques for swarm planning. It is also an important guide for policymakers looking to engage communities in a dialogue about the adaptation planning process." Professor John Martin, La Trobe University "The ultimate value of the book lies in encouraging the planning community to consider options that go far beyond those offered by business-as-usual planning methodologies developed for a set of operating conditions that are fast becoming obsolete. As such it makes an important and much needed contribution to the field." Assistant Professor Dr. Chrisna du Plessis, University of Pretoria

The book addresses a weakness of current methodologies used in extreme value assessment, i.e. the assumption of stationarity, which is not given in reality. With respect to this issue a lot of new developed technologies are presented, i.e. influence of trends vs. internal correlations, quantitative uncertainty assessments, etc. The book not only focuses on artificial time series data, but has a close link to empirical measurements, in order to make the suggested methodologies applicable for practitioners in water management and meteorology.

This important book examines the economic policies required to reduce carbon dioxide emissions - a major source of pollution throughout the world. It explores the likely impact of environmental taxes on income distribution and economic welfare. The authors consider a tax on domestic fuel and power and a carbon tax, and the likely adverse distribution effects of these on a population. The analysis allows for the direct and indirect effects (through inter-industry transactions) of taxes on prices and consumers' responses to these price changes. The welfare effects are also estimated for a variety of income groups. The authors then evaluate the inequality and social welfare measures and consider whether the distributional effects can be overcome by adjusting transfer payments to compensate lower-income groups. This study examines environmental taxes in Australia with methods which can be applied to other countries, some of which were specifically designed to overcome data limitation problems. Environmental Taxes and Economic Welfare will be of special interest to researchers, academics, policymakers and advisers on taxation and environmental policy.

The adverse consequences of pollution impact on terrestrial ecosystems have been under careful investigation since the beginning of the twentieth century. Several thousand case studies have documented the biotic effects occurring in contaminated areas. However, after more than a century of research, ecologists are still far from understanding the effects of pollution on biota. Only a few generalisations have been made on the basis of extensive monitoring programs and numerous expe- ments with industrial contaminants. The need to reveal general patterns in the responses of terrestrial biota to ind- trial pollution and to identify the sources of variation in these responses became obvious more than a decade ago. At about that time, our team initiated a quanti- tive research synthesis of the biotic effects caused by industrial pollution, based on 1 a meta-analysis of published data. All meta-analyses conducted so far (covering diversity and abundance of soil microfungi, diversity of vascular plants, diversity and abundance of terrestrial arthropods, and plant growth and reproduction) c- sistently showed high heterogeneity in the responses of terrestrial biota to industrial pollution. At the same time, they demonstrated an unexpected shortage of infor- tion suitable for meta-analyses, as well as a considerable influence of methodology of primary studies on the outcome of the research syntheses. To overcome the identified problems, we designed a comparative study, the results of which are reported in this book.

Global climate change - rapid, substantial and human induced - may have radical consequences for life on earth. The problem is a complex one, however, demanding a multi-disciplinary approach. A simple cost-benefit analysis cannot capture the essentials, nor can the issue be reduced to an emissions reduction game, as the Kyoto process tries to do. It is much more sensible to adopt an integrative approach, which reveals that global climate change needs to be considered as a spider in a web, a triggering factor for a range of other, related problems - land use changes, water supply and demand, food supply, energy supply, human health, air pollution, etc. But an approach like this, which takes account of all items of knowledge, known and uncertain, does not produce clear-cut, final and popular answers. It does provide useful insights, however, which will allow comprehensive and effective long-term climate strategies to be put into effect. Climate Change: An Integrated Perspective will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. It is a useful source for the climate-change professionals, such as policy makers and analysts, natural and social scientists. It is also suitable for educationalists, students and indeed anyone interested in the fascinating world of multidisciplinary research underlying our approach to this global change issue.

