The introduction of sports and recreational facilities into natural environments calls for reflection on their impact on fragile ecosystems. This book is unique in providing an interdisciplinary approach to the ecological restoration of urban and industrial degraded habitats and their use by nearby city-dwellers. For the first time ecologists, sociologists and anthropologists have worked together on particularly sensitive ecosystems such as rivers and estuaries to propose recovery strategies that allow their basic ecological functions to be restored, and which can benefit local populations through nature activities. Nonetheless, the use of natural spaces calls for the building of sustainable towns. This is why this book is distinctive in considering quality of life and well-being as stated objectives of modern river towns. Recently, leisure time has become a part of urban rhythms. In order to favour personal development, an extensive palette of leisure activities is considered by the authors: bird watching entertainment sports culture Many aspects including physical and psychological attributes in relation to the contemporary socio-political fabric are dealt with. While creating areas of freedom, landscaping also induces certain forms of practice and encourages certain social skills. Conversely, the book questions certain types of management based on mass consumption. Don't they, in the end, aim to satisfy needs that are impermanent and shallow? The image of the contemporary town relies on urban planning projects which, in a global economy, seek to capture the interest of tourists and local populations. How can suitable, diligent planning be successfully combined with both creative design and ecological care? This book demonstrates how biology and sociology can (and should) work in harmony in order to promote an ecosystem approach to environmental management.

The proceedings of the 2nd International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Energy Related Materials include 73 peer-reviewed technical papers, submitted by leading academic and research institutions from over 20 countries and representing some of the most cutting-edge research available. The 73 papers are grouped into the following sections: -          General Issues -          Wind Energy -          Solar Energy -          Nuclear Energy -          Biofuels and Bioenergy -          Fossil Energy -          Hydropower -          Energy Storage, Conservation and Efficiency -          Environmental Issues -          Carbon Capture and Storage -          Bio-Assessment and Toxicology -          Air Pollution from Mobile and Stationary Sources -          Transport of Air Pollutants -          Environmentally Friendly Construction and Development -          Energy Management Systems -          Materials for Sustainable Energy -          Materials for Renewable Energy Storage and Conversion -          Fuel Cells -          Hydrogen Storage -          Photovoltaics and Solar Cells -          Hydrogen Production and Fuel Generation from Renewables (Catalysis) -          Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Conversion -          Energy-Saving Materials -          Thermoelectrics -          Saving Energy in Buildings -          Modeling and Theoretical Aspects in Energy-Related Materials

The proceedings of the 2nd International Congress on Energy Efficiency and Energy Related Materials include 73 peer-reviewed technical papers, submitted by leading academic and research institutions from over 20 countries and representing some of the most cutting-edge research available. The 73 papers are grouped into the following sections: - General Issues - Wind Energy - Solar Energy - Nuclear Energy - Biofuels and Bioenergy - Fossil Energy - Hydropower - Energy Storage, Conservation and Efficiency - Environmental Issues - Carbon Capture and Storage - Bio-Assessment and Toxicology - Air Pollution from Mobile and Stationary Sources - Transport of Air Pollutants - Environmentally Friendly Construction and Development - Energy Management Systems - Materials for Sustainable Energy - Materials for Renewable Energy Storage and Conversion - Fuel Cells - Hydrogen Storage - Photovoltaics and Solar Cells - Hydrogen Production and Fuel Generation from Renewables (Catalysis) - Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Conversion - Energy-Saving Materials - Thermoelectrics - Saving Energy in Buildings - Modeling and Theoretical Aspects in Energy-Related Materials