Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books
HarperCollins Publishers Inc Pests
Book SynopsisAn engrossing and revealing study of why we deem certain animals ?pests? and others not?from cats to rats, elephants to pigeons?and what this tells us about our own perceptions, beliefs, and actions, as well as our place in the natural worldA squirrel in the garden. A rat in the wall. A pigeon on the street. Humans have spent so much of our history drawing a hard line between human spaces and wild places. When animals pop up where we don?t expect or want them, we respond with fear, rage, or simple annoyance. It?s no longer an animal. It?s a pest.At the intersection of science, history, and narrative journalism, Pests is not a simple call to look closer at our urban ecosystem. It?s not a natural history of the animals we hate. Instead, this book is about us. It?s about what calling an animal a pest says about people, how we live, and what we want. It?s a story about human nature, and how we categorize the animals in our midst, including bears and coyotes, sparrows and snakes. Pet or pest? In many cases, it?s entirely a question of perspective.Bethany Brookshire?s deeply researched and entirely entertaining book will show readers what there is to venerate in vermin, and help them appreciate how these animals have clawed their way to success as we did everything we could to ensure their failure. In the process, we will learn how the pests that annoy us tell us far more about humanity than they do about the animals themselves.Trade Review"👍!" — Mary Roach, author of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law “Deeply reported and vividly told, Brookshire’s exploration of our most reviled animal neighbors will forever change how you see nature and our relationship to it. Elephants and boas and bears, oh my! Pests is natural history writing at its best.” — Riley Black, author of The Last Days of the Dinosaurs: An Asteroid, Extinction, and the Beginning of Our World “Brookshire convincingly argues that many of the problems we blame on pests arise not from the creatures themselves but from our own self-centered ways of looking at the world. A fascinating look at how culture, traditions, and human behavior shape the way people coexist or come into conflict with the animals that share their habitats.” — Christie Aschwanden, author of Good to Go: What the Athlete in All of Us Can Learn from the Strange Science of Recovery “As human populations expand and the climate changes, these animals are not going away. Brookshire has a magnificent ability to bring the ecological context of our epic conflicts with everything from snakes to elephants down to the entertaining and personal.” — John Shivik, author of The Predator Paradox: Ending the War with Wolves, Bears, Cougars, and Coyotes “A deeply thoughtful yet entertaining tour of our thorny and morally complicated relationships with the creatures we consider pests. Integrating first-rate storytelling with ecology, natural history, wildlife management, cultural anthropology, and ethics, Pests provides a compelling perspective on a misunderstood aspect of human-animal interactions.” — Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It’s So Hard to Think Straight About Animals “In this scintillating, searching, and surprisingly funny debut, Brookshire weaves together history, research, and Indigenous knowledge to reveal our complicity in creating animal conflict—and argues for a new model of coexistence in which neither we nor the animals have to end up as the villains.” — Maryn McKenna, author of Big Chicken, Superbug, and Beating Back the Devil "[An] excellent natural history...the author delivers fascinating accounts of a score of widely deplored pests...Outstanding, possibly mind-changing natural history." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “…An eye-opening account of why certain animals are demonized…Animal lovers will adore this clever survey.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "An entertaining and pensive perusal of the human-wildlife conflict problem that calls to mind Mary Roach's Fuzz." — Booklist
£13.49
Cornerstone The Fabled Coast Legends traditions from around
Book SynopsisWas there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the Mary Celeste? This title deals with these questions.Trade ReviewThis is a brilliant scholarly, yet readable work by two of the country's leading folklorists; it should appeal to anyone interested in the legends of the British Isles. * Good Book Guide *a work that entertains and intrigues from the first page to the last; not to be flicked through, but to be steadily digested and enjoyed. * Evergreen Magazine *
£15.29
Vintage Publishing Human Race
Book SynopsisWe are an astonishing species. Over the past millennium of plagues and exploration, revolution and scientific discovery, woman's rights and technological advances, human society has changed beyond recognition.Sweeping through the last thousand years of human development, Human Race is a treasure chest of the lunar leaps and lightbulb moments that, for better or worse, have sent humanity swerving down a path that no one could ever have predicted.But which of the last ten centuries saw the greatest changes in human history?History's greatest tour guide, Ian Mortimer, knows what answer he would give. But what's yours?Trade ReviewMortimer is an entertaining guide on this superb time-travel journey of human innovations -- Julia Richardson * Daily Mail *An ambitious study of the last millennium * Evening Standard *An excellent romp through the past millennium of British (and particularly English) history… Highly entertaining, well written and packed with lively characters and surprising facts. -- Ian Morris * BBC History Magazine *I loved this book... It will enable you to understand your past, your place in it and that of your ancestors as never before. A modern classic -- FIVE STARS, James Delingpole * Mail on Sunday *Provocative and enjoyable... Almost every page of this engaging book sets your mind racing -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *
£13.49
Vintage Publishing Claxton
Book Synopsis''After Mark Cocker's glorious book, you will never look at a blackberry bush the same way again.'' Philip Hoare, New Statesman In 2001 Mark Cocker moved to Claxton, a small village in Norfolk. In a series of daily writings spanning the course of a year he explores his relationship to the landscape he lives in, to nature and to all the living things around him - the birds, plants, trees, mammals, hoverflies, moths, butterflies, bush crickets, grasshoppers, ants and bumblebees. Passionate, astonishing and inspiring, this book is a celebration of the wonder that lies in our everyday experience.Shortlisted for the Royal Society of Biology Book Award, the Jarrold East Anglian Book Awards, the New Angle Prize and theThwaites Wainwright PrizeTrade ReviewAfter Mark Cocker’s glorious book, you will never look at a blackberry bush the same way again. -- Philip Hoare * New Statesman *A nature journal full of beautiful, delicate observation * Guardian *A beautifully-written account of one man’s passion for the natural world * Daily Mail *If your eye has ever been caught by a moth, owl, jay or ash tree, Claxton has something new to tell about it, about Britain, and about life – which is an infinite compilation of exquisite detail. -- Horatio Clare, 5 stars * Daily Telegraph *To be astonished by nature, look no further than Claxton. * Spectator *Cocker’s profound knowledge, uncanny ability to observe and heartliftingly exact prose make Claxton one of those books that transforms the way you see your own home parish. -- Melissa Harrison * The Times *The book is spectacular… Brilliant natural-history writing. -- Jonathan Wright * Herald *
£10.44
British Geological Survey Eastern England from the Tees to the Wash
Book SynopsisRegional Geology Guides provide a broad view and interpretation of the geology of a region.
£8.22
Elsevier Science An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation
Book SynopsisAddresses the fundamental study and quantitative measurement of the interactions of solar and terrestrial radiation with molecules, aerosols, and cloud particles in planetary atmospheres. This book includes over 170 illustrations to complement the concise description of each subject, numerous examples and exercises at the end of each chapter.Trade Review"Liou's book is broad and rigorous. It covers the topics well from fundamental principles to applications. A student who has mastered the book will be well prepared to start research in atmospheric radiation. A research worker who needs a quick review of the basic physics behind the state-of-the-art radiative codes used in climate models and remote sensing will find this an invaluable resource." --Yuk L. Yung, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society "The many differences between [the first and second] editions illustrate areas of major progress in the field, as is evidenced in thermal infrared radiative transfer and even in the creations of completely new fields like three-dimensional radiative transfer or light scattering by nonspherical particles. Obviously, the major changes happened not in the theory...but in data quality and completely new measurements (mostly due to new satellite data) with higher accuracy and more reliability. The new edition illustrates this progress well." --Alexander Marshak, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society "The First Edition of this book has become a standard (advanced) text for graduate students and researchers working in the area of atmospheric radiative transfer ...Professor Liou has a leading international standing in studies of the interaction of solar radiation with the Earth's atmosphere and his book reflects his expertise in that area." --Joanna Haigh, Space and Atmospheric Physics, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, UKTable of ContentsFundamentals of Radiation for Atmospheric Applications Solar Radiation at the Top of the Atmosphere Absorption and Scattering of Solar Radiation in the Atmosphere Thermal Infrared Radiation Transfer in the Atmosphere Light Scattering by Atmospheric Particulates Principles of Radiative Transfer in Planetary Atmospheres Application of Radiative Transfer Principles to Remote Sensing Radiation and Climate
£78.29
Elsevier Science The Geology of the Canary Islands
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: El HierroChapter 3: La PalmaChapter 4: La GomeraChapter 5: TenerifeChapter 6: Gran CanariaChapter 7: LanzaroteChapter 8: FuerteventuraGlossaryReferences
£63.89
Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc Groundwater Science
Book SynopsisTable of Contents1. Groundwater: The Big Picture 2. Physical Properties 3. Principles of Flow 4. Field Exploration and Wells 5. Hydrology and Geology 6. Modeling Steady Flow with Basic Methods 7. Deformation and Storage 8. Modeling Transient Flow with Basic Methods 9. Computer-Assisted Flow Modeling 10. Groundwater Chemistry 11. Groundwater Contamination 12. Subsurface Heat Flow and Geothermal Energy Appendix A. Units and Conversions B. Mathematics Primer C. Book Internet site
£49.39
Elsevier Science Geological Structures and Maps
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book provides complete information on the structural features and geological maps and techniques in a simple language. Coloured Beld photographs, geological maps and line diagrams are of very high quality and help in visualizing the three-dimensional features. Worked examples help in solving the exercises provided. Problems at the end of each chapter help in self-study. The book is very much useful for undergraduate Geology and Civil Engineering students for understanding the fundamentals of structural geology. I recommend this book as a valuable resource for the libraries of universities and institutions having earth science as branch of study or for personal collection of students and researchers in the Beld of structural geology." --JESSTable of Contents1. Geological Maps 2. Uniformly Dipping Beds 3. Folding 4. Faulting 5. Unconformity 6. Igneous Rocks 7. Folding with Cleavage
£69.26
Elsevier Science Medical Geology of Africa
Book Synopsis
£95.25
Elsevier Science Publishing Co Inc Wetzels Limnology
Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPrologue The Importance of Inland Waters Water as a Substance Rivers and Lakes - Their Distribution, Origins, and Forms Hydrological Systems Light in Inland Waters Fate of Heat Water Movements Structure and Productivity of Aquatic Ecosystems Water as a Chemical Environment Oxygen Salinity and Ionic Composition of Inland Waters The Inorganic Carbon Complex The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle Other Important Elements Algae and Cyanobacteria Communities Ecology of Algae and Cyanobacteria (Phytoplankton) Zooplankton Communities: Diversity in Time and Space Ecology and Functioning of Zooplankton Communities Benthic Animals Fish Pelagic Bacteria, Archaea, and Viruses Freshwater Plants Benthic Algae and Cyanobacteria of the Littoral Zone Shallow Lakes and Ponds Sediments and Microbiomes Organic Carbon Cycling and Ecosystem Metabolism Wetlands Paleolimnology: Approaches and Applications Inland Waters: The Future of Limnology is Interdisciplinary, Collaborative, Inclusive, and Global
£94.50
Penguin Books Ltd Voyages and Discoveries
Book SynopsisRenaissance diplomat and part-time spy, William Hakluyt was also England''s first serious geographer, gathering together a wealth of accounts about the wide-ranging travels and discoveries of the sixteenth-century English. One of the epics of this great period of expansion, The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation describes, in the words of the explorers themselves, an astonishing era in which the English grew rapidly aware of the sheer size and strangeness of their world. Mingling accounts of the journeys of renowned adventurers such as Drake and Frobisher with descriptions by other explorers and traders to reveal a nation beginning to dominate the seas, Hakluyt''s great work was originally intended principally to assist navigation and trade. It also presents one of the first and greatest modern portraits of the globe.
