This book highlights recent research on sustainable production. In today's manufacturing industry, cleaner production has become a central goal. "Sustainable production" describes activities that pose no threat to future generations and are not pursued at their expense. In addition, sustainable production is a concept that can improve environmental performance and focuses on technical aspects that can be used to improve efficiency and productivity. Sustainable production is not limited to the manufacturing sector, but affects all production sectors including energy, environment, and material systems - all of which face significant challenges in connection with sustainability, e.g. efforts to reduce production's impact on the environment and to manage health and safety impacts. Key means of reducing environmental pollution from manufacturing involve reducing the main resources used in production (metals used in the machining processes, fluids/oils in production, water, and energy).

This book presents the main drivers of benthic structure and processes in estuaries from the 8,000 km-Brazilian coast, assesses the influence of natural and human disturbance, and discusses their ecological importance and management needs. Estuaries are unique coastal ecosystems often with low biodiversity that sustain and provide essential ecological services to mankind. These ecosystems include a variety of habitats with their own sediment and fauna dynamics, all of them globally altered or threatened by human activities. Mangroves, saltmarshes, tidal flats and other confined estuarine systems are under increasing stress by overfishing and other human activities leading to habitat and species loss. Combined changes in estuarine hydromorphology and in climate pose severe threats to estuarine ecosystems at a global scale.

This book presents an approach to energy-efficient building design, which takes into account the most important challenges in climate change mitigation and adaptation in Southern Europe. It outlines a specific approach related to residential buildings and their intergenerational and vulnerable occupants, such as ageing population and users in fuel poverty. It also focuses on the use of passive energy measures throughout the year, and on pursuing a realistic and affordable approach to the efficient rehabilitation of resilient residential buildings. In addition, the book presents case studies that include surveys, monitoring, and simulation of residential buildings in Spain and other Southern European representative locations, in order to go further on the study of this challenging topic.

Fairness and Futurity: Essays on Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice brings together leading international figures in political theory and sociology, as well as representatives from the political community, to consider the normative issues at stake in the relationship between environmental sustainability and social justice. It raises important questions and sets out to provide the answers. If future generations are owed justice, what should we bequeath them? Is `sustainability' an appropriate medium for environmentalists to express their demands? Is environmental protection compatible with intra-generational justice? Is environmental sustainability a luxury when social peace has broken down? These essays emerged from three intensive seminars that involved participants in constant re-evaluations of their work, and which bought three distinct groups-environmental theorists, `mainstream' political theorists, and policy community members-into fruitful contact. In particular, the attempt to involve `mainstream' theorists in environmental questions, and to encourage environmentalists to use intellectual resources of political theory, should be highlighted.

The agri-food and rural development world has experienced significant changes in recent years. The evolution towards globalized and highly complex food supply systems has been accompanied by growing competition, reduced state subsidies as well as concerns about quality, output and the environment. At the beginning of the 21st century, the agri-food industry is urgently searching for new solutions. Exploring these recent developments, Agri-Food and Rural Development highlights the latest research on understanding and promoting sustainable food systems. Featuring a range of international case studies, it investigates different models of rural development for food production, examines the implications for a sustainable future, analyzes future challenges, and suggests new strategies for future agri-food development in a world fast exceeding its resources. An ambitious new study written by a leading authority in the field, this book offers a vital new perspective on this important debate and is destined to become a landmark text for students, scholars and policy-makers in food studies, agriculture, rural sociology, and geography.

This book examines female-headed households (FHHs) in the world economy, aspects of their poverty, and the implications of those for sustainable development. Following a general discussion of FHHs in the world community, the work discusses FHHs in two regions of India, one being an example of unsuccesssful development and the other of successful development. The research is based on fieldwork in five rural villages. One village, comprising mostly female-headed households, provided a unique case study. The other four villages include both male- and female-headed households with a high proportion of female-headed households.

The authors found that female-headed households dominate the poorer sections of the community, and women's access to resources is limited by cultural, social, and economic influences. Women, particularly those in FHHs, bear the heaviest burdens in times of economic hardship. These women face more forms of discrimination outside the home than women from male-headed households. They have fewer customary rights but greater freedom of movement and more opportunities for paid employment. The authors go on to show that the benefits of government development programs have not reached remote areas. The trickle-down approach has not worked, but sustainable development programs focusing on women's development and self-responsiblity have helped to lift the economic status of women in general and FHHs in particular.

