Environmental economics Books

Book SynopsisPublic understanding of, and outcry over, the dire state of the climate and environment is greater than ever before. Parties across the political spectrum claim to be climate leaders, and overt denial is on the way out. Yet when it comes to slowing the course of the climate and nature crises, despite a growing number of pledges, policies and summits, little ever seems to change. Nature is being destroyed at an unprecedented rate. We remain on course for a catastrophic 3°C of warming. What's holding us back? In this searing and insightful critique, Adrienne Buller examines the fatal biases that have shaped the response of our governing institutions to climate and environmental breakdown, and asks: are the ‘solutions’ being proposed really solutions? Tracing the intricate connections between financial power, economic injustice and ecological crisis, she exposes the myopic economism and market-centric thinking presently undermining a future where all life can flourish. The book examines what is wrong with mainstream climate and environmental governance, from carbon pricing and offset markets to 'green growth', the commodification of nature and the growing influence of the finance industry on environmental policy. In doing so, it exposes the self-defeating logic of a response to these challenges based on creating new opportunities for profit, and a refusal to grapple with the inequalities and injustices that have created them. Both honest and optimistic, The Value of a Whale asks us – in the face of crisis – what we really value.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, Sustainable cities and communitiesTrade ReviewAs featured in The Guardian and The New Statesman.One of the Financial Times' 'best new books on climate and the environment'.One of WIRED's Best Books of 2022.Longlisted for the 2023 Bread and Roses Award.'Why do so many of the alleged solutions to climate crisis fail to deliver? In this tightly-argued, precise and deeply-researched book Adrienne Buller looks inside the heads of ‘green’ capitalists, exposing how non-solutions proliferate. Read this brilliant expose if you want to understand not only how some of the world’s most powerful people think and act but also how their solutions differ from what is really needed to secure a safe and abundant future for everyone.'Amelia Horgan, author of Lost in Work'This is a witty, lucid and beautifully written critique of that contradiction-in-terms, ‘green capitalism’. It explains why, despite the farcical diminuendo of climate denialism, so little has changed. Its searching inquiry into the puritanical reduction of all living matter to economic value, which underpins most government responses to ecological catastrophe, incisively debunks one of the most dangerous illusions going. This is the book we have long needed.'Richard Seymour, author of The Twittering Machine'A wonderfully readable attack on the worldview that argues for adding a dollar value to nature in order to save it. An accessible account of a new phase of capitalism that we all need to understand.'Professor Simon Lewis, author of The Human Planet'At last! A wonderfully refreshing antidote to the notion that market forces can solve the climate and nature crises, and the deadly assumption that every idea must be evaluated in terms of markets, finance, property or profit. Elegant, incisive and fierce, Buller systematically takes apart the false solutions that dominate mainstream analysis, from carbon offsets to the commodification of nature, and gives us the tools to challenge their dominance and to broaden our understanding of what’s both possible and necessary.'Caroline Lucas MP'Buller offers essential context for understanding how economic dogmas and market-driven statecraft have warped our understanding of and responses to the climate crisis—or lack thereof. Crucially, she also presents a practical roadmap for course-correction. The Value of a Whale is an accessible and expertly curated guide to the increasingly slick, green face of capitalism in the 21st century. This book should be required reading for everyone from climate activists to policymakers and concerned citizens looking to salvage our collective prospects for a liveable future.'Kate Aronoff, author of Overheated'This is a book for anyone troubled by our lack of progress on the climate crisis, from young activists to hard-headed CEOs and investors that face losing control of companies as the climate breaks down. In her persuasive analysis of net zero policies that narrowly prioritise efficiency, market pricing and offsetting - and with unusual clarity and scrupulous integrity - Buller comes to unsettling conclusions. Read this before it is too late.' Ann Pettifor, author of The Case for the Green New Deal 'The Value of a Whale is an urgent and honest intervention, casting a magnifying glass over the institutions, insider groupthink, and non-solutions distracting and deflecting from the radical ideas and compassion we need to secure a safe planetary future. For too long, our response to ecological crisis has been steered by mainstream economic thinking that is not fit for purpose, to the exclusion of other vital perspectives. As Buller compellingly argues, we are long overdue a reset.'Farhana Yamin, Visiting Professor at UAK, Associate Fellow, Chatham House'A sorely needed corrective in an era of climate politics dominated by dollars and models. Adrienne Buller's The Value of a Whale is critical reading for the important task of prying the future out of the hands of corporations and technocrats.'Olúfemi O. Táíwò, author of Elite Capture and Reconsidering Reparations'As an argument, The Value of a Whale is utterly convincing, and thoroughly damning of the institutional and cultural forces it targets. Its factual analysis identifies and eviscerates the flawed assumptions and cynical illusions behind the recent turn to “sustainable finance.” Buller highlights the inefficacy and injustice of carbon markets and other hand-waving schemes to offset biodiversity loss and ecological impacts.'Chad A. Hines, Ancillary Review of Books 'The book provides a passionate and convincing critique of conventional environmental solutionism, and it ought to inspire greater scrutiny of what is being done in the name of saving the planet.'Chris Aylett, International Affairs, Volume 98, Issue 6'In this well-researched book, Buller forensically sets out the case against some common non-solutions – or certainly solutions that are leaned on too heavily.'Jeremy Williams, The Earthbound Report 'The seriousness of climate change cannot be over-stated. Yet after decades of UK policy-makers paying lip service to pro-environment policies, sadly it does seem that the next Prime Minister will be, at best, indifferent to climate change, and at worst, openly hostile to the notion that we must transform our economy to address it. Adrienne Buller’s outstanding book, however, perhaps helps us to understand why that might be the case.'Craig Berry, The Political Economy Blog'By synthesizing complicated interactions between the world of finance and the world of climate policy, Buller makes an important contribution to the public discourse.'Thomas Peterson, The Arts Fuse'Buller’s work challenges us to rethink the viability of the current system and prioritise the planet’s health and the well-being of all its inhabitants. In that sense, we must act now to protect the planet’s key biomes such as the Amazon before we reach a tipping point. This requires both a radical transformation of our economic systems and a radical rethinking of our ways of life on this planet. As a Brazilian rethinker committed to this cause both in research and advocacy, I find Buller’s message particularly resonant as a call to action to start building a world in which it is not only safe to live but also worth living in.'João Pedro Braga, Rethinking Economics'Maps and sharply criticizes the logics that characterize green capitalism and that block a real solution to the climate crisis.'Politiken'Dispelling the idea that economic value can be placed on nature in the name of protecting it, or indeed, using nature "sustainably", The Value of a Whale is an incredibly worthwhile read.' @whatsophieisreading -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: What’s the value of a whale?1 Gatekeepers: Economics and the collapse of possibility2 Sirens: Distraction and dispossession in carbon markets3 Titans: Assets, power and the construction of green capitalism4 Alchemists: What’s green is gold5 Time travellers: Escaping ecological debt6 Ghosts: Valuing a disappearing worldConclusion: Between the devil and the deep blue sea: Should we accept green capitalist solutions?Index

