Climate change Books

Book Synopsis'A powerful, beautiful book. Its fierce love - of the land, the ocean, the elders and the ancestors - warms the heart and moves the spirit.' - Alice Walker, author of The Color PurplePart memoir, part manifesto, Chamorro climate activist Julian Aguon's No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies is a coming-of-age story and a call for justice-for everyone, but in particular, for Indigenous peoples.Aguon beautifully weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary about matters ranging from nuclear weapons to global warming. Bearing witness and reckoning with the challenges of truth-telling in an era of rampant obfuscation, he culls from his own life experiences to illuminate a collective path out of the darkness.A powerful and bold new voice writing at the intersection of Indigenous rights and environmental justice, Aguon is entrenched in the struggles of the people of the Pacific who are fighting to liberate themselves from colonial rule, defend their sacred sites and obtain justice for generations of harm.In No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies, Aguon shares his wisdom and reflections on love, grief, joy and triumph, and extends an offer to join him in a hard-earned hope for a better world.Trade ReviewA powerful, beautiful book. Its fierce love - of the land, the ocean, the elders and the ancestors - warms the heart and moves the spirit. -- Alice Walker, author of THE COLOR PURPLEJulian Aguon speaks to the soul. His words - gentle, fierce, luminous and haunting - urge us to look deeper. To be kind, to be human. To cherish the earth. I am in love! -- Isabella Tree, author of WILDINGThe shortest BIG book I've ever read...strong and luminous as a needed beacon in a fog of disinformation and dismay, Julian Aguon with this small book emerges already a giant. -- Tommy Orange, author of THERE THERENo Country For Eight-Spot Butterflies broke my heart into anger and remade it into hope. Full of a fierce empathy, it is a brilliant, incandescent book. Julian Aguon shows us how love and beauty might guide us into a better, more equitable world. -- Seán HewittA breathtaking book and I mean it - this book took my breath away. No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies is so alive with passion, wisdom and heart, you can almost feel its pulse. -- Junot Díaz, author of THE BRIEF WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAOIt had me in its embrace like the oldest and dearest of friends... Overflowing with warmth and wisdom and defying all categorisation, No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies is philosophy, poetry, memoir, history and self-help for humanity. With bottomless love for his people and place, Aguon guides us through a portal to the Pacific, sharing deep insights earned from life on the existential knife's edge.' -- Naomi Klein, author of THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING and NO LOGONo Country For Eight-Spot Butterflies... is uncategorisable - part memoir, part manifesto, part poetry and entirely beautiful... This is a book of passion and possibility, and unlike anything else I've read on our shared world and future. * Geographical *

Read more less

Book SynopsisA leading economist develops a supply-side approach to fighting climate change that encourages resource owners to leave more of their fossil carbon underground.The Earth is getting warmer. Yet, as Hans-Werner Sinn points out in this provocative book, the dominant policy approach—which aims to curb consumption of fossil energy—has been ineffective. Despite policy makers' efforts to promote alternative energy, impose emission controls on cars, and enforce tough energy-efficiency standards for buildings, the relentlessly rising curve of CO2 output does not show the slightest downward turn. Some proposed solutions are downright harmful: cultivating crops to make biofuels not only contributes to global warming but also uses resources that should be devoted to feeding the world's hungry. In The Green Paradox, Sinn proposes a new, more pragmatic approach based not on regulating the demand for fossil fuels but on controlling the supply.The owners of carbon r

Read more less

Book SynopsisA leading scientist argues that we must consider deploying climate engineering technology to slow the pace of global warming. Climate engineering—which could slow the pace of global warming by injecting reflective particles into the upper atmosphere—has emerged in recent years as an extremely controversial technology. And for good reason: it carries unknown risks and it may undermine commitments to conserving energy. Some critics also view it as an immoral human breach of the natural world. The latter objection, David Keith argues in A Scientist''s Case for Climate Engineering, is groundless; we have been using technology to alter our environment for years. But he agrees that there are large issues at stake. A leading scientist long concerned about climate change, Keith offers no naïve proposal for an easy fix to what is perhaps the most challenging question of our time; climate engineering is no silver bullet. But he argues that after decades during which very little progress has been made in reducing carbon emissions we must put this technology on the table and consider it responsibly. That doesn''t mean we will deploy it, and it doesn''t mean that we can abandon efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But we must understand fully what research needs to be done and how the technology might be designed and used. This book provides a clear and accessible overview of what the costs and risks might be, and how climate engineering might fit into a larger program for managing climate change.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn urgent, on-the-ground look at some of the “new American radicals” who have laid everything on the line to build a stronger climate justice movementThe science is clear: catastrophic climate change, by any humane definition, is upon us. At the same time, the fossil-fuel industry has doubled down, economically and politically, on business as usual. We face an unprecedented situation—a radical situation. As an individual of conscience, how will you respond?In 2010, journalist Wen Stephenson woke up to the true scale and urgency of the catastrophe bearing down on humanity, starting with the poorest and most vulnerable everywhere, and confronted what he calls “the spiritual crisis at the heart of the climate crisis.” Inspired by others who refused to retreat into various forms of denial and fatalism, he walked away from his career in mainstream media and became an activist, joining those working to build a transformative movement for c

