Author : Victor Galaz
Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
Page : 204 pages
File Size : 21,95 MB
Release : 2014-04-25
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 1781955557
We live on an increasingly human-dominated planet. Our impact on the Earth has become so huge that researchers now suggest that it merits its own geological epoch - the 'Anthropocene' - the age of humans. Combining theory development and case s
Author : Arnulf Grübler
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 468 pages
File Size : 24,38 MB
Release : 2003-10-16
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780521543323
This is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.
Author : Frances Harris
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 336 pages
File Size : 33,82 MB
Release : 2005-01-28
Category : Science
ISBN : 0470093951
Meeting the needs of upper level students, this book treats global environmental problems as complex issues with a network of human and biophysical causes. Each chapter interlinks human demands on the Earth's resources to natural biophysical change - not simply a 'cause and effect' treatment of global issues and environmental change Includes coverage of contemporary hot topics such as biodiversity, urbanisation and sustainable development Global case studies (two per chapter) contextualise theory for students "This book should have considerable appeal among undergraduate and postgraduate students in a broad range of disciplines. Frances Harris has assembled a team of well-qualified authors, who between them consider such important environmental issues as climate and sea level change, biodiversity, GM crops, energy supply, urbanization, pollution and sustainable development. The style is clear and non-technical, the coverage is global and the text is supported by numerous figures and illustrations. Boxed case studies provide useful exemplification of general issues. I have no doubt that this book will be very popular with my own students, in providing detailed analysis of a range of key environmental issues which are frequently reported in the media." Tony Binns, University of Sussex, UK "This book usefully realises that environmental issues are a complex blend of contested science, broader socio-political contexts and the concerns, values, attitudes and livelihoods of individuals. Written by internationally recognised authors, it covers major global issues such as pollution, energy, climate change, sea level rise, food production, urbanisation and sustainability in an informative way, with abundant case studies and illustrations, which clearly exemplify just how complex the facets of the issues can be. It does not offer easy solutions but it is a good exercise in awareness for the reader." Stephen Trudgill, Robinson College, University of Cambridge, UK
Author : Li Jianping
Publisher : Springer
Page : 865 pages
File Size : 37,17 MB
Release : 2014-07-08
Category : Business & Economics
ISBN : 3642546781
This book explores the environmental competitiveness of 133 countries around the world, presenting an index evaluation system to facilitate a comparative analysis of environmental competitiveness on a global scale. This is a new way to measure competitiveness in the light of the contradiction between world economic development and environmental protection. Global environmental competitiveness covers five aspects: the ecological environment, resources environment, environmental management, environmental impacts and environmental coordination. The authors use longitudinal study and horizontal analysis, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis methods so as to conduct an in-depth study of theoretical, empirical and methodological issues of global environmental competitiveness. The work is presented here in three main parts beginning with the theory, technical road-map and analytical approach used. The second part reports on the countries as evaluation objects, analyzing the development status of global environmental competitiveness as a whole and revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each country’s environmental competitiveness. Basic paths and strategies to enhance the competitiveness level are presented. In the third part the reader will discover a sub-report and evaluation of the environmental competitiveness for 133 countries around the world, revealing the characteristics and relative differences of countries representing different levels of development, in order to provide an important decision-making reference to those considering environmental economic policies, especially those considering accelerating a green economic transformation and enhancing environmental competitiveness. This book will appeal to scholars and professionals with an interest in environmental issues and environmental competitiveness at a global level, as well as those with an interest in each of the 133 countries analyzed in this text, including environmental policy makers in those countries.
Author : Patrick Moriarty
Publisher : Springer
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 43,2 MB
Release : 2014-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781447157113
A vast amount has been written on climate change and what should be our response. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation suggests that most of this literature takes a far too optimistic position regarding the potential for conventional mitigation solutions to achieve the deep cuts in greenhouse gases necessary in the limited time frame we have available. In addition, global environmental problems, as exemplified by climate change, and global resource problems – such as fossil fuel depletion or fresh water scarcity – have largely been seen as separate issues. Further, proposals for solution of these problems often focus at the national level, when the problems are global. The authors argue that the various challenges the planet faces are both serious and interconnected. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation takes a global perspective in its treatment of various solutions: • renewable energy; • nuclear energy; • energy efficiency; • carbon sequestration; and • geo-engineering. It also addresses the possibility that realistic solutions cannot be achieved until the fundamentally ethical question of global equity – both across nations today and also inter-generational – is fully addressed. Such an approach will also involve reorienting the global economy away from an emphasis on growth and toward the direct satisfaction of basic human needs for all the Earth’s people. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation is aimed at the many members of the public with an awareness of climate change, but who wish to find out more about how we need to respond to the challenge. It will also be of interest to technical professionals, as well as postgraduate students and researchers, from the environmental and engineering science sectors.