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGates' book is compulsively readable. His ambition was to 'cut through the noise' and give consumers better tools for understanding what works, an ambition he meets admirably. It more than that, however. Gates can get an audience with anyone, can marshal almost limitless resources, and is dogged in the detail. The result - particularly in the wake of the Trump presidency - is thrilling -- Emma Brockes * The Guardian *Of the many books I have come across recently making the case that climate change will be a catastrophe, but we can do something about it, this is the best ... The relentless practicality of the book combined with Gates's firm faith in innovation do not promote despair. He exudes optimism; things will get better, not least because, as John Lennon once sang, they can't get no worse -- Bryan Appleyard * Sunday Times *It is mostly concerned with solutions rather than problems. This already marks it out as something of an outlier within environmental literature... if you're after an approachable book about what needs to happen next, this is a great place to start -- Ed Conway * The Times *Bold but well argued ... a compelling explanation of how the world can stop global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions effectively to zero... [Gates] is a serious and genuine force for good on climate change -- Bob Ward * Observer *How to Avoid a Climate Disaster is clear, concise on a colossal subject, and intelligently holistic in its approach to the problem. -- Adam Vaughan * New Scientist *It all makes for a meaty manifesto which Gates hopes can offer sufficient variety to appeal across political divides and "shift the conversation" away from the polarisation and misinformation that has clouded discussion about climate change up until now. -- Martin Bentham * Evening Standard *Books about the environment can induce a paralysing despair. The billionaire Bill Gates is a can-do, problem-solving chap, and his book is full of detailed, practical plans * The Times *Gates's carefully packaged nuggets of information are not only easy to understand, but they aim to provide the reader with practical tools to engage with the density of climate change information ... What Gates has achieved with his book is something rare in the swelling arena of popular climate literature. The Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist has compiled a solutions-based strategy that is as informed on the commercial realities of scaling new technologies as it is on the environmental consequences of not doing so. -- Daniel Murray * The Business Post *The most refreshing aspect of this book is its bracing mix of cold-eyed realism and number-crunched optimism ... Ultimately [Gates's] book is a primer on how to reorganise the global economy so that innovation focuses on the world's gravest problems. It is a powerful reminder that if mankind is to get serious about tackling them, it must do more to harness the one natural resource available in infinite quantity-human ingenuity. * Economist *Gates plots out, in patient, simple prose, a pathway that would allow us to reduce carbon emissions from the current 51 billion tonnes a year to zero by 2050. -- Thomas Jones * London Review of Books *"System change not climate change!" cry the protesters, demanding that we choose between capitalism and a healthy planet. "Oh!" the less ascetically minded among us might pout. "Can't we have both?" Thankfully, according to Bill Gates, we can. In How to Avoid a Climate Disaster he outlines the new technologies we need to fight climate change, and how businesses can help to invent and deploy them. Capitalism is not only capable of stopping climate change, he says, it's also the only way to provide a decent standard of living to the world's poorest. -- Ben Cooke * The Times Books of the Year *This is an optimistic account of how climate change might be solved without destroying the world's economies in the process. * The Times *

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn twenty short books, Penguin brings you the classics of the environmental movement.In Hot Money Naomi Klein lays out the evidence that deregulated capitalism is waging war on the climate, and shows that, in order to stop the damage, we must change everything we think about how our world is run.Over the past 75 years, a new canon has emerged. As life on Earth has become irrevocably altered by humans, visionary thinkers around the world have raised their voices to defend the planet, and affirm our place at the heart of its restoration. Their words have endured through the decades, becoming the classics of a movement. Together, these books show the richness of environmental thought, and point the way to a fairer, saner, greener world.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIs it possible to solve the global climate emergency utilising waste agricultural product?The Regenerative Agriculture Solution tells the story of how two brothers Jose and Gilberto Flores are at the cutting edge of this approach, pioneering the use of the previously discarded leaves of the agave plant to regenerate agricultural soils, reduce erosion and improve water capture.Amazingly, these innovative, ecologically minded methods also benefit their local economy in Mexico, creating jobs by producing an inexpensive livestock feed supplement that has potential to grow into a multi-billion-dollar industry and change the face of agriculture, animal husbandry, ecosystem restoration and climate change.When Ronnie Cummins, the cofounder of Organic Consumer Association (OCA), met the Flores brothers and saw their agave agroforestry system, he knew they were onto something revolutionary. Having spent decades studying regenerative agriculture

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe can't stop shopping but we must stop shopping - the consumer dilemma that defines our lives and our future. What would happen if we did?We are using up the planet at almost double the rate it can regenerate. To support our economies, we're told we must shop now like we've never shopped before, yet the scale of our consumption remains the biggest factor in the ruination of the world. But what would life look like if we stopped? Visiting places where economies have experienced temporary shut-downs, artisan producers, zero-consumption societies and bringing together a host of expert views, this is both a history of our relationship with consumption and a story about the future.'Lays out a wealth of knowledge and wisdom' Ronald Wright, author of A Short History of ProgressTrade ReviewLays out a wealth of knowledge and wisdom -- Ronald Wright, author of A Short History of ProgressA delight. MacKinnon has given us a powerful exploration of a riddle central to our days and lives * Andrew Blum, author of Tubes *Stands out for its curiosity, humanity and genuinely global appreciation of why we consume too much and what to do about it -- Frank Trentmann, author of Empire of ThingsAn exciting and truly inspiring read. I couldn't put it down -- Joel Bakan, author of The CorporationA delight. MacKinnon shows us afresh the world we thought we knew through a kaleidoscopic lens of startling facts, illuminating insight and flatout-wonderful writing. (Praise for The Once and Future World) -- John Vaillant, author of The Tiger