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisUrban areas are home to over half the world's people and are at the forefront of the climate change issue. The need for a global research effort to establish the current understanding of climate change adaptation and mitigation at the city level is urgent. To meet this goal a coalition of international researchers - the Urban Climate Change Research Network (UCCRN) - was formed at the time of the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit in New York in 2007. This book is the First UCCRN Assessment Report on Climate Change and Cities. The authors are all international experts from a diverse range of cities with varying socio-economic conditions, from both the developing and developed world. It is invaluable for mayors, city officials and policymakers; urban sustainability officers and urban planners; and researchers, professors and advanced students.Trade Review'I … applaud the work of groups such as UCCRN and the many researchers from both developing and developed cities contributing to this important research initiative and creating a mechanism to help cities further empower themselves. … I am convinced that this body of knowledge will be of direct benefit and inspiration to the cities which we are supporting to develop climate action plans. It will help cities make more informed decisions about how climate change will affect public health, local infrastructure, and in turn, their own economic vitality in the coming decades.' Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director of UN-Habitat, from the Foreword'For the challenges that a city as Mexico City must face, efforts like ARC3 are crucial to provide the much needed scientific assessment to effectively address the challenges posed by climate change.' Marcello Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City'Cities need increasingly sound scientific knowledge to take decisions related to combating climate change. We therefore welcome initiatives like the ARC3 and hope that cities all over the world can benefit from its findings.' Gilberto Kassab, Mayor of Sao Paulo'The First Assessment Report on Climate Change in Cities is a critical piece in helping cities to develop sound, science-based policies to address the climate change mitigation and adaptation challenges they face.' Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Governor of Lagos State'Cities are leaders in taking action to fight climate change. ARC3 is a must read for city leaders who want to incorporate the most current understanding of climate change science in cities into their decision-making.' David Miller, Mayor of Toronto and Chair of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group'ARC3 fills a critical gap in addressing climate change issues in Indonesia's vulnerable and diverse urban areas such as Jakarta, Palangkaraya, and Samarinda city.' Senator Hon. Hambdani and Senator Hon. Bambang Susilo, Indonesia'… an outstanding overview … extremely timely and relevant … This reviewer recommends this report to all students, researchers, and policy makers interested in urban and environmental planning, hazard mitigation, urban infrastructures, water systems, energy, transportation, or public health.' Journal of Planning and ResearchTable of ContentsForewords; Acknowledgements; Executive summary; 1. Introduction; Part I. Defining the Risk Framework: 2. Cities, disasters and climate risk; 3. Urban climate: processes, trends and projections; Part II. Urban Sectors: 4. Climate change and urban energy systems; 5. Climate change, water and wastewater; 6. Climate change and urban transportation systems; 7. Climate change and human health in cities; Part III. Cross-Cutting Issues: 8. The role of urban land in climate change; 9. Cities and climate change: the challenges for governance; Annex: list of contributors; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Special Report (IPCC-SRREN) assesses the potential role of renewable energy in the mitigation of climate change. It covers the six most important renewable energy sources bioenergy, solar, geothermal, hydropower, ocean and wind energy as well as their integration into present and future energy systems. It considers the environmental and social consequences associated with the deployment of these technologies and presents strategies to overcome technical as well as non-technical obstacles to their application and diffusion. SRREN brings a broad spectrum of technology-specific experts together with scientists studying energy systems as a whole. Prepared following strict IPCC procedures, it presents an impartial assessment of the current state of knowledge: it is policy relevant but not policy prescriptive. SRREN is an invaluable assessment of the potential role of renewable energy for the mitigation of climate change for policymakers, the Trade Review'The IPCC has provided us with a well-researched, carefully-presented assessment of the costs, risks and opportunities of renewable energy sources. It provides a systematic analysis and scientific assessment of the current knowledge about one of the most promising options to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and to mitigate climate change.' Lord Nicholas Stern, IG Patel Professor of Economics and Government, London School of Economics and Political Science'The mitigation of climate change is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. The transition of our global energy system to one that supports a high share of renewable energy could be an integral part of humankind's answer to this challenge. This report provides important groundwork for such a transition.' Hartmut Graßl, Former Director of the World Climate Research Programme, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology'This report is a comprehensive and authoritative contribution to the debate about whether renewable energy can solve the climate problem in an economically attractive fashion. It's a blueprint for further development of the renewables sector and sets out clearly its role in climate change mitigation.' Geoffrey Heal, Columbia Business School, Columbia University'Renewable energy resources and the technologies to expand their use provide the key energy source to address multiple challenges of national and global sustainability for all. This report is invaluable for the 21st Century.' Thomas B. Johansson, Lund University, Sweden'Renewable energy can drive global sustainable development. This Special Report comes at the right time and offers insights and guidance to strongly facilitate the change of our industrial metabolism.' Klaus Töpfer, Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam'There may be a number of ways to achieve a low-carbon economy, but no pathway has been as thoroughly and comprehensively explored as the range of possible contributions of renewable energy sources towards achieving that goal contained in this IPCC Special Report.' John P. Weyant, Stanford UniversityTable of ContentsForeword; Preface; Summary for policymakers; Technical summary; 1. Renewable energy and climate change; 2. Bioenergy; 3. Direct solar energy; 4. Geothermal energy; 5. Hydropower; 6. Ocean energy; 7. Wind energy; 8. Integration of renewable energy into present and future energy systems; 9. Renewable energy in the context of sustainable development; 10. Mitigation potential and costs; 11. Policy, financing and implementation; Annex I. Glossary and acronyms; Annex II. Methodology; Annex III. Recent renewable energy cost and performance parameters; Annex IV. Contributors to the IPCC Special Report; Annex V. Reviewers of the IPCC Special Report; Annex VI. Permissions to publish.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.Table of ContentsSummary for policymakers; Technical summary; 1. Point of departure; 2. Decision-making; 3. Freshwater systems; 4. Ecosystems; 5. Coastal systems; 6. Ocean systems; 7. Food; 8. Urban; 9. Rural; 10. Economic sectors; 11. Human health; 12. Human security; 13. Livelihoods; 14. Adaptation needs; 15. Adaptation planning; 16. Adaptation limits; 17. Economics adaptation; 18. Detection attribution; 19. Key vulnerabilities; 20. Sustainable development.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.Table of Contents21. Regional context; 22. Africa; 23. Europe; 24. Asia; 25. Australasia; 26. North America; 27. Central South America; 28. Polar regions; 29. Small islands; 30. Open oceans; Annexes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book is a comprehensive manual for decision-makers and policy leaders addressing the issues around human caused climate change, which threatens communities with increasing extreme weather events, sea level rise, and declining habitability of some regions due to desertification or inundation. The book looks at both mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming and adaption to changing conditions as the climate changes. It encourages the early adoption of climate change measures, showing that rapid decarbonisation and improved resilience can be achieved while maintaining prosperity. The book takes a sector-by-sector approach, starting with energy and includes cities, industry, natural resources, and agriculture, enabling practitioners to focus on actions relevant to their field. It uses case studies across a range of countries, and various industries, to illustrate the opportunities available. Blending technological insights with economics and policy, the book presents tTable of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Policy frameworks and institutions for decarbonisation: the energy sector as 'litmus test' Lynette Molyneaux and Keith Sue; Technologies for decarbonising the electricity sector; 2. Wind energy Nathan Steggel and David Osmond; 3. Solar photovoltaics Andrew Blakers; 4. Solar thermal energy John Pye, Keith Lovegrove, Paul Gauché and Mark Mehos; 5. Nuclear energy Andrew Stuchbery and Tony Irwin; Box 5.1 Fusion energy Kenneth G. H. Baldwin; 6. Hydropower Jamie Pittock; 7. Energy storage Lachlan Blackhall, Evan Franklin, Bjorn Sturmberg, Alexey M. Glushenkov and Hedda Ransan-Cooper; 8. The hydrogen economy Fiona J. Beck, David Gourlay, Michelle Lyons and Mahesh B. Venkataraman; Example economies: 9. Decarbonisation strategies and economic opportunities in Australia Amandine Denis-Ryan, Frank Jotzo, Paul Graham, Steve Hatfield-Dodds, Philip Adams, Rob Kelly, Scott Ferraro, Andy Jones, Anna Skarbek, John Thwaites, Sarah Levy and Niina Kauto; 10. Decarbonisation strategies and economic opportunities in Indonesia Utjok W. R. Siagian and Retno Gumilang Dewi; Box 10.1 India: enhancing renewables through policy innovation Kenneth G. H. Baldwin; Cities and industry: 11. Cities Xuemei Bai, Timothy M. Baynes, Robert Webb, Chris Ryan and Michael Smith; 12. Buildings and precincts Michael Smith, Peter Newton, Alan Pears, Amandine Denis-Ryan and Eshan Ahuja; 13. Urban water Michael Smith, Andrea Turner and Stuart White; 14. National climate change adaptation case study: early adaptation to climate change through climate-compatible development and adaptation pathways Tim Capon, Mark Stafford Smith and Russell Wise; 15. Transport Michael Smith, Peter Stasinopoulos, Alan Pears and Eshan Ahuja; 16. Industrial and manufacturing Michael Smith, Alan Pears, Peter Stasinopoulos, Ali Hasanbeigi and Eshan Ahuja; Land Use, Forests and Agriculture: 17. Land use Heather Keith and Michael Smith; 18. Forests Heather Keith, Andrew Macintosh and Brendan Mackey; 19. Agriculture Mark Howden; Mining, metals, oil and gas: 20. Mining, metals, oil and gas Michael Smith, Jane Hodgkinson, Alan Pears and Peter Stasinopoulos; Addressing barriers to change; 21. Trade and climate change Karen Hussey and Thomas Faunce; 22. Improving the governance of governments Ken Coghill, Barbara Norman, Thomas Smith, Cristina Neesham and Abel Kinyondo; 23. Financing the transition Michael Smith, Pablo Berrutti, Nathan Fabian and Nicolette Boele; 24. Social movements for change Michael Smith.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis unique transdisciplinary publication is the result of collaboration between UNESCO''s Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (LINKS) programme, the United Nations University''s Traditional Knowledge Initiative, the IPCC, and other organisations. Chapters, written by indigenous peoples, scientists and development experts, provide insight into how diverse societies observe and adapt to changing environments. A broad range of case studies illustrate how these societies, building upon traditional knowledge handed down through generations, are already developing their own solutions for dealing with a rapidly changing climate and how this might be useful on a global scale. Of interest to policy-makers, social and natural scientists, and indigenous peoples and experts, this book provides an indispensable reference for those interested in climate science, policy and adaptation.Table of ContentsForeword; 1. Indigenous knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation: introduction Douglas Nakashima, Jennifer Rubis and Igor Krupnik; Part I. Knowing Our Weather and Climate: 2. Forest, reef and sea level rise in North Vanuatu: seasonal environmental practices and climate fluctuations in Island Melanesia Carlos Mondragón; 3. Annual cycles in indigenous Northwestern Amazon: a collaborative research towards climate change Monitoring Aloisio Cabalzar; 4. Indigenous knowledge in the time of climate change (with reference to Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia) Rosita Henry and Christine Pam; 5. Local responses to variability and climate change by Zoque indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico María Silva Sánchez Cortés and Elena Lazos Chavero; 6. Climate knowledge of Ch'ol farmers in Chiapas, Mexico Fernando Briones; Part II. Our Changing Homelands: 7. Indigenous forest management as a means for climate change adaptation and mitigation Wilfredo V. Alangui, Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Kimaren Ole Riamit, Dennis Mairena, Edda Moreno, Waldo Muller, Frans Lakon, Paulus Unjing, Vitalis Andi, Elias Ngiuk and Sujarni Alloy; 8. Indigenous knowledge, history and environmental change as seen by Yolngu people of Blue Mud Bay, Northern Australia Marcus Barber; 9. Coping with climate: innovation and adaptation in Tibetan land use and agriculture Jan Salick, Anja Byg, Katie Konchar and Robbie Hart; 10. Seasonal environmental practices and climate fluctuations in Island Melanesia: transformations in a regional system in Eastern Papua New Guinea Frederick H. Damon; 11. Traditional knowledge and crop varieties as adaptation to climate change in SW China, the Bolivian Andes and Coastal Kenya Krystyna Swiderska, Hannah Reid, Yiching Song, Jingsong Li, Doris Mutta, Paul Ongugo, Mohamed Pakia, Rolando Oros and Sandra Barriga; Part III. Confronting Extreme Events: 12. Accounts from tribal elders: increasing vulnerability of the Navajo People to Drought and Climate Change in the Southwestern United States Margaret H. Redsteer, Klara Kelley, Harris Francis and Debra Block; 13. The spirits are leaving: adaptation and the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua Mirna Cunningham Kain; 14. Indigenous reindeer herding and adaptation to new hazards in the Arctic Svein D. Mathiesen, Mathis P. Bongo, P. Burgess, Robert W. Corell, Anna Degteva, Inger Marie G. Eira, Inger Hanssen-Bauer, Alvaro Ivanoff, Ole Henrik Magga, Nancy G. Maynard, Anders Oskal, Mikhail Pogodaev, Mikkel N. Sara, Dagrun Vikhamar Schuler and Ellen Inga Turi; 15. 'Everything that is happening now is beyond our capacity' – Nyangatom livelihoods under threat Sabine Troeger; Part IV. Sources of Indigenous Strength and Resilience: 16. 'Normal' catastrophes or harbinger of climate change? Reindeer-herding Sami facing dire winters in Northern Sweden Marie Roué; 17. Canaries of civilization: small island vulnerability, past adaptations and sea level rise Marjorie V. C. Falanruw; 18. Peasants of the Amazonian-Andes and their conversations with climate change in the region of San Martin Rider Panduro; 19. People of the whales: climate change and cultural survival among the Iñupiat of Arctic Alaska Chie Sakakibara; 20. Indigenous knowledge for climate change assessment and adaptation: epilogue Igor Krupnik, Jennifer Rubis and Douglas Nakashima; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisCities are playing an ever more important role in the mitigation and adaption to climate change. This book examines the politics shaping whether, how and to what extent cities engage in global climate governance. By studying the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, and drawing on scholarship from international relations, social movements, global governance and field theory, the book introduces a theory of global urban governance fields. This theory links observed increases in city engagement and coordination to the convergence of C40 cities around particular ways of understanding and enforcing climate governance. The collective capacity of cities to produce effective and socially equitable global climate governance is also analysed. Highlighting the constraints facing city networks and the potential pitfalls associated with a city-driven global response, this assessment of the transformative potential of cities will be of great interest to researchers, graduate students and policymakerTable of Contents1. All the world's a stage; 2. The contours of coordination in the C40; 3. A theory of global urban governance fields; 4. The contours of convergence in the C40; 5. Contestation and competition in the C40; 6. Towards convergence and coordination in the C40; 7. Consolidation and collective memory in the C40; 8. Crafting a role for cities on the world stage