£13.49
Penguin Books Ltd Common Wealth
Book SynopsisThis is a book about how we should address the great, and interconnected, global challenges of the twenty-first century. Our task, Sachs argues, is to achieve truly sustainable development, by which he means finding a global course which enables the world to benefit from the spread of prosperity while ensuring that we don''t destroy the eco-systems which keep us alive and our place in nature which helps sustain our values. How do we move forward together, benefitting from our increasing technological mastery, avoiding the terrible dangers of climate change, mass famines, violent conflicts, population explosions in some parts of the world and collapses in others, and world-wide pandemic diseases? In answering these questions, Sachs shows that there are different ways of managing the world''s technology, resources and politics from those currently being followed, and that it should be possible to adopt policies which reflect long-term and co-operative thinking instead oTrade Review'This is an impressive exercise in presenting complex subject matter in plain English, and relating the practicalities of life- subsistence agriculture and water management, for example - to the biggest ideas of modern science' - Martin Vander Weyer, The Daily Telegraph 'His new book ! bursts with ideas and is suffused with what can only be described as irrepressible optimism' - Ed Pilkington, The Guardian
£11.69
Penguin Books Ltd Hot Flat and Crowded
Book SynopsisThomas Friedman''s phenomenal The World is Flat helped millions of people see globalization in a new way. Now he takes a fresh, provocative look at the biggest challenge facing us today - our hot, flat and crowded world.Climate change and rapid population growth mean that it''s no longer possible for businesses, or the rest of us, to keep doing things the same old way. Things are going to have to change - and fast. Here Friedman provides a bold strategy for clean fuel, energy efficiency and conservation that he calls ''Code Green''. It will change everything, from what we put into our cars and see on our electricity bills to how we live our lives. Hot, Flat and Crowded is fearless, forward-looking and rich in common sense about the challenge - and the promise - of the future.Read more
£12.34
Penguin Books Ltd Born Wild
Book SynopsisTony Fitzjohn has spent over forty years re-introducing lions, leopards, rhinos and African Hunting Dogs to the wild. He is one of the world's leading field experts on the relationship between man and African wildlife. He was awarded the OBE by the Queen and the Order of the Golden Ark by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands for his services to wildlife.Trade Review'Brilliant, truly brilliant. I was hooked. It was inspiring, moving and exciting. He is the last of the swashbuckling conservationists who has selflessly devoted his life to the people and the wildlife of Africa. A true african adventure of epic proportions. It makes me want to give up everything and move to Africa'. -- Ben FogleHugely compelling and funnily written. From tragedies of the worst kind to triumphs unimaginable, he's a true pioneer making up solutions to situations as he goes along * Martin Clunes *Born Wild describes his breathless roller coaster across the African savannah with passion and humour, an inspirational tale of what one comitted individual can achieve against the odds -- Brian Jackman * Sunday Telegraph *The passages describing the lions the three men were raising and rehabilitating into the wild are odes to harmony, serentiy and understanding * Telegraph *
£14.39
Penguin Books Ltd Independence or Union
Book Synopsis''Deserves to be read by everyone interested in the future of the United Kingdom'' Andrew Marr, The Sunday TimesThere can be no relationship in Europe''s history more creative, significant, vexed and uneasy than that between Scotland and England. From the Middle Ages onwards the island of Britain has been shaped by the unique dynamic between Edinburgh and London, exchanging inhabitants, monarchs, money and ideas, sometimes in a spirit of friendship and at others in a spirit of murderous dislike.Tom Devine''s seminal new book explores this extraordinary history in all its ambiguity, from the seventeenth century to the present. When not undermining each other with invading armies, both Scotland and England have broadly benefitted from each other''s presence - indeed for long periods of time nobody questioned the union which joined them. But as Devine makes clear, it has for the most part been a relationship based on consent, not force, on mutual advantageTrade ReviewDeserves to be read by everyone interested in the future of the United Kingdom... this is analytical, synthetic, argumentative history at its best; it slays lazy myths and tells us the "why" of a momentous story every intelligent Briton ought to understand...cracking. -- Andrew Marr * The Sunday Times *Brilliant. Easily surpasses any of the glut of books surrounding our constitutional upheaval of the last five years or so. -- Kevin McKenna * The Observer *Never less than compelling ...Independence or Union is his best book to date, is required reading and a perfect example of why history matters. -- Alan Taylor * The Herald *Surefooted, balanced and reliable in analysis throughout. -- Colin Kidd * London Review of Books *The book offers a crisp and well-paced assessment of the Union... a thoroughly reasoned assessment -- Donald MacRaild * Times Higher Education *Briskly, clearly and fairly he sketches a complex and detailed history, bringing new life and fresh perspectives to old stories... if he hadn't already been knighted for services to Scottish history, Devine would have been high on the list for preferment after this new work. -- John McTernan * Prospect Magazine *Devine brings his usual acute historical critique to the question in hand. -- Keith M. Brown * Times Literary Supplement *
£10.44
Penguin Group (NZ) The Field Guide to New Zealand Geology An
Book Synopsis
£40.80
Penguin Random House India Climate Change 2100 Survive or Thrive
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£22.79
Oxford University Press Inc Orca
Book SynopsisSince the release of the documentary Blackfish in 2013, millions around the world have focused on the plight of the orca, the most profitable and controversial display animal in history. Yet, until now, no historical account has explained how we came to care about killer whales in the first place. Drawing on interviews, official records, private archives, and his own family history, Jason M. Colby tells the exhilarating and often heartbreaking story of how people came to love the ocean''s greatest predator. Historically reviled as dangerous pests, killer whales were dying by the hundreds, even thousands, by the 1950s--the victims of whalers, fishermen, and even the US military. In the Pacific Northwest, fishermen shot them, scientists harpooned them, and the Canadian government mounted a machine gun to eliminate them. But that all changed in 1965, when Seattle entrepreneur Ted Griffin became the first person to swim and perform with a captive killer whale. The show proved wildly popular, and he began capturing and selling others, including Sea World''s first Shamu.Over the following decade, live display transformed views of Orcinus orca. The public embraced killer whales as charismatic and friendly, while scientists enjoyed their first access to live orcas. In the Pacific Northwest, these captive encounters reshaped regional values and helped drive environmental activism, including Greenpeace''s anti-whaling campaigns. Yet even as Northwesterners taught the world to love whales, they came to oppose their captivity and to fight for the freedom of a marine predator that had become a regional icon. This is the definitive history of how the feared and despised killer became the beloved orca--and what that has meant for our relationship with the ocean and its creatures.Trade ReviewDetailed, determinedly even-handed and often fascinating. * Lucy Atkins, Times Literary Supplement *Jason Colby's Orca...left me with feelings of gratitude for his hard work, admiration and envy for his skills as a historian and storyteller, and also some new hopes about the possibilities of writing about animals and history.....The characters, human and cetacean, are drawn with extraordinary empathy and care, and their experiences, hopes, and worries, as told by Colby, are powerful....The photographs, of which there are more than forty, are both exceptional and thoughtfully curated. * Nigel Rothfels, Humanimalia *Timely ... Over forty oral history interviews, added to substantial archival and secondary research, allow Colby to weave a history that highlights the agency and complexities of orca capture and captivity ... This engaging book should garner a wide audience of academics and orca enthusiasts. The clear narrative and interesting stories moreover make it suitable for undergraduate courses in both Pacific Northwest history and environmental history * Jen Corrinne Brown, American Historical Review *Colby is an easy and engaging writer... He utilizes extensive interviews he conducted with many of the most colorful and important people involved in the story: those who captured whales, the promoters, fishermen, scientists, and the citizens and politicians who became involved in the fight to halt the capture. * Carmel Finley, Journal of American History *This is an affecting book, personal and political all at once, and written by a scholar who has worked hard to recover and relay painful tales of the wild orcas that encountered humans and the humans that did the encountering. Nearly all those meetings began in panic and pain, most of it the whales', though some of it that of the men who came to believe they were doing the wrong thing wresting these breathtaking animals from their world, to deliver them to our own, which has been changed by the resulting episodes of captivity and captivation. * D. Graham Burnett, author of The Sounding of the Whale *This fascinating history reveals what happens when humans became captivated by captive orcas. Colby poignantly locates the very origins of conservation in the tense, tender, and tragic relationships between humans and cetaceans. This finely textured social history of the Pacific Northwest opens up the story of how 'killer whales', once cast as deadly pests * became popular attractions and emotional, intelligent 'orcas'.Daniel Bender, author of The Animal Game: Searching for Wildness at the American Zoo *With Orca, Jason Colby takes readers on a riveting journey. In a matter of decades, the Pacific Northwest's killer whales traveled from despised vermin to regional sweethearts. Their emotional passage revealed the true wildcard of wildlife management: navigating the swirling opinions of human populations. A timely book, Orca brings history to bear on a fraught relationship between two apex predators. Colby traces the rise in human affection for the whales but also the emergence of a cruel realization as audiences cheered captives' performances in aquariums across the globe. Love and fandom could kill and maim as efficiently as fear and contempt. In the end, it's unclear whether orcas benefited from the connection they forged with people. * Jon Coleman, author of Vicious: Wolves and Men in America *Killer whales, or orcas, the apex marine predators, were once widely feared as dangerous vermin and were shot on sight. Yet over the past fifty years, a sea change in attitudes towards this remarkable animal took place, and today the species is a revered and cherished global icon of the wild marine environment. In this compelling book, Jason Colby chronicles this transition in our relationship with the killer whale and tells an enthralling story complete with drama and excitement. It is sure to be an important addition to the libraries of natural historians and whale enthusiasts alike. * John Ford, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada *Colby shines a light on how little we understand of these magnificent creatures. His book gives a glimpse into a mysterious yet strangely familiar world, brought to life in a story that's tragic, heartbreaking, and finally hopeful. * Foreword Reviews (starred review) *A good choice for serious fans of Pacific Northwest and marine history. * Kirkus *A revealing look at how the human view of orcas has changed... Colby persuasively contends that, despite legitimate concerns popularized by the 2013 documentary Blackfish, about the effects of captivity on orcas, the animals avoided extinction because their presence in accessible public venues enabled people to relate to them... Colby has produced an originally argued and accessibly jargon-free consideration of a hot-button animal conservation issue. * Publishers Weekly *Killer whales, also known as orcas, are idolized, loved, and even revered. Such sentiments, however, have not always been held toward this species, as historian Jason Colby reveals in his new book, Orca... Colby does an excellent job of framing these events within the larger environmental movement of the time, as well as placing them within the context of the nationalism that was spreading on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border at the time." * Robin W. Baird, Science *[Told] with the depth and passion the topic deserves. * Lynda V. Mapes, Seattle Times *Immersive and dramatic... Colby demonstrates the speed at which societal attitudes can also shift the baseline of our expectations. In this age of extinction, with ongoing changes in ocean chemistry and physics, it is the potential for a sea change in public attitude that presents hope. * Sascha Hooker, Nature *An exceptional book and a significant contribution to the conservation of killer whales, Orca brings together a wealth of information and tells the stories of the captive whales and the people who pursued, cared for, and studied them - and ultimately fought for their freedom... It instantly takes its place as one of the best books ever written about the interactions between killer whales and settler society on the coastlines of B.C. and Washington State. It should be read by every whale enthusiast, naturalist, fishing guide, graduate student, researcher, marine resource manager, and politician on the Pacific coast. * Anna Hall, Ormsby Review *It is a story not just of the orca business, but also of the evolution of Americans' relationship to the oceans and marine life-the growth of marine parks parallels the shift from an extractive approach to the ocean, as mainly a source of fish, to a recreational one. It intersects, too, with the birth of the modern environmental movement in the 1960s and 70s. * Rachel Riederer, New Republic *[Colby] has produced an exhaustive, nuanced, essential account of the captures, unearthing a forgotten bit of Northwest history. * Nancy Macdonald, Literary Review of Canada *A riveting behind-the-scenes 'tell all,' told from the perspectives of the individuals that witnessed this important period in our history. This book is a historical account of how an industry formed, nearly destroying the very commodity on which it depended, coupled with an infusion of science that helped us to better understand killer whale life history. Colby retells a tragic yet sobering story of the good and dark sides of the delicate relationship between humans and other sentient beings. * Eric L. Walters, Journal of Mammalogy *An exhaustively researched and well-written account. * Paul Brown, Resurgence & Ecologist *An engaging but in-depth history...Orca is an exciting new offering at the intersection between histories of the display of live cetaceans, which generally focus on the environmental movement and its pushback against keeping captive dolphins and orcas, and histories of the modern commercial whaling industry, which generally focus purely on the harvesting of larger whales….The book is both an intensely local history of the Pacific Northwest in the late twentieth century and also a more global history of human relationships with large predators and animals in captivity.….Colby provides an exhaustive account of changing perceptions of killer whales and how this related to the development of the environmental movement into which they were embedded, all over the span of just a couple of decades. * Jakobina Arch, Environmental History *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. "The Most Terrible Jaws Afloat" 2. The Old Northwest 3. Griffin's Quest 4. Murray Newman and Moby Doll 5. Namu's Journey 6. A Boy and His Whale 7. Fishing for Orcas 8. Skana and the Hippie 9. The Scores at Pender Harbor 10. Supply and Demand 11. The White Whale 12. Penn Cove Roundup 13. Whaling in the New Northwest 14. Big Government and Big Business 15. The Legend of Mike Bigg 16. "All hell broke loose" 17. New Frontiers 18. Haida's Song 19. The Legacy of Capture Epilogue Acknowledgements Notes Bibliography Index
£18.49
Oxford University Press Inc Japan and the Shackles of the Past
