Trends in Ornamental Plant Production
The available range of ornamental plants (cut flowers, potted plants, perennials, bulbous, woody ornamental plants) is constantly being supplemented with new species and cultivars; thus, new methods for their production are required. The sustainable development of the floriculture industry requires modern and environmentally friendly solutions that can maximize the plant's potential. Therefore, it is necessary to adapt flower production methods to actual conditions and take into account the energy transformation and biological, technical, and organizational advances. This Special Issue is a collection of seven well-written research works covering the current state-of-the-art of ornamental crop production. The main body of the Special Issue gives an interesting coverage of new strategies that can be utilized for plant reproduction, regulating their growth and flowering, adapting production technologies to fit the concept of sustainable development, and optimizing supply chain management. This Special Issue will provide a good reference source for growers, research scientists, and advanced undergraduate students.
Emerging Technologies
Chapter​1. Innovation, Value Creation, and Impact Assessment.- Chapter2. Emerging Technologies.- Chapter3. SDG-1 No Poverty.- Chapter4. SDG-2 Zero Hunger.- Chapter5. SDG-3 Good Health and Well-Being.- Chapter6. SDG-4 Quality Education.- Chapter7. SDG-5 Gender Equality.- Chapter8. SDG-6 Clean Water and Sanitation.- Chapter9. SDG-7 Affordable and Clean Energy.- Chapter10. SDG-8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.- Chapter11. SDG-9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.- Chapter12. SDG-10 Reduced Inequalities.- Chapter13. SDG-11 Sustainable Cities and Communities.- Chapter14. SDG-12 Responsible Consumption and Production.- Chapter15. SDG-13 Climate Action.- Chapter16. SDG-14 Life Below Water.-Chapter17. SDG-15 Life on Land.- Chapter18. SDG-16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.-Chapter19. 19. SDG-17 Partnerships for the Goals.- Chapter20. Conclusions.
Energy Independence
The 20th century is known to the entire world as a century of American greatness. Innovations in energy drove that American superiority; innovations such as oil pipelines, petroleum-based fuel, the light bulb, electricity, and the power grid. However, our legacy energy economy leaves us wanting in the 21st century. Centralized vulnerability, wasted generation capacity, dependence on foreign fuel, and climate change are financed by every one of us at the pump and in our monthly utility bill.However, "Energy Independence" is not about what is wrong with our current energy economy; rather it describes a bright future that is waiting to be unlocked. It presents a plan where the average homeowner can not only achieve energy freedom for their household, but usher in the new energy economy.
Human-Nature Interactions
This edited volume aims to widen the discussion about the diversity of human-nature relationships and valuation methods and to stimulate new perspective that are needed to build a more sustainable future, especially in face of ongoing socio-environmental changes. Conceptual and empirical approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methodologies have been used to highlight the importance of an integrative understanding of socio-ecological systems, where healthy ecosystems underpin the quality of life and societal activities largely drive environmental changes. Readers will obtain a comprehensive overview of the many and diverse ways the relationships between people and nature can be characterized. This includes understanding how people assign values to nature, discuss how human-nature interactions are shaped and provide examples of how these values and interactions can be systematically assessed across different land systems in Europe and beyond. This open access book is produced by internationally recognized scientists in the field but written in an accessible format to be of interest to a large audience, including prospective students, lecturers, young professionals and scientists embarking to the interdisciplinary field of socio-ecological research and environmental valuation.
Energy Independence
The 20th century is known to the entire world as a century of American greatness. Innovations in energy drove that American superiority; innovations such as oil pipelines, petroleum-based fuel, the light bulb, electricity, and the power grid. However, our legacy energy economy leaves us wanting in the 21st century. Centralized vulnerability, wasted generation capacity, dependence on foreign fuel, and climate change are financed by every one of us at the pump and in our monthly utility bill.However, "Energy Independence" is not about what is wrong with our current energy economy; rather it describes a bright future that is waiting to be unlocked. It presents a plan where the average homeowner can not only achieve energy freedom for their household, but usher in the new energy economy.
From Environmental to Ecological Law
This book increases the visibility, clarity and understanding of ecological law. Ecological law is emerging as a field of law founded on systems thinking and the need to integrate ecological limits, such as planetary boundaries, into law.Presenting new thinking in the field, this book focuses on problem areas of contemporary law including environmental law, property law, trusts, legal theory and First Nations law and explains how ecological law provides solutions. Written by ecological law experts, it does this by 1) providing an overview of shortcomings of environmental law and other areas of contemporary law, 2) presenting specific examples of these shortcomings, 3) explaining what ecological law is and how it provides solutions to the shortcomings of contemporary law, and 4) showing how society can overcome some key challenges in the transition to ecological law.Drawing on a diverse range of case study examples including Indigenous law, ecological restoration and mining, this volume will be of great interest to students, scholars and policymakers of environmental and ecological law and governance, political science, environmental ethics and ecological and degrowth economics.
Finance and Sustainable Development
There are many studies confirming the relationship between financial systems and economic development, but there are few which examine the degree to which financial systems a) impact the quality of information, b) influence sound corporate governance, c) ensure effective mechanisms of risk management, d) mobilize savings and f) facilitate trade. In the context of sustainability, there should also be a line of inquiry into how a particular financial system influences the assurance and implementation of sustainable development principles and goals. This book delivers a methodological approach to designing and assessing sustainable financial systems. It provides an original contribution by prioritizing ESG factors in the decision-making process of financial institutions and identifying their impact on sustainable financial systems. The author argues that to achieve financial stability, it is necessary to have in place mechanisms designed to prevent financial problems from becoming systemic and/or threatening the stability of the financial and economic system, while maintaining (or not undermining) the economy's ability to sustain growth and perform its other functions. The book primarily takes a simulation and experimental approach. It is the first book to take such a comprehensive look at sustainable financial systems as opposed to sustainable finance in general. It will appeal to academics, students and researchers in the fields of economics, finance and banking, business, management and political and social sciences.