Read more less

Book SynopsisIntroducing the main challenges and opportunities of developing local, regional and global strategies for addressing climate change, this book explains the dilemmas faced when converting strategies into policies. Providing a synthesis of the findings of the three-year European Commission ADAM (Adaptation and Mitigation Strategies) research project and written by many leading interdisciplinary climate change research teams, European strategies for tackling climate change are placed within a global context. The book illustrates the differences between adaptation and mitigation, offers regional and global case studies of how adaptation and mitigation are inter-linked, and suggests six different metaphors for the strategic options to make climate change work for us, rather than against us. Offering practical solutions to climate change both adaptation and mitigation within the policy contexts in which these solutions have to be implemented, this book is valuable for researchers in varied related fields, as well policymakers in government, industry and NGOs.Trade ReviewReview of the hardback: 'Hulme and Neufeldt present detailed research on adaptation and mitigation strategies at a crucial time for European climate policy … will have a significant appeal for researchers and policy makers … this book could have an effective contribution to societies worldwide.' The Geographical JournalTable of ContentsList of contributing authors; Foreword; Preface; Acknowledgements; List of abbreviations; Part I. Concepts and Scenarios: 1. Climate policy and inter-linkages between adaptation and mitigation Henry Neufeldt; 2. Climate change appraisal in the EU: current trends and future challenges Duncan Russell; 3. Scenarios as the basis for assessment of mitigation and adaptation Detlef P. van Vuuren; 4. National responsibilities for adaptation strategies: lessons from four modelling frameworks Asbjørn Aaheim; 5. Learning to adapt: re-framing climate change adaptation Jochen Hinkel; Part II. Strategies Within Europe: 6. How do climate policies work? Dilemmas in European climate governance Frans Berkhout; 7. Transforming the European energy system Gunnar S. Eskeland; 8. A risk management approach for assessing adaptation to changing flood and drought risks in Europe Reinhard Mechler; 9. Mainstreaming adaptation in regional land use and water management Saskia E. Werners; Part III. Strategies Beyond Europe: 10. Global climate governance after 2012: architecture, agency and adaptation Frank Biermann; 11. The economics of low stabilisation: implications for technological change and policy Brigitte Knopf; 12. Mainstreaming climate change in development cooperation policy: conditions for success Joyeeta Gupta; 13. Insurance as part of a climate adaptation strategy Joanne Linnerooth-Bayer; Part IV. Synthesis: 14. What can social science tell us about meeting the challenge of climate change? Five insights from five years that might make a difference Anthony Patt; Appendix: description of models; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis latest Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will again form the standard reference for all those concerned with climate change and its consequences, including students, researchers and policy makers in environmental science, meteorology, climatology, biology, ecology, atmospheric chemistry and environmental policy.Table of Contents21. Regional context; 22. Africa; 23. Europe; 24. Asia; 25. Australasia; 26. North America; 27. Central South America; 28. Polar regions; 29. Small islands; 30. Open oceans; Annexes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow does culture interact with the way societies understand, live with, and act in relation to climate change? While the importance of the exchanges between culture, society and climate in the context of global environmental change is increasingly recognised, the empirical evidence is fragmented and too often constrained by disciplinary boundaries. Written by an international team of experts, this book provides cutting-edge and critical perspectives on how culture both facilitates and inhibits our ability to address and make sense of climate change and the challenges it poses to societies globally. Through a set of case studies spanning the social sciences and humanities, it explores the role of culture in relation to climate and its changes at different temporal and spatial levels; illustrates how approaching climate change through the cultural dimension enriches the range and depth of societal engagements; and establishes connections between theory and practice, which can stimulate aTrade Review'Multidisciplinary studies by 23 contributing authors who explore how human cultures conceptualize and respond to climate … Though the book does not downplay social, psychological, and economic factors that have slowed climate action at the societal level, its chapters collectively suggest a surprisingly optimistic view: namely, that human cultures throughout history have exhibited curiosity about and resilience to climate … Clear writing and thoughtfully chosen images make this book accessible and engaging for broad audiences.' D. P. Genereux, ChoiceTable of ContentsForeword; 1. Climate and culture: taking stock and moving forward Hilary Geoghegan, Giuseppe Feola and Alex Arnall; 2. Cultures of prediction in climate science Martin Mahony, Gabriele Gramelsberger and Matthias Heymann; 3. Visualising climate and climate change: a longue durée perspective Sebastian Vincent Grevsmühl; 4. Indigenous knowledge regarding climate in Colombia: articulations and complementarities among different knowledges Astrid Ulloa; 5. Thin place: new modes of environmental knowing through contemporary curatorial practice Ciara Healy; 6. Multi-temporal adaptations to change in the Central Andes Julio C. Postigo; 7. Not for the faint of heart: tasks of climate change communication in the context of societal transformation Susanne C. Moser; 8. At the frontline or very close: living with climate change on St Lawrence Island, Alaska, 1999–2017 Igor Krupnik; 9. Localising and historicising climate change: extreme weather histories in the United Kingdom Georgina Endfield and Lucy Veale; 10. From denial to resistance: how emotions and culture shape our responses to climate change Allison Ford and Kari Marie Norgaard; 11. Effective responses to climate change – some wisdom from the Buddhist worldview Peter Daniels; 12. Creating a culture for transformation Karen O'Brien, Gail Hochachka and Irmelin Gram-Hanssen; 13. Back to the future? Satoyama and cultures of transition and sustainability John Clammer; 14. Culture and climate change: experiments and improvisations – an afterword Renata Tyszczuk and Joe Smith; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe third edition of this successful textbook will supply advanced undergraduate and graduate students with the tools they need to understand modern glaciological research. Practicing glacial geologists and glaciologists will also find the volume useful as a reference book. Since the second edition, three-quarters of the chapters have been updated, and two new chapters have been added. Included in this edition are noteworthy new contributions to our understanding of important concepts, with over 170 references to papers published since the second edition went to press. The book develops concepts from the bottom up: a working knowledge of calculus is assumed, but beyond that, the important physical concepts are developed from elementary principles. Emphasis is placed on connections between modern research in glaciology and the origin of features of glacial landscapes. Student exercises are included.Table of Contents1. Why study glaciers?; 2. Some basic concepts; 3. Mass balance; 4. Flow and fracture of a crystalline material; 5. The velocity field in a glacier; 6. Temperature distribution in polar ice sheets; 7. The coupling between a glacier and its bed; 8. Water flow in and under glaciers: geomorphic implications; 9. Stress and deformation; 10. Stress and velocity distribution in an idealized glacier; 11. Numerical modeling; 12. Applications of stress and deformation principles to classical problems; 13. Ice streams and ice shelves; 14. Finite strain and the origin of foliation; 15. Response of glaciers to climate change; 16. Ice core studies; Problems; References; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAttending to the ''Cry of the Earth'' requires a critical appraisal of how we conceive our relationship with the environment, and a clear vision of how to apprehend it in law and governance. Addressing questions of participation, responsibility and justice, this collective endeavour includes marginalised and critical voices, featuring contributions by leading practitioners and thinkers in Indigenous law, traditional knowledge, wild law, the rights of nature, theology, public policy and environmental humanities.Such voices play a decisive role in comprehending and responding to current global challenges. They invite us to broaden our horizon of meaning and action, modes of knowing and being in the world, and envision the path ahead with a new legal consciousness. A valuable reference for students, researchers and practitioners, this book is one of a series of publications associated with the Earth System Governance Project. For more publications, see www.cambridge.org/earth-system-goverTable of Contents1. An Introduction: Toward The Multifold Vision Sandy Lamalle and Peter Stoett; Part 1: Challenges; 2. Environmental Humanities: Politics, Dialogue and Ethics John Crowley; 3. Decolonising The Dialogue On Climate Change: Indigenous Knowledges, Legal Orders and Ethics Deborah Mcgregor, Mahisha Sritharan; 4. Our Relationship To The Land: An Ecology Of Perception Marten Berkman; 5. A Common Space Of Legal Communication Sandy Lamalle; Part 2: Re-Collection; 6. Traditional Indigenous Knowledge And The Relationship To Mother Earth Marie-Josée Tardif, T8aminik Rankin, Kevin Ka'nahsohon Deer; 7. The Encyclical Laudato Si Of The Pope Francis: Roots And Actuality Jean-Pierre Delville; 8. Persons, Things And Nature In Roman Law: Reflections On Legal History Arnaud Paturet; 9. Environmental Law: Lexical Semantics In The Quest For Conceptual Foundations And Legitimacy Caroline Laske; Part 3: Perspectives; 10. Rights Of Nature, A New Perspective In Law Valérie Cabanes; 11. Property For Nature Yaëll Emerich; 12. Re-Imagining The Common Law: Rights Of Nature Tribunals And The Wild Law Judgement Project Nicole Rogers, Greta Bird, Jo Bird, Michelle Maloney; 13. Democratic Representation, Environmental Justice, And Future People Matthias Fritsch; 14. The Normative And Social Dimensions Of The Transition Toward A Responsible Circular Biobased Economy Vincent Blok; 15. Guardianship Of Nature In Three Traditions Of The Global South Dorine Van Norren; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe sixth Global Environment Outlook was launched in 2019 at the fourth UN Environment Assembly. It highlighted the ongoing damage to life and health from pollution and land degradation, and warned that zoonosis was already accounting for more than 60% of human infectious diseases.Since then the spread of COVID-19 has demonstrated the enormous challenges a global pandemic can cause for health care systems and the economy, as well as revealing potential environmental benefits of an altered lifestyle. This Technical Summary synthesizes the science and data in the GEO-6 report to make it accessible to a broad audience of policymakers, students and scientists. It demonstrates that more urgent and sustained action is required to address the degradation caused by our energy, food and waste systems and identifies a variety of transformational pathways for those seeking far-reaching policies for environmental and economic recovery. Also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.Trade Review'The sixth Global Environment Outlook is an essential check-up for our planet. Like any good medical examination, there is a clear prognosis of what will happen if we continue with business as usual and a set of recommended actions to put things right. GEO-6 details both the perils of delaying action and the opportunities that exist to make sustainable development a reality.' António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations'The global pandemic COVID-19 has demonstrated the interconnected nature of the planet's life support systems and that we cannot return to business as usual. And the good news is that in building back better, we can ensure both a healthy environment and healthy people.' Inger Andersen, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Environment ProgrammeTable of Contents1. A healthy planet supports healthy people; 2. Five drivers affect the health of the planet; 3. An Increasingly unhealthy planet affects everyone's health; 4. Despite some success stories, policy measures lag behind; 5. A healthy planet and healthy people are synergetic: Achieving transformative change; 6. Data and knowledge for a healthy planet; Annex 1. Examples of other global environmental assessments and their links to GEO-6; 6. Acronyms and abbreviations; 8. Glossary.