Book SynopsisJapan is one of the world''s wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations, and its rapid ascent to global power status after 1853 remains one of the most remarkable stories in modern world history. Yet it has not been an easy path; military catastrophe, political atrophy, and economic upheavals have made regular appearances from the feudal era to the present. Today, Japan is seen as a has-been with a sluggish economy, an aging population, dysfunctional politics, and a business landscape dominated by yesterday''s champions. Though it is supposed to be America''s strongest ally in the Asia-Pacific region, it has almost entirely disappeared from the American radar screen. In Japan and the Shackles of the Past, R. Taggart Murphy places the current troubles of Japan in a sweeping historical context, moving deftly from early feudal times to the modern age that began with the Meiji Restoration. Combining fascinating analyses of Japanese culture and society over the centuries with hardTrade Review"Murphy is very persuasive in building a case for his solutions for bringing real change to Japanese politics and foreign relations ... The most fundamental of his prescriptions, though, is undeniably necessary: the Japanese government and people must, for their own sake "confront what put their country in the hands of those who destroyed its independence and made it a byword abroad for brutal, inhuman fanaticism. Trying to bury accounts of what actually happened with fables of a pure and virtuous land, as Abe seeks to do, is simply a way of making it more likely that something similar will happen again soon"." -- Morgan Giles, Times Literary Supplement "Without doubt, this is the most important book on Japan by a non-Japanese writer to have appeared in the last two decades. It should be required reading for anyone professing to know Japan or wishing to teach others about it." -- BCCJ Acumen, Ian de Stains OBE "[An] insightful analysis of what ails Japan." - Economist "Taggart Murphy knows his Japanese history. His theories about Japan's political economy shed interesting light on the country." -- David Pilling, Financial Times "Japan and the Shackles of the Past is an excellent -- and engagingly written -- introduction to Japan, and a thought-provoking work of political and economic analysis (with quite a few lessons for America and other nations, too)." -- Complete Review "Murphy sheds much light on Japans current dependence upon the U.S. for maintenance of its political system and its future prospects, closing with an in-depth analysis of the current administration." -- Publishers Weekly "Taggart Murphy has crafted a precise and highly critical analysis of Japan's problems." -- Satyajit Das, Naked CapitalismTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction: Does Japan Still Matter? Part One: Past Chapter One: Japan Before the Edo Period Chapter Two: The Incubation of the Modern Japanese State Chapter Three: Restoration to Occupation Chapter Four: The Miracle Chapter Five: The Institutions of High-speed Growth Chapter Six: Consequences (Intended and Otherwise) Part Two: Present Chapter Seven: Economy and Finance Chapter Eight: Business Chapter Nine: Social and Cultural Change Chapter Ten: Politics Chapter Eleven: Japan and the World Suggestions for Further Reading Notes
£18.89
Oxford University Press Inc The Arctic
Book SynopsisAs the threat of global climate change becomes a reality, many look to the Arctic Ocean to predict coming environmental phenomena. There, the consequences of Earth''s warming trend are most immediately observable in the multi-year and perennial ice that has begun to melt, which threatens ice-dependent microorganisms and, eventually, will disrupt all of Arctic life. In The Arctic: What Everyone Needs to Know, Klaus Dodds and Mark Nuttall offer a concise introduction to the circumpolar North, focusing on its peoples, environment, resource development, conservation, and politics to provide critical information about how changes there can and will affect our entire globe and all of its inhabitants. Dodds and Nuttall shed light on how the Arctic''s importance has grown over time, the region''s role during the Cold War, indigenous communities and their history, and the past and future of the Arctic''s governance, among other crucial topics. The Arctic is an essential primer for those seeking information about one of the most important regions in the world today.Table of ContentsForeword Chapter One: One Arctic, Many Arctic(s) Chapter Two: Placing the Arctic Chapter Three: Land, Sea and Ice Chapter Four: From Colonialism to Collaboration Chapter Five: Warming Arctic Chapter Six: Resourceful Arctic Chapter Seven: Global Arctic
£10.44
Oxford University Press Inc The Amazon
Book SynopsisThe Amazon is a land of superlatives. The complex ecosystem covers an area about the size of the continental U.S. The Amazon River discharges 57 million gallons of water per second--in two hours, this would be enough to supply all of New York City''s 7.5 million residents with water for a year. Its flora and fauna are abundant. Approximately one of every four flowering plant species on earth resides in the Amazon. A single Amazonian river may contain more fish species than all the rivers in Europe combined. It is home to the world''s largest anteater, armadillo, freshwater turtle, and spider, as well as the largest rodent (which weighs over 200 lbs.), catfish (250 lbs.), and alligator (more than half a ton). The rainforest, which contains approximately 390 billion trees, plays a vital role in stabilizing the global climate by absorbing massive amounts of carbon dioxide--or releasing it into the atmosphere if the trees are destroyed. Severe droughts in both Brazil and Southeast Asia have been linked to Amazonian deforestation, as have changing rainfall patterns in the U.S., Europe, and China. The Amazon also serves as home to millions of people. Approximately seventy tribes of isolated and uncontacted people are concentrated in the western Amazon, completely dependent on the land and river. These isolated groups have been described as the most marginalized peoples in the western hemisphere, with no voice in the decisions made about their futures and the fate of their forests. In this addition to the What Everyone Needs to Know series, ecologist and conservation expert, Mark J. Plotkin, who has spent 40 years studying Amazonia, its peoples, flora, and fauna. The Amazon offers an engaging overview of this irreplaceable ecosystem and the challenges it faces.Trade ReviewThere is a lot to learn, and value, from this guide, by an expert immersed in the subject. * Harvard Magazine *One can think of the broad themes of the book as scenes on a vast tapestry and the responses to the 67 questions as the threads used by Plotkin to weave the marvelous story of Amazonia. Readers can gaze at one part of the tapestry and later explore another portion, each time coming away with a better understanding of the nature of this extraordinary ecosystem. * Roger Mustalish, HerbalGram *As he has done in his other books and films ... Plotkin blazes a path for others to follow: a storied path that can help us both re-story and restore the precious places persisting on this planet, despite all odds. * Gary Paul Nabhan, LA Review of Books *Table of ContentsIntroduction What is a Tropical Rainforest? What Do We Mean When We Say the Amazon? Why is the Amazon Important? Geology, Soils and Vegetation Geological history - What is the geological history of Amazonia? Soils - Do large and diverse Amazonian rainforests thrive on poor soil? Terra preta - What is terra preta? Vegetation - What are the major forest and vegetation types in Amazonia? Savannas - What are savannas and how are they created? Tepuis - What are tepuis? Nutrient cycling - If the soils are so poor, how can lush rainforests flourish? Rivers The Amazon Source of the Amazon - What is the source of the Amazon River? River types - What are the various river types in Amazonia? Aquatic habitats - What are some of the characteristic aquatic habitats of Amazonia? Casiquiare canal - What is the Casiquiare Canal? Coral reef - Is there a coral reef in the Amazon? Indians 1492 population Languages - How many indigenous languages are there in Amazonia? Paleoindians, the first arrivals - When did the first humans arrive in Amazonia? Shamans - What is a Shaman? Shrunken heads - Shrunken heads: fact or fiction? Slash and burn agriculture - What is slash-and-burn agriculture? Uncontacted tribes - Do uncontacted tribes still exist? History The Struggle for the Amazon Treaty of Tordesillas - What was the Treaty of Tordesillas? Aguirre - Was Werner Herzog's film "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," based on a historical figure? Teixeira - What role did Pedro Teixeira play in the colonization of the Amazon? Mapping - What is the history of the mapping of the Amazon? The Advent of the European Scientists Merian - Was the first European scientific explorer of the Amazon a woman? Darwin - What is the connection between the Amazon and the origins of the Theory of Evolution? Agassiz / Harvard Amazon Rubber and the Jari Project Rubber atrocities - What were the Putumayo Rubber Atrocities? Rubber as commodity - How Did Amazonian Rubber Become A Key Global Commodity? Rubber / Fordlandia - Why did Henry Ford fail at Fordlandia in Brazil? Jari Project - Fordlandia redux - What was the Jari Project, and why did it fail? Rondon / Mendes - Who were Cândido Rondon and Chico Mendes? Amazonian biota Animals Faunal origins - What is the origin of the Amazonian fauna? Vampire bats - Do vampire bats suck human blood? Spiders - How dangerous are Amazonian spiders? Cats, crocodilians and serpents - Do jaguars, crocs and snakes eat people in Amazonia? Frogs - Are there hallucinogenic frogs in the Amazon Rainforest? Pink dolphins - Are there pink dolphins in the Amazon? Fish diversity - Why does Amazonia harbor the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in the world? Candiru catfish - Is the tiny candiru catfish as terrifying as its reputation? Electric eels - How dangerous are electric eels? Piranhas - Do piranhas deserve their fearsome reputation? Sharks - Are there man-eating sharks in the Amazon? Plants Ayahuasca - What is ayahuasca? Bromeliads - What are the aerial aquaria of the Amazon? Coca - What is the traditional use of coca in the Amazon? Curare - What is Curare and Why is it Important? Lianas - Why are lianas so important and yet so poorly understood? Figs - Why are strangler figs not considered to be lianas? Palms - Why are palms the single most useful group of organisms to the indigenous peoples of the Amazon? Palms with economic promise - Which Amazonian palms offer the greatest economic promise for the future? Victoria lily - Did an Amazonian water lily serve as the inspiration for steel frame architecture? Threats Cattle - What is the role of cattle ranching in Amazonian agriculture? Dams - What is the status of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon? Gold - What is the impact of gold mining in the Amazon? Agriculture / Big - The Role of Export-Driven Large-Scale Agricultural Production in Deforestation Agriculture / Small - What is the role of small-scale farming in deforestation? Logging - What is the status of logging in the Amazon? Climate Change - How will climate change affect Amazonia? Deforestation - What drives deforestation in the Amazon? Oil and gas - What is the impact of oil and gas exploration on forest peoples? Overhunting - What is the impact of overhunting and overfishing on the Amazon? China - What is the Impact of China in Amazonia? Conclusion Conservation - How to Save the Amazon?
£10.44
Oxford University Press Inc Saving Animals Saving Ourselves
Book SynopsisIn 2020, COVID-19, the Australia bushfires, and other global threats served as vivid reminders that human and nonhuman fates are increasingly linked. Human use of nonhuman animals contributes to pandemics, climate change, and other global threats which, in turn, contribute to biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse, and nonhuman suffering. Jeff Sebo argues that humans have a moral responsibility to include animals in global health and environmental policy. In particular, we should reduce our use of animals as part of our pandemic and climate change mitigation efforts and increase our support for animals as part of our adaptation efforts. Applying and extending frameworks such as One Health and the Green New Deal, Sebo calls for reducing support for factory farming, deforestation, and the wildlife trade; increasing support for humane, healthful, and sustainable alternatives; and considering human and nonhuman needs holistically. Sebo also considers connections with practical issues such as education, employment, social services, and infrastructure, as well as with theoretical issues such as well-being, moral status, political status, and population ethics. In all cases, he shows that these issues are both important and complex, and that we should neither underestimate our responsibilities because of our limitations, nor underestimate our limitations because of our responsibilities. Both an urgent call to action and a survey of what ethical and effective action requires, Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves is an invaluable resource for scholars, advocates, policy-makers, and anyone interested in what kind of world we should attempt to build and how.This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.Trade ReviewThe book provokes scholars from across disciplines to think through in further detail the empirical, normative, and other questions that arise from its main propositions, and the general public to openly engage with its contents. * Charlotte E. Blattner, University of Bern, Society & Animals *The pandemic should have caused a global awakening to how our treatment of animals significantly causes human harm. In one way or another, the pandemic is rooted in animal exploitation. But the world remains largely silent on this connection. Ditto climate change. Ditto world hunger. Ditto environmental destruction. Maybe Jeff Sebo's new book, Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves, will end the silence. Sebo clearly shows how many of the most urgent public health issues we face today are directly related to our treatment of animals. This is a book that must be read. Time is running out – if we want to save ourselves, we have to save animals, too. * Aysha Akhtar, MD, MPH, Author of Our Symphony with Animals: On Health, Empathy and Our Shared Destinies *Jeff Sebo has been leading the conversation about the impacts of human behavior on animals and the environment for years. In Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves, he shows that when we accept our responsibilities as well as our limitations, we can bring about transformative change for everyone and build a more just and sustainable future—including for the most vulnerable among us. This book is a must-read for policy makers looking to chart a new path forward. * U.S. Senator Cory Booker *In Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves, Jeff Sebo argues forcefully that we have a responsibility to help everyone affected by human activity, including other animals. By reducing support for factory farming, deforestation, and the wildlife trade; increasing support for humane, healthful, and sustainable alternatives; and including the health and welfare of nonhuman animals in our advocacy and political agendas, we can create a better future for humans and nonhumans alike. This brilliant, wide-ranging book is essential for academics, advocates, policymakers, and anyone else with an interest in our shared future. * Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute & U. N. Messenger of Peace *In Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves, Jeff Sebo draws together a wealth of evidence to make an overwhelming case that the way we treat animals today is not only a grave moral wrong, but also a serious threat to our health, our well-being, and possibly our very existence. Every meat-eater and every policy-maker needs to read and ponder the evidence Sebo presents. * Peter Singer, Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University, and author of Animal Liberation *It makes a real contribution to understanding the problem of saving animals and ourselves. * Angus Taylor, Digitalcommons.calpoly *What I liked most about the book is the cautiousness, honesty and holism of Sebo's approach... It thereby lays valuable groundwork for more concrete and specific future investigations into how animals should be included in our ethical thinking about human-induced crises. * Thomas Pölzler, Ethical Theory and Moral Practice *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Introduction: Saving animals, saving ourselves Chapter 2. Animal ethics in a human world Chapter 3. Animals, pandemics, and climate change Chapter 4. Limits on inclusion for animals Chapter 5. Methods of inclusion for animals Chapter 6. Animals, conflict, and politics Chapter 7. Animals, well-being, and moral status Chapter 8. Animals, creation ethics, and population ethics Chapter 9. Conclusion: Of minks and men
£26.59
Oxford University Press Essential Entomology
