Public understanding of, and outcry over, the dire state of the climate and environment is greater than ever before. Parties across the political spectrum claim to be climate leaders, and overt denial is on the way out. Yet when it comes to slowing the course of the climate and nature crises, despite a growing number of pledges, policies and summits, little ever seems to change. Nature is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. We remain on course for a catastrophic 3 DegreesC of warming. What's holding us back? In this searing and insightful critique, Adrienne Buller examines the fatal biases that have shaped the response of our governing institutions to climate and environmental breakdown, and asks: are the 'solutions' being proposed really solutions? Tracing the intricate connections between financial power, economic injustice and ecological crisis, she exposes the myopic economism and market-centric thinking presently undermining a future where all life can flourish. The book examines what is wrong with mainstream climate and environmental governance, from carbon pricing and offset markets to 'green growth', the commodification of nature and the growing influence of the finance industry on environmental policy. In doing so, it exposes the self-defeating logic of a response to these challenges based on creating new opportunities for profit, and a refusal to grapple with the inequalities and injustices that have created them. Both honest and optimistic, The Value of a Whale asks us - in the face of crisis - what we really value. This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communities -- .

Hybrid and Combined Processes for Air Pollution Control: Methodologies, Mechanisms and Effect of Key Parameters provides an exhaustive inventory of hybrid and combined processes in the field of air treatment. The book covers principles, the effect of key parameters, technologies and reactors of the processes and their implementation, from lab-scale to industrial scale, also identifying future trends. Sections discuss effects on the environment and living beings, identify novel techniques and innovations, and offer a thorough assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each. In this well-structured book, chapters are linked to the type of treatment, with a significant part dealing with treatment by transfer processes: (absorption and absorption) and on destruction treatments, such as advanced oxidation processes.

Sundarban Mangrove Wetland: A Comprehensive Global Treatise provides an illustrative account of the ecology, biology, conservation and management strategies of this endangered UNESCO World Heritage Site. The book offers a comprehensive and accessible guide to a variety of wetland ecosystems, including endangered flora and fauna, the ecology and diversity of pelagic and benthic biota, the impact of multiple stresses on the biota, inorganic and organic pollutants in biotic and abiotic matrices and their remedial measures, the impact of climate change on mangrove plants, and their conservation and management strategies. Divided into seven chapters, the book presents a realistic summary of the wetland environment and its resources, citing individual case studies considering a host of topics of particular interest. Analysis of this unique wetland provides crucial comparisons with other wetlands and their status, environmental challenges and possible remedial measures. Sundarban Mangrove Wetland is an in-depth and up-to-date account ideal for the student, teacher or researcher in marine biology & ecology, environmental science, marine geochemistry, marine pollution and ecotoxicology and wastewater treatment. Covering both fundamental and advanced aspects, the book is also useful for policy makers and those involved in coastal resource conservation and management.

Wetlands are vital for human survival. They are among the world's most productive environments as they are cradles of biological diversity that provide the water and productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. Wetlands provide habitat for thousands of species of aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals as well as a number of societal benefits such as food and habitat for fish and wildlife, water quality improvement, flood storage, shoreline erosion control, economically beneficial natural products for human use, and opportunities for recreation, education, and research. According to the Federal Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Wetlands, more than one-third of the United States' threatened and endangered species live only in wetlands, and nearly half use wetlands at some point in their lives. This book offers a comprehensive look at the importance of wetland conservation, its challenges, and future aspects. The book highlights the challenges of wetland conservation and current scenarios of existing wetlands; the importance of the inland wetland and its conservation is particularly highlighted as it is critical and very important in the current existing wetland scenario. This book is critical for industries, academics, research scholars, and environmental consultants who are practicing wetland management.

This book addresses present-day landscapes, ecosystem functioning and biodiversity as legacies of the past. It implements an interdisciplinary approach to understand how natural or human-impacted ecological systems have changed over time. Historical Ecology combines theory, methods, regional case studies and syntheses to provide a complete up-to-date overview of historical ecology. Beginning with the crucial role of time and inference from observed patterns, the book critically reviews the main methodological approaches, including monitoring of permanent plots, analysis of old maps, repeat photography, remote sensing, soil analysis, charcoal analysis, botanical indicators, and combinations of these methods applied to forest ecosystems. A series of case studies from various biomes shows how historical ecology can help in understanding today's socio-ecosystems, such as mainland and island forests, orchards, tundra and coastal dunes. The book concludes by showing how historical ecology can answer timely fundamental research questions and provide science-based evidence for landscape and ecosystem management.