Read more less

Book SynopsisAttending to the ''Cry of the Earth'' requires a critical appraisal of how we conceive our relationship with the environment, and a clear vision of how to apprehend it in law and governance. Addressing questions of participation, responsibility and justice, this collective endeavour includes marginalised and critical voices, featuring contributions by leading practitioners and thinkers in Indigenous law, traditional knowledge, wild law, the rights of nature, theology, public policy and environmental humanities.Such voices play a decisive role in comprehending and responding to current global challenges. They invite us to broaden our horizon of meaning and action, modes of knowing and being in the world, and envision the path ahead with a new legal consciousness. A valuable reference for students, researchers and practitioners, this book is one of a series of publications associated with the Earth System Governance Project. For more publications, see www.cambridge.org/earth-system-goverTable of Contents1. An Introduction: Toward The Multifold Vision Sandy Lamalle and Peter Stoett; Part 1: Challenges; 2. Environmental Humanities: Politics, Dialogue and Ethics John Crowley; 3. Decolonising The Dialogue On Climate Change: Indigenous Knowledges, Legal Orders and Ethics Deborah Mcgregor, Mahisha Sritharan; 4. Our Relationship To The Land: An Ecology Of Perception Marten Berkman; 5. A Common Space Of Legal Communication Sandy Lamalle; Part 2: Re-Collection; 6. Traditional Indigenous Knowledge And The Relationship To Mother Earth Marie-Josée Tardif, T8aminik Rankin, Kevin Ka'nahsohon Deer; 7. The Encyclical Laudato Si Of The Pope Francis: Roots And Actuality Jean-Pierre Delville; 8. Persons, Things And Nature In Roman Law: Reflections On Legal History Arnaud Paturet; 9. Environmental Law: Lexical Semantics In The Quest For Conceptual Foundations And Legitimacy Caroline Laske; Part 3: Perspectives; 10. Rights Of Nature, A New Perspective In Law Valérie Cabanes; 11. Property For Nature Yaëll Emerich; 12. Re-Imagining The Common Law: Rights Of Nature Tribunals And The Wild Law Judgement Project Nicole Rogers, Greta Bird, Jo Bird, Michelle Maloney; 13. Democratic Representation, Environmental Justice, And Future People Matthias Fritsch; 14. The Normative And Social Dimensions Of The Transition Toward A Responsible Circular Biobased Economy Vincent Blok; 15. Guardianship Of Nature In Three Traditions Of The Global South Dorine Van Norren; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSurviving climate chaos needs communities and ecosystems able to cope with near-random impacts. Their strength depends upon their integrity, so preserving and restoring this is essential. Total climate breakdown might be postponed by extreme efforts to conserve carbon and recapture pollutants, but climate chaos everywhere is now inevitable. Adaptation efforts by Paris Agreement countries are converging on community-based and ecosystem-based strategies, and case studies in Bolivia, Nepal and Tanzania confirm that these are the best ways forward. But success depends on local empowerment through forums, ecosystem tenure security and environmental education. When replicated, networked and shielded by governments, they can strengthen societies against climate chaos while achieving sustainable development. These vital messages are highlighted for all those who seek or have already found a role in promoting adaptation: for students, researchers and teachers, government officials and aid professionals, and for everyone who is now living under threat of climate chaos.Trade Review'Framing the text as a practical guide for how to think about and implement successful climate adaptation, Caldecott has crafted an essential, timely, thoroughly documented contribution, including almost 50 pages of cited references … Highly recommended.' J. E. Grinnell, Choice ConnectTable of ContentsPreface; Acknowledgements; Part I. Context, Tools and Systems: 1. Adaptation and the Paris Agreement; 2. Chaos and Climate Emergency; Part II. Understanding Climate Chaos: 3. Systems, Climate and Ecology; 4. Making Systems Stronger; Part III. Practical System Strengthening: 5. Community Forest User Groups in Nepal; 6. Community Land Titling in Bolivia; 7. Coastal Zone and Community Planning in Zanzibar; 8. Liveable and Sustainable Cities; Part IV. Global Perspectives: 9. Changing Ideas of Adaptation; 10. Learning from the Adaptation Communications; 11. Adaptation in Specific Geographies; Part V. Conclusions: 12. Designing and Evaluating Adaptation Investments; 13. Adaptive Thinking, Feeling and Acting; Abbreviations and Acronyms; References; Index.