Book SynopsisComprising well over half of all known animal species, insects are the most successful organisms on the planet. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to say that one cannot study agriculture, biology, and the environment, without a basic understanding of entomology. Furthermore, insects are indispensable to advances in molecular biology and genetics, and their ongoing decline in many parts of the world has stimulated much research in the crucial roles they play in global ecosystems. However, the sheer diversity of insects can be a challenge to every newcomer to entomology. Most entomology textbooks tend to focus on insect biology, leaving readers with only a superficial idea of insect diversity and evolution, while others delve into too much detail that will deter the novice. In contrast, Essential Entomology has a clear taxonomic structure that provides readers with the necessary framework to understand the diversity, life history, and taxonomy of insects in a new light. This fully revised edition provides the most up-to-date guide to insects and includes all the major developments in molecular biology and palaeontology of the last 20 years. This textbook is an essential read for undergraduate and graduate students taking courses in entomology, agriculture, and forestry. It will also appeal to a broad academic audience of ecologists, conservationists, natural resource managers, as well as to the far more numerous general readers who are interested in wildlife, nature, and the environment. With these diverse audiences in mind, the straightforward and accessible style of the first edition has been maintained, technical jargon has been kept to a minimum, and sufficient background information is provided to enable the reader to follow the text with ease.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition This book should be as indispensable to students as to amateur entomologists, ecologists, and nature enthusiasts...it is to be hoped that this excellent value reference book will achieve a wide circulation. * Galathea, 2001 *Essential Entomology guides and inspires the entomological student, and at the same time, offers up-to-date notions about generic entomology for the more expert reader. * Alfredo Venturo, Community Ecology *Essential Entomology guides and inspires the entomological student, and at the same time, offers up-to-date notions about generic entomology for the more expert reader. * Community Ecology *Table of ContentsSECTION 1: INTRODUCTION TO INSECT EVOLUTION AND BIOLOGY SECTION 2: THE INSECT ORDERS ARCHAEOGNATHA (Bristletails) ZYGENTOMA (Silverfish and Firebrats) EPHEMEROPTERA (Mayflies) ODONATA (Dragonflies and Damselflies) HAPLOCERCATA (DERMAPTERA and ZORAPTERA) (Earwigs and Angel Insects) PLECOPTERA (Stoneflies) ORTHOPTERA (Grasshoppers and Crickets) DICTYOPTERA (BLATTODEA and MANTODEA) (Cockroaches, Termites, and Praying Mantids) XENONOMIA (GRYLLOBLATTODEA and MANTOPHASMATODEA) (Ice Crawlers and Heel Walkers) EUKINOLABIA (PHASMATODEA and EMBIOPTERA) (Stick Insects, Leaf Insects, and Webspinners) PSOCODEA (Barklice, Booklice, and True Lice) HEMIPTERA (True Bugs) THYSANOPTERA (Thrips) RAPHIDIOPTERA (Snakeflies) MEGALOPTERA (Alderflies, Dobsonflies, and Fishflies) NEUROPTERA (Lacewings, Antlions, and Mantidflies) COLEOPTERA (Beetles) STREPSIPTERA (Strepsipterans) MECOPTERA (Scorpionflies) SIPHONAPTERA (Fleas) DIPTERA (Flies) TRICHOPTERA (Caddisflies) LEPIDOPTERA (Butterflies and Moths) HYMENOPTERA (Bees, Wasps, and Ants) SECTION 3: FIELDWORK
£999.99
Oxford University Press The Natural History of Selborne Oxford Worlds
Book SynopsisThe Natural History of Selborne (1789) is written as a series of letters, which describe with wit and precision the flora and fauna White observes in his Hampshire parish. A classic of nature writing, this edition includes contemporary illustrations, a contextualizing introduction, and an appendix of readers' responses over 200 years.Trade Review'I can wholeheartedly recommend this edition ... Beautifully produced ... Secord's introduction - surely one of the chief reasons to purchase this new edition of a book never out of print - provides a nuanced and stimulating account of the origins, character, and legacies of Selborne.' * Diarmid A. Finnegan, Journal of Historical Geography *'This Oxford edition offers new insights into a work that has been hugely popular. ' * Land and Business *
£13.49
Oxford University Press Carnivoran Ecology The Evolution and Function of
Book SynopsisThis unique synthesis uses examples from a diverse and expanding carnivoran literature, drawing from all carnivoran families and spanning the world's oceans and continents, to produce a clearly written and richly illustrated book that reviews our current state of knowledge of carnivoran ecology.Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: Functional morphology 3: Evolution and historical biogeography 4: Physiological ecology 5: Sensory biology and neuroanatomy 6: Community ecology 7: Interactions with non-prey animals 8: Interactions with prey 9: Cascades 10: Population ecology 11: How carnivorans affect humans 12: How humans affect carnivorans Appendix I List of extant carnivoran species Appendix II List of non-carnivoran species mentioned
£39.99
Oxford University Press Statistics and Dynamics of Urban Populations
Book SynopsisUrbanization is a fundamental process in human history and is increasingly affecting our environment and society. Although cities have existed for centuries, describing and controlling urbanization has always been difficult and still is: cities are continuously changing over time in a non-homogeneous fashion that has puzzled historians, geographers, philosophers, economists, urbanists, engineers, mathematicians and physicists. In particular, one of the most debated issues of urban studies has been the question of urban population growth. How do cities appear and disappear, grow or decline? Why do we observe a hierarchy of cities from small to large and not a typical city size ? These questions are not only relevant for census purposes. The population size of the city is an important determinant for most of urban issues: land management, congestion, public transport planning, economic growth, innovation incentives, food and good supply and climate-change adaptation. A sound understanding of population growth processes is an inescapable path for a good monitoring of city planning.This book describes all aspects of quantitative approaches to urban population growth, ranging from measures and empirical results to the mathematical description of their evolution. It will be of interest to researchers working on quantitative aspect of cities and from many different disciplines such as quantitative geography, spatial economics, geomatics, urbanism and transportation, physics, or applied mathematics. This book will also be of interest to graduate students and researchers entering the field or interested in quantitative studies of urban systems.Table of ContentsPART I COUNTING PEOPLE 1: Urban population 1.1 Defining the city 1.2 An historical example: Paris 1.3 Functional and morphological denitions 1.4 Gridded population of the world 2: Why does population matter? 2.1 Population is a good start 2.2 Scaling in cities PART II RANKING CITIES 3: The distribution of urban populations 3.1 Power-laws 3.2 Zipf's law for cities 3.3 How to t a power-law? 3.4 Revisiting Zipf's law for cities 4: Dynamics of ranking 4.1 Stable versus unstable ranking 4.2 Modelling the ranking dynamics 4.3: Rank variations of cities PART III MODELS OF URBAN GROWTH 5: Stochastic calculus 5.1 Brownian motion 5.2 Itô and Stratonovich prescriptions 5.3 Fokker-Planck equation 6: Stochastic models of growth 6.1 Yule-Simon's model of growth 6.2 Gibrat's law for cities 6.3 Gabaix's mode 7: Models with migration 7.1 A modied Yule-Simon model 7.2 A master equation approach 7.3 Diusion with noise: the Bouchaud-Mezard model PART IV HOW CITIES TRULY GROW 8: The generalized central limit theorem and Levy stable laws 8.1 The central limit theorem and its generalization 8.2 Levy stable laws 8.3 The generalized central limit theorem 9: From First principles to the growth equation 9.1 Building a bottom-up equation 9.2 Gravitational model 9.3 Minimal model for the inter-urban migration flows 10: About city dynamics 10.1 Solving a new kind of equation 10.2 Analysis and scaling of the solution 10.3 Rank dynamics 11: Outlook: Beyond Zipf's law 11.1 Zipf's law: the end? 11.2 And space? References Index
£81.00
Oxford University Press The Fundamental Processes in Ecology
Book SynopsisThis thought-provoking book introduces a way to study ecosystems that is resonant with current thinking in the fields of earth system science, geobiology, and planetology. Instead of organizing the subject around a hierarchical series of entities (e.g. genes, individuals, populations, species, communities, and the biosphere), the book provides an alternative process-based approach and proposes a truly planetary view of ecological science. It demonstrates how the idea of fundamental ecological processes can be developed at the systems level, specifically their involvement in control and feedback mechanisms. This enables the reader to reconsider fundamental ecological processes such as energy flow, guilds, trade-offs, carbon cycling, and photosynthesis, and to put them in a global (and even planetary) context. In so doing, the book places a much stronger emphasis on microorganisms. Since publication of the first edition in 2006, ever growing societal concern about environmental sustainability has ensured that the earth system science/Gaian approach has steadily gained traction. Its integration with ecology is now more important than ever if ecological science is to effectively contribute to the massive problems and future challenges associated with global environmental change. The Fundamental Processes in Ecology is an accessible text for senior undergraduates, graduate student seminar courses, and researchers in the fields of ecology, environmental sustainability, earth system science, evolutionary biology, palaeontology, history of life, astrobiology, planetology, climatology, geology, and physical geography.Table of ContentsPreface Part I: Introduction 1: Introducing the Thought Experiment Part II: The Fundamental Processes 2: Energy Flow 3: Multiple Guilds 4: Trade-offs and Biodiversity 5: Dispersal 6: Ecological Hypercycles: Covering a Planet with Life 7: Merging of Organismal and Ecological Physiology 8: Photosynthesis 9: Carbon Sequestration Part III: Emerging Systems 10: Nutrient Cycling as an Emergent Property 11: Historical Contingency and the Development of Planetary Ecosystems 12: From Processes to Systems
£37.99
Oxford University Press Inc A Future in Ruins
Book SynopsisBest known for its World Heritage program committed to the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded in 1945 as an intergovernmental agency aimed at fostering peace, humanitarianism, and intercultural understanding. Its mission was inspired by leading European intellectuals such as Henri Bergson, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Thomas Mann, H. G. Wells, and Aldous and Julian Huxley. Often critiqued for its inherent Eurocentrism, UNESCO and its World Heritage program today remain embedded within modernist principles of progress and development and subscribe to the liberal principles of diplomacy and mutual tolerance. However, its mission to prevent conflict, destruction, and intolerance, while noble and much needed, increasingly falls short, as recent battles over the World Heritage sites of Preah VTrade ReviewA timely and important work that combines anthropology, politics, and archaeology to consider the history and legacy of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).... The author's honest, thought-provoking treatment brings into question the abilities and benefits of UNESCO while highlighting some of the complex political and historical actions that have brought about the precarious role it now plays.... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *A trustworthy guide through the thicket of committees, conventions, and campaigns that have defined World Heritage at the international level... Meskell builds an exemplary work of international history of World Heritage by weaving together case studies from around the world * Sarah Griswold, Oklahoma State University, Journal of Contemporary History *Reading A Future in Ruins is a valuable experience that needs to be shared widely across archaeology, cultural heritage studies, and related disciplines. It is a process of revisiting the consequences of allowing the bureaucratic machine of 'world heritage production' to roll on unchallenged, a journey which is best undertaken without predetermined notions coming from a detailed review of its contents. * Emily Hanscam, European Journal of Archaeology *A Future in Ruins transcends the boundaries of history, archaeology, politics and anthropology... an enlightening and enjoyable book to read. * Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review *This is a highly original and timely reassessment of UNESCO's checkered global mission since the late 1940s. While Meskell's book is ostensibly about UNESCO, world heritage, and the changing practices of archaeology, it is also a powerful rereading of international history and the broader politics of preservation in today's world. For those interested in the history of internationalism, contemporary global politics, and heritage studies, this is a must read. * Paul Betts, University of Oxford *A Future in Ruins represents the first in-depth analysis of UNESCO from its heady beginnings in a postwar world to the very different political and cultural attitudes to heritage in the present. Meskell brings her considerable analytical skills to bear on the personalities and structures of the organization and the material remains on which they focused. This is a book for anyone concerned with the past and present of global heritage. * Chris Gosden, University of Oxford *This timely book's insight and subtlety will set the diplomatic world by its ears. Meskell shows how UNESCO's pious pose of cultural universalism masks nationalistic-and Eurocentric -- pursuits. Her argument steadily moves us toward the unexpected revelation that UNESCO's interventions, understood by the world's disenfranchised as redolent of Western arrogance, increase the threat to the cultural treasures they are supposed to protect. * Michael Herzfeld, Harvard University *Meskell has written a timely and important work that combines anthropology, politics, and archaeology to consider the history and legacy of UNESCO...The author's honest, thought-provoking treatment brings into question the abilities and benefits of UNESCO while highlighting some of the complex political and historical actions that have brought about the precarious role it now plays."- ChoiceMaking an argument for urgently needed reform, Meskell presents numerous case studies and an analysis of UNESCO'S legal framework, which is vulnerable to manipulation by corrupt actors."- The New Yorker, Briefly Noted SectionIn A Future in Ruins, archaeologist Lynn Meskell offers an institutional ethnography of UNESCO. The organization's broad remit ranges from publishing to promoting women in science, but Meskell focuses exclusively on its role in protecting world heritage and archaeology, particularly through the 1972 World Heritage Convention. Inevitably, this role has been highly political. UNESCO's mission was to end global conflict and help the world rebuild materially and morally, Meskell observes. Yet increasingly, she argues, its efforts are caught up in the proliferation and prolongation of local conflicts and tensions...Meskell offers a trenchant critique of how UNESCO's aim of preventing war sits oddly with projects commemorating sites associated with violence [while noting] notes that international recognition enshrines only one version of history."- NatureTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Abbreviations Chapter 1: Utopia Chapter 2: Internationalism Chapter 3: Technocracy Chapter 4: Conservation Chapter 5: Inscription Chapter 6: Conflict Chapter 7: Danger Chapter 8: Dystopia Bibliography
£22.56
Oxford University Press Inc The Icy Planet
Book SynopsisThis book takes readers to Antarctica, the Arctic and the high mountains, to see what is happening to their ice, snow and permafrost. Ice and snow reflect solar energy back to space, keeping the planet cool. As global overheating melts them away, we are losing this refrigeration factor, which adds to global overheating. The author begins by laying out the evidence for carbon dioxide as the control knob of climate, and hence of sea level, for the past 1000 million years, before exploring the effects of climate change in the three main icy regions. He shows us how climate change will likely affect us and the planet as we approach the end of this century and beyond. His story ends by analysing how politics and economics are determining our response to global overheating, reminding readers of the enormous global challenges inherent in changing from a fossil fuel to a renewable energy infrastructure. There is no overnight solution. Can we save Earth''s refrigerator? Will Net Zero work? Addressing these key questions Summerhayes is cautiously optimistic about our chances provided we have the collective will to act on what we know.Trade ReviewIn The Icy Planet, apart from offering the reader all they need to know about the world's coldest places, Colin Summerhayes addresses in well-researched and readable detail the role of ice as the bellwether of global warming. Fascinating and sometimes frightening, it examines the speed with which the frozen environment is being depleted, and the signals that sends out for the future of us all. This is a book both arresting and alarming. * Sir Michael Palin, Writer and Presenter of Travel Documentaries including Pole-to-Pole and Erebus: The Story of a Ship *'Out of sight, out of mind' is the view that most people have of Earth's vast expanses of ice. This book takes us on a fascinating tour of our icy realms, the critical role they play in the functioning of the Earth System, and the startling human-driven changes that are afflicting them—essential reading for anyone interested in the future of our planet. * Will Steffen, Professor, Australian National University, Canberra *Colin Summerhayes introduces readers to the significance of the changing character of ice within the regions of the 'three poles.' His unique perspective comes from a career in science leadership roles, where he was a keen observer of and synthesizer of emerging research. Along with a narrative related to his travels, the book provides a holistic understanding of ice and climate in a world which has only recently begun to realize the power of both. * Paul Andrew Mayewski, Professor and Director, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, USA *Colin Summerhayes condenses the wisdom of a long career in polar and climate research to reveal the fundamental importance of Earth's refrigerator. The huge blocks of frozen water that cap the polar regions and high mountains may be remote from where most of us live, but have profound implications for all of us, in shaping our planet's climate, weather, water supply, and even food security, while also sustaining fascinating and unique wildlife. His first-hand account takes readers on a unique journey of appreciation for our world's coldest places. * Tony Juniper CBE, Environmentalist *Due to global climate change the large ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland influence the height of sea levels, while mountain glaciers influence the water supplies for surrounding populations. Melting permafrost changes ecosystems and creates significant natural hazards. Using his vast field experience, Colin Summerhayes draws attention to these dynamics and their effects on nature and society in an important book with a popular orientation. * Heinz Wanner, Professor, Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern *The increasing loss of the Earth's cryosphere is one of the most significant problem's facing humanity today. Dr Summerhayes has written a comprehensive book introducing the reader to the world of ice on our planet, how it responds and impacts climate, how it is the home to unique ecosystems, and most importantly, how ice and permafrost loss will lead to dramatic changes to our world. * W. Berry Lyons, Professor, Ohio State University *The book provides an excellent, well-referenced overview of Earth's cryosphere, including valid concerns about its near-term evolution. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Icehouse Climates Chapter 3: East Antarctica - the World's Biggest Ice Cube Chapter 4: West Antarctica and Dry Valleys Chapter 5: The Antarctica Peninsula, the Falklands and South Georgia Chapter 6: The Arctic Chapter 7: The Third Pole - Mountain Ice Chapter 8: Rising Seas Chapter 9: Our Future Epilogue End Notes (references) List of Figure Permissions Index