"The result is a beautiful book with a lot of useful and updated information. I am sure it will be in great demand, and hopefully will help in the further improvement of cassava yields, especially in Africa where it is such an important food crop." Dr Reinhardt Howeler, CIAT Emeritus; author in: Achieving sustainable cultivation of cassava Volume 1 Originating in South America, cassava is now grown in over 100 countries around the world. It is the third most important source of calories in the tropics after rice and maize. Its caloric value, as well as its ability to tolerate dry conditions and poor soils, makes it a key food security crop in developing countries, particularly in Africa. As demand for food grows, there is an urgent need to increase yields in the face of such challenges as climate change, threats from pests and diseases and the need to make cultivation more resource-efficient and sustainable. Drawing on an international range of expertise, this collection focuses on ways of improving the cultivation of cassava at each step in the value chain, from breeding to post-harvest storage. Volume 1 starts by reviewing current issues facing cassava cultivation around the world before discussing methods for sustainable intensification such as rotations, intercropping and more efficient nutrient management. Achieving sustainable cultivation of cassava Volume 1: Cultivation techniques will be a standard reference for agricultural scientists in universities, government and other research centres and companies involved in improving cassava cultivation. It is accompanied by Volume 2 which reviews breeding, pests and diseases.

All global countries are interdependent and all aspects of the global economy operate synergistically. The COVID-19 pandemic gave a renewed sense of urgency to focus on the synergies between supply chain, climate change, COVID-19, and sustainable development as they affect business in Africa and how what occurs in one part of the world affects the whole world. This book examines this synergy and the reciprocal impact of businesses, government, and society. Featuring contributions presented at the 2022 Current Business Issues in African Countries (CBIAC) Conference held at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY, USA, this book explores topics such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, gender, and capital flows in Africa demonstrating the wealth of business opportunities across the continent.  

This book explores the philosophical understanding of the "energy consumption" in warehousing process that can be found in the literature. It presents known technical solutions that, if they are used in cold storage rooms, can effectively reduce energy consumption: through lower power consumption and/or energy recovery, such as the use of photovoltaic panels. The final part of the book explores the problems discussed on the basis of a concrete example - a project involving energy recovery in a refrigerated warehouse.This publication also describes the design of refrigerated warehouses, taking into account their energy intensity. In the case of logistic warehousing systems, the pallets in warehouses can offer a source of energy - namely of the potential energy stored in the loads on the shelves. Given that today's construction warehouses have heights on the order of several tens of meters, that energy can be considerable. In the case of refrigerated warehouses and cold storage facilities, it is necessary to monitor the stored goods in order to maintain a constant freezing temperature, in keeping with the requirements of the HACCP system. Inevitably, this calls for constant cooling of the air inside the warehouse, and thus produces a fixed, high and constant level of energy usage. And, just as in any other context, it becomes important to identify methods for reducing energy consumption.

Meeting the food requirements of an ever-increasing population is a pressing challenge for every country around the globe. Soil degradation has a negative impact on food security by reducing the cultivated land areas, while at the same time the world population is predicted to increase to 9.2 billion in 2050. Soil degradation adversely affects soil function and productivity and degraded soils now amount to 6 billion ha worldwide. The major factors are salinization, erosion, depletion of nutrients due to exhaustive agricultural practices and contamination with toxic metal ions and agrochemicals, which reduces the activity of soil microbe. In addition, poor soil management also decreases fertility. As such, measures are required to restore the soil health and productivity: organic matter, beneficial microorganisms and nutrient dynamics can all improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Understanding the role of soil health restoration and management in sustainability and nutritional security calls for a holistic approach to assess soil functions and examine the contributions of a particular management system within a defined timescale. Further, best management practices in cropping systems are important in ensuring sustainability and food and nutritional security without compromising the soil quality and productivity po tential. Rational soil management practices must allow environmentally and economically sustain able yields and restoration of soil health.

This book focuses on the application of newly innovated analytical tools for sustainable development on regional economic and environmental issues in Korea. With a range of case studies, the authors explore a series of theoretical models and empirical methods including spatial CCE Model, multiregional Input-Output and econometric analysis, logit model, contingent valuation method, GIS, sample selection model, machine learning technique, stochastic frontier analysis, and panel analysis. These models and methods are tailored to spatial development issues such as agglomeration, clustering and industrial innovation, human capital and labor market, education and R&D investments and economic resilience for regional economies and unexpected disaster, and natural resources for environmental markets. Quantitative Regional Economic and Environmental Analysis for Sustainability in Korea is of particular interest to policy makers and practitioners, as well as research scholars active in sustainability science.

Cities are home to over fifty percent of the world's population, a figure which is expected to increase enormously by 2050. Despite the growing demand on urban resources and infrastructure, food is still often overlooked as a key factor in planning and designing cities. Without incorporating food into the design process - how it is grown, transported, and bought, cooked, eaten and disposed of - it is impossible to create truly resilient and convivial urbanism. Moving from the table and home garden to the town, city, and suburbs, Food and Urbanism explores the connections between food and place in past and present design practices. The book also looks to future methods for extending the 'gastronomic' possibilities of urban space. Supported by examples from places across the world, including the UK, Norway, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Romania, Australia and the USA, the book offers insights into how the interplay of physical design and socio-spatial practices centred around food can help to maintain socially rich, productive and sustainable urban space. Susan Parham brings together the latest research from a number of disciplines - urban planning, food studies, sociology, geography, and design - with her own fieldwork on a range of foodscapes to highlight the fundamental role food has to play in shaping the urban future.