Read more less

Book Synopsis''The perfect accompaniment to a year of forest walks''Gardens Illustrated ''Books of the Year''''A seductive mix of science, history and culture''Tracy Chevalier''I love this book''Lauren Laverne, as featured on BBC Radio 6 MusicA wondrous seasonal journey through Britain and Ireland''s trees.Uncover the majesty and minutiae of the arboreal world in forest scientist Dr Gabriel Hemery''s illustrated month-by-month guide - including tree folklore and traditions, recipes and crafts, key dates, curiosities to spot, notes on wildlife and scientific marvels from the trees that surround us.From bare branches to budbursts, the first leaves to the first blossom and the great autumn colour-change, the Tree Almanac celebrates with joyous detail all that trees give us - whether ancient or urban - and inspires us to reconnect with nature.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis Is Planet Earth is dedicated to the wonders of Planet Earth, the most amazing place in the known Universe.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA timely and urgent investigation from John Vidal, Environment Editor of the Guardian for nearly thirty years, into how the destruction of nature is releasing disease into our societies 'Urgent, fascinating and essential' GEORGE MONBIOT 'A searing, vital work' BETTANY HUGHES Covid-19, mpox, bird flu, SARS, HIV, AIDS, Ebola; we are living in the Age of Pandemics – one that we have created. As the climate crisis reaches a fever pitch and ecological destruction continues unabated, we are just beginning to reckon with the effects of environmental collapse on our global health. Fevered Planet exposes how the way we farm, what we eat, the places we travel to and the scientific experiments we conduct create the perfect conditions for deadly new diseases to emerge and spread faster and further than ever. Drawing on the latest scientific research and decades of reporting from more than 100 countries, former Guardian environment editor John Vidal takes us into deep, disappearing forests in Gabon and the Congo, valleys scorched by wildfire near Lake Tahoe and our densest, polluted cities to show how closely human, animal and plant diseases are now intertwined with planetary destruction. He calls for an urgent transformation in our relationship with the natural world, and expertly outlines how to make that change possible.Trade ReviewJohn Vidal has travelled far and wide, and we would be wise to take seriously the reports he sends back; human lives, particularly of the rich, are not just altering the plane tin devastatingly predictable ways, they are setting us up for some nasty surprises -- Bill McKibbenA searing, vital work. Plagues and epidemics determine human history - now it is time to learn that how we live today is driving disease on a planetary level -- Bettany HughesDrawing on a lifetime’s experience as a frontline journalist, John Vidal compellingly joins the dots between accelerating climate change, population growth, dangerously disrupted ecosystems, our obsession with economic growth – and the inevitability of future pandemics. Fevered Planet is the most illuminating and disturbing book I’ve read in years -- Jonathon PorrittVital, urgent, and forensic – John Vidal’s unflinching examination of pandemic risk should be a wake-up call in capitals throughout the world. Unless we change course, Covid could be just the tip of an iceberg of even more deadly and disruptive diseases to come. Transforming our relationship with the natural world is essential for both human and planetary health – Fevered Planet expertly shows us how -- Caroline Lucas MPJohn Vidal has written a compelling analysis of the links between our planet and environment and our health. I found it hard to put down, and it brilliantly mixes his personal experience covering environmental issues for the Guardian with novel insights into how we can and should be doing better. A must-read for all those interested in pandemics, the environment and the animal-human nexus -- Devi SridharThis beautifully researched book, including Vidal’s own travels around the world, takes us through the rising number of pandemics, up to Covid-19 and beyond, to a disturbing account of our political inability to grasp what is happening and manage a safe future for our civilisation . . . Global, national and local policy makers should all read and absorb this very important contribution to the current state of the world. We must learn to understand that we are a part of Nature, not apart from Nature -- Professor Sir David King, Former Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government and Founder of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group and Centre for Climate Repair at CambridgeUrgent, fascinating and essential, Fevered Planet tells a crucial story that most of us have missed -- George MonbiotIn his impressive yet scary book Fevered Planet: How Diseases Emerge When We Harm Nature (Bloomsbury), environmental journalist John Vidal makes a compelling case for humanity to transform its relationship with the natural world * Independent *A combination of forensic detail and human testimony drawn from the author’s long career as an environmental journalist . . . Makes the plausible and compelling case that we are now “approaching a storm of spiralling disease risk” . . . Fevered Planet exhorts us to tackle the threat, and seize the opportunity, before it is too late * TLS *Vidal shows the systemic failures that lie behind today’s “age of pandemics” … By minimising our disturbance of the natural world, Vidal contends, we will reduce the chance of unpleasant pathogens crossing our path * Literary Review *John Vidal’s credentials are impeccable – a former long-term environment editor at the Guardian and a pioneering, determined documenter of our rapacious exploitation of the planet * Geographical *

Read more less

Book SynopsisDesertification is one of the most important issues facing our societies because of its serious consequences for human health, landscape and the environment. Nonetheless, the issue has been in the eyes of media, decision makers and public opinion and it should be noted that this interest tends to be cyclical, corresponding to peaks that reflect the outbreak of emergency situations related to prolonged episodes of drought and water scarcity, in turn associated with climate changes. This volatile interest has focused on the relationship between desertification and climate change (and more generally on the biophysical factors underlying desertification), neglecting the important role played by social, economic, cultural, political and institutional factors. This role -- brought to the fore by the most recent socioeconomic dynamics at various spatial scales -- requires dedicated approaches from the scientific point of view and a less sensationalistic dissemination of research evidence. The book proposes a trans-disciplinary vision on issues of desertification and land degradation, focusing on long-term socio-ecological dynamics as an interpretative key to local systems' complexity.Table of ContentsFor more information, please visit our website at:https://novapublishers.com/shop/land-degradation-the-main-challenge/