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe capitalist mode of destruction traces contemporary capitalism’s economic, ecological and democratic crises. Combining insights from a range of disciplines, including psychology, sociology and political economy, Panayotakis interprets these crises as manifestations of a previously unrecognized contradiction: over time, the benefits of capitalism’s technological dynamism tend to decline even as its threats to humanity and the planet continue to mount.To explain this contradiction, the book analyzes the production and distribution of surplus in capitalist societies and rethinks the concept of surplus itself. Identifying the public sector and households as sites of production no less important than the workplace, this book attributes capitalism’s contradictions to working people’s lack of control over the surplus they produce. This lack of control is undemocratic and threatens the planet. Only a classless society, in which working people democratically determine the size and use of the surplus they produce, can effectively respond to our current predicament. Recognizing such a democratic classless society as the essence of the communist ideal, the book argues that, far from becoming obsolete, this ideal is ever more indispensable. But since the necessity of this ideal does not guarantee its realization, the book also investigates the conditions necessary for the formation of an anti-capitalist alliance for social justice, democracy and ecological sustainability.Table of ContentsConfronting the capitalist virus: A prefatory noteIntroduction1 Rethinking the Surplus2 Surplus and Freedom3 Capital’s Real Subsumption of Consumption 4 Consumerism and Capital’s Use of Science and Technology to Undercut Democracy5 Capitalism as a Force of Destruction6 Futile Growth and Mounting Destruction: The Need to Rethink Contemporary Capitalism’s Contradictions7 The Crisis of Capitalist Democracy and the Continuing Relevance of the Communist IdealConclusion: Rethinking the Relationship Between Capitalism, Communism and Democracy

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe relationship between capital and ecology in the longue durée

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat if our understanding of capitalism and climate is back to front? What if the problem is not that transitioning to renewables is too expensive, but that saving the planet is not sufficiently profitable?This is Brett Christophers' claim. The global economy is moving too slowly toward sustainability because the return on green investment is too low.Today's consensus is that the key to curbing climate change is to produce green electricity and electrify everything possible. The main economic barrier in that project has seemingly been removed. But while prices of solar and wind power have tumbled, the golden era of renewables has yet to materialize.The problem is that investment is driven by profit, not price, and operating solar and wind farms remains a marginal business, dependent everywhere on the state's financial support.We cannot expect markets and the private sector to solve the climate crisis while the profits that are their lifeblood remain unappetizing. But there is an alternative to providing surrogate green profits through subsidies: to take energy out of the private sector's hands.An essential intervention, The Price Is Wrong is as politically far-reaching as it is factually illuminating.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA FINANCIAL TIMES BEST ECONOMICS BOOK OF 2022 ''A landmark book... The Blue Commons is at once a brilliant synthesis, a searing analysis, and an inspiring call to action.'' - David Bollier''With remarkable erudition, passion and lyricism, Guy Standing commands the reader to wake up to the threat posed by rentier capitalism''s violent policies for extraction, exploitation and depletion of that which is both common to us all, but also vital to our survival: the sea and all within it.'' - Ann Pettifor ''Shines a bright light on the economy of the oceans, directing us brilliantly towards where a sustainable future lies.'' - Danny Dorling''This is a powerful, visionary book - essential reading for all who yearn for a better world.'' - Jason HickelThe sea provides more than half the oxygen we breathe, food for billions of people and livelihoods for hundreds of millions. But giant corporations are plundering the world''s oceans, aided by global finance and complicit states, following the neoliberal maxim of Blue Growth. The situation is dire: rampant exploitation and corruption now drive all aspects of the ocean economy, destroying communities, intensifying inequalities, and driving fish populations and other ocean life towards extinction.The Blue Commons is an urgent call for change, from a campaigning economist responsible for some of the most innovative solutions to inequality of recent times. From large nations bullying smaller nations into giving up eco-friendly fishing policies to the profiteering by the Crown Estate in commandeering much of the British seabed, the scale of the global problem is synthesised here for the first time, as well as a toolkit for all of us to rise up and tackle it.The oceans have been left out of calls for a Green New Deal but must be at the centre of the fight against climate change. How do we do it? By building a Blue Commons alternative: a transformative worldview and new set of proposals that prioritise the historic rights of local communities, the wellbeing of all people and, with it, the health of our oceans.Trade ReviewIn this landmark book, Guy Standing not only documents how state-corporate collusion is destroying fragile ocean ecosystems, fisheries, and coastal communities. He explains how degrowth economics and fishery commons could restore the 'Blue Commons-Wealth' that belongs to all of us. The Blue Commons is at once a brilliant synthesis, a searing analysis, and an inspiring call to action -- David Bollier * author of The Commoner’s Catalog for Changemaking *Shines a bright light on the economy of the oceans, directing us brilliantly towards where a sustainable future lies -- Danny DorlingGuy Standing writes with remarkable erudition, but also with passion and lyricism about the Blue Commons. He commands the reader to wake up to the threat posed by rentier capitalism's violent policies for extraction, exploitation and depletion of that which is both common to us all, but also vital to our survival: the sea and all within it. He offers radical and hopeful alternatives to the dominant economics for 'making a killing' from the commodification of nature - giving hope to the dedicated stewards of the seas - fishers and 'blue commoners' - but also to his readers -- Ann PettiforAs capital sets its sights on the seas, our planet's final frontier, the struggle for the commons becomes all the more urgent. This is a powerful, visionary book - essential reading for all who yearn for a better world -- Jason HickelA powerful indictment of all that has gone wrong with contemporary oceanic governance, and an inspiring account of how it can be put right. Guy Standing shows how local communities can turn the tide on neoliberal excess and put a vibrant and inclusive politics in its place -- Chris ArmstrongLooking out of my window at the radiant blue of the Aegean Sea, I surrender to the dream of a near future where Guy Standing's Blue Commons proposals have been implemented - an indispensable blue section of any genuine Green New Deal. It is a good dream, one that deserves a shot at infecting our sad reality -- Yanis VaroufakisStanding makes an urgent case for a new politics of the ocean . . . For anyone who has watched a David Attenborough documentary and wished it made a clearer appeal for a change in ocean governance, this is the book for you -- India Bourke * New Statesman *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRapid growth of the global economy has accelerated the degradation of the Earth's most important asset: the environment. Increasing poverty and challenges arising from climate change further threaten the planet's natural systems. With a rising global population, the demand on natural resources to cover even basic human needs is intensifying supporting businesses that promote the sustainable use of natural resources and help ensure their long-term viability is imperative. As part of a pioneering movement to harness business towards effecting environmental change, The Nature Conservancy launched EcoEnterprises Fund in 2000 to provide investment capital to grow small eco-businesses in Latin America. There is a compelling need for financing this niche. Companies of this size truly drive change creating the engine for economic activity and generating livelihoods for bottom of the pyramid rural peoples which brings about positive social and conservation impacts. EcoEnterprises FuTable of ContentsIntroduction Section 1: Building an Investment Niche Section 2: Building a Portfolio Section 3: Structuring the Deals Section 4: Working the Deals Section 5: Managing the Fund Section 6: Final Thoughts

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis book presents social ecological economics as an emerging paradigm combining critical social science with structural realism to offer a radical, theoretically grounded, alternative economics based on ethical social provisioning and meeting needs. The foundations include its radical roots, philosophical presuppositions and preanalytic vision. -- .