Green Chemistry
Forward vPreface to the Third Edition viiPreface to the First Edition ix1. GREEN CHEMISTRY 2. GREEN REACTIONS 3. GREEN PREPARATION MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ANSWERS SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONSINDEX
Progress and Prospects in the Management of Oxyanion Polluted Aqua Systems
This book is a compendium of research efforts and findings on the sources, occurrences, hydrochemistry, and several operating variables that influence the presence of oxyanions in aqua system. The content of this book has been designed to provide an insightful account of an array of innovative technologies for the management of the impacts of oxyanions in water, the progress and drawbacks of these technologies and those that have been effectively deployed to transform oxyanions in water to beneficial species. This book further x-rays global laws and economic policies targeted at effectively curtailing the presence of harmful oxyanions in water, challenges facing these policies, and future perspectives on how best to reduce the level of these harmful oxyanions in water to safe limit. The book is relevant to water professionals, policy makers, academics, and research students.
A Future in Flames
Fire has shaped the Australian landscape and the lives of Australians for thousands of years--and will continue to do so as the climate changes. For all our advances in prevention and prediction, planning and communication, bushfires keep claiming our lives and our homes. How can we avoid another Ash Wednesday or Black Saturday?Danielle Clode has lived in the bushfire danger zone and studied the past and recent history of fire management and fire-fighting. Here she tells the complex story of Australia's relationship with fire, from indigenous practices to country fire brigades and royal commissions--as well as her own story of living with the threat of fire. A Future in Flames is a vivid history, a sombre reflection and an invaluable guide for living and dealing with fire.
I Am Destroying The Land!
This book is about interconnections-those among the historical, geographic, demographic, social, economic, and ecological aspects of development-as well as how Central Americans struggle with the interplay of increasing poverty and environmental degradation. Centering on the case of southern Honduras and expanding to include the Central American region, Susan Stonich's analysis employs an integrative approach that builds on a strong and varied methodological foundation to encompass both political economy and ecology. Stonich examines the systemic linkages among the dynamics of dominant development models and associated patterns of capitalist accumulation, regional demography, rural impoverishment, and environmental decline. By casting the discussion against the backdrop of southern Honduras, she presents a powerful historical record of how larger socio-political communities impact individuals and the natural environment and how, in turn, people respond. She charts the destiny of peasant groups within the dynamics of contemporary capitalism, recognizing that the fates of the peasantry and the natural environment are intimately linked. Stonich's study contributes to an improved understanding of the complex interrelationships between social processes and environmental degradation, offering a timely and pertinent comment on one of the most serious modern challenges
Environmental Impact Assessments and Mitigation
Environmental Impact Assessments and Mitigation examines various assessments for developmental projects in the housing, mining, energy, and waste management areas. As the world continues to shift toward concerns over climate change and environmental protection issues, developmental projects must have environmental impact assessments (EIA) conducted as well as environmental management plans (EMP). This book describes how all phases of a project, from planning, to operation, to post operation, must consider potential environmental impacts and their mitigation.Features: Presents numerous sustainable development considerations for key industries Discusses how environmental impact assessments are prepared for each stage of a project Describes different environmental management plans for established projects Offers mitigation plans for various potential environmental impacts Includes practical examples from the construction, manufacturing, transport, and mining industries Useful for practicing professional engineers as well as upper-level students, this book covers all aspects of environmental impact assessments from start to finish.
Groundwater Contamination in Coastal Aquifers
Groundwater Contamination in Coastal Aquifers: Assessment and Management first describes groundwater contamination in coastal aquifers and then delves into specific topics surrounding various hydrogeochemical processes. Next, the book covers case studies of groundwater quality assessment using recent techniques, explains the various pollutants and contaminants in coastal aquifers, and covers management and remediation methods to control contamination in coastal aquifers. This key reference encompasses various topics in broader perspectives on groundwater contamination in coastal aquifers, providing a significant contribution to the field of hydrogeology.