Read more less

Book SynopsisRegarding climate changes, a key question has been the degree to which humans and natural factors have influenced observed global climate change. Chapter 1 traces the evolution of scientific understanding and confidence regarding the drivers of recent global climate change. Chapter 2 reviews how U.S. agencies address climate change as a potential driver of global migration. Chapter 3 examines reported federal funding from 2010 to 2017 and the extent to which reports on such funding are clearly linked to the federal fiscal exposure to climate change; the extent to which selected agencies reported climate change funding that supports programs where addressing climate change is the primary purpose; and the extent to which the primary purpose programs are fragmented, overlapping, or duplicative. The costs of recent weather disasters have illustrated the need for planning for climate change risks and investing in resilience as reported in chapter 4. For more than a decade, federal agencies have grappled with how to address climate change effects when implementing the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). As set forth by Congress, one of the main purposes of the ESA is to "provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved." Chapter 5 analyzes the courts' role in shaping how the Services have factored climate change effects into ESA decisions and recent 2019 regulatory developments that aim to clarify how the Services consider and address climate change in their ESA decisions. Many governments hold that environmental degradation and climate change pose international and trans-boundary risks to human populations, economies, and ecosystems. International financial assistance, or foreign aid, has been a principal method for governments to support actions on global environmental problems in lower-income countries. As discussed in chapter 6 and 7, this assistance may include grants, loans, loan guarantees, export credits, insurance products, and private sector investment. On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced his intent to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement (PA), an international accord to address climate change over the coming century. Some observers argue that the Administration's decision to withdraw from the PA will (1) reduce the U.S. standing in the world by making the United States an international outlier on climate change, (2) strengthen perceptions that the United States is withdrawing from its traditional position of world leadership and becoming more inward-focused or even isolationist, (3) create an opportunity for China to assume a position of world leadership on climate change and perhaps other issues, and (4) make the United States appear less reliable as a negotiating partner, which could make it harder for the United States in the future to secure foreign cooperation for addressing other issues of mutual interest or to call on other countries to abide by their commitments in other international agreements as reported in chapter 8. Surface transportation is a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, the main human-related greenhouse gas (GHG) contributing to climate change. At the same time, the effects of climate change, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and stronger storms, pose a threat to transportation infrastructure. Chapter 9 seeks to address these two aspects of climate change with mitigation provisions that aim to reduce GHG emissions from surface transportation and adaptation provisions that aim to make the surface transportation system more resilient to a changing climate. For policymakers considering actions to reduce GHG emissions, various policy instruments are available. Over the last 15 years, many legislative proposals have involved market-based approaches, such as a GHG emissions cap-and-trade system or a carbon tax. These particular approaches may be considered in the 116th Congress and are discussed in chapter 10. As mandated by Congress, the U.S. Global Change Research Program produces regular National Climate Assessment (NCA) reports on the state of scientific knowledge about climate change and its effects on human and natural systems in the United States. According to NCA4, "annual losses in some economic sectors are projected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars by the end of the century" provided continued growth in emissions at historic rates. The findings of the NCA4 are the focus of chapter 11. In light of public concern over climate change, some stakeholders have asked to what extent publicly traded companies should disclose their climate-related risks. As reported in chapter 12, while current SEC requirements do not address climate-related risks expressly, publicly traded companies must disclose such risks if they are "material" under federal securities laws.Table of ContentsEvolving Assessments of Human and Natural Contributions to Climate ChangeClimate Change: Activities of Selected Agencies to Address Potential Impact on Global MigrationClimate Change: Analysis of Reported Federal FundingClimate Change: Opportunities to Reduce Federal Fiscal ExposureThe Endangered Species Act and Climate Change: Selected Legal IssuesThe Green Climate Fund (GCF)Paris Agreement: U.S. Climate Finance CommitmentsPotential Implications of U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on Climate ChangeClimate Change and the Americas Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 (S. 2302)A Brief Comparison of Two Climate Change Mitigation Approaches: Cap-and-Trade and Carbon Tax (or Fee)Projected Economic Impacts of Climate ChangeClimate-Related Risk Disclosure Under U.S. Securities Laws.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe importance of the Arctic in many fields of human activity strongly increased over the past decades. The academic scientific research demonstrates a 3-fold increase in the number of journal articles dealing with "Arctic": from 1,400 in 2000 to 4,200 in 2018. This increase is not fortuitous but certainly stems from double importance of Arctic regions for humanity. The first importance is the role that the Arctic plays in the on-going environmental changes, mostly linked to climate warming and environmental pollution. Here, the first key issues are the Arctic Ocean, ice melt, permafrost thaw, greenhouse gases emission, and organic carbon mobilization from soils to rivers. From the other hand, highly fragile Arctic ecosystems and biota are strongly affected by environmental pollution, be it organic compounds or toxic metals and radionuclides. The rising concern of humanity to the key role of the Arctic in climate regulation on the planetary scale and the extreme fragility of its ecosystem, biota and native population to on-going environmental change can certainly explain an explosive interest of scientific researchers to the Arctic in connection with 'climate change'. The second big issue of the Arctic is its eminent role in problems of natural resources. The Artic shelf contains vast amount of hydrocarbons (gas and oil), whereas the terrestrial polar regions, now liberating from ice, may turn out to be highly important sites of future ore industry. The importance of possibly ice-free Arctic Ocean as future maritime shipping routes will further enhance the accessibility of natural resources in this region. Taken together, this can be the main driving factors of almost exponential increase in the interest to natural resources in the Arctic over past few years. The present book addresses a wide variety of environmental, social and economic issues of the Arctic, in response to rising interest to this region in academic science, sociology and business. The 14 chapters represent state-of-the art reviews written by the experts on problems of native communities, climate change, political issues, implementation of large-scale projects, natural resources and conservation, environmental monitoring and assessment of pollution issues.Table of ContentsPreface; Introduction; Learning in the Changing Arctic; Climate Change from the Arctic People's Point of View: Rhythms of Everyday Life, Infrastructures and Landscapes; Warmer Climate of Arctic Cities; A Comparative Study on the Cooperation in the Arctic Ocean and the South China Sea; Developing Environmental Research Capacity in the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District within a Global Networking Framework; Vegetation of the Subarctic and Arctic of Siberia: Some Types and Approaches to the Study; Conservation Issues of Migratory Anseriformes in the Arctic: The Experience of the Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug; Remote Research of Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Thermokarst Lakes Fields in Siberian Permafrost; Groundwater Resources of the White Sea Basin (NW Russia); Estimation of the Condition of Arctic Tundra Landscapes Soil Cover Taking into Account Previous and Current Economic Activities: An Example of the Western Coast of Moller Bay (Archipelago Novaya Zemlya); Radionuclides in Sea Ecosystems of the Western Sector of the Russian Arctic; Seismic Monitoring of the European Arctic and Adjoining Regions; Diamond Deposits of the European Arctic of Russia: Problems of the Kimberlites Exploration, Limits of Conventional Methods and New Approaches; Dispersed Sedimentary Material in the Snow and Ice Cover of the Central Arctic and Its Fluxes to the Bottom; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChapter 1 will cover a brief history of U.S. climate change regulation; review the different types of regulation and legal actions that have been pursued in the national debate over GHGs; examine selected legal issues and next steps in related litigation; and address what these legal and regulatory developments mean for Congress. The United States committed to providing financial assistance to developing countries for climate-change-related activities through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as reported in chapter 2. The costs of recent weather disasters have illustrated the need for planning for climate change risks and investing in resilience. Resilience is the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events, according to the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. Chapter 3 reports that the federal government has not made measurable progress since 2017 to reduce fiscal exposure to climate change. Chapter 4 focuses on the policy