Read more less

Book SynopsisRECENT TECHNICAL ADVANCES mean it is typically cheaper to produce electricity from renewable sources than from fossil fuels. Yet, around the world, the transition to green energy is happening too slowly if it is happening at all. As Brett Christophers argues, the problem is rooted in the absurdist nature of capitalist priorities: saving the planet on which our lives depend is not sufficiently profitable.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMarine resources and fish stocks are now high on the international and economic research agendas, and the management of highly complex marine ecosystems is increasingly important. The task is complicated by the number of interlinked factors to be taken into account, such as social impacts, drainage systems, marine currents and the ecosystems involved. This interdisciplinary volume presents a comprehensive blueprint for managing a sea. Focused on the Baltic Sea, it employs a range of methods and techniques, including nutrient budgets and simulation models, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), economic valuation and policy analysis, to arrive at an assessment of causes and consequences of pollution in the sea and the management of its resources. From the analysis of data on land use, population, costs of nutrient reductions and associated impacts, it presents significant and highly practical empirical and policy results. It diagnoses the causes of marine degradation, identifies through the use of simulation models cost-effective strategies for remediation and sets out the policies to be pursued collectively by the countries around the sea to restore and manage their common resource. This is an exemplary study in the application of ecological economics to complex natural resource systems. It will be of interest to students, researchers and professionals working on any aspect of marine ecosystem management.Table of ContentsIntroduction * Part I: Land Use and Nutrient Loads * Wetlands as Nutrient Sinks * Part II: Economic and Ecological Evaluation ? Cost-Effective Nutrient Reductions to the Baltic Sea * Impacts of Changed Nutrient Loads on the Baltic Sea * The Benefits of a Less Eutrophicated Baltic Sea * Part III: Institutions and Policies ? Policy Instruments and Cost Sharing of Baltic Sea Cleaning Programmes * Winners and Losers from Baltic Sea Nitrogen Reductions * The Effects of Implementing Markets for Emission Permits Nationally vs. Regionally * Conclusions * References * Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisUnderstanding the ground rules of climate change for business.Climate has changed the game for business around the world. With climate-related disasters causing billions in damage and public pressure rising, over 100 nations have set 2050 net-zero carbon-emissions targets within the framework of the 2015 Paris Agreement. Thousands of companies have registered with the Carbon Disclosure Project. In a recent survey of large, global firms, one-third reported that climate change was already affecting their operations.Business leaders need help navigating this complex, fast-changing environment. In the flood of new policies and information, how can you tell what news matters, and its impact? Which arguments and reports are grounded in sound science and economics, and which are not?This indispensable guidebook by Harvard Business School professor and policy expert Gunnar Trumbull answers this need. As managers around the world confront and educate themselves about how climate change is affecting their businesses, A Concise Business Guide to Climate Change provides a single, short, and accessible account of the information crucial to understanding and addressing these new challenges. What causes climate change? How do countries and companies measure their climate impact? What is the role of carbon markets? How are governments responding? What kind of corporate emissions targets make sense, and how can they be achieved? In crisp, reader-friendly, and data-rich chapters, this book presents the basic scientific, economic, policy, and accounting frameworks that managers need to answer these questions.Whether you read it from start to finish for a complete overview or use it as a reference when confronted with specific challenges, let this book be your go-to business guide for dealing with climate change.

Read more less

Book SynopsisImpeccably researched and masterfully written, this book explains how and why humanity is driving itself off the cliff. Dahr Jamail, author, The End of IceWeaving together findings from a wide range of disciplines, Power traces how four key elements developed to give humans extraordinary power: tool making ability, language, social complexity, and the ability to harness energy sources ? most significantly, fossil fuels. It asks whether we have, at this point, overpowered natural and social systems, and if we have, what we can do about it.Has Homo sapiens one species among millions become powerful enough to threaten a mass extinction and disrupt the Earth''s climate? Why have we developed so many ways of oppressing one another? Can we change our relationship with power to avert ecological catastrophe, reduce social inequality, and stave off collapse?These questions and their answers will determine our fate.Trade Review"Heinberg's Power is a searing, unflinching revelation of what has driven us to our current existential crisis: humanity's quest for power. Impeccably researched and masterfully written, this book explains how and why humanity is driving itself off the cliff. If there is any hope for us to continue, Heinberg shows why it must come from efforts to limit our own power." — Dahr Jamail, author, The End of Ice "Richard Heinberg's panoramic review of known forms of power is both sobering and inspiring. Given our species' habitual methods for getting its way, be these methods physical, mental, or social, the outlook for our future is bleak indeed. Yet, Heinberg allows for the slim but real possibility of exercising restraint. If we are so persuaded, by wisdom or love for beauty, the future even now remains open. Indeed, such restraint returns us to ancient, almost forgotten appetites and capacities." — Joanna Macy, author, World As Lover, World As Self "It may be a moral idea that hard work pays off but if we need proof that it counts, this latest from Richard Heinberg carries all the evidence we need. His encyclopedic treatment of power is brilliant. It is sure to pop up in courses and living rooms like toast." — Wes Jackson, founder, The Land Institute "Heinberg goes to the very heart of the issue. Using his immense knowledge of biology, science, history, psychology, and the politics of energy, he shows that the environmental and social crises we face today have in their origin the insatiable human pursuit, and often abuse, of power, in all its forms. In showing us the path forward, Heinberg guides us to achieve power-limiting behavior so that we cannot just survive but thrive on a healthy planet and in healthy balance with one another." — Maude Barlow, author, activist, and co-founder, The Blue Planet Project "Power reminds us that Richard Heinberg is one of the most important public intellectuals in the conversation about society's future. Eminently readable and engaging, Power is breathtaking in its scope and insight. Heinberg persuasively argues that we have reached evolutionary limits to concentrated social power and that empathy and beauty are key to averting ecological and social catastrophe." — Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies, author, The Wealth Hoarders "Power is a must read and a call to action for those seeking a sustainable, balanced, human future in harmony with the Earth. No guarantees, of course, but harnessing the power of sentient action certainly beats the alternative; of continuing our blind stumble only soon to be swept aside, as have many creatures before us." — Peter C. Whybrow, author, The Well-Tuned BrainTable of ContentsList of Figures List of Sidebars Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Power in Nature: From Mitochondria to Emotion and Deception The Basis of Life's Power Power and Bodies Power and Behaviors Proto-Human Powers 2. Power in the Pleistocene: On Spears, Fires, Furs, Words, and Flutes — And Why Men Are Such Power-Hogs Hands and Stone The Fire Ape Skins From Grunts to Sentences Gender Power The Power of Art 3. Power in the Holocene: The Rise of Social Inequality Gerdening, Big Men, and Chiefs: Power from Food Production Plow and Plunder: Kings and the First States Herding Cattle, Flogging Slaves: Power from Domestication Stories of Our Ancestors: Religion and Power Tools for Wording: Communication Technologies Numbers on Money Pathologies of Power 4. Power in the Anthropocene: The Wonderful World of Fossil Fuels It's All Energy The Coal Train Oil, Cars, Airplanes, and the New Middle Class Oil-Age Wars and Weapons Electrifying! The Human Superorganism 5. Overpowered: The Fine Mess We've Gotten Ourselves Into Climate Chaos and Its Remedies Disappearance of Wild Nature Resource Depletion Soaring Economic Inequality Pollution Overpopulation and Overconsumption Global Debt Bubble Weapons of Mass Destruction 6. Optimum Power: Sustaining Our Power Over Time Involuntary Power Limits: Death, Extinction, Collapse Self-Limitation in Natural and Human-Engineered Systems Taboos, Souls, and Enlightenment Taxes, Regulations, Activism, and Rationing: Power Restraint in the Modern World Games, Disarmament, and Degrowth Denial, Optimism Bias, and Irrational Exuberance 7. The Future of Power: Learning to Live Happily Within Limits All Against All Trade-Offs Along the Path of Self-Restraint The Fate of the Superorganism Questioning Technology Learning to Live with Less Energy and Stuff Lessening Inequality Population: Lowering It and Keeping It Steady Fighting Power with Power Long-Term Power Through Beauty, Spirituality, and Happiness Notes Index About the Author About New Society Publishers