Living off the Country changes the risk of moving around in the outdoors into trouble-free times...offering take-along tips for finding free appetite fillers, thirst quenchers, weapons and warmth in all kinds of situations. In a clear and understandable way, brad Angier provides a harvest of handy, helpful hints about the necessities of life...where to look for the natural-growing supply of edible, unusual, taste-tickling plants, bushes, and fruit; make-shift but sure-fire ways to catch fish; easy ways to utensil-less cooking; building and using first to the best advantages; constructing off-beat shelters handily; best ways to conserve and use available clothing; what to do about finding your way; backwoods medicine for emergencies...and much more to satisfy man's need to stay alive in the woods. For any kind of timber trek, pack Living Off the Country with other survival gear. Nature Magazine advises "if you're planning any wilderness adventure, you would do well to get acquainted with the valuable information in this book."

This book provides details on the innovations made to achieve sustainability in manufacturing. It highlights the trends of current progress in research and development being done to achieve overall sustainability in manufacturing technology. Green-EDM, Hybrid machining, MQL assisted machining, sustainable casting, welding, finishing and casting, energy- and resource-efficient manufacturing are some of the important topics discussed in this book.

The mineral economies comprise approximately one-fifth of developing countries. They face special problems in achieving sustainable development, and have as a group been less successful than resource-deficient neighbours. This book examines the apparent paradox, detailing the current problems facing the mineral economies and the future policies necessary to overcome these problems. Nine countries are studied: Botswana, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Namibia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago. The authors argue that the key factor is not the sustainability of the mineral production that initially generates growth, but the maintenance of the economic and social conditions for sustaining that growth. They draw upon recent progress in environmental and natural resource accounting to show how this can be achieved, and also assess the socio-political factors that often constrain sustainable development.

This book deals with not just complex linkages, interactions and exchanges that form the relationship between the economic activities, human society and the ecosystems, but also the influences and impacts that each causes on the other. In recent times, this ecology-economy-society interface has received unprecedented attention within the broader environment-development discourse. The volume is in honour of Kanchan Chopra, one of the pioneers of research in these areas in India. She has recently been awarded the coveted Kenneth Boulding Award by the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) and is the first Asian to receive it. The four sub-themes of the book reflect some of the important areas in the environment-development discourse - sustainability of development, institutions and environmental governance, environment and well-being, and ecosystem and conservation. Within each of the sub-themes, the policy and the practice as well as the macro and micro aspects are addressed. With contributions mainly from ecological economists and ecologists, the book's approach is interdisciplinary, both in spirit and content, reflecting the honoree's work, which went not just beyond the mainstream ideology of economics, but also the way she listened to ideas from disciplines like ecology and sociology. The volume also includes two reflective essays on academic life and works of Kanchan Chopra. The book is a valuable resource for students, teachers, researchers, practitioners and policy makers in the areas of development economics, ecological economics, environmental economics and related disciplines such as conservation, development, ecology, economics, environment, governance, health, sociology and public policy.

This book provides an understanding of Business Continuity Management (BCM) implementation for local/international construction operations, with a primary focus on Indonesian construction firms as an illustrative example. It reviews the whole spectrum of work relating to organizational culture (OC) and the institutional framework (IF) as one of the key ways for companies to evaluate and implement BCM in construction operations. Once readers have acquired a sound understanding of BCM, OC and IF linkages in construction firms, the lessons learned can be extended to other companies. This is facilitated through a systematic assessment framework presented in the book using a Knowledge Based Decision Support System (BCM-KBDSS), which allows these companies to evaluate their current status quo with respect to BCM, OC and IF, and then make informed decisions on how and to what extent BCM should be implemented in their operations. As such, the book offers a unique blend of theory and practice, ensuring readers gain a far better understanding of BCM implementation in the construction industry.

Currently, there is a need for new management practices for fruit orchards in order to sustain the growth and productivity of various fruit crops. In addition, due to the continuous growth in the world's population, there is a demand for adequate food which is produced from the same sources of water and soils. The main factors limiting agricultural production are droughts and the population growth; this makes it important to prevent fruit production from being subject to climatic hazards. This book enhances the growth and productivity of fruit trees through different techniques, such as artificial intelligence optimization for soil conditioner, site-specific nutrient management in orchards in fertilizing as an application of smart agriculture, irrigation, modeling of parameters of water requirements in fruit orchards, and up-to-date trends in vineyard practices. The book also explores pest control on orchards to increase the efficiency of pesticides and protect the environment and discusses the shading of citrus orchards to avoid negative impacts such as rising temperatures and heatwaves on citrus productivity. Finally, the book discusses the carbon and water footprint for various fruit orchards. This book is ideal for researchers and academics of horticultural science, agricultural organizations, fruit growers, and economics and data analyzers.