Pollution Control Technologies
This monograph is based on pollution control technologies available to deal with water and air pollution. It includes removal of variety of pollutants including arsenic, chromium, uranium, pesticides and arsenic from water using adsorption technique. In addition, this book deals with the sampling and removal of microplastics using various techniques. The contents also focus on the role of membrane technology in water and wastewater treatment, and particulate matter air pollution and its control techniques. This volume will be a useful guide for researchers, academics and scientists.^
Technology Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development
Chapter 1: Overview of technology entrepreneurship for sustainable development Pradeep Ray and Rajib Shaw Part 1: Education and Well-Being Chapter 2: Experiential Learning Approaches for Enhancing Development Skills: A Review of the Social Business Canvas as a Pedagogical Tool Faiz Shah; Brian Caraway; Pathit Ongvasith; Brian McKeown; Callum Mackenzie Chapter 3: Practicum-oriented Entrepreneurship Education: A Systematic Literature Review Tianyu Chen, Yuanchen Bai, Pradeep Ray, and Gang Zheng Chapter 4: Applicability of Business Model Canvas in the Context of Entrepreneurship in Asia: A Systematic Literature Review Sheng Qiao, Gongyu Chen, and Pradeep Ray, Chapter 5: Global entrepreneurship sustainability through evolving ecosystems Zhigang Zhang and Yang Xu Chapter 6: Starting up STEAM in China: A Case Study of Technology Entrepreneurship for STEAM Education in China Sam Ro, Siqi Xiao, and Zhoumin Zhou Chapter 7: Sustainable Societal Development through Holistic Education Programs Sankar Halder and Padmanava Sen Chapter 8: The Role of Technology Entrepreneurship in Facilitating Corporate Donations: A Model for B2B Social e-Business Development Samsul Alam, Dr. Md. Rakibul Hoque, Prof. Dr. Pradeep Kumar Ray Chapter 9: Harnessing Mobile technologies for Healthy Living: A Case Study on Smoking Cessation Koel Ghorai and Pradeep Ray Part 2: Climate, environment and disaster management Chapter 10: Linking Climate Action and Sustainable Development Goals by Activating Co-benefits Sardar Masud Karim and Pradeep Ray Chapter 11: Social entrepreneurship and disaster risk reduction- A case of India Muhammed Sulfikkar Ahamed, Ranit Chatterjee and Rajib Shaw Chapter 12: Mapping Water Salinity in Coastal Areas Affected by Rising Sea Level Kwee-Yan The, Soong-Chul Ro and Pradeep Ray Chapter 13: Citizen science for Urbanization, Disaster, and Environmental management. Pradip Khatiwada and Rajib Shaw Chapter 14: Technology and innovation for societal resilience through multistakeholder collaboration Roshni Pramanik Chapter 15: Technology entrepreneurship and wildfire risk management Shefali Juneja Lakhina and Anukool Lakhina Chapter 16: A sustainable water supply business model by utilization of the innovative water flocculants, A Case Study in Bagamoyo, Tanzania Yasuhiro SOSHINO, Omar JUMA, and Akira MIYATA Chapter 17: Emerging technologies and innovation to reach out to vulnerable populations in Nepal U Kharel, A. Sigdel; S. Uprety, T. Ng'ong'a, and J.I. Ginting
Climate Impacts on Extreme Weather
Climate Impacts on Extreme Weather: Current to Future Changes on a Local to Global Scale presents fundamentals and advances in the science of weather and climate extremes, building on the existing knowledge by using regional and global case studies. The book provides an analysis of historical and future changes, physical processes, measurements, space-time variability, socioeconomic impact, and risk management. It provides policy makers, researchers and students working in climate change with a thorough reference for understanding the diverse impacts of extreme weather and climate change on varying geographic scales. With contributions from experts across the globe, the book utilizes methods, case studies, modeling, and analysis to present valuable, up-to-date knowledge about the interaction of climate change, weather and the many implications of the changing environment.
The Mekong River Basin
The Mekong River Basin: Ecohydrological Complexity from Catchment to Coast, Volume Three presents real facts, data and predictions for quantifying human-induced changes throughout the Mekong watershed, including its estuaries and coasts, and proposes solutions to decrease or mitigate the negative effect and enable sustainable development. This is the first work to link socio-ecological interaction study over the whole Mekong River basin through the lens of ecohydrology. Each chapter is written by a leading expert, with coverage on climate change, groundwater, land use, flooding drought, biodiversity and anthropological issues. Human activities are enormous in the whole watershed and are still increasing throughout the catchment, with severe negative impacts on natural resources are emerging. Among these activities, hydropower dams, especially a series of 11 dams in China, are the most critical as they generate massive changes throughout the system, including in the delta and to the livelihoods of millions of people and they threaten sustainability.
Environmental Resilience and Food Law
Agrobiodiversity and agroecology go hand-in-hand in promoting environmental resilience in international food systems as well as climate change resilient food policy. This book contextualizes how various legal frameworks address agrobiodiversity and agroecology around the globe and makes it accessible for audiences of students, practitioners, educators, and scholars. Some chapters focus on the legal regulation of agroecology from a food law perspective. Others are geared toward providing regulators, lawmakers and attorneys with the scientific and policy background of those concepts, so that they are equipped in the field of food law in everyday practice and policy. Climate change dimensions of the issues are woven throughout the book.
Hazardous Air Pollutants
Hazardous Air Pollutants: Case Studies from Asia examines the variety of public health problems, such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, increased mortality, and impaired mental health, that are severely affecting multiple Asian countries as a result of exposure to high concentrations of air pollution in the wake of rapid industrialization. The contributors to this book have direct research experience in health problems caused by air pollution in the countries under discussion. The countries analyzed include China, Taiwan, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Korea.The book is divided in two sections. Each chapter of the first section focuses on one country and summarizes multiple key aspects that contextualize public health issues within it, including Geography Meteorology Economics Demographics Sources of air pollution Epidemiological findings Biological mechanisms The first section also assesses the exposure and risk within each country. The second section introduces new fields of air pollution research, the impact of vehicle emission regulations, the effects of coal energy generation, and climate change.Presented in a concise and methodical manner, this book provides an up-to-date overview of the air pollution levels, health findings, and air quality policies of Asian countries. It expands understanding about the effects of air pollution on public health in Asia and lays a groundwork for future approaches to research and policy.