Read more less

Book SynopsisJeffrey D. Sachs presents a compelling and practical framework to address the seemingly intractable worldwide problems of persistent extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and political-economic injustice: sustainable development. Sachs explains how modern societies can develop economically, equitably, and sustainably.Trade ReviewJeff Sachs's admirable book explains what sustainable development means, why it matters, and our history in relation to our environment. It shows how the pattern of growth we have followed has placed intense strains on our planet and generated severe risks to our lives and livelihoods. Above all, it explains clearly where we can go and how to get there. It describes a potential future of great attraction in terms of wellbeing, community and prosperity, properly understood. It should, and I hope it will, strengthen both the understanding of the great choices we face and the resolve to act. It is a splendid achievement. -- Lord Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment This terrific book stands out for its breadth, clarity, mastery of detail, honest discussion of complex matters, and its author's practical experience and good sense. It is actually ten terrific books under one cover because its accounts of economics, history, health, development, education, gender issues, food, climate change and biological diversity are among the best available. If you want to understand the modern world, and if you have room on your shelf for only one book, this is your book. -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel There are very few authors that can so effectively rally the masses around an important cause-one that in this case concerns our collective future. There are still too few leaders with knowledge about global sustainable development challenges to affect the scalable changes that are needed. Professor Sachs's book is a comprehensive summary of complex issues, but it breaks them down and makes them digestible and understandable while making the imperative clear. It will clearly contribute significantly in closing the gap between science and policy, and hopefully serve as a catalyst for action. -- Hans Vestberg, CEO, Ericsson An important, comprehensive and remarkably accessible book-a standout in a sea ofjargon-laden titles that fail to explain and vivify this enormously complex topic Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Sweeping, enlightening, affecting, and invaluable, The Age of Sustainable Development should be available to everyone and consulted repeatedly. Booklist (starred review) Clear straightforward prose and a wealth of statistics... Sachs balances alarming forecasts with signs of progress. Publishers Weekly It is truly gratifying that an economist as distinguished as Jeffrey Sachs has authored The Age of Sustainable Development. His vast knowledge in the field and deep insights on various sectors of economic activity make him uniquely qualified to provide a view of the subject. Given the fact that almost a quartercentury has gone by since the Rio Summit of 1992, it is time for an authoritative volume such as the one Professor Sachs has authored for the benefit of global society. -- Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, director-general, TERI; former chairman, IPCC Comprehensive and crystal clear-what we need to make sustainable development a reality, not a dream. -- James E. Hansen, director, Earth Institute Program in Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions The Age of Sustainable Development is both sobering and inspiring: sobering because it presents in great detail the unprecedented challenges facing mankind; inspiring because it assures us that we can meet those challenges, if only we summon the will to act. -- Kerry Kennedy, president, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights It is, in my view, the best, most comprehensive and most articulate exposition of sustainable development ever written... I would make this book compulsory reading for all politicians and business leaders. -- David Griggs Nature Sachs has probably produced the best book to date on how to manage the planet for 10 billion people. -- Fred Pearce New Scientist A comprehensive introduction to the field of sustainable development by one of its leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners... Recommended. Library Journal In a book of incredible breadth, Sachs delivers a sobering account of the impact of human activity upon the balance of life on Earth... Highly recommended. Choice An inspiring and enlightening read. Africa Report a perceptive, analytical, and hopeful book about the future...This landmark in economic publications presents a brilliant examination of major worldwide threats to the planet and puts forward ways to balance economic development and environmental sustainability to overcome those threats...It is a magnum opus; the chief source of information for any person interested in understanding what sustainable development is all about. -- Bill Schwab Missourian A thoughtful and comprehensive resource on this crucial topic. Civil Engineering A clear and cogent nontechnical survey of the world's major challenges beyond the preservation of peace and security. -- Richard N. Cooper Foreign Affairs Sachs's book is written for a popular audience and could be used as a complementary text for courses in environmental or development economics or in public health classes or environmental studies classes. Its breadth of insights and coverage is staggering and students and general readers will find new ideas on every page of the book. -- Matthew E. Kahn Journal of Economic LiteratureTable of ContentsForeword, by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to Sustainable Development 2. An Unequal World 3. A Brief History of Economic Development 4. Why Some Countries Developed While Others Stayed Poor 5. Ending Extreme Poverty 6. Planetary Boundaries 7. Social Inclusion 8. Education for All 9. Health for All 10. Food Security 11. Resilient Cities 12. Climate Change 13. Saving Biodiversity and Protecting Ecosystem Services 14. Sustainable Development Goals Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most deeply ingrained beliefs of our age is that perpetual economic growth is the solution to most, if not all, of society's problems. In Slow Down or Die, French economist Timothée Parrique brilliantly challenges this myth, demonstrating how producing more won't solve climate change, poverty, or inequality. In fact, our obsession with growth is accelerating social and ecological collapse. Parrique proposes a different vision - a "post-growth" economy where decisions are made collectively and democratically. Instead of infinitely accumulating wealth, our goal must be a just, equitable, and sustainable society. Accessible and inspiring, Slow Down or Die is a radical call to embrace a future of shared prosperity, where slowing down is the key to a better, sustainable future.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFor the first time ever, an international coalition of leading researchers, scientists and policymakers has come together to offer a set of realistic and bold solutions to climate change. All of the techniques described here - some well-known, some you may have never heard of - are economically viable, and communities throughout the world are already enacting them. From revolutionizing how we produce and consume food to educating girls in lower-income countries, these are all solutions which, if deployed collectively on a global scale over the next thirty years, could not just slow the earth''s warming, but reach drawdown: the point when greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere peak and begin todecline. So what are we waiting for?Trade ReviewA bold plan to beat back climate change based on solutions already within our grasp * Outside Magazine *It will give you the best kind of hope, the kind that balances realism with radical vision . . . Drawdown stands out among the many recent climate books . . . This is a breakthrough book, and even its omissions are instructive. There really is a way forward, and these days, it's great to see this rather basic fact demonstrated with such astonishing focus and brio * The Nation *