£31.49
Oxford University Press Inc Sustainable Investing
Book SynopsisAn accessible introduction to sustainable investing for investorsCan investors do well financially and do good for the world? Should they try? A common assumption about investors is that they don''t care who wins as long as they''re making money. For some investors, this mindset still rings true. Yet, many investors today want to make money and do good. Sustainable investing has gained considerable momentum in the last few decades. It delivers value by balancing traditional investing with environmental, social, and governance-related (ESG) insights to improve long-term outcomes. Sustainable Investing: What Everyone Needs to Know demystifies sustainable investing for investors. Using a user-friendly question-and-answer format and insights from noted investment professionals, this book explores some of sustainable investing''s most critical questions in a clear and concise manner. The book explains how this approach involves investing in sustainable companies or funds and can include any investment approach that considers ESG criteria when selecting and managing investments. It demystifies sustainable investing specifically for average investors and examines whether such investments have a place in their portfolios. By covering everything from the changing investment landscape and the roles of social and religious values in finance to how to build a portfolio with purpose, H. Kent Baker, Hunter M. Holzhauer, and John R. Nofsinger provide an essential introduction to sustainable investing.Table of ContentsWho Are the Authors? Why Did We Write This Book? Whom Do We Want to Thank? What is the Book About? Introduction Chapter One: The Changing Investment Landscape: The Past, Present, and Future 1.1. What are the earliest origins of socially responsible investing (SRI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR)? 1.2. Who were the first drivers of SRI and CSR, and how did their efforts help establish the ways social responsibility activists affect corporate behavior? 1.3. What is screening, and why is it important? 1.4. What are the most critical milestones in the 20th century for SRI? 1.5. How did these earlier milestones in the 20th-century help establish how SRI activists could affect corporate behavior? 1.6. Who created the first modern SRI index? 1.7. How did environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria become the three primary social responsibility factors? 1.8. What are other vital issues in the 21st century for SRI and CSR besides ESG criteria? 1.9. What are the main ways that investors can participate in SRI and SDG efforts? 1.10. What are the similarities and differences between sustainable investing and green investing? 1.11. What are the similarities and differences between impact investing and community investing? 1.12. How have risk tolerances and investment preferences changed from a generational perspective? 1.13. What impact are Millennials and progressive politics making on sustainable investing? 1.14. What are the conservative politics of sustainable investing in terms of advocacy agenda? 1.15. What is the divide between progressive and conservative investors? 1.16. What trends are likely to drive the future of the sustainable investing industry? Takeaways Chapter Two: Corporate Social Responsibility: Delivering Both Profit and Purpose 2.1. What's corporate social responsibility? 2.2. What's business ethics? 2.3. Who are a firm's stakeholders? 2.4. How can a firm demonstrate its social responsibility? 2.5. How can firms be environmentally sustainable? 2.6. How do firms demonstrate social responsibility to society? 2.7. What firm governance characteristics are responsible? 2.8. How can firms exhibit social responsibility to employees? 2.9. How can a firm be socially responsible in some areas and not in others? 2.10. How does doing good differ from avoiding doing harm? 2.11. What is corporate philanthropy, and should firms be engaged in it? 2.12. How can firms become involved in community engagement? 2.13. How can investors determine whether a firm is socially responsible? 2.14. How are firms held accountable for CSR? 2.15. What is a non-governmental organization, and how does it interact with companies? 2.16. How can a firm have a social purpose and earn a profit? 2.17. How is CSR viewed around the world? 2.18. What companies are known as leaders in CSR? 2.19. What online resources are available for researching socially responsible firms? Takeaways Chapter Three: Social and Religious Values: Aligning Values and Portfolio Assets 3.1. What is values-based investing? 3.2. What community values can investors use to select investments? 3.3. How can investing include human and civil rights values? 3.4. What is environmental sustainability, and how can investors incorporate it into a portfolio? 3.5. What firm products are inconsistent with social responsibility? 3.6. What religious values affect investing? 3.7. How can investors consider Christian values? 3.8. How can investors consider Islamic values? 3.9. How can investors consider Jewish faith-based values? 3.10. How might socially progressive values affect investment choice? 3.11. What is patriotic investing? 3.12. How are stocks found using negative and positive social screens? 3.13. What stock indices benchmark socially responsible firms? 3.14. What are Morningstar's Sustainability Scores? 3.15. What are Morningstar's Carbon Risk Scores? 3.16. Where can investors find socially responsible mutual funds? 3.17. What exchange-traded funds have socially responsible portfolios? 3.18. Where can investors find sustainable bonds and other fixed-income funds? 3.19. What are online resources available for researching a values-based investment approach? Takeaways Chapter Four: Sustainable Investing: Making Money While Doing Good 4.1. How does traditional investing differ from sustainable investing? 4.2. What are the potential concerns about sustainable investing? 4.3. What is the screening approach to sustainable investing? 4.4. What is the ESG integration approach to sustainable investing? 4.5. What is the socially responsible investing approach? 4.6. What are the shareholder engagement and activism approaches to sustainable investing? 4.7. What is the sustainable thematic investing approach? 4.8. What is the impact investing approach to sustainable investing? 4.9. What types of investors engage in sustainable investing? 4.10. How large is the sustainable investing marketplace? 4.11. How can investors get started with sustainable investing? 4.12. What vehicles are available for aligning values with investments? 4.13. What are the sources available for evaluating the social responsibility of a good versus bad company? 4.14. What are the pros and cons of investing in ESG stocks? 4.15. What are some examples of the largest ESG stocks? 4.17. What are the similarities and differences between mutual funds and ETFs engaged in sustainable investing? 4.18. What are the different types of funds engaging in sustainable investing, and examples of each? 4.19. What options are available for socially responsible investors interested in fixed-income investments? 4.20. What are green bonds and their pros and cons? 4.21. What are social impact bonds and their benefits and challenges? 4.23. What are the advantages and disadvantages of ESG TDFs? 4.24. What are some tips in selecting an ESG TDF? 4.25. What are the trade-offs between investing in stocks or bonds of socially responsible companies, mutual funds, and ETFs? 4.26. What are robo-advisors and the trade-offs of using them for sustainable investing? 4.27. What are some examples of robo-advisors for sustainable investing? 4.28. What is community investing? 4.29. What are online sources of information for sustainable investing? Takeaways Chapter Five: Performance Implications of Sustainable Investing: Can You Have Your Cake and Eat It Too? 5.1. What are the supply and demand dynamics for performance data for sustainable investing? 5.2. What are the concerns about the performance data for sustainable investing? 5.3. What is the total number of sustainable investment funds? 5.4. Have sustainable investment funds outperformed traditional funds? 5.5. How has the performance of sustainable funds changed over time? 5.6. What are the performance implications of sustainable investment indices? 5.7. How fast is investor demand for sustainable investing growing? 5.8. What factors are likely to affect the demand for sustainable investing going forward? 5.9. Has the growth in investor demand driven the recent outperformance in sustainable investing?? 5.10. Which of the three ESG criteria has historically performed better? 5.11. What are the performance implications of sustainable investing when analyzing the fixed-income market? 5.12. What performance critiques or implications relate to screening? 5.13. Do sin stocks outperform sustainable stocks? 5.14. Is sustainable investing ethical window dressing? 5.15. How has sustainable investing had a positive benefit on changing society or corporate behavior? 5.16. Can sustainable investors have their cake and eat it too? Takeaways Chapter Six: Building a Portfolio with a Purpose: How to Benefit You and Society 6.1. What are common misconceptions about sustainable investing? 6.2. Why should sustainable investors take a portfolio perspective? 6.3. What steps are in the portfolio management process? 6.4. What is an investment policy statement? 6.5. Why should sustainable investors have an investment policy statement? 6.6. What role does asset allocation play in the investment decision-making process? 6.7. What types or classes of assets are available to sustainable investors? 6.8. What are the main determinants of asset allocation? 6.9. What are the two most common strategies for asset allocation and their advantages and 6.11. What are other types of asset allocation strategies available? 6.12. What are some guidelines of asset allocation for
£11.69
Oxford University Press Inc The Extraordinary Journey of David Ingram An
Book SynopsisMaligned for centuries as a fictional tale, David Ingram's survival of a shipwreck in the Gulf of Mexico and journey north through the American continent is here convincingly proven to be both remarkable and true.Trade ReviewA highly informative and smooth combination of biography and colonialism history, Snow's book both shines new light on a four-century-old discussion over Ingram's credibility and provides a much-needed new perspective to studying the Age of Discovery. * World History Encyclopedia *The Elizabethan traveler David Ingram claimed to have walked from the Gulf of Mexico to coastal Canada, a journey that many over time have questioned. Here the renowned archaeologist Dean Snow, through an act of masterful archival sleuthing, has put his journey, which encompassed participation in the slave trade and early ethnographic observations, into a rich and memorable context. * Peter C. Mancall, author of The Trials of Thomas Morton *In this deftly argued and elegantly written investigation into the travels and travails of David Ingram, Dean Snow argues that we can still learn a few things from the misunderstood shipwreck survivor, despite his mendacity—and more than a few things from Professor Snow himself. * Matthew Restall, author of Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest *With expert historical detective work, Dean Snow has recovered a compelling 'truth is stranger than fiction' story from early America. David Ingram's odyssey calls to mind the travels of Cabeza de Vaca and Sir Walter Raleigh and the other-worldly fantasy of The Tempest. It is an illuminating record of Elizabethan England's first tentative steps into the New World. * Timothy J. Shannon, author of Indian Captive, Indian King *Cogent and well-documented, this is a valuable correction to the historical record. * Publishers Weekly *Provides a rare glimpse of an Atlantic world on the cusp of profound transformations wrought, in part, by ordinary sailors like [Ingram]. * Times Literary Supplement *Utilising his expertise in the anthropology and archaeology of North America, Snow has meticulously reconstructed Ingram's 3,600-mile journey along known 16th-century indigenous trails, and has also proved that everything Ingram said to his interrogators was true to the best of his knowledge and ability... Fascinating. * History Today *Utilising his expertise in the anthropology and archaeology of North America, Snow has meticulously reconstructed Ingram's 3,600-mile journey along known 16th-century indigenous trails, and has also proved that everything Ingram said to his interrogators was true to the best of his knowledge and ability... Fascinating. * History Today *Absorbing... Thanks to Dean Snow's impressive sleuthing, David Ingram's account can at last resume its proper place as an astonishing and true story. * , Sea History *Table of Contents1. Introduction 2. Ingram in the 1560s 3. Ingram in Africa 4. Ingram in the Caribbean 5. The Long Walk, Autumn 1568 6. The Long Walk, Winter 1568-1569 7. The Long Walk, Spring 1569 8. The Long Walk, Summer 1569 9. The Return 10. Ingram in the 1570s 11. Ingram in the 1580s 12. Ingram's Legacy Appendix: A New Transcript
£25.97
Oxford University Press Inc Greenovation