Urban Renewal, Governance and Sustainable Development
The Rio Declaration of 1992 and its agenda for action in the twenty first century-Agenda 21-were bold attempts at steering the nations in the world in the direction of ecologically sustainable development, a direction including social and environmental justice on a global scale. It did not take long, however, when the meaning of the word 'sustainable' became diluted, sometimes even in the direction of an empty 'sustainababble織. Thus, what we see today is a huge variety of more or less scholarly based 'sustainability' imaginaries stating what the major problems facing humanity are represented to be and how they should be acted upon by science, economy, politics, and in everyday life. In other words, 'sustainability' is not enough. To evade the impression that the word may simply encourage the sustaining of an unjust status quo and that everyone has common interests in 'sustainable urban development' research and policy practice have to unmask the real conflicts of interest hidden behind the use of slippery language.
Convergent Leadership-Divergent Exposures
This book aims, through its chapters, at providing the knowledge to make competent decisions, convince peers or top management to take appropriate action, or beat out the competition for climate adaptation measures including adjustments for design and operations. Topics discussed include business-as-usual vs. divergence; the effects of public pressure on corporate, industrial and government decision making; techniques for gathering the proper information to assess risks and hazards; the importance determining risk tolerance thresholds; the difference between tolerable risks, intolerable ones that benefit from mitigation and those that require strategic shifts; why common practice approaches such as FMEA, and risk matrices are inadequate in today's world and do not help ensure infrastructural and systemic resilience and sustainability.Case histories and three complete case studies that can be adapted to any industry or project walk the reader step by step from client request to recommendations and conditions of validity. The ultimate aim is to understand how to reduce risks to tolerable and societally acceptable levels while simultaneously creating sustainable and ethical systems.
Knowledge Organization and Management in the Domain of Environment and Earth Observation (Komeeo)
The volume contains the proceedings of the KOMEEO (Knowledge Organization and Management in the domain of Environment and Earth Observation) international conference, organized in the field of the European ERA-PLANET (The European Network for observing our changing Planet) H2020 program. Papers present research projects and experiences related to different aspects of organizing knowledge in the environmental domain, which nowadays is receiving great attention from the European Union. In particular, they address topics related to Knowledge Organization Systems (KOSs), to their application in specific contexts, to the extraction of metadata, to the achievement of semantic interoperability.
Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Sustainability in Civil Engineering
This book contains the proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Sustainability in Civil Engineering, ICSCE 2020, held on 26-27 November 2020, in Hanoi, Vietnam. It presents the expertise of scientists and engineers in academia and industry in the field of bridge and highway engineering, construction materials, environmental engineering, engineering in industry 4.0, geotechnical engineering, structural damage detection and health monitoring, structural engineering, geographic information system engineering, traffic, transportation and logistics engineering, water resources, estuary and coastal engineering.
Biodiversity-Health-Sustainability Nexus in Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (Sepls)
Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. Human-Nature Cooperation for Well-being: Community Understanding on One Health Approach in the COVID-19 Era in the Sundarbans .- Chapter 3. Linking Biocultural Memory Conservation and Human Well-Being in Indigenous Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes in the Colombian Pacific Region.- Chapter 4. SEPLS Well-being as a Vision: Co-managing for Diversity, Connectivity and Adaptive Capacity in Xinshe Village, Hualien County, Chinese Taipei.- Chapter 5. To Take Care of the Land Means Taking Care of Ourselves" Local Perceptions on Human and Environmental Health in a High Agrobiodiversity Landscape in the Yucatan Peninsula.- Chapter 6. Community 'Bio-rights' in Augmenting Health and Climate Resilience of a Socio-ecological Production Landscape in Peri-urban Ramsar Wetlands.- Chapter 7. Effective Water Management for Landscape Management in the Siem Reap Catchment, Cambodia.- Chapter 8.Are the Skiing Industry, Globalisation and Urbanisation of Alpine Landscapes Threatening Human Health and Ecosystem Diversity?.- Chapter 9.Promoting Local Health Traditions and Local Food Baskets: A Case Study from a Bio-cultural Hotspot of India.- Chapter 10.Safeguarding the Biodiversity Associated with Local Foodways in Traditionally-Managed Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes in Kenya.- Chapter 11.Multi-stakeholder Approach to Conserving Agricultural Biodiversity and Enhancing Food Security and Community Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kampong Cham, Cambodia.- Chapter 12.Reducing Commodity-Driven Biodiversity Loss: The Case of Pesticide Use and Impacts on Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes (SEPL) in Ghana.- Chapter 13. Synthesis: Concept, Methodologies and Strategies to Address the Nexus in SEPLS.
Sustainable Approaches in Textiles and Fashion
This second volume in this set of books discusses various sustainable approaches in textiles and the fashion sector with a focus on consumerism and the supply chain. Sustainability is one of the important aspects in today's industrial context, and is no exception to textiles and fashion. Sustainability and strict adherence to the principles of sustainability has become as one of the essential needs again for any industrial sector including textiles and fashion. There are countless measures in terms of various approaches to make the textiles and fashion sector sustainable. These measures, but not limited to, ranging from innovating and implementing new fibres and raw materials, introducing innovative manufacturing methods, chemicals, processes to focus on all the possible stages of a textile product's life cycle from cradle to grave. These approaches include making the textiles and fashion sector circular and also development of new products from sustainable raw materials/processes or combination of both.
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Volume 256
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.