This book presents an accessible and easy-to-follow argument that the climate crisis is a side effect of inequality and injustice, and demonstrates how strategies such as large-scale social investment will prove far more effective in reducing greenhouse gas pollution than cap-and-trade or other forms of free-market environmentalism. Solving the Climate Crisis through Social Change: Public Investment in Social Prosperity to Cool a Fevered Planet offers a new approach to battling the climate crisis, arguing that the massive waste that caused the current environmental crisis resulted not only from fundamental structural flaws in markets but also from social inequality, lack of democracy, and a deeply flawed foreign policy. Rather than providing the typical doomsday perspective, it offers realistic optimism about the expanding climate crisis, highlighting the convergence between the necessary steps to save the planet and what needs to be done to improve the lives of Americans. The author's discussion of the United States's role in the climate crisis spans subjects as varied as the 17th-century forests of New England, the evolution of housework over 200 years, the American addiction to the automobile, the lettuce fields of California in the 1970s, and the Guano wars in 19th-century Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. This book will appeal to a wide range of readers, from the interested general public to students, academics, professionals, and other experts. The main section presents a clear and accessible survey of the economic, social, and political causes of the climate crisis, accompanied by potential solutions, while extensive appendixes offer in-depth and technical discussions. A glossary of technical terms 20 figures A full bibliographical reference list Inline citations of sources

This book's main objective is to decipher for the reader the main processes in the atmosphere and the quantification of air pollution effects on humans and the environment, through first principles of meteorology and modelling/measurement approaches. The understanding of the complex sequence of events, starting from the emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere to the human health effects as the final event, is necessary for the prognosis of potential risk to humans from specific chemical compounds and mixtures of them. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a solid grounding in the first principles of meteorology and air pollution, making it particularly useful for undergraduate students. Its broad scope makes it a valuable text in many related disciplines, containing a comprehensive and integrated methodology to study the first principles of air pollution, meteorology, indoor air pollution, and human exposure. Problem-solving exercises help to reinforce concepts.

Recent developments in air pollution modeling and its application are explored here in contributions by researchers at the forefront of their field. The book is focused on local, urban, regional and intercontinental modeling; data assimilation and air quality forecasting; model assessment and evaluation; aerosol transformation; the relationship between air quality and human health and the effects of climate change on air quality. The work will provide useful reference material for students and professors interested in air pollution modeling at the graduate level as well as researchers and professionals involved in developing and utilizing air pollution models.

The ever-increasing release of harmful agents due to human activities has led in some areas of the world to heavy pollution. In order to protect human health and the environment, environmental standards that shall limit the release and the concentration of those toxic agents in the environment and hence the exposure to it have to be established. The related assessment and decision-making procedures have to be based on solid scientific data about the effects and mechanisms of these agents as well as on ethical, social and economic aspects. For risk evaluation, the knowledge of the dose response curve is an essential prerequisite. Dose responses without a threshold dose are most critical in this connection. Such dose responses are assumed for mutagenic and carcinogenic effects, which, therefore, dominate also the discussion in this book. In the environmentally important low dose range, risk estimation can only be achieved by extrapolation from higher doses with measurable effects. The extrapolation is accompanied with uncertainties which makes risk evaluation as well as risk communication frequently problematic. In order to ensure rational efficient and fair decisions beyond a sound scientific assessment the dialogue between disciplines, with the affected people and with the general public is necessary. In this book, the whole range of relevant and essential aspects of risk evaluation and standard setting is addressed. Starting with the ethical foundations, the sound analysis of recent scientific findings sets the frame for further reflections by theory of cognition, psychosocial sciences, and jurisprudence. The authors end up with concluding recommendations for coping with the recentproblems of standard setting in the field of environmentally relevant low doses. The book is designed to a readership of scientists, legislators, administrators, and the interested public.