considerations and potential impacts of using a carbon tax or GHG emissions fee to control GHG emissions. Administered by EPA, Superfund is the principal federal program for addressing sites containing hazardous substances. Chapter 5 reviews issues related to the impact of climate change on nonfederal NPL sites A recent decision in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit has paused oil and gas exploration and production activity in certain leased areas of Wyoming and hinted at heightened requirements that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) must satisfy to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) before issuing oil and gas leases. Specifically, the decision will require BLM to conduct a more thorough review of the potential climate change impacts of certain oil and gas leases before allowing the lessees to conduct drilling operations as discussed in chapter 6. Chapter 7 summaries the content of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its two subsidiary international treaties: the 1997 Kyoto Protocol (KP) and the 2015 Paris Agreement (PA). The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was officially opened for capitalization at the U.N. Climate Summit in September 2014. Chapter 8 discusses how the funds were used.Table of ContentsPreface; U.S. Climate Change Regulation and Litigation: Selected Legal Issues; International Climate Change Assistance: Budget Authority, FY2009-FY2019; Climate Change: Potential Economic Costs and Opportunities to Reduce Federal Fiscal Exposure; Attaching a Price to Greenhouse Gas Emissions with a Carbon Tax or Emissions Fee: Considerations and Potential Impacts; Superfund: EPA Should Take Additional Actions to Manage Risks from Climate Change; Drilling Under New Wyoming Leases on Hold as Judge Requires BLM to Reconsider Impacts on Climate Change; The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement: A Summary; Green Climate Fund: Resource Mobilization, Recent Projects; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChapter 1 focuses on the science to understand the physical processes and projections of mass loss of the major ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, as well as of mountain and other land-based glaciers. The chapter reports on current projections of glacier mass loss due to anthropogenic climate change, and in turn how that will affect sea level. The diminishment of Arctic sea ice has led to increased human activities in the Arctic, and has heightened interest in, and concerns about, the region's future as reported in chapter 2. Issues such as Arctic territorial disputes; commercial shipping through the Arctic; Arctic oil, gas, and mineral exploration; endangered Arctic species; and increased military operations in the Arctic could cause the region in coming years to become an arena of international cooperation, tension, or competition.Table of ContentsPreface; Earths Thermometers: Glacial and Ice Sheet Melt in a Changing Climate (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology); Changes in the Arctic: Background and Issues for Congress (Updated); Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisChapter 1 examines the state of the science related to extreme weather events. It will provide an opportunity to examine the role of climate change and other weather and climate factors in causing and exacerbating extreme weather events, to discuss economic and other societal impacts of extreme weather, to explore the state of forecasting and prediction of extreme weather with a focus on how to communicate uncertainty, and to identify gaps in the science. Chapter 2 reports on the kinds of climate risk information standards and tools that communities need to reduce the risks and costs of climate change, including more extreme floods and wildfires.Table of ContentsPreface; Understanding, Forecasting, and Communicating Extreme Weather in A Changing Climate; Creating a Climate Resilient America: Reducing Risks and Costs; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisClimate change and extreme weather events present risks to our communities and communities around the world. Experts have warned that climate change would lead to more intense storms, extended droughts, longer wildfire seasons that burn hotter and cover larger areas, greater seasonal temperature extremes, melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and rising sea level. This book discusses ways to help communities better adapt to these changes.Table of ContentsPreface; Time for Action: Addressing the Environmental and Economic Effects of Climate Change (Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change); Earth's Thermometers: Glacial and Ice Sheet Melt in a Changing Climate (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology); Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisLake ecosystems are known to be valid sentinels for current climate changes and anthropogenic pressure because they provide indicators of these impacts either directly or indirectly through the influence of climate and human activity on their catchments. Among these indicators, to name just a few, are water temperature, dissolved organic carbon, nutrients and metals, phyto- and zooplankton composition as well as population and biodiversity of crustacea, mollusks and fish. The advantages of using lakes as tracers of climatic changes and anthropogenic impacts on aquatic ecosystems are multiple. Lake ecosystems are well constrained, confined and are studied in a sustained fashion; lakes respond directly to climate change and local and global pollution via incorporating the effects of these impacts occurring within the catchment; lakes integrate responses over time, and thus allow to avoid the random or unique single-time effects. Finally lakes of various sizes are distributed worldwide and, as such, can act as sentinels across various climatic conditions while exhibiting different degree of vulnerability to external pressure depending on their size and specific location capturing different aspects of climate change (e.g., changing precipitation regime, heat waves, permafrost thaw, invasion of new species, local and global (dispersed) pollution). However, the majority of published studies on lakes in the boreal and subarctic zone deal with Western and Northern Europe and Northern America, with quite limited information on lakes in the NW Russia. This book is intended to partially filling this gap by presenting 13 chapters describing the hydrology, hydrochemistry and hydrobiology of various lakes located in the NW European Russia, from the Finland border in the west to the Ural Mountains in the East. The thirteen chapters of the book, written by the experts in the field of biogeochemistry, limnology and zoology cover full limnetic ecosystems, from lake physical characteristics to lake water chemistry, microbiology, phytoplankton and zooplankton population, Crustacea, mollusks and fish. A multidisciplinary approach across wide geographical zones, comprising both small and large lakes of the Russian Subarctic, presented in this book, will be interesting for a large community of scholars, students, and researchers from academic and private organizations.Table of ContentsPreface: Lakes as Sentinels for Current Climate Changes and Anthropogenic Pressure; Multidisciplinary Research of Different Types of Boreal Lakes in North-West of Russia; Multidisciplinary Research of the Lake Kenozero (Northern Part of the Kenozersky National Park) in the Summer; Long-Term Study of the Ecosystem Components Variability of the Lake Lekshmozero (The Southern Part of the Kenozersky National Park); Fish Death in the Mesotrophic Lake Lekshmozero: Possible Causes; Oligotrophic Lake Naglimozero during Periods of Summer and Winter Stratification; Complex Studies of Biotic and Abiotic Components of Boreal Lakes Located at the Beginning of the Catchment Basins of the Arctic (Lake Vilno) and Atlantic (Lake Maselgskoe) Oceans; Algae of Lakes in the European North of Russia; Biology and Geographical Distribution of Representatives of the Families Polyphemidae and Cercopagidae (Onychopoda, Cladocera) in the Northern and Arctic Regions of the European Part of Russia; Distribution and Functional Ecology of Malacostracan Crustaceans in Russian Northern and Arctic Lakes; Freshwater Mollusks in Lakes of the Solovetsky Islands (White Sea); Freshwater Mollusks in Lakes of the Bolshezemelskaya Tundra (Vashutkiny Lakes); Ecosystems of Lakes of Arkhangelsk Region; Lakes of Nenets Autonomous Area; Index.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarrying western environmentalism with Chinese medicine, this revolutionary book illustrates the many ways that our personal well-being and climate health are vitally connected Crises such as melting ice caps, dying forests, and devastating floods are symptoms of deeper issues, both within us as individuals and within our culture. Informed by author Brendan Kelly''s experience as a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis reveals that the current life-threatening severity of climate change speaks to the level of imbalance that exists in the people and institutions responsible for the crisis. Considering issues such as loss of life from increasingly severe storms, stress on farmers from rapidly changing weather, and increasing rates of disease, this book goes on to present hopeful, deep-reaching personal and societal remedies to treat the underlying causes of climate change and to restore our own health.The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis blends the external focus of environmentalism—western science, policy issues, regulations—with the internal focus of Chinese medicine—personal health, balancing Qi, diet—to present a holistic view of our interrelationship with the planet. Kelly provides a deeper look at how we''ve gotten to this place of climate destabilization and ways to treat both the symptoms and their root causes. Looking through the lens of Chinese medicine, we are better able to understand that the severity of climate destabilization speaks to deeper philosophical and spiritual issues and provides an opportunity to address our own personal and collective imbalances. With his unique perspective and far-reaching perceptions, Kelly encourages us to translate the reality of our warming planet into an opportunity to ask bigger and deeper questions, including who we are, what we''re here to do, and what promotes health and healing.