Worth Saving
This textbook is intended to be used in an upper-level international environmental issues class as part of the American Environmental Studies and Sciences book series. This class is commonly taught at both the undergraduate and graduate level as part of either an environmental studies program, a political science program, or within a policy track of an environmental science program.Given the length of time that negotiations have occurred, a new generation of students and practitioners will need to understand the complex processes that produced many of our environmental treaties. The majority of the students in environmental studies do not have a background in political science. Moving from a political science approach to an interdisciplinary approach will benefit the students by making the material more accessible.As these fields continue to grow and develop, regulatory compliance becomes increasingly important. Thus, this book is aimed at adding a business and industry perspective to this field where appropriate.
Nature in Silico
Dramatic advances in computing power enable simulation of DNA sequences generated by complex microevolutionary scenarios that include mutation, population structure, natural selection, meiotic recombination, demographic change, and explicit spatial geographies. Although retrospective, coalescent simulation is computationally efficient--and covered here--the primary focus of this book is forward-in-time simulation, which frees us to simulate a wider variety of realistic microevolutionary models. The book walks the reader through the development of a forward-in-time evolutionary simulator dubbed FORward Time simUlatioN Application (FORTUNA). The capacity of FORTUNA grows with each chapter through the addition of a new evolutionary factor to its code. Each chapter also reviews the relevant theory and links simulation results to key evolutionary insights. The book addresses visualization of results through development of R code and reference to more than 100 figures. All code discussedin the book is freely available, which the reader may use directly or modify to better suit his or her own research needs. Advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and professional researchers will all benefit from this introduction to the increasingly important skill of population genetic simulation.
Don't Tell the Boss!
After a major disaster, when investigators are piecing together the story of what happened, a striking fact often emerges: before disaster struck, some people in the organization involved were aware of dangerous conditions that had the potential to escalate to a critical level. But for a variety of reasons, this crucial information did not reach decision-makers. So, the organization moved ever closer to catastrophe, effectively unaware of the possible threat--despite the fact that some of its employees could see it coming.What is the problem with communication about risk in an organization, and why does this problem exist? What stops people in organizations or project teams from freely reporting and discussing critical risks? This book seeks to answer these questions, starting from a deep analysis of 20 disasters where the concealment of risks played a major part.These case studies are drawn from around the world and span a range of industries: civil nuclear power, coal, oil and gas production, hydropower energy, metals and mining, space exploration, transport, finance, retail manufacturing and even the response of governments to wars, famines and epidemics.Together, case studies give an insight into why people hesitate to report risks--and even when they do, why their superiors often prefer to ignore the news. The book reviews existing research on the challenges of voice and silence in organizations.This helps to explain more generally why people dread passing on bad news to others--and why in the workplace they prefer to keep quiet about unpleasant facts or potential risks when they are talking to superiors and colleagues.The discussion section of the book includes important examples of concealment within the Chinese state hierarchy as well as by leading epidemiologists and governments in the West during the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan in 2019-2020. The full picture of the very early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic remains unclear, and further research is obviously needed to better understand what motivated some municipal, provincial and national officials in China as well as Western counterparts to obfuscate facts in their internal communications about many issues associated with the outbreak.
Hidden Pathways to Extinction
This book provides, for the first time, a comprehensive overview of the fundamental roles that ecological interactions play in extinction processes, bringing to light an underground of hidden pathways leading to the same dark place: biodiversity loss. We are in the midst of the sixth mass extinction. We see species declining and vanishing one after another. Poached rhinos, dolphins and whales slaughtered, pandas surviving only in captivity are strong emotional testimonials of what is happening. Yet, the main threat to natural communities may be overshadowed by the disappearance of large species, with most extinctions happening unnoticed and involving less eye-catching organisms, such as parasites and pollinators. Ecosystems hide countless, invisible wires connecting organisms in dense networks of ecological interactions. Through these networks, perturbations can propagate from one species to another, producing unpredictable effects. In worst case scenarios, the lossof one species might doom many others to extinction. Ecologists now consider such mechanisms as a fundamental - and still poorly understood - driver of the ongoing biodiversity crisis. Hidden Pathways to Extinction makes the invisible links connecting the fates of species and organisms evident, exploring why complexity can enhance ecosystem stability and yet accelerate species loss. Page after page, Strona provides convincing evidence that we are primarily responsible for the fall in biodiversity, that we are falling too, and that we need to redouble our conservation efforts now, or it won't be long before we hit the ground.
China's Long-Term Low-Carbon Development Strategies and Pathways
This open access book introduces a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive research on China's long-term low-carbon emission strategies and pathways. After comprehensively considering China's own socioeconomic conditions, policy design, energy mix, and other macro-development trends and needs, the research team has proposed suggestions on China's low-carbon development strategies and pathways until 2050, with required technologies and policies in order to realize the goals of building a great modern socialist country and a beautiful China. These achievements are in conjunction with the climate goals set in the Paris Agreement alongside Global Sustainable Development. The authors hope that the research findings can serve as a reference for all sectors of Chinese society in their climate research efforts, offer support for the formulation and implementation of china's national low-carbon development strategies and policies, and help the world to better understand China's story in the general trend of global green and low-carbon development.