This book presents a foundation for studying the micro-behavioral economics of global warming. The author develops an empirical model, named the Geographically-scaled Micro econometric model of Adapting Portfolios (G-MAP) in response to climatic changes and risks. The G-MAP model is applied to observed decisions of agricultural and natural resource enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The author describes the five applications of the model: the G-MAP animal species, the G-MAP agricultural systems, the G-MAP natural resource enterprises, the G-MAP climate risk, and the G-MAP public adaptations. The micro-behavioral economics of global warming and the G-MAP models are evaluated against the three alternative modeling traditions: The first is the Agro-Economic Models (AEM) based on crop simulations of selected crops under elevated CO2 conditions; The second is a family of econometric studies of grain yield changes caused by yearly weather fluctuations; The third is the Agro-Ecological Zone (AEZ) method hinged crucially on the AEZ classifications of ecosystems. The author offers a refreshing look at the traditional economics of global warming, unraveling a broad array of adaptation strategies adopted by managers of agricultural and natural resource enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa and South America. The book demonstrates that the micro-behavioral economics dynamically integrates multiple disciplines in a cohesive way - including economics, psychology, climate science, ecosystem studies, agronomy and animal science - into the decision-making framework of an individual agent. The G-MAP models provide a guide map of adaptation strategies for the humanity's enduring journey of battling global climatic changes in this century and beyond.

The book addresses the perceived need for a publication with looks at both, climate smart technologies and the integration of renewable energy and energy efficiency in mitigation and adaptation responses. Based on a set of papers submitted as part of the fifth on-line climate conference (CLIMATE 2012) and a major conference on renewable energy on island States held in Mauritius in 2012, the book provides a wealth of information on climate change strategies and the role of smart technologies. The book has been produced in the context of the project "Small Developing Island Renewable Energy Knowledge and Technology Transfer Network" (DIREKT), funded by the ACP Science and Technology Programme, an EU programme for cooperation between the European Union and the ACP region.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This volume presents an Empirical Model of Global Climate developed by the authors and uses that model to show that global warming will likely remain below 2C, relative to preindustrial, throughout this century provided: a) both the unconditional and conditional Paris INDC commitments are followed; b) the emission reductions needed to achieve the Paris INDCs are carried forward to 2060 and beyond. The first section of the book provides a short overview of Earth's climate system, describing and contrasting climatic changes throughout the planet's history and anthropogenic changes post-Industrial Revolution. The second section describes the climate model developed by the authors (Canty et al., Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2013) and contrasts the model with climate models used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 Report. Chapter 3 examines both the unconditional (i.e., firm commitments) and conditional Paris INDCs (commitments contingent on financial flow and/or technology transfer) through the lens of their climate model and concludes that if all of the Paris INDCs are followed, then they are indeed a beacon of hope for Earth's climate. The fourth part of the book offers a perspective of energy needs and subsequent emissions reductions required to meet the Paris temperature goals, illuminating challenges faced both in the developing world and the developed world. Throughout the book, easy-to-understand charts and graphics illustrate concepts. The scientific basis of Chapters 2 and 3 was first presented in a keynote session of the 96th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society in January, 2016.

This book presents the applications of ion-exchange materials in the area of environmental analysis and treatment. It includes chapters on applications of organic, inorganic and composite ion exchange materials and hexacyanoferrates in various fields such as chemical and biochemical separations, water purification, removal of harmful impurities, dyes and cationic and anionic complexes. This title is a highly valuable source of knowledge on ion-exchange materials and their applications suitable for postgraduate students and researchers but also to industrial R&D specialists in chemistry, chemical, and biochemical technology. Additionally, this book will provide an in-depth knowledge of ion-exchange column and operations suitable for engineers and industrialists.

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.

When environmentalists fail to persuade us that there is an imminent threat of environmental disaster, they typically invoke the "precautionary principle" in order to justify their calls for more regulation. This work challenges the claim that the precautionary principle (PP) is an appropriate guide to public policy decisions. The fundamental problem is that it is impossible to prove a negative, so the PP can be used to justify any regulation limiting emissions of any substance. Taken in its extreme form, the PP would end civilisation. In its more practical form, the PP is about taking a hyper-cautious approach to emissions of substances into the environment. This means imposing very strict controls on the licensing of new technologies and cutting back drastically on emissions of substances into the environment. Although not as devastating as Leggett's philosophically dubious proposal, this more practical approach has serious drawbacks The opening brace of papers discusses the dubious philosophical foundations of PP, and consider the consequences of applying it in various policy contexts relating to scientific controversies.