Sustainable development is a long-term solution to how we plan our indefinite progress in the future. The concept covers a broad scope of environmental, social, and economic development, which continues to prove its importance in our lives as it affects all aspects of them. Innovative Economic, Social, and Environmental Practices for Progressing Future Sustainability explores the current practice and implementation of economic, social, and environmental sustainable development. This book offers a reference for a wide number of stakeholders interested in the importance of economic, social and environmental development in sustainable development. New contributions, especially theoretical, practical and managerial, will be discussed in this book. This book is a reference for a wide number of stakeholders interested in the area of sustainable development, especially in the area of economic, social, and environment. This text is an international platform to bring together academics, researchers, lecturers, decision-makers, policymakers, and practitioners to share new theories, research findings, and case studies.

Climate change adaptation. A hope-fuelled necessity on the road to a transformed world? Or the last act of the doom-merchant who has given up? There are great ways to adapt to the climate crisis that confronts us, but there are disastrous ways too. In this book, Morgan Phillips takes us from the air-conditioned pavements of Doha and the 'cool rooms' of Paris, to the fog catchers of Morocco and the agro-foresters of Nepal. He makes an often-neglected topic engaging and relatable at precisely the moment the climate movement is waking up to it. A just transition is at stake. Great Adaptations is a provocation, an invitation, and an urgent call to action. If we don't shape what adaptation is, someone else will. 'My earnest hope is that this book will be a turning of the tide; and that, with the silence broken, the world can finally begin the painful process of awakening properly to climate reality... including to the reality of how we must now adapt transformatively, if we are to have any chance of heading off eco-induced collapses.' Prof. Rupert Read, University of East Anglia.

Hazardous Waste Management: An Overview of Advanced and Cost-Effective Solutions includes the latest practical knowledge and theoretical concepts for the treatment of hazardous wastes. The book covers five major themes, namely, ecological impact, waste management hierarchy, hazardous waste characteristics and regulations, hazardous wastes management, and future scope of hazardous waste management. It serves as a comprehensive and advanced reference for undergraduate students, researchers and practitioners in the field of hazardous wastes and focuses on the latest emerging research in the management of hazardous waste, the direction in which this branch is developing as well as future prospects. The book deals with all these components in-depth, however, particular attention is given to management techniques and cost-effective, economically feasible solutions for hazardous wastes released from various sources.

How does a mudskipper fish manage to “walk” on land? Why is the Hoatzin also known as ‘The Stinkbird’? And once the female Pipa toad has laid her eggs, where does she put them? The answers? The mudskipper can “walk” using its pectoral fins, the Hoatzin has a unique digestive system which gives the bird a manure-like odour, and the female Pipa Toad embeds its eggs on its back where they develop to adult stage. Illustrated throughout with outstanding colour photographs, Strange Animals presents the most unusual aspects of 100 of the most unusual species. The selection spans a broad spectrum of wildlife, from the tallest land living mammal, the giraffe, to the light, laughing chorus of Australian kookaburra birds, from the intelligence of the Bottlenose dolphin to octopuses that change colour when they dream to the slow pace of the three-toed sloth. Arranged geographically, the photographs are accompanied by fascinating captions, which explain the quirky characteristics of each entry. Including egg-laying mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, cannibalistic insects and other invertebrates, Strange Animals is a compelling introduction to some of nature’s most curious beasts.

Rainfall: Physical Process, Measurement, Data Analysis and Usage in Hydrological Investigations integrates different rainfall perspectives, from droplet formation and modeling developments to the experimental measurements and their analysis, to application in surface and subsurface hydrological investigations. Each chapter provides an updated representation of the involved subject with relative open problems and includes a case study at the end of the chapter. The book targets postgraduate readers studying meteorology, civil and environmental engineering, geophysics, agronomy and natural science, as well as practitioners working in the fields of hydrology, hydrogeology, agronomy and water resource management.