Territorial Development and Water-Energy-Food Nexus in the Global South
Part 1: Sustainable territorial development of the Maputo Province Debates, research, and innovative perspectives. Chapter 1 - A Capital in History: widening the temporal and physical context of Maputo (Paul Jenkins).Chapter 2- The demography of the Maputo Province (In礙s Macamo Raimundo).Chapter 3 - The demography of the Maputo Province (Integrated Multisectoral Research Programme (PIMI).Origins, Trajectories and Horizons) (Carlos T. G. Trindade, Domingos A. Macucule, Jo瓊o T. Tique).Part 2: Boa_Ma_Nh瓊, Maputo!: a "research by design" project WEF-sensitive territorial assessment and strategic guidelines for the Namaacha, Boane and Moamba region.Chapter 4 - Introducing the Maputo Province A tentative assemblage of planning tools and visions (Alessandro Frigerio, Alice Buoli).Chapter 5 - Unpacking Territorial Development in the Namaacha, Boane, and Moamba Region A Cartographic Narrative (Alice Buoli). Chapter 6 - Energy-food challenges and future trends in Mozambique and in the Maputo Province (Davide Danilo Chiarelli, Lorenzo Rinaldi).Chapter 7 - Trans-scalar and WEF-sensitive strategic scenarios for an integrated territorial development A proposal for the Maputo-Boane-Namaacha Transect as a green-blue metropolitan armature (Alessandro Frigerio).Part 3: A transdisciplinary lexicon of sustainable planning in sub-Saharan Africa.Chapter 8 - Agriculture and Food security Implications on sustainable development and the WEF Nexus (Maria Cristina Rulli, Davide Danilo Chiarelli, Nikolas Galli, Camilla Govoni).Chapter 9 - Water and Climate Change Water management in transboundary river basins under climate change (Andrea Castelletti, Elena Matta).Chapter 10 - Energy An essential asset for the development of African continent (Matteo Rocco, Lorenzo Rinaldi). Chapter 11 - Environment A bioclimatic approach to urban and architectural design in sub-Saharan African cities (Valentina Dess穫).Chapter 12 - Urban Forestry Perspectives from Sub Saharan Africa between planning and global challenges (Maria Chiara Pastore).Chapter 13 - Governance Rethinking paradigms and urban research approach for Sub-Saharan African urbanism (Paola Bellaviti).Chapter 14 - Mobility Developing countries through the lens of megaprojects, equity, sustainability, and development (Paolo Beria).Chapter 15 - Society Maputo: a case of social Non-Simultaneity? A city repertoire of issues (Agostino Petrillo).Chapter 16 - Rural / Urban / Metropolitan Trying to reduce inequalities through planning (Laura Montedoro).
Climate Future
Most people would probably agree on what should be done to avert severe climate change: The world must reduce CO2 emissions as much and as quickly as possible. But we must also ask what will be done. Is it realistic to expect worldwide emissions to fall rapidly enough to prevent severe climate change? And if we conclude it is not realistic, and so higher temperatures and rising sea levels are likely, what should we do? What actions should we take now to reduce the likely impact of climate change? Whatever climate policies are adopted, there will be a great deal of uncertainty over what will happen as a result. In Climate Future, Robert Pindyck, an authority on the economics of climate change and global catastrophes, explains what we know and what we don't know about the extent of climate change and its impact, why there is so much uncertainty, and what it means for climate policy. This book shows that given the economic and political realities, it is simply not realistic to expect emission reductions needed to avert substantial global warming. Pindyck argues that investments in adaptation-developing new hybrid crops, discouraging building in flood-prone or wildfire-prone areas, building sea walls and dikes, and geoengineering-are needed to insure against catastrophic climate change events. We should invest now in adaptation, and Pindyck shows how that can be done.
Microbes in Agriculture and Environmental Development
The collection of essays in Microbes in Agriculture and Environmental Development explores the applications of microbes for the improvement of environmental quality and agricultural productivity through inoculants and enzymes. These are useful for the conservation and restoration of degraded natural and agricultural ecosystems, crop yield extension, soil health improvement, and other aspects of agriculture and the environment. It discusses the effective use of microbial technology, wastewater treatment, and recycling of agricultural and industrial wastes. It provides detailed accounts of recent trends in microbial application in plant growth promotion, soil fertility, microbial biomass and diversity, and environmental sustainability through bioremediation, biodegradation, and biosorption processesFeatures: Discusses microbes and their applications for sustainable agriculture and environmental protection in agro-environmental circumstances Presents innovative and eco-friendly approaches for the remediation of contaminated soil and wastewater Focuses on green technologies and sustainability Includes chapters on sustainable agriculture development through increasing soil fertility, physico-chemical properties and soil microbial biomass in nutrient-deprived soils Defines the role of microbial bio formulation-based consortia in the productivity improvement of agricultural crops It will be an invaluable addition to the bookshelves of researchers and graduate students in agriculture and environmental engineering, soil science; microbiology, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystems. Dr. Chhatarpal Singh is presently the President of Agro Environmental Development Society (AEDS), Majhra Ghat, Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India.Dr. Tiwari is currently working in the field of methanotrophs ecology (methane oxidizing bacteria), which is sole entity responsible for the oxidation of potent greenhouse gas CH4.Dr. Jay Shankar Singh is presently working as a faculty member in the Department of Environmental Microbiology at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University in Lucknow, India.Dr. Ajar Nath Yadav is currently serving as an assistant professor in the Department of Biotechnology, Akal College of Agriculture, Eternal University, Baru Sahib, Himachal Pradesh, India.