This book effectively links the latest scientific advances to current technological applications of polymers, mainly focusing on biodegradable polymers obtained from biomass. The individual chapters were written by academic and industry researchers alike, introducing readers to topics that have received little attention in the literature to date. Key topics covered include polymers used in various areas such as food packaging, pharmaceuticals, energy production and the cosmetics industry, as well as the treatment of aqueous effluents.

How many of our efforts to save the environment are effective? Learn how our system is simply masking the symptoms of global warming. Climate change is more than just a buzzword. It is a reality that society and industry have failed to deal with effectively. "Greenwashing," a term that author Bruce E. Johansen defines as the "environmental sleight of hand" performed by technology and advertising, has us convinced that certain "green" practices are sustainable. In his book, Johansen examines the sanctioned activities and practices commonly touted as environmentally responsible and points out their failings. He explains why the global climate change problem is more urgent than many people think, and provides real-world examples of companies that are taking measures with genuine benefits to the environment. Presenting information relevant to every inhabitant of earth and that environmentalists, climate scientists, and students and educators in environmental studies will find essential reading, this book brings questions about legislation and economics to the forefront and asks whether today's system can support a true effort at sustainable living. It presents honest-and what some readers may find surprising-answers to inquiries into what is really "good for the environment," such as why corn ethanol may be worse for the atmosphere than oil and why coal capture and sequestration may be the worst "green" idea yet. Explains global warming science in terms that laypeople and scholars can understand Examines "greenwashing" practices employed by today's society and describes the negative impact they will have Asks truly compelling questions about what will really protect the environment from future damage Proposes changes to today's system that truly recognize the need for sustainable practices and a move away from production and consumption

This book presents sustainable development themes across universities and introduces methodological approaches and projects to the teaching staff. It has been prepared against this background, to identify ways to better teach about sustainability issues in a university context. It contains a set of papers presented at a Symposium with the same title, held at Manchester Metropolitan University (UK) in March 2017. The event was attended by a number of institutions of higher education active in this field. It involved researchers in the field of sustainable development in the widest sense, from business and economics, to arts and fashion, administration, environment, languages and media studies. Sustainability is seldom systematically embedded in the curriculum at higher education institutions. Yet, proper provisions for curricular integration of sustainability issues as part of teaching programmes across universities are an important element towards curriculum greening. The aims of this book are: (i) to provide teaching staff at universities active and/or interested in teaching sustainable development themes with an opportunity to document and disseminate their works (i.e. curriculum innovation, empirical work, activities, case studies practical projects); (ii) to promote information, ideas and experiences acquired in the execution of teaching courses, especially successful initiatives and good practice; (iii) to introduce methodological approaches and projects which aim to offer a better understanding of how matters related to sustainable development can be tackled in university teaching. Last but not least, a further aim of this book, prepared by the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) and the World Sustainable Development Research and Transfer Centre (WSD-RTC), is to catalyse a debate on the need to promote sustainable development teaching today.

This book presents essential information for the development of a comprehensive sustainable energy policy. It examines the diverse types of energy, their resource abundance and the material needs to develop and use them, and how communities and cities can better control their own destinies by locally managing energy use and generation. This approach does not suggest the undoing of existing infrastructures and energy providers, but rather a cooperative transition from national-regional energy management to a more local-centered system. The information is the foundation for eight specific legislative initiatives necessary for a national comprehensive sustainable policy that can both facilitate and drive the process of evolution from a carbon-energy economy to a sustainable renewable energy future.

This book presents a model for describing the hierarchical concept of China's water rights structure, one which takes into account pioneering theories on natural resources and environmental institutional economics. It highlights the basic theory of water rights, with a view to helping Chinese policymakers acquire a deeper understanding of water rights and the need for a reform program in the long-term development of water-poor China. To do so, it draws on three main sources: Cheung SNS's "Economic Explanation", Douglas C. North's "New Economic History" and Ray Huang's "Macro History". The book makes two essential contributions: it elaborates the hierarchical water governance structure in China, which originated in the Qin Dynasty that unified the country 2000 years ago and has been employed without interruption ever since; further, it constructs a choice model for water governance structures and advances the logic of making structural choices with minimum transaction costs under constraint conditions, while also explaining the inherent nature of China's choice for the hierarchical structure from the perspectives of management cost and cooperation cost. As such, the book enriches and builds on the theories of the "water governance" school represented by Karl Marx, Karl Wittfogel and Ray Huang, laying the foundation for the further study of water rights theory in contemporary China.