Assessing Progress toward Sustainability: Frameworks, Tools, and Case Studies provides practical frameworks for measuring progress toward sustainability in various areas of production, consumption, services and urban development as they relate to environmental impact. A variety of policies/strategies or frameworks are available at national and international levels. This book presents an integrated approach to sustainability progress measurement by considering both the frameworks and methodological developments of various tools, as well as their implementation in assessing the sustainability of processes, products and services through a global perspective. Combining methods and their application, the book covers a variety of topics, including lifecycle assessment, risk assessment, nexus thinking, and connection to SDGs. Organized clearly into three main sections --Frameworks, Tools, and Case Studies--this book can serve as a practical resource for researchers and practitioners alike in environmental science, sustainability, environmental management and environmental engineering.

Silicon and Nano-silicon in Environmental Stress Management and Crop Quality Improvement: Progress and Prospects provides a comprehensive overview of the latest understanding of the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of silicon- and nano-silicon-mediated environmental stress tolerance and crop quality improvements in plants. The book not only covers silicon-induced biotic and abiotic stress tolerance in crops but is also the first to include nano-silicon-mediated approaches to environmental stress tolerance in crops. As nanotechnology has emerged as a prominent tool for enhancing agricultural productivity, and with the production and applications of nanoparticles (NPs) greatly increasing in many industries, this book is a welcomed resource.

Algae and Aquatic Macrophytes in Cities: Bioremediation, Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts introduces the concept of using the natural ability of plants such as algae and aquatic macrophytes to remediate pollutants from water. The book provides scientists with a green, economical and successful option when tackling rising water pollution. The book's chapters cover a range of areas, including bioremediation, biomass, biofuels and bioproducts during the remediation of polluted water systems. It draws together research from eminent scientists from across the globe and includes case studies to help researchers, students, scientists, stakeholders, policymakers and environmentalists understand and perform their research with greater ease.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 172, the latest release in this leading reference on the topic, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field, with each chapter written by an international board of authors.

Emerging Freshwater Pollutants: Analysis, Fate and Regulations comprises of 20 chapters, all written by leading experts. This book is written in the most practical terms and is easy to understand, with numerous helpful examples and case studies and can be used as a practical guide and important educational tool on issues concerning freshwater emerging pollutants. The organisation of the book exposes the reader in logical succession to the full range of complex scientific and management aspects of emerging freshwater pollutants in the developing world. The book recognises that water chemistry, emerging freshwater pollutants and management are inter-dependent disciplines. The book covers (i) the different monitoring techniques, current analytical approaches and instrumental analyses, (ii) fate and occurrence of emerging pollutants in aquatic systems and (iii) management policies and legislations on emerging pollutants. Thus, subsequent chapters elucidate chemicals with pollution potential, multi-detection approaches to analysis of organic pollutants in water, microplastics effects and photochemical transformation of emerging pollutants in freshwater systems. Whereas, other chapters address oxidation of organic compounds in aquatic systems, biomonitoring systems for detection of toxic levels of water pollutants, and health aspects of water recycling practices. This book melds several different perspectives on the subject of freshwater emerging pollutants and shows the interrelationships between the various professions that deal with water quality issues. Further, within the presentation of each separate chapter is discussion of how the various scientific and management aspects of the subject interrelate.

Numerical Methods in Environmental Data Analysis introduces environmental scientists to the numerical methods available to help answer research questions through data analysis. One challenge in data analysis is misrepresentation of datasets that are relevant directly or indirectly to the research. This book illustrates new ways of screening dataset or images for maximum utilization, introducing environmental modeling, numerical methods, and computations techniques in data analysis. Throughout the book, the author includes case studies that provide guidance on how to translate research questions into appropriate models. Individuals working with data sets or images generated from environmental monitoring centers or satellites will find this book to be a concise guide for analyzing and interpreting their data.

The Anthropocene era has been marked by such significant human pressure that it has led to the sixth mass extinction. The Baseline Concept in Biodiversity Conservation interprets human domination of the Earth as the process of gradual landscape change, the execution of which is neither linear nor homogeneous. This book is structured around three key questions: Where and when did everything go wrong? How do we define baseline states for biodiversity conservation strategies? How are reference states mobilized in a concrete way through case studies? Today, biodiversity conservation faces a dilemma that this book sheds light on: return to states less modified by humans than today but in a world that has changed significantly; or, let the nature of tomorrow express itself where it still can but without a road map.