Teaching Science Students to Communicate: A Practical Guide
This highly-readable book addresses how to teach effective communication in science. The first part of the book provides accessible context and theory about communicating science well, and is written by experts. The second part focuses on the practice of teaching communication in science, with 'nuts and bolts' lesson plans direct from the pens of practitioners. The book includes over 50 practice chapters, each focusing on one or more short teaching activities to target a specific aspect of communication, such as writing, speaking and listening. Implementing the activities is made easy with class run sheets, tips and tricks for instructors, signposts to related exercises and theory chapters, and further resources. Theory chapters help build instructor confidence and knowledge on the topic of communicating science. The teaching exercises can be used with science students at all levels of education in any discipline and curriculum - the only limitation is a wish to learn to communicate better! Targeted at science faculty members, this book aims to improve and enrich communication teaching within the science curriculum, so that science graduates can communicate better as professionals in their discipline and future workplace.
Management and Development of Agricultural and Natural Resources in Egypt's Desert
This book reviews the economic potential of various natural resources found in the Egyptian deserts that could help fill the food gap in Egypt, e.g., the date palm, olives, and domestic animals. Bearing in mind that the entire country is subject to arid or hyperarid climatic conditions, only a small portion (3% of total area) is agriculturally productive in comparison, the dominant deserts. These aspects, combined with a growing population (ca. 100 million citizens) and water resources scarcity, have produced severe adverse effects on natural resource utilization. This book presents innovative methods for addressing desert soil's key problems (soil erosion, salinity, pollution, decreased fertility, minerals, and weed and pest control). Its goal is to help authorities reclaim the desert and optimally utilize the minerals and the available natural resources to support the sustainability agenda 2030. Besides, it offers researchers guidance on remaining gaps and future research directions. Lastly and importantly, it provides essential information on investment opportunities in desert cultivation, such as the fields of food, fodder, and medicinal plants.
Building Materials for Sustainable and Ecological Environment
This book uses theories, hypotheses, policies, practical insights and case studies to introduce and elucidate green building materials for sustainable construction. Cement is the most widely used building material in construction; however, it is not sustainable, being responsible for 7% of global carbon dioxide emissions and consuming huge quantities of energy. In order to limit the ecological damage, sustainable building materials are needed. Ecosystems are a source of important lessons and models for transitioning the built environment onto a sustainable path that opens options for sustainable building material in construction. The book provides a guide for readers seeking knowledge on sustainable building materials with the potential to lower environmental impact by reducing CO2 emission throughout the building's lifecycle. The book is motivated by recent rapid advances in sustainable building materials production, including green building materials made of industrial by-products and recycled wastes, earth materials, plant-based materials, microbial-based materials or supplementary cementitious materials, to reduce the environmental impacts of traditional building materials. Discussing the development and applications of various sustainable building materials, including related case studies, and addressing the environmental issue with a holistic and systematic approach that creates an ecology of construction for sustainability in infrastructures, it offers promising solutions to achieve renewable and sustainable building materials for the future.
Re-Envisioning the Anthropocene Ocean
The world is at a critical moment, when humans must grapple with thinking about the planet's oceans from ecological, physical, social, and legal perspectives. Warming ocean temperatures, changing currents, cultural displacement, Indigenous resilience, melting polar ice, habitat loss, are but a few of the global issues reflected in the planetary ocean as a front line in the unfolding drama of climate change. Re-envisioning the Anthropocene Ocean brings together leading scientists, lawyers, humanists, and Indigenous voices to tell of the ocean's precarious position in the twenty-first century. The contributors affirm that the planetary ocean is crucial to our well-being and overdue for a positive change in public action to enhance the world's resilience to climate change, ocean acidification, and other stressors. These essays engage that important work of positively re-imagining the ocean in the Anthropocene. This volume brings diverse perspectives to the planet's ocean future. New essays are contextualized with narratives woven by earlier ocean writers, showing readers how past perceptions of the ocean have led us to where we are today in terms of both problems and potential new visions. In this one volume, readers experience both the history of humanity's multi- and interdisciplinary interactions with the ocean, find new perspectives on that history, and discover ideas for looking forward.
Self-Organized 3D Tissue Patterns
Therapies for regenerating damaged tissue and organs have been attracting much attention. In order to efficiently regenerate the functions of living tissue and organs, diverse attempts have been made to utilize scaffolds to "mold" artificial tissue structures. However, the structural complexity of reconstituted tissue is limited by the mechanical precision of scaffolds, which still cause problems arising from their degradation, immunogenic reactions, and so forth. It is also being realized that ultimately the best approach might be to rely on the innate self-organizing properties of cells and the regenerative capability of the organism itself.This book investigates the 3D-pattern formation and evolution mechanism in multipotent cells embedded in 3D semi-synthetic hydrogels and the control methodology for self-organized patterns. The authors theoretically and experimentally demonstrate several types of topological 3D-pattern formation by cells in a 3D matrix in vitro, which can be modeled and predicted by mathematical models based on the reaction-diffusion dynamics of various chemical, physical, and mechanical cues. The study, focused on the 3D pattern formation of cells, provides (i) a unique perspective for understanding the self-organized 3D tissue structures based on Turing instability, (ii) the scheme for rationally controlling the cellular self-organization via exogenous factors or tailored inner interfaces inside hydrogels, and (iii) the elaborate and sophisticated regulating method for tuning collective cellular behaviors in 3D matrices.