Book SynopsisCollectively, cities take up a relatively tiny amount of land on the earth, yet they emit 72 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. Clearly, cities need to be at the center of any broad effort to reduce climate change.In Greenovation, the eminent urban policy scholar Joan Fitzgerald argues that too many cities are only implementing random acts of greenness that will do little to address the climate crisis. She instead calls for greenovation--using the city as a test bed for adopting and perfecting green technologies for more energy--efficient buildings, transportation, and infrastructure more broadly. Fitzgerald contends that while many city mayors cite income inequality as a pressing problem, few cities are connecting climate action and social justice-another aspect of greenovation. Focusing on the biggest producers of greenhouse gases in cities, buildings, energy and transportation, Fitzgerald examines how greenovating cities are reducing emissions overall and lays out an agenda for foTrade ReviewA timely, focused, insightfully informative, and unique contribution to our on-going national conversation about dealing with our climate-changing environment, Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change is an extraordinary and inspiring read...unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, and academic Contemporary Environmental Policy collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. * Midwest Book Review *One strength of this book is that the essential complexity of solutions is embraced rather than ignored, making it clear that (1) national and state policies impact what cities are able to do, but cities also retain much control over their own infrastructure, and (2) reducing emissions from urban areas is consistent with, and can be accomplished alongside, other sustainable development goals. * J. Schoof, Southern Illinois University, CHOICE *Given the failure of nations to engage the climate crisis at the speed that physics demands, we're going to need to rely on city governments for a lot of heavy lifting. Joan Fitzgerald shows precisely how to harvest beyond the low-hanging fruit: this is a smart book, filled with enough detail to help any planner, and enough vision to inspire any citizen. * Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? and founder of 350.org *The first sentence of the first chapter of this powerful and necessary book immediately establishes the stakes: âCities cover about 3 percent of the land on Earth, yet they produce about 72 percent of all global greenhouse gas emissions.â These two data points send a strong message to all urban citizens and the mayors who govern over them: implementing the transformative changes necessary for mitigating climate change should begin with us, the residents of cities. Joan Fitzgerald explains to readers where the potential for green policy innovation lies, and how cities across the world have been putting successful policies in place. * Allan Larsson, former Swedish Social Democratic politician and Minister for Finance *Greenovation is the definitive account of the paramount role cities must play in the shift to a sustainable economy. Fitzgerald both describes what leading cities are doing to reduce their emissions, particularly in buildings and transportation, and lays out an agenda for what lagging cities need to do-all the while keeping in mind how national governments need to support the urban climate agenda. * Sadhu Aufochs Johnston, City Manager of Vancouver *With this meticulously researched and highly readable book, Joan Fitzgerald challenges us to take bolder action on climate justice. It is time to move beyond tokenism to real greenovation that scales up energy efficiency, renewable energy, electric transportation, active mobility, and more. Based on inspirational cases from around the world, Greenovation provides the institutional roadmap that will transform our cities, and thus the planet. * Karen Chapple, Professor and Chair of City & Regional Planning at the University of California, Berkeley *How do North American and European cities lead byÃgreenovatingÃin fast, nimble, and effective ways? In this thoroughly researched and argued book, Fitzgerald issues a clarion call for integrative political action on the linked problems of urban climate change and inequality to create a thriving and more equitable economy. * Julian Agyeman, Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning, Tufts University *This work provides a broad perspective on the central role of cities in mitigating climate change... One strength of this book is that the essential complexity of solutions is embraced rather than ignored. * CHOICE *Greenovation: Urban Leadership on Climate Change will be an important read for scholars in urban planning, but it also provides interesting insights for researchers in geography and sustainability transitions. In addition, the book is valuable for policy-makers and planners seeking to find inspiration on how to greenovate their cities... I am confident the book will play an important role in future discussions on solutions for the climate crisis. * Regional Studies Journal *Greenovation builds upon Fitzgerald's earlier book, Emerald Cities, offering a detailed analysis of green technology to mitigate and perhaps combat rising climate change....Two notable features stand out: her incorporation of racial justice considerations and her targeting of the negative role of China in undercutting North American and European greenovation programs....This is a book that every community activist and city planner concerned to move climate action policies forward should not only have...but should be heavily underlined to highlight its key insights, best practices, and major policy lessons. * Ernest Yanarella, Professor Emeritus, University of Kentucky *Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction: Cities on the Front Lines. Chapter 2: Building the Energy Efficient City Chapter 3: Beyond the Building: District Heating and Cooling Chapter 4: Completely Renewable Cities Chapter 5: Electrifying Transportation Chapter 6: Deprioritizing Cars Chapter 7: Eco-Districts: Integration and Experimentation Chapter 8: Cities and the Green Economy Chapter 9: Climate Just Cities Chapter 10: Connecting the Dots
£19.94
Oxford University Press Inc Weather Prediction What Everyone Needs to Know
Book SynopsisWeather has always affected human life. Understanding how weather events form and predicting what kind of weather is coming can help enormously to manage weather-risk and will become even more important as we shift towards strongly weather-dependent energy sources. Some big steps forward in numerical weather prediction have been made in the past 40 years, thanks to advances in four key areas: the way we observe the Earth, the scientific understanding of the phenomena, advances in high-performance computing (that have allowed the use of increasingly complex models), and improved modelling techniques. Today we are capable of predicting extreme events such as hurricanes and extra-tropical windstorms very accurately up to 7 to 10 days ahead. We can predict the most likely path and intensity of storms before they hit a community, estimate the confidence level of the forecast, and can give very valuable indications of their probable impact. Larger-scale phenomena that affect entire countriesTable of ContentsPreface 1 Weather And Climate 1.1 What Is The Key Difference Between Weather And Climate? 1.2 Do Weather And Climate Vary Spatially And Temporally? 1.3 Is There A Clear Separation Between Weather And Climate? 1.4 Is Weather Affected By All (Small-And-Fast And Large-And-Slow) Phenomena? 1.5 Which Coordinate System Is Used To Study Atmospheric And Oceanic Motions? 1.6 What Are The Key Weather Variables? 1.7 Why Does Weather Change? 1.8 How Are Motions In The Atmosphere Generated? 1.9 Key Points Discussed In Chapter One 'Weather And Climate' 2 The Earth System 2.1 What Does 'Earth System' Mean In Numerical Weather Prediction? 2.2 What Is An Accurate And Skilful Forecast? 2.3 What Are The Key Building Blocks Of An Earth System Model? 2.4 What Are The Key Processes Simulated By An Earth System Model? 2.5 How Is Heat Transported And Exchanged In The Earth System? 2.6 Where Does The Energy That Drives The Earth Climate Come From? 2.7 What Are The Key Similarities And Differences Of The Atmosphere And The Ocean? 2.8 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Two 'The Earth-System' 3 Observing The Earth System 3.1 Why Do We Need Observations? 3.2 What Are The Key Observation Types? 3.3 Are Observations Affected By Errors? 3.4 How Do Observation Information And Errors Propagate? 3.5 Did Covid Affect Weather Forecast Quality? 3.6 How Do We Observe The State Of The Atmosphere Using Satellites? 3.7 Do We Have Enough Observations To Determine The State Of The Earth-System? 3.8 Is It Important To Observe The Whole Atmosphere? 3.9 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Three 'Observing The Earth System' 4 Modelling The Earth System 4.1 From Where Should We Start To Model The Earth System? 4.2 What Are The State Variables Of A System? 4.3 How Many Variables Define The State Of The Whole Earth System? 4.4 What Is An Equation? 4.5 What Are Analytical And Numerical Solutions Of An Equation? 4.6 How Do We Deduce The Equations Used To Predict The Weather And The Climate? 4.7 What Is An Example Of A Set Of Equations That Can Predict The Weather? 4.8 How Do We Solve The Primitive Equations? 4.9 What Is The Difference Between A Prognostic And A Diagnostic Equation? 4.10 Can We Use Simple Models To Understand The Behaviour Of Complex Systems? 4.11 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Four 'Modelling The Earth System' 5 Numerical Weather Prediction 5.1 How Do We Solve Numerically The Primitive Equations? 5.2 What Are The Key Steps Involved In Operational Weather Prediction? 5.3 How Do We Determine The Initial Conditions? 5.4 What Is Data Assimilation? 5.5 Do We Need A Super-Computer For Numerical Weather Prediction? 5.6 Do We Need An Earth-System Model To Predict The Weather? 5.7 What Are The Key Differences Between A Global And A Limited-Area Model? 5.8 How Can We Assess Whether A Model Is Realistic And Accurate? 5.9 How Much Data Is Involved In Weather Prediction? 5.10 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Five 'Numerical Weather Prediction' 6 Chaos And Weather Prediction 6.1 What Is A Chaotic System? 6.2 What Is The Lorenz' 3-Dimensional Model? 6.3 What Is The 'Butterfly Effect'? 6.4 What Are The Sources Of Forecast Error? 6.5 How Can We Reduce Initial Condition Uncertainties? 6.6 How Can We Reduce Model Uncertainties? 6.7 How Do We Measure Forecast Errors? 6.8 What Is An Ensemble? 6.9 Are Ensemble Forecasts More Valuable Than Single Ones? 6.10 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Six 'Chaos And Weather Prediction' 7 Dealing With Uncertainties And Probabilistic Forecasting 7.1 How Do We Build An 'Accurate And Reliable' Ensemble? 7.2 What Is A Probabilistic Forecast? 7.3 How Can We Communicate Forecast Uncertainty? 7.4 How Can We Take Decisions Using Probabilistic Forecasts? 7.5 What Is A Scenario Forecast? 7.6 What Is A Cluster Analysis? 7.7 How Do We Measure The Accuracy And Reliability Of A Probabilistic Forecast? 7.8 What Are Reforecasts And Reanalyses? 7.9 Why Are Reanalyses And Reforecasts Useful? 7.10 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Seven 'Dealing With Uncertainties And Probabilistic Forecasting' 8 The Forecast Skill Horizon 8.1 Are Weather Forecasts More Accurate And Reliable Today Than In The Past? 8.2 How Did We Succeed To Improve The Accuracy And Reliability Of Weather Forecasts? 8.3 Can We Visualize In A Single Diagram Our Prediction Capabilities? 8.4 Why Does The Forecast Skill Depend On The Phenomena We Are Trying To Predict? 8.5 Are Extreme Events More Difficult To Predict Than The 'Normal' Weather? 8.6 What Is The Minimum Spatial Scale That A Model Can Simulate Realistically? 8.7 What Is The Minimum Spatial Scale Properly Resolved In Data Assimilation? 8.8 How Can We Further Extend Predictability? 8.9 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Eight 'The Forecast Skill Horizon' 9 Climate Change And Numerical Weather Prediction 9.1 Why Should We Talk About Climate Change In This Book? 9.2 What Is The Greenhouse Effect? 9.3 What Is The State Of The Climate? 9.4 How Much Greenhouse Gases Do We Emit In The Atmosphere? 9.5 Is There A Link Between Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Average Global Warming? 9.6 Are We Responsible For Climate Change? 9.7 What Are The Key Sources Of Uncertainty Affecting Climate Predictions? 9.8 What Do We Mean With 'Initial Value' And 'Boundary Condition' Problems? 9.9 Has Climate Change Impacted Weather Prediction? 9.10 Has Numerical Weather Prediction Helped Understanding Climate Change? 9.11 Which Aspects Of The Future Climate Can We Predict? 9.12 Key Points Discussed In Chapter Nine 'Climate Change And Numerical Weather Prediction' 10 A Look Into The Future 10.1 What Are The Focus Areas Of Research In Numerical Weather Prediction? 10.2 What Is An Earth Digital Twin? 10.3 Will We Be Able To Continue To Improve The Quality Of Weather Forecasts? 10.4 Will We Ever Be Able To Issue A 'Perfect' Forecast? 10.5 In 2050, Will We Be Able To Predict The Local Weather Of The Next Season? 10.6 Can Artificial Intelligence Lead To Improve Predictions? 10.7 What Is An 'Environmental Prediction Model'? 10.8 Is Weather Prediction Evolving Into Environmental Prediction? 10.9 As Global Models Keep Increasing Resolution, Will We Still Use Limited-Area Model? 10.10 Would A Future Operational Suite Look Very Different From Today's One? 10.11 Key Points Discussed In Section 10 'A Look Into The Future' Essential Glossary Further Reading Useful Links The Author
£11.69
Oxford University Press Inc The Decarbonization Delusion
Book SynopsisCould the race to de-carbonize our energy systems be leading us closer to environmental disaster?Why did biology choose carbon, in a variety of compounds, as its energy carrier and storage substance? From the smallest life forms, through multicellular organisms, and up to whole ecosystems, this economy of carbon compounds is fundamentally sustainable. Yet today, many are working to expunge carbon-based energy carriers from human economies, replacing them with solutions based on other elements and minerals. In The Decarbonization Delusion, independent scientist and writer Andrew Moore shows that the race to decarbonize is leading us further down the road to environmental degradation. Instead of banishing carbon, Moore argues that we should look to life on Earth, which has used carbon in highly sustainable ways for 3.5 billion years, as a model for how humans can use carbon sustainably.The Decarbonization Delusion begins by discussing carbon''s role in the inception of the universe and iTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword Chapter 1: What carbon "does" in the universe - From the first stars to life on Earth Chapter 2: The carbon economy of nutrition and food production - Getting out of control in most respects Chapter 3: Sources and sinks - Where carbon compounds accumulate on Earth, and what they do there Chapter 4: Fuels, efficiency, and emissions - Understanding carbon-based energy carriers in the larger picture of sustainability Chapter 5: The call to "decarbonize" - Public perception, hard-to-abate carbon-positives, and hard-to-achieve carbon-negatives Chapter 6: Decarbonizing the car - Trading off CO2 against larger environmental problems? Chapter 7: A carbonaceous, biology-inspired recipe for sensible and environmentally-conscious energy economies List of figures References Index of topics
£25.99
Oxford University Press Inc Energy and Power Germany in the Age of Oil Atoms
Book SynopsisTrade ReviewStephen Gross has written a magnum opus that will stand as a landmark publication not only in postwar German history, but also at the intersection of global economic and environmental history. It offers a fascinating and persuasive account of how an intersection of idiosyncratic regulatory thinking, and a powerful anti-nuclear movement, set Germany on a peculiar path or Sonderweg in energy politics and trapped the country on Europe's economic and political fault-line. * Harold James, Professor of History and International Affairs, Princeton University *The shift to renewables changes modern society's energy base, possibly the most foundational decision we will take. With a topic grabbed from today's headlines and given meticulous historical analysis as it unfolded in Germany—a nation in the energy avant-garde, yet also still enmired in (Russian-supplied) fossil fuels—Gross delivers a scholarly coup. * Peter Baldwin, Professor of History, University of California, Los Angeles *Energy and Power shows that cheap oil and gas were not the only paths to a successful national economy. Instead, German leaders in the postwar era connected energy to security, social stability, and, intermittently, sustainability. In fascinating ways, Gross shows how a range of players—from green activists to unions to corporations— pursued Germany's ecological modernization. * Kate Brown, Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in the History of Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Perhaps the timeliest book of the year: Stephen G. Gross centers energy history to provide a compelling new interpretation of postwar Germany. In a brilliant sweep, he takes the reader through West Germany's energy crises and transitions from the 1950s into the new millennium. Whoever wants to understand Germany's past and current energy predicaments will find answers in this field-changing book. * Astrid M. Eckert, Emory University *These excellent volumes demonstrate that understanding West Germany's past can provide useful insights into contemporary Germany's economic and political predicament, and its eventual choices for the future. * The Survival *Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Paradoxes of German Energy Part I: The Old Energy Paradigm Chapter 1: Energy Price Wars and the Battle for the Social Market Economy: The 1950s Chapter 2: The Coupling Paradigm: Conceptualizing West Germany's First Postwar Energy Transition Chapter 3: Chains of Oil, 1956-1973 Chapter 4: The Entrepreneurial State: The Nuclear Transition of the 1950s and 1960s Chapter 5: Shaking the Energy Paradigm: The 1973 Oil Shock and its Aftermath Part II: The New Energy Paradigm Chapter 6: Green Energy and the Remaking of West German Politics in the 1970s Chapter 7: Reinventing Energy Economics after the Oil Shock: The Rise of Ecological Modernization Chapter 8: Energetic Hopes in the Face of Chernobyl and Climate Change: The 1980s Chapter 9: The Energy Entanglement of Germany and Russia: Natural Gas, 1970-2000 Chapter 10: Unleashing Green Energy in an Era of Neoliberalism: The 1990s Coda: German Energy in the Twenty-First Century Acknowledgements Abbreviations and Archives Index
£34.19
Oxford University Press Inc Food Politics