Read more less

Book SynopsisOne of the most important books of the decade' Country LifeFinally, a practical, realistic plan to rescue, preserve and enhance nature.News about Britain's wildlife and ecosystems tends to be grim. In Green and Prosperous Land, Oxford economist and Natural Capital Committee chair Dieter Helm shares his radical but tangible plan for positive change.This pragmatic approach to environmentalism includes a summary of Britain's green assets, a look towards possible futures and an achievable 25-year plan for a green and prosperous country. The bold generational plan assesses the environment as a whole, explains the necessity of protecting and enhancing our green spaces and offers a clear, financially sound strategy to put Britain on a greener path.Helm's arguments expose the economic inefficiencies in our environmental policies and thus highlight the need for change. Leaving behind the current sterile and ineffective battle between the environment and the economy, this revolutionary plan chamTrade ReviewPraise for Green and Prosperous Land: ‘Dieter Helm has taken a good, hard look at the state of our natural environment and the result could be one of the most important books of the decade’ Country Life ‘Helm’s solutions are refreshingly straightforward … The notion of the financial value of nature is long established. Helm takes this further to present a pure economic argument for conservation. We all need to listen to that’ Simon Barnes, Sunday Times ‘[Helm is] as eloquent with his recommendations as in analysis of the problem … This is an important analysis, argued with passion, intelligence and rigour. It is timely too, because – as Helm makes compellingly clear – of the urgency of the problem’ Financial Times ‘A trenchant manifesto for change … visionary, pragmatic and context-rich’ Nature ‘Delivers handsomely on the promise of its title’ New Scientist There is an enormous amount to admire’ Times Literary Supplement ‘Hooray for this book! An economist dispensing with the usual nonsense, and applying his mind to the task of devising a sound economic plan for the protection and restoration of Britain’s wildlife … [This is a] brave and forthright attempt to begin a new conversation on how to pay to keep our wildlife’ British Wildlife ‘A tough-minded and eminently practical plan for the recovery of our natural capital and the protection of our renewables … that might just make the Britain of 2050 a success story’ The Herald Magazine ‘A good read and an important one too. I loved it, as I agreed with much of it and was interested by all of it’ Mark Avery ‘This book is urgent. It should be required reading for all interested in turning the 25YEP into reality. I wonder if the next generation will recognise this book as a Rachel Carson-style moment that helped to kick-start the wholesale recover of nature: I hope so’ BTO News

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA radically new understanding of and practical approach to climate change by noted environmentalist and creator of Drawdown, Paul Hawken The dangers of climate change and a warming world have been in the public eye for fifty years. For three decades, scientists and the United Nations have urged us to address future existential threats. In Regeneration Paul Hawken has flipped the narrative, bringing people back into the conversation by demonstrating that addressing current human needs rather than future threats is the only path to solving the climate crisis.From land to ocean, food to industries - Regeneration proposes an extensive menu of actions that collectively can reverse the overheating and degradation of our planet. The solutions, techniques, and practices range from solar power, electric vehicles, and tree planting to bioregions, azolla fern and forest farms; they are all doa

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhen it comes to the climate, we don''t need more marketing or anxiety. We need established facts and a plan for collective action.The climate is the fundamental issue of our time, yet it seems we can barely agree on what is really going on, let alone what needs to be done. We urgently need facts, not opinions. Insights, not statistics.The Carbon Almanac is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between hundreds of writers, researchers, thinkers, and leaders that focuses on what we know, what has come before, and what might happen next. With thousands of data points, articles and charts explaining carbon''s impact on everything in our society, from our the economy to extreme weather events, it is the definitive source for facts and the basis for a global movement to fight climate change. This book isn''t what the oil companies, marketers, activists, or politicians want you to believe. This is what''s really happening, right now. Our planet is in trTrade ReviewA valuable tool in fighting the (mis)information wars that are part of a strategy to dilute, confuse and diminish the climate change narrative. A valuable, timely and important book. Buy it and give it to your children and relevant policy makers too. -- Simon Cocking * Irish Tech News *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewAesthetic Intelligence emphasizes how important it is for people to develop a strong voice—a voice that expresses who they are, that is inspired by their personal stories and desire to help others, and that helps them build a business that captivates others. — Donna Karan, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Successful leaders and innovators are skilled at looking outside their own fields for inspiration and knowledge. In Aesthetic Intelligence, Pauline Brown shows how you can apply critical lessons from fields like fashion and beauty to transform all types of businesses. — Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life Aesthetic intelligence is not just important for those who are leading luxury brands; it’s also important for businesspeople in all sectors. In her groundbreaking book, Pauline Brown shows how aesthetics have the power to transform all types of businesses, and how individuals can develop and use their own AI to engage, inspire, and delight their customers. — Mindy Grossman, CEO of WW International (formerly Weight Watchers) Aesthetic Intelligence shows executives and entrepreneurs how to harness and apply their personality, preferences, and tastes to their companies, and, in so doing, create long-term sustainable advantage. — John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods Market It’s fascinating to realize how much of our economy is premised on consumers making aesthetic choices. Yet this aspect of what drives behavior has been largely ignored by thoughtful analysts until now. Pauline Brown opens up a new area of inquiry as she highlights the power of aesthetic intelligence as a success factor for business leaders today. — Dan Nordstrom, consumer brand investor and former retail leader