Read more less

Book SynopsisSorting out the appropriate roles of each level of government in addressing climate change is far more complicated than the specific question of whether State climate change programs should be pre-empted. This Paper raises more comprehensive and complex questions that the Committee must consider: what roles are best played by each level of government as we marshal our country''s resources to address climate change and how should these roles be reflected in Federal legislation. Many State and local governments have begun to address climate change, as the Subcommittee heard last year in testimony from State and local witnesses.2 Activity by State and local governments has helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions, has helped build a consensus that we need to address climate change nationally, and is helping to develop and test different policies. The country is now at the difficult and familiar stage of transitioning from multiple, often unconnected, State and local climate change programs to a comprehensive, national approach to addressing the global problem of climate change. For a variety of reasons, State and local environmental programs have often led to enactment of Federal environmental legislation.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book reports on abrupt climate change which is defined as a large scale change in the climate system that takes place over a few decades or less, persists (or is anticipated to persist) for at least a few decades, and causes substantial disruptions in human and natural systems. Abrupt climate change presents potential risks for society that are poorly understood. An improved ability to understand and model future abrupt climate change is essential to provide decision-makers with the information they need to plan for these potentially significant changes.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOngoing climate change will significantly change agricultural production conditions around the world in the coming decades. An early recognition of risks and implementation of adaptation strategies is crucial as anticipatory and precautionary. Adaptation is more effective and less costly than forced, last minute, emergency adaptation or retrofitting. This book presents topical research data in the study of climate change adaptation, including climate change in the arctic regions of Russia; adaptation measures in protecting mangroves from climate change; emission reduction potentials for various transport modes and the impact of climate change on crop selection.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe changing climate and increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations are projected to accelerate multiple threats, including more severe storms, droughts, and heat waves, further sea level rise, more frequent and severe storm surge damage, and acidification of the oceans. Beyond the sorts of gradual changes we have already experienced, global warming raises additional threats of large-scale changes, either changes to the global climate system, such as the disappearance of late-summer Arctic sea ice and the melting of large glacial ice sheets, or ecosystem impacts of climate change, such as critical endangerment or extinction of a large number of species. This book examines the cost of delaying policy actions to stem climate change.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOngoing climate change will significantly change agricultural production conditions around the world in the coming decades. An early recognition of risks and implementation of adaptation strategies is crucial as anticipatory and precautionary. Adaptation is more effective and less costly than forced, last minute, emergency adaptation or retrofitting. This book presents topical research data in the study of climate change adaptation, including climate change in the arctic regions of Russia; adaptation measures in protecting mangroves from climate change; emission reduction potentials for various transport modes and the impact of climate change on crop selection.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less