Re-Envisioning the Anthropocene Ocean
The world is at a critical moment, when humans must grapple with thinking about the planet's oceans from ecological, physical, social, and legal perspectives. Warming ocean temperatures, changing currents, cultural displacement, Indigenous resilience, melting polar ice, habitat loss, are but a few of the global issues reflected in the planetary ocean as a front line in the unfolding drama of climate change. Re-envisioning the Anthropocene Ocean brings together leading scientists, lawyers, humanists, and Indigenous voices to tell of the ocean's precarious position in the twenty-first century. The contributors affirm that the planetary ocean is crucial to our well-being and overdue for a positive change in public action to enhance the world's resilience to climate change, ocean acidification, and other stressors. These essays engage that important work of positively re-imagining the ocean in the Anthropocene. This volume brings diverse perspectives to the planet's ocean future. New essays are contextualized with narratives woven by earlier ocean writers, showing readers how past perceptions of the ocean have led us to where we are today in terms of both problems and potential new visions. In this one volume, readers experience both the history of humanity's multi- and interdisciplinary interactions with the ocean, find new perspectives on that history, and discover ideas for looking forward.
China's Sustainability Transitions
This book considers the impact of global climate change, advocating to promote sustainable development from the perspective of low carbon and climate resilience, by reducing carbon emissions in different aspects of urban and regional development. As the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, China is continuously exploring a sustainable path to achieve the momentous goal of 2060 carbon neutrality. In addition, this book reviews and summarizes China's green development and predicts the transformation of China's carbon emission and energy structure before and after the peak of carbon emission in 2030. It examines the role of governance in decarbonization efforts, focusing on decision making processes, policies and regulations, as well as the significance of regions, cities, and communities. This book highlights typical methods of implementing and achieving low carbon development in light of China's practical situation, which helps to resolve some of the problems that may arise in achieving the carbon neutral goal. Therefore, this book is suitable for the reference of scholars in low-carbon environment science, sustainable urban development, and other related fields. It also provides inspiration for China's medium and long-term sustainable development plans in the future.
Water, Land, and Forest Susceptibility and Sustainability
Water, Land, and Forest Susceptibility and Sustainability, Volume 1: Geospatial Approaches & Modeling brings an interdisciplinary perspective to solving complex problems in sustainability, utilizing the latest research and technologies, and includes case studies that emphasize the applications of remote sensing, GIS, and image processing for addressing the current state and future needs to achieve sustainability. As forests, land, and water are among the most precious resources on earth, emphasizing the need to conserve them for future generations and, of course, a safe and sustainable planet. The assessment of the susceptibility of all these three precious resources must therefore be addressed to inform their sustainable management. This 1st volume encourages adaptive activities among experts employed in interdisciplinary fields, from data mining and machine learning to environmental science by linking geospatial computational intelligence technology to forest, land and water issues.
Covid-19
This book gathers and disseminates opinions, viewpoints, studies, forecasts, and practical projects which illustrate the various pathways sustainability research and practice may follow in the future, as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares itself to the possibilities of having to cope with similar crisis, a product of the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme (IUSDRP) https: //www.haw-hamburg.de/en/ftz-nk/programmes/iusdrp.html and the European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR) https: //esssr.eu/. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe human suffering, and to substantial damages to economies around the globe, affecting both rich countries and developing ones. The aftermath of the epidemic is also expected to be felt for sometime. This will also include a wide range of impacts in the ways sustainable development is perceived, and how the principles of sustainability are practised.There is now a pressing need to generate new literature on the connections between COVID-19 and sustainability. This is so for two main reasons. Firstly, the world crisis triggered by COVID-19 has severely damaged the world economy, worsening poverty, causing hardships, and endangering livelihoods. Together, these impacts may negatively influence the implementation of sustainable development as a whole, and of the UN Sustainable Development Goals in particular. These potential and expected impacts need to be better understood and quantified, hence providing a support basis for future recovery efforts. Secondly, the shutdown caused by COVID-19 has also been having a severe impact on teaching and research, especially -but not only - on matters related to sustainability. This may also open new opportunities (e.g. less travel, more Internet-based learning), which should be explored further, especially in the case of future pandemics, a scenario which cannot be excluded.The book meets these perceived needs.
Mycorrhizal Dynamics in Ecological Systems
Mycorrhizae are mutualisms between plants and fungi that evolved over 400 million years ago. This symbiotic relationship commenced with land invasion, and as new groups evolved, new organisms developed with varying adaptations to changing conditions. Based on the author's 50 years of knowledge and research, this book characterizes mycorrhizae through the most rapid global environmental changes in human history. It applies that knowledge in many different scenarios, from restoring strip mines in Wyoming and shifting agriculture in the Yucat獺n, to integrating mutualisms into science policy in California and Washington, D.C. Toggling between ecological theory and natural history of a widespread and long-lived symbiotic relationship, this interdisciplinary volume scales from structure-function and biochemistry to ecosystem dynamics and global change. This remarkable study is of interest to a wide range of students, researchers, and land-use managers.
Vegetation of the Earth and Ecological Systems of the Geo-Biosphere
Global Climate Change & California
California's extraordinary ecological and economic diversity has brought it prosperity, pollution, and overpopulation. These factors and the state's national and international ties make California an essential test case for the impact of global climate change--temperature increases, water shortages, more ultraviolet radiation. The scientists in this forward-looking volume give their best estimates of what the future holds.Beginning with an overview by Joseph Knox, the book discusses the greenhouse effect, the latest climate modeling capabilities, the implications of climate change for water resources, agriculture, biological ecosystems, human behavior, and energy.The warning inherent in a scenario of unchecked population growth and energy use in California applies to residents of the entire planet. The sobering conclusions related here include recommendations for research that will help us all prepare for potential climate change.