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe tools of environmental economics guide policymakers as they weigh development against nature, present against future, and certain benefits against uncertain consequences. The policies and research findings explained in this textbook are relevant to decisions made daily by individuals, firms, and governments. This textbook offers instructors and students a user-friendly, relevant, and up-to-date introduction to these topics while covering recent advancements in the field and significant political and economic changes.The book has been thoroughly updated while retaining the story-based narratives and visual emphasis of previous editions, capturing students' attention with full-color photos, graphs, and illustrations. This sixth edition includes:Updated coverage of international environmental regulations, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the environment, the effects of war on the environment, recent environmental summits and agreements, the evolving energy

Read more less

Book SynopsisOur planet is a closed system with limited material resources, yet our current economic model is designed in a one-way direction from resource extraction to disposal, leading to resource depletion. This book proposes a new economic model, offering an alternative to this linear âtake-make-wasteâ economy.Material Matters shows a way of creating a circular economy by using the unlimited resources we have: renewable energy, data and intelligence. It describes a system based on circular business models centred on selling performance rather than ownership, designing products and buildings as resource banks and equipping products with a âmaterial passportâ to ensure their usability for future generations. Businesses thereby become custodians of materials, rather than consumers of materials and sellers of products. The book evokes the vision of a radically new economic model based on a compelling narrative, supported with cases that have been developed in conjunction with major companies, for example, convincing Philips to sell light instead of lamps, saving energy and materials by creating a whole new business model, a case which has become iconic for the circular economy.Material Matters is not a somber analysis of the state of the planet but a concrete and comprehensive agenda for change, offering perspectives for taking action for business and individual consumers alike.Trade Review"This is a book that gives an accessible and practical vision of the circular economy, viewed through the eyes of two people who have played and continue to play a key role in its realisation." Dame Ellen MacArthur, Founder, Ellen MacArthur Foundation"This book is a bold vision and a manual for a 21st century economy. A wake-up call." Prof. Dr. Martin R. Stuchtey, University of Innsbruck; Founder, Managing Partner, SYSTEMIQ "A very inspiring and relevant book. We live in times of scepticism, doubt, negativism and populism. But only an agenda of hope takes us further. This is an important contribution to this agenda."Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, Former Dutch Prime Minister"The products of today are the resources of tomorrow if we use them intelligently. This book shows us how."Prof. Dr. Walter R. Stahel, Leading expert on circular economy; Member of the Club of Rome; Founder -Director, The Product-Life Institute, GenevaTable of Contents1. The product-as-problem 2. The linear economy or the end of the line 3. Spaceship Earth – a closed system 4. Permanent temporality 5. Changing the rules of the game 6. The Material Passport 7. Madaster - a registry for materials 8. UDMR, The Universal Declaration of Material Rights 9. Material-as-a-Service – rethinking material ownership 10. Completing the Copernican Revolution

Read more less

Book SynopsisA TIMES BEST SCIENCE AND ENVIRONMENT BOOK OF THE YEAR''AN IMPORTANT READ FOR ANYONE IN NEED OF OPTIMISM'' BILL GATES''DAZZLING AND DEEPLY REPORTED'' DAVID WALLACE-WELLS''HIGHLY READABLE . . . ENGAGING STORIES OF PEOPLE BEHIND SOME OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVANCES IN RECENT DECADES'' FINANCIAL TIMES A green economy is not only possible, it''s profitable. In this vital antidote for climate anxiety, award-winning journalist Akshat Rathi uncovers ten unlikely heroes creating the key breakthroughs for a green economy. From the Chinese bureaucrat who did more to make electric cars a reality than Elon Musk, to the Danish students who helped to build the world''s longest-operating wind turbine and the American oil executive building the technology that can reverse climate damages, we meet the people bending the emissions curve and making a prosperous future possible. Bringing together business, politics, activ

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"There is no doubt in my mind that the ocean plays the most massive role in our past, present, and future—from transportation to planet health to long term sustainability. The Deepest Map shines a light on this massive yet ever-changing force and helps bring into focus so many unanswered questions, while giving us a beautiful reminder of how important it is to educate and protect these waters to the best of our abilities." — Garrett McNamara, Big Wave surfer, co-creator of the documentary series 100 Foot Wave and author of Hound of the Sea "Wow, what a great adventure story. Shipwrecks, octopus gardens, coral reefs as tall as the Empire State Building, 11,000 year-old sponges, deep sea robots—it’s a trip to another world, right here on Earth. This is not just a book about the epic quest to map the ocean floor, but an exploration of the mysteries and life of a planet we hardly know. The Deepest Map is one of those rare books that will change the way you see our world." — Jeff Goodell, author of The Water Will Come "A riveting ocean of a book, packed with gripping adventures, high-stakes exploration and political intrigue. Trethewey leads us to the bottom of the sea and deftly shows why it all matters so much." — Helen Scales, author of The Brilliant Abyss "The Deepest Map is a fascinating, poetic love letter to our planet and to the scientists and explorers risking their lives to understand its unconscious. With exhaustive reporting, Trethewey takes us on an awe-inspiring and humbling adventure that makes us realize how much we still have to learn about our home." — Jaimal Yogis, author of All Our Waves Are Water "An engrossing look at deep-sea exploration. Essential reading for environmentalists, armchair adventure divers, and those who care about the world’s oceans." — Kirkus (Starred Review) "Trethewey’s sharp eye for character brings out the humanity in the marine moonshot. It’s worth exploring." — Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Extraordinary... seamless... astonishingly rich” (Sverker Sörlin, Nature)—an eye-opening environmental history of the Far North.Trade Review"In Floating Coast, Bathsheba Demouth has written a brilliant hybrid book about one of the most fragile and forgotten of Anthropocene front-line territories, the Bering Strait. Uniting ecology, anthropology, reportage and more, this is a superb work of environmental history, often reminiscent to me of Barry Lopez's Arctic Dreams in its combination of rigorous research, intense looking and listening, and its clear ethical vision." -- Robert Macfarlane"... Demuth has now herself written the history she calls for. Floating Coast is a historian’s Moby Dick, a great white whale of a book that spans centuries and links landscapes, living beings, and the flux of time, into a marvelously readable narrative." -- Amitav Ghosh"Floating Coast is an extraordinary piece of history writing, seamlessly weaving together disparate elements. It is astonishingly rich in ethnographic detail, ecological precision, economic circumstance and historical texture." -- Nature"Demuth, an environmental historian at Brown University, has reaped rich and fascinating material from the oral history of the indigenous Beringians recorded by ethnographers." -- Literary Review"Floating Coast is rich, well researched and illuminating. It keeps under readers’ feet the vastness of Demuth’s expertise, as solid as a land bridge." -- The International New York Times