Book SynopsisCovering the many important changes in food markets and food politics that have shaped both global and local farming and eating over the past decade, this compact and authoritative primer lays out everything you need to know to understand today''s global food landscape.The politics of food is changing fast. In rich countries, obesity is now a more serious problem than hunger. Consumers once satisfied with cheap and convenient food now want food that is also safe, nutritious, fresh, and grown by local farmers using fewer chemicals. Heavily subsidized and underregulated commercial farmers are facing stronger push back from environmentalists and consumer activists, and food companies are under the microscope. Where does power lie in this increasingly complex global food system? Moreover, what is the future of food politics, both in the United States and beyond? The third edition of Food Politics: What Everyone Needs to Know has been thoroughly updated to reflect the latest developments anTable of ContentsPreface to the Third Edition 1. An Overview of Food Politics 2. Food Production and Population Growth 3. The Politics of International Food Prices 4. The Politics of Chronic Hunger and Famine 5. International Food Aid and Agricultural Development Assistance 6. The Green Revolution Controversy 7. The Politics of Obesity 8. The Politics of Farm Subsidies and Trade 9. Agriculture and the Environment 10. Livestock, Meat, and Fish 11. Agribusiness, Supermarkets, and Fast Food 12. Organic and Local Food 13. Food Safety and Genetically Engineered Foods 14. Who Governs the World Food System? 15. The Future of Food Politics Suggestions for Further Reading Index
£11.69
OUP India Marine Pollution
Book Synopsis
£999.99
Oxford University Press IB Geography Study Guide Oxford IB Diploma
Book SynopsisPrepare learners for IB assessment. Fully updated to cover the revised syllabus for first examination 2019, this comprehensive Study Guide reinforces the essential understanding learners need for IB exams. With an accessible format that clarifies and explains all the essential principles, this book supports maximum achievement in assessment.Achieve in IB assessment reinforce and master the essential understandingFully grasp the key principles concise and focused approach simplifies complex ideas, building confident comprehensionFully matched to the revised syllabus first examined 2019 with complete support for the internal and external assessmentsClear language optimally supports EAL learnersTable of ContentsOption A Freshwater - Drainage basins 1: Drainage basin hydrology and geomorphology 2: Flooding and flood mitigation 3: Water scarcity and water quality 4: Water management futures Option B Oceans and coastal margins 1: Ocean-atmosphere interactions 2: Interactions between oceans and the coastal places 3: Managing coastal margins 4: Ocean management futures Option C Extreme environments 1: The characteristics of extreme environments 2: Physical processes and landscapes 3: Managing extreme environments 4: Extreme environments' futures Option D Geophysical hazards 1: Geophysical systems 2: Geophysical hazard risks 3: Hazard risk and vulnerability 4: Future resilience and adaptation Option E Leisure, tourism and sport 1: Changing leisure patterns 2: Tourism and sport at the local and national scale 3: Tourism and sport at the international scale 4: Managing tourism and sport for the future Option F The geography of food and health 1: Measuring food and health 2: Food systems and the spread of disease 3: Stakeholders in food and health 4: Future health and food security sustainability Option G Urban environments 1: The variety of urban environments 2: Changing urban systems 3: Urban environmental and social stresses 4: Building sustainable urban systems for the future Unit 1 Changing population 1: Population and economic development patterns 2: Changing populations and places 3: Challenges and opportunities Unit 2 Global climate - vulnerability and resilience 1: The causes of global climate change 2: The consequences of global climate change 3: Responding to climate change Unit 3 Global resource consumption and security 1: Global trends in consumption 2: Impacts of changing trends in resource consumption 3: Resource stewardship Unit 4 Power, places and networks 1: Global interactions and global power 2: Global networks and flows 3: Human and physical influences on global interactions Unit 5 Human development and diversity 1: Development opportunities 2: Changing identities and cultures 3: Local responses to global interactions Unit 6 Global risks and resilience 1: Geopolitical and economic risks 2: Environmental risks 3: Local and global resilience
£33.99
Oxford University Press The Biology of Lakes and Ponds
Book SynopsisA concise but comprehensive introduction to the biology of standing waters (lakes and ponds). As with other books in the Biology of Habitats Series, the emphasis in this book is on the organisms that dominate freshwater environments. Management and conservation aspects are also considered. The first edition of the book published in 1998 with a second, revised edition in 2005. There has been significant development in the field since the last revision appeared, particularly in the ecology of lakes and ponds in subtropical and tropical areas, and a new revision of this now classic text is timely.Trade ReviewLike the first 2 editions (1998, 2005), this one offers an excellent integration of information on limnology, ecology, evolution, and environmental science and a focus on adaptation of organisms to aquatic environments. In this edition, the authors incorporate new concepts, findings of current research, and discussion of new threats to aquatic biodiversity. * Conservation Biology *It does an excellent job at introducing a remarkably wide array of limnological concepts for such a small book. It is very readable and its style will inspire many undergraduate students. * Limnology and Oceanography Bulletin *Table of Contents1: Introduction 2: The abiotic frame and adaptations to cope with abiotic constraints 3: The organisms: the actors within the abiotic frame 4: Biotics: competition, herbivory, predation, parasitism, and symbiosis 5: Food web interactions in freshwater ecosystems 6: Biodiversity and environmental threats
£42.99
Oxford University Press Principles of Geographical Information Systems
Book SynopsisGeographical data are used in so many aspects of our lives today, ranging from disaster relief operations through to finding directions on our mobile phones. We can all be data collectors, adding locational information as we capture digitally our day-to-day experiences. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are the software tools that facilitate this, turning the raw data into useful information that can help us understand our worlds better.Principles of Geographical Information Systems presents a thorough overview of the subject, exploring both the theoretical basis of GIS, and their use in practice. It explains how data on the world are converted into digital form and the analytical capabilities used to bring understanding to a range of areas of interest and issues. Spatial data are usually based on two, dichotomous paradigms: exactly defined entities in space, such as land parcels and urban structures, or the continuous variation of single attributes, such as temperature or rainfalTrade ReviewReview from previous edition [This second edition] builds upon the previous work in providing a very welcome basic, concise and more up to date introduction to the principles underlying GISs ... a osund and readable introduction to a complex subject. * International Research in Geographical and Environmental Education, v. 9 no. 3, 2000 *Choosing a course text in the early post-GIS years was very easy. Peter Burrough's Principles of geographical Information Systems for Land Resources Assessment was the definitive work. Beautifully written and illustrated...Peter Burrough set himself a hard act to follow...In almost every respect this is a new book, and not the second edition it purports to be...So, this is a rarity in textbook publishing a second edition that improves on the first. It looks set to be my recommended course text for many years to come. * David Unwin/GIS Europe June 1998. *This book presents a strong theoritical basis for GIS, which is often lacking in other texts...the optimising of timber extraction from forests and the redistribution of Chernobyl radioactivity by floods are explained clearly in detail. * Mapping Awareness April 1998 *This new publication is up to date and provides comprehensive coverage of virtually all aspects of GIS. It is clearly written and technical where appropriate ... it should be recommended for postgraduate courses and for all teachers of GIS. * David Walker, The Times Higher Education Supplement *Table of Contents1. Geographical information systems and society ; 2. Spatial data and their models: formal abstractions of reality ; 3. Geographical data in the computer ; 4. Data input and verification ; 5. Visualization ; 6. Exploring geographical data ; 7. Analysis of discrete entities in space ; 8. Interpolation 1: deterministic and spline-based approaches ; 9. Interpolation 2: geostatistical approaches ; 10. Analysis of continuous fields ; 11. Digital elevation models ; 12. Space-time modelling and error propagation ; 13. Fuzzy sets and fuzzy geographical objects ; 14. GIS, transformations, and future developments
£51.29
Oxford University Press Lakes
Book SynopsisRanging from vast inland seas to hydro-reservoirs, lakes are unique, complex, ecosystems. Warwick Vincent introduces lake science, or limnology, and the importance of protecting and sustaining these vitally important living resources. He explains the impact of factors such as climate, seasons, salinity, and sedimentation on lake biodiversity.Trade ReviewA fast-track insight into lakes, from how they're formed to a hit list of 'extreme lakes' in unusual places. Packed with facts but not (ahem) a dry read. * Sarah Barrell, National Geographic Traveller *Does an excellent job at showing how biology, chemistry and physics are inextricably linked and necessary to understand lakes. Overall, this short book provides an excellent and lucid introduction to the beauty and complexity of lakes. * Yves Prairie, UNESCO Chair in Global Environmental Change *This book is a sparkling gem! It is a must-read not only for novices intrigued by freshwaters but also academics teaching limnology (study of inland waters) and university students interested in the subject. * Marianne Moore, Frost Professor Emerita in Environmental Science, Wellesley College. *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Deep waters 2: Sunlight and motion 3: Life support systems 4: Food chains to fish 5: Extreme lakes 6: Lakes and us Further reading Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press Environmental DNA For Biodiversity Research and
Book SynopsisThe objective of this practical handbook is to provide ecologists (both students and researchers) with the scientific background necessary to assist with the understanding and implementation of best practice studies and analyses based on environmental DNA.Trade ReviewThis volume fills a much-needed gap, offering a gentle introduction into the field of environmental DNA, which will be especially useful for readers of minor to intermediate experience with environmental DNA. * Vasco Elbrecht, Centre for Biodiversity Genomics, University of Guelph, The Quarterly Review of Biology *An excellent instructional book or supplementary reading for any eDNA based classes...It is a timely and important addition to the field of molecular ecology, and will undoubtedly remain the go-to book on metabarcoding for several years. * Dr Anthony A. Charlton, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, Molecular Ecology *This book is a timely overview of eDNA as a complimentary and non-invasive approach for investigating and monitoring biodiversity. The book is an ideal introduction to all ecologists looking to eDNA, but also speaks to the more experienced researchers in molecular ecology. Lastly, it provides textbook material for university courses around the world. * Philip Francis Thomsen, Trends in Ecology & Evolution Journal *If you are contemplating moving into this topic, or just want to understand it better, do try and get your hands on a copy - something that might not be that easy just now as I understand the book has proved to be so popular that it is already having to be reprinted. * IMA FUNGUS *In a world faced with accelerating environmental change and loss of biodiversity, this book is a timely overview of eDNA as a complementary and noninvasive approach for investigating and monitoring biodiversity ... an ideal introduction to all ecologists looking to eDNA as a method of choice, but also speaks to the more experienced researchers in molecular ecology. Lastly, it provides textbook material for university courses around the world, where eDNA is continuously increasing in popularity. * Philip Francis Thomsen, Department of Bioscience, University of Aarhus, Trends in Ecology and Evolution *Table of Contents1: Introduction to environmental DNA (eDNA) 2: DNA metabarcode choice and design 3: Reference databases 4: Sampling 5: DNA extraction 6: DNA amplification and multiplexing 7: DNA sequencing 8: DNA metabarcoding data analysis 9: Single-species detection 10: Environmental DNA for functional diversity 11: Some early landmark studies 12: Freshwater ecosystems 13: Marine environments 14: Terrestrial ecosystems 15: Palaeoenvironments 16: Host-associated microbiota 17: Diet analysis 18: Analysis of bulk samples 19: The future of eDNA metabarcoding
£52.25
Oxford University Press Making Eden
Book SynopsisOver 7 billion people depend on plants for healthy, productive, secure lives, but few of us stop to consider the origin of the plant kingdom that turned the world green and made our lives possible. And as the human population continues to escalate, our survival depends on how we treat the plant kingdom and the soils that sustain it. Understanding the evolutionary history of our land floras, the story of how plant life emerged from water and conquered the continents to dominate the planet, is fundamental to our own existence. In Making Eden David Beerling reveals the hidden history of Earth''s sun-shot greenery, and considers its future prospects as we farm the planet to feed the world. Describing the early plant pioneers and their close, symbiotic relationship with fungi, he examines the central role plants play in both ecosystems and the regulation of climate. As threats to plant biodiversity mount today, Beerling discusses the resultant implications for food security and climate change, and how these can be avoided. Drawing on the latest exciting scientific findings, including Beerling''s own field work in the UK, North America, and New Zealand, and his experimental research programmes over the past decade, this is an exciting new take on how plants greened the continents.Trade ReviewBeerling asks the reader to imagine a world without plants as a starting point to the 450 or so million-year journey that unfolds through the pages. This is his manifesto for botany and he is a good advocate for the field. * Jennifer McElwain, Current Biology Magazine *Few authors have attempted a summary of early plant evolution for a general audience... Beerling is a fount of information. * Jason Fridley, Syracuse University, The Quarterly Review of Biology *Scholarly, highly readable and passionate account ... This book is a call-to-arms: cutting-edge plant science in an environmental context. * Phil Gates, BBC Wildlife *[A] wonderful study ... A vivid corrective to deep-rooted zoo-chauvinism in thinking about life on Earth. * Barbara Kiser, Nature *David Beerling demonstrates his proficiency in all things green by exploring facets of the colonisation of land by plants in times long past. * Daniel Bojar, The Biologist *Subtitled 'how plants transformed a barren planet' this fascinating book describes the rise and diversification of plant life originating in a certain type of algae and gradually colonising the land, leading eventually to large forests that impacted the climate through feedback mechanisms. * Paradigm Explorer *Relatively complex subjects within the field of planet genetics are presented in detail, yet in an accessible writing style that should appeal to non-specialists... Thoroughly researched, content-heavy, and scattered with anecdotes and examples from Beerling's own career ... an informative and highly relevant read. * David Vaughan, Geoscientist *Making Eden is an amazing story that is very well told by David Beerling. It should be on the reading list of every course in plant biology. It should also be essential reading for all those in positions of influence regarding current and future agriculture and environmental policies. * Nigel Chaffey, Botany One *David Beerling takes the reader through the latest scientific advances with both deep knowledge and skilful writing. Plants have shaped the rest of the biological world. He explains why, far from being a nineteenth century science, Beerling explains why botany should lie at the centre of debates about how we deal with the future of the biosphere. * Richard Fortey *Beerling shows us that plants made our planet habitable, and that the fates of people and plants are inextricably intertwined. Against this billion-year backdrop we should think carefully about whether hubris or humility is the better guide for navigating an uncertain planetary future. * Sir Peter Crane, author of Ginkgo: The Tree that Time Forgot *'Making Eden' is a sweeping history of plant evolution that demonstrates both the development and fragility of plant life. Sound and alluring, it exposes readers to phenomena like the remarkable complexity of plants, the genetic commonality that enables an incredible variety of flowers, and the fascinating biological secret behind the resilience of redwood trees that flourish despite their immense size. * Barry Silverstein, Foreword Reviews *This book does exactly what David Beerling promises in the sub-title - it explains with clarity and passion the extraordinary story of how plants escaped from their ancestral marine habitats and came to dominate terrestrial ecosystems. He also brings to life vividly the huge impact this has had, and continues to have, on all life on earth (including our own) and how we, Homo sapiens, are now threatening our own future existence by the damage we are inflicting on earth's increasingly degraded and fragile ecosystems. * Richard Deverell, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgements Illustrations and plates 1: All flesh is grass 2: Fifty shades of green 3: Genomes decoded 4: Ancient genes, new plants 5: Gas valves 6: Ancestral alliances 7: Sculpting climate 8: Eden under siege Further reading Index