Author : Carroll Louis WILSON
Publisher :
Page : 319 pages
File Size : 18,71 MB
Release : 1974
Category :
ISBN : 9780262190862
Author : Ann Boyce
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 498 pages
File Size : 41,15 MB
Release : 1996-10-09
Category : Science
ISBN : 9780471287339
Here is the first and only text that helps beginning students master the foundation topics in the dynamic field of environmental technology, from basic toxicology concepts and principles to comprehensive hazardous waste management strategies. Introduction to Environmental Technology organizes a wealth of current need-to-know information into a reader-friendly format that maximizes learning. Throughout, it features case studies that apply the text information to real-world environmental challenges, and highlights numerous career options through profiles of actual people working in various aspects of this broad field. This comprehensive, easy-to-understand text provides: An awareness of how the many facets of science, technology, and public policy are involved in environmental management protection. An understanding of the sources of pollution and the primary processes that control the fate of pollutants in air, water, and soil. Practical insights into the use of land, the benefits of wetlands, and the complex factors influencing land-use decisions. Comprehensive coverage of the main requirements of federal laws and regulations pertaining to hazardous waste, pollution prevention, and occupational health and safety. The basic principles needed to operate the latest pollution control and pollution monitoring equipment. Complete with a comprehensive glossary, Introduction to Environmental Technology provides you with the foundation concepts and vocabulary you need to succeed in this exciting, fast-changing field.
Author : Jonathan Symons
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
Page : 152 pages
File Size : 37,13 MB
Release : 2019-07-09
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 150953122X
Is climate catastrophe inevitable? In a world of extreme inequality, rising nationalism and mounting carbon emissions, the future looks gloomy. Yet one group of environmentalists, the ‘ecomodernists’, are optimistic. They argue that technological innovation and universal human development hold the keys to an ecologically vibrant future. However, this perspective, which advocates fighting climate change with all available technologies – including nuclear power, synthetic biology and others not yet invented – is deeply controversial because it rejects the Green movement’s calls for greater harmony with nature. In this book, Jonathan Symons offers a qualified defence of the ecomodernist vision. Ecomodernism, he explains, is neither as radical or reactionary as its critics claim, but belongs in the social democratic tradition, promoting a third way between laissez-faire and anti-capitalism. Critiquing and extending ecomodernist ideas, Symons argues that states should defend against climate threats through transformative investments in technological innovation. A good Anthropocene is still possible – but only if we double down on science and humanism to push beyond the limits to growth.
Author : National Research Council
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 321 pages
File Size : 29,73 MB
Release : 1991-02-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0309044944
Global environmental change often seems to be the most carefully examined issue of our time. Yet understanding the human sideâ€"human causes of and responses to environmental changeâ€"has not yet received sustained attention. Global Environmental Change offers a strategy for combining the efforts of natural and social scientists to better understand how our actions influence global change and how global change influences us. The volume is accessible to the nonscientist and provides a wide range of examples and case studies. It explores how the attitudes and actions of individuals, governments, and organizations intertwine to leave their mark on the health of the planet. The book focuses on establishing a framework for this new field of study, identifying problems that must be overcome if we are to deepen our understanding of the human dimensions of global change, presenting conclusions and recommendations.
Author : Keith Ronald Skene
Publisher : Routledge
Page : 278 pages
File Size : 37,81 MB
Release : 2019-12-19
Category : Computers
ISBN : 042961909X
A radical and challenging book which argues that artificial intelligence needs a completely different set of foundations, based on ecological intelligence rather than human intelligence, if it is to deliver on the promise of a better world. This can usher in the greatest transformation in human history, an age of re-integration. Our very existence is dependent upon our context within the Earth System, and so, surely, artificial intelligence must also be grounded within this context, embracing emergence, interconnectedness and real-time feedback. We discover many positive outcomes across the societal, economic and environmental arenas and discuss how this transformation can be delivered. Key Features: Identifies a key weakness in current AI thinking, that threatens any hope of a better world. Highlights the importance of realizing that systems theory is an essential foundation for any technology that hopes to positively transform our world. Emphasizes the need for a radical new approach to AI, based on ecological systems. Explains why ecosystem intelligence, not human intelligence, offers the best framework for AI. Examines how this new approach will impact on the three arenas of society, environment and economics, ushering in a new age of re-integration.