£20.69
Oxford University Press Extinction
Book SynopsisMost people are familiar with the dodo and the dinosaur, but extinction has occurred throughout the history of life, with the result that nearly all the species that have ever existed are now extinct. Today, species are disappearing at an ever increasing rate, whilst past losses have occurred during several great crises. Issues such as habitat destruction, conservation, climate change, and, during major crises, volacanism and meteorite impact, can all contribute towards the demise of a group. In this Very Short Introduction, Paul B. Wignall looks at the causes and nature of extinctions, past and present, and the factors that can make a species vulnerable. Summarising what we know about all of the major and minor exctinction events, he examines some of the greatest debates in modern science, such as the relative role of climate and humans in the death of the Pleistocene megafauna, including mammoths and giant ground sloths, and the roles that global warming, ocean acidification, and deforestation are playing in present-day extinctionsABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewBy covering a currently hot topic, this book will capture the interest of students, researchers, and nonprofessionals alike. * Conservation Biology *This book will capture the interest of students, researchers, and nonprofessionals alike * Conservation Biology *Extinction is a pressing societal and political problem, but we must get the science right. In this excellent book, Paul Wignall draws on a broad range of recent studies on the great mass extinctions of the past and the present biodiversity crisis to provide the evidence that will inform the debate. * Michael J. Benton, Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology, University of Bristol *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Causes of extinction 2: Modern extinction and conservation 3: Extinction in the fossil record 4: Mass extinctions 5: Causes of mass extinctions 6: Ice Age extinctions and man Further reading Index
£9.49
Oxford University Press Climate Change
Book SynopsisA student friendly guide to climate change, with a unique multi-level approach, written by leading experts. The first text to focus on the impact of climate change at a local and regional level, enriched with real-world case studies to help students understand and apply the science of climate change.Key Features- An innovative approach which xplores the global, regional, and local impacts of climate change.- Provides a comprehensive overview of climate change, to support students coming to the subject for the first time.- Contemporary case studies throughout the book, on issues such as sea ice, viticulture, and wildland fires help students understand how to apply the science of climate change in a real-world context.- Written by leading experts in the field. Digital Formats and ResourcesClimate Change is available for students and institutions to purchase in a variety of formats, and is supported by online resources.The e-book offers a mobile experience and convenient access: www.oxforTrade ReviewI was excited to find text that matches my teaching needs so well. It has a clear authoritative approach which draws from key sources and provides an excellent narrative to enhance student learning. * Mark Phillipson, Glasgow Caledonian University *This book fills an important niche: dealing with climate impacts and adaptation at local to regional scale. Nothing has changed; I know of no other similar book and the need, if anything, has increased. * Nigel Tapper, Monash University *Clear and comprehensive * Greg Spellman, University of Northhampton *Table of Contents1: Setting the Scene: Why do We Need to Downscale Climate Change to Regional and Local Scales? 2: Approaches to Regional and Local Downscaling 3: Urban Environments, Air Pollution, and Human Health 4: Energy and Infrastructure 5: Climate Change and Agriculture 6: Natural Ecosystems 7: Environmental Hazards and Climate Change 8: Developing Appropriate Adaptation Strategies
£34.99
Oxford University Press Aquatic Geochemical Oceanography
Book Synopsis
£42.75
Oxford University Press The Oxford Handbook of International
Book SynopsisThe second edition of this leading reference work provides a comprehensive discussion of the dynamic and important field of international law concerned with environmental protection. It is edited by globally-recognised international environmental law scholars, Professor Lavanya Rajamani and Professor Jacqueline Peel, and features 67 chapters authored by 76 renowned experts in their fields.The Handbook discusses the key principles underpinning international environmental law, its relevant actors and tools, and rules applying in its substantive sub-fields such as climate law, oceans law, wildlife and biodiversity law, and hazardous substances regulation. It also explores the intersection of international environmental law with other areas of international law, such as those concerned with trade, investment, disaster, migration, armed conflict, intellectual property, energy, and human rights. The Handbook sets its discussion of international environmental law in the broader interdisciplinTrade ReviewWhile Earth's natural systems deteriorate, environmental laws are applied in dynamic, contradictory, but always compelling ways. Stakeholders urgently seek guidance about how such laws will fulfill the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, or to cope with impacts of climate disruption, toxic chemical pollution, or biodiversity loss. This masterfully revised edition fills this need. Rajamani and Peel have orchestrated succinct yet comprehensive briefings by leading experts, elucidating how many actors are reshaping international law across sectors. This new Handbook makes clear how environmental law today governs all relationships, whether commercial transactions, geo-political security, or access to food and natural resources. It belongs on every lawyers' desk. * Nicholas A. Robinson, Executive Governor, International Council of Environmental Law, Kerlin Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law Emeritus, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University *In this new edition of The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law, Rajamani and Peel, masterfully capture the rapid changes and ongoing maturing that characterize the field. In exploring both the boundaries of the field and the substantive and normative dilemmas that define its contours, the second edition deftly weaves together the perspectives of a rich and diverse group of scholars working at the forefront of this quickly evolving area of law. The depth of coverage is at once stunning and aptly reflective of the richness of the field itself. The new edition will shape how we think about the field of international environmental law for years to come. It is foundational in the field and a must-read for all scholars of environmental law. * Cinnamon Carlane, Alumni Society Designated Professor of Law, Ohio State University Moritz College of Law *The Second Edition presents a thoughtful yet provocative analysis of the advancement of international environmental law as a legal discipline. This work by Rajamani and Peel examines not only the foundational principles of international environmental law but also its expansion to other areas of international law. This volume distinguishes itself from the first edition by focusing on a critical reflection on the evolution of this dynamic field of international law. I would consider The Oxford Handbook of International Environmental Law: Second Edition as an essential reading for those who are interested in international environmental law. This is a highly recommended reading material for all scholars, students, legal practitioners and advocates, and policymakers alike. * Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, Chairperson, Governing Board, IUCN Academy of Environmental Law, 2019 - present *What a diverse publication! —diversity of contributing scholars and experts, regions covered, and topics and issues addressed. Kudos to the fantastic editors Lavanya and Jackie. What fascinated me about this publication was its clear discussion of how feminist approaches, ethical considerations, human rights values, and disaster and conflict management have a role to play in environmental and climate law, along with science, technology, trade, and intellectual property. This publication acknowledges the elephant in the room, is international environmental law fit for purpose? It then explores legal experimentation and judicial exploration in expanding the bounds of seemingly limiting international environmental law. Hence, if like me, you are someone who likes to push boundaries, I will add this book to this week's reading list. * Irum Ahsan, Senior Counsel, Asian Development Bank *In this intellectual tour de force, Professors Rajamani and Peel have assembled more than seventy of the world's leading experts to provide critical and compelling insights into the promise and pitfalls of using international law to tackle today's unprecedented global environmental crisis. An essential masterwork that will assist every student, scholar, policy-maker, lawyer and judge interested in this field. * David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment *A work of supreme importance for our times, bringing together writers and thinkers on the cutting edge, one that offers a truly global and balanced perspective on all matters ecological. * Philippe Sands, Q.C., Matrix Chambers, and Professor of Laws and Director of the Centre on International Courts and Tribunals at University College *International environmental law is such a sprawling and rapidly developing area that venturing into it can feel like wandering around a cave with just a candle, glimpsing only fragments of the whole. This handbook illuminates the entirety, and from multiple angles. Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel have done a great service by assembling a dazzling array of leading experts from around the globe, and creating a reference that will be invaluable to anyone interested in any aspect of the field, and will also open readers' eyes to issue areas they did not know even existed. * Michael B. Gerrard, Professor and Director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law Columbia Law School *This Handbook, edited by leading international environmental law scholars, Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel, is a major achievement and a truly field-defining work. The 2nd edition is extraordinary in terms of breadth and depth of coverage of international environmental law issues. It arrives at a time of great need for expertise and knowledge as the globe confronts multiple environmental crises. The Handbook will be an invaluable publication to academics, students, diplomats and the legal profession, particularly judges * Antonio Herman Benjamin, Professor and Justice, National High Court of Brazil. Founder of the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment *This comprehensive volume is a must-read for novices and experts alike. It surveys the field of international environmental law from a wide range of perspectives, offering nuanced, cutting-edge analysis as well as considered reflection. The breadth of contributions reflects the evolution of international environmental law in recent years, and its intersections with other areas of law and policy. The book is an invaluable resource for academics, students, and practitioners. * Professor Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor of Law, Director, Andrew & Renata Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law *A work of outstanding scholarship that redefines the frontiers of international environmental law offering creative ways to combat the defining environmental challenges of our times including climate change. Covid-19 further underlines its monumental significance. It is now for us to judicialize these emerging trends and evolve jurisprudence that places Nature at the heart of planetary justice. It is now or never! * Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad *This is a remarkable collection of expert scholarship and represents a serious and collective effort to understand the potential and actualities of international environmental law. The breadth, depth and jurisdictional reach of the handbook is impressive, directing us towards vital legal responses and roles. It is a hugely ambitious and accomplished work, and, most notably, achieves the aim of giving priority to underrepresented perspectives and voices. * Jane Holder, Professor of Environmental Law, UCL Faculty of Laws, University College London *Too lofty and loquacious or too prosaic and particular, these are the Scylla and Charybdis that wreck so many writings on international environmental law. Rajamani and Peel's edited Handbook on International Environmental Law sails safely through the Strait of Messina, skilfully skirting both perils. The book is comprehensive yet considerate in coverage, logical in structure, limpid in style, and perspicacious in analysis. This indeed is a handy handbook on international environmental law. * The Hon Justice Brian J Preston FRSN SC *I am delighted to welcome the second edition of the Oxford Handbook. It comes at a time of unprecedented challenges for the world legal community in dealing with the many threats to our environment. The range of subjects covered is comprehensive and the quality of the contributions of the highest order. I congratulate the editors in having brought this great and much-needed work to a successful conclusion. * Lord Robert Carnwath, (former Justice of the UK Supreme Court) *Table of Contents1: Lavanya Rajamani and Jacqueline Peel: International Environmental Law: Changing Context, Emerging Trends and Expanding Frontiers Part I - Context 2: John S. Dryzek: Discourses 3: Peter H. Sand: Origin and History 4: Jeffrey L. Dunoff: Multi-level and Polycentric Governance 5: Margaret A. Young: Fragmentation 6: David M. Driesen: Instrument Choice 7: Duncan French and Lynda Collins: Scholarship 8: Elizabeth Fisher: Legal Imagination and Teaching Part II - Analytical Approaches 9: Peter Lawrence: International Relations Theory 10: Michael Faure: Economics 11: Sumudu Atapattu: Global South Approaches 12: Rowena Maguire: Feminist Approaches 13: Alexander Gillespie: Ethical Considerations 14: Cormac Cullinan: Earth Jurisprudence 15: Sam Johnston: The Role of Science Part III - Conceptual Pillars 16: Jutta Brunnée: Harm Prevention 17: Jorge E. Viñuales: Sustainable Development 18: Jacqueline Peel: Precaution 19: Philippe Cullet: Differentiation 20: Werner Scholtz: Equity 21: Jonas Ebbesson: Public Participation 22: Akiho Shibata: Good Faith Part IV - Normative Development 23: Pierre-Marie Dupuy, Ginevra Le Moli, and Jorge E. Viñuales: Customary International Law and the Environment 24: Daniel Bodansky: Multilateral Environmental Treaty Making 25: Alan Boyle: Soft Law 26: Joanne Scott: Private and Quasi-Private Standards 27: Cymie R. Payne: Judicial Development Part V - Subject matter 28: Phoebe Okowa: Transboundary Air Pollution 29: Lavanya Rajamani and Jacob Werksman: Climate Change 30: Salman M. A. Salman: Freshwater Resources 31: Adriana Fabra: Marine Environment: Pollution and Fisheries 32: Annecoos Wiersema: Wildlife 33: David A. Wirth and Noah M. Sachs: Hazardous Substances and Activities 34: Beatriz Martinez Romera: Aviation and Maritime Transport Part VI - Actors 35: Thilo Marauhn: The State 36: Ellen Hey: International Institutions 37: Sandrine Maljean-Dubois: Regional Organisations: The European Union 38: J. Michael Angstadt and Michele Betsill: Non-State Actors 39: Hari M. Osofsky: Subnational Actors 40: Peter M. Haas: Epistemic Communities 41: Benjamin J. Richardson and Beate Sjåfjell: Business and Industry 42: Jacinta Ruru: Indigenous Peoples Part VII - Inter-linkages with other regimes 43: Harro van Asselt: Trade 44: Kate Miles: Investment 45: John H. Knox: Human Rights 46: Walter Kälin: Migration 47: Robert R.M. Verchick and Paul Rink: Disaster 48: Lisa Benjamin: Intellectual Property 49: Catherine Redgwell: Energy 50: Carl Bruch, Cymie R. Payne, and Britta Sjöstedt: Armed Conflict Part VIII - Compliance, Implementation and Effectiveness 51: Ronald B. Mitchell: Compliance Theory 52: Tom Sparks and Anne Peters: Transparency Procedures 53: Michael A. Mehling: Market Mechanisms 54: Laurence Boisson de Chazournes: Financial Assistance 55: Shawkat Alam: Technology Assistance and Transfers 56: Meinhard Doelle: Non-Compliance Procedures 57: Steinar Andresen: Effectiveness 58: Christina Voigt: International Responsibility and Liability 59: Alice Palmer: National Implementation 60: Natalie Klein: International Environmental Law Disputes before International Courts and Tribunals Part IX - International Environmental Law in National/Regional Courts 61: Louis J. Kotzé: Africa 62: Jolene S. Lin: China 63: Eloise Scotford: EU/UK 64: Shibani Ghosh: India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan 65: Natasha Affolder: North America 66: Tim Stephens: Oceania 67: Maria Antonia Tigre: South America
£212.50