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe oil and gas industry is a complex sector with significant reach in terms of providing the energy needs of the global economy and the security, environmental and development consequences thereof. In particular, the sector is extremely important for the economic growth of emerging markets and developing countries. Furthermore, the life span of oil and gas resources is finite, with high health and safety risks and substantial environmental costs that require careful management and sustainability practices to ensure optimal extraction and utilisation of these resources. This book examines the challenges and opportunities in the oil and gas industry, in the context of emerging markets and developing economies.It provides comprehensive coverage of the management and sustainability practices of the sector, the environmental impact and sustainability of resources as well as the businesses that operate in the sector across the entire value chain. It addresses the current diTable of ContentsPart I: Overview 1. Introduction to Sustainability Management in the Oil and Gas Industry Part II: Oil and gas management 2. Oil and Gas Storage Management: Evidence from a Developing Country 3. The Business of Oil Refining in Africa 4. Downstream Petroleum Sector in Ghana: Mapping the Key Marketing Issues 5. Oil and Gas Operations, Transportation and Logistics Management 6. Procurement and Supply Chain Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 7. Digital Technology and Innovations in the Oil and Gas Industry 8. Oil and Gas Project Management 9. Human Resource Management Practices in the Oil and Gas Industry 10. Strategic Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 11. Corporate Governance in the Oil and Gas Sector 12. Implementing Total Quality Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 13. Performance Management in the Oil and Gas Industry Part III: Sustainability Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 14. Occupational Health and Safety Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 15. Corporate Social Responsibility of Multinational Corporations in the Oil and Gas Sector 16. Environmental and Sustainability Management in the Oil and Gas Industry 17. Natural Gas and Liquified Natural Gas Resource Management 18. Petrochemical Resource Management 19. The Role of Oil and Gas in Sustainable Development in the Global South 20. The Future of the Oil and Gas Industry in Emerging and Developing Countries

Read more less

Book SynopsisTable of ContentsIntroduction 1 About This Book 2 Foolish Assumptions 3 Icons Used in This Book 4 How This Book Is Organized 4 Part 1: Linear Is Out, Circular Is In: An Economic Revolution 4 Part 2: Rethinking Business for a Circular Economy 5 Part 3: Rethinking Material Lifecycles — The Circular Perspective 5 Part 4: Redesigning the Future to Be Circular 5 Part 5: Creating a Circular Economy for All 6 Part 6: The Part of Tens 6 Beyond the Book 6 Where to Go from Here 7 Part 1: Linear Is Out, Circular Is In: An Economic Revolution 9 Chapter 1: Rejecting Waste, Rethinking Materials, and Redesigning the World 11 Rejecting the Idea of Waste 12 Waste as a driver of the economy 13 Waste as a resource 13 Rethinking Material Lifecycles 16 Take, make, and waste 17 Making technical materials circular 17 Making biological materials circular 18 Upcycling versus downcycling 19 Redesigning the Future to Be Circular 19 Food production 20 Circular businesses, products, and clothing 20 A circular economy for all 22 Chapter 2: What’s Wrong with Being Linear, Anyway? 23 We’re Taking the Wrong Stuff 25 We’re not importing this stuff from space 27 Everyone keeps having kids 28 We don’t have as much as we thought 30 It all revolves around oil 31 We’re Making the Wrong Stuff 31 You’re buying trash 32 Even kids can build with blocks 33 Trying to recycle the unrecyclable 33 We’re using materials that are bad for us 34 We’re Wasting the Wrong Stuff 34 It all comes at a big cost 34 We’re running out of room 35 It’s expensive to throw things away 35 The debt collector is knocking at the door 35 Change Is Really Hard, We Know 36 If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it 36 Taking risks 37 Chapter 3: A Growing Demand for a Circular Economy 41 The Drive to Make Money 44 Redefining risk and liability 44 Innovating to attract new customers 46 The Drive to Be Healthier 46 Lifestyles that foster health and sustainability 46 Wellness as a priority 47 The Drive to Be in Compliance 47 Environmental, social, and corporate governance 48 Corporate social responsibility (CSR) 49 Climate and shareholders 50 A Larger Drive Toward Deep Sustainability 50 This has been brewing for a while 51 Precedents 51 Looking to the future 54 Chapter 4: From Linear To Circular: What You Need To Know 57 So Much Chaos: Understanding Entropy 58 Externalized costs 59 Linear versus circular: A hilarious-yet-depressing comparison 60 Borrow from nature, not from the future 64 Waste = Food: Redefining Disposal 66 All materials have another use 68 Product stewardship 69 Building Resilience Through Diversity: Redefining Strength 71 Responding to disruption 72 Takes a lickin’ and keeps on tickin’ 73 Durability and reparability policies 74 Part 2: Rethinking Business For a Circular Economy 77 Chapter 5: Identifying Your Business Opportunities 79 Exploring the Benefits of Going Circular 79 Exploiting the profit opportunities 80 Reducing volatility and ensuring greater supply chain security 81 Managing the new demand for business services 81 Improving customer interaction and loyalty 83 Rethinking the Business Model 85 Building new types of capital 86 Rethinking money as the only medium of exchange 87 Reflecting the true cost of products 87 Embracing diversity 89 Rethinking your supply chain 89 Designing for the future 90 Examining Business from a Global Perspective 91 Chapter 6: Rethinking the Conventional Business Model 95 Rethinking How We Look at Cost 98 The hidden cost of procurement 100 The hidden impact of transportation 104 The hidden burden of inventory 104 The hidden secrets of quality 105 Maximizing Your Value Proposition to Customers 105 Becoming a mission-driven company 106 Safeguarding your workers 107 Greenwashing 107 Turning Obstacles into Opportunities 108 Listening to customers 109 Creating unspoken demand 110 Rethinking old assumptions 110 Bending linear into loops 111 Thinking of businesses as a system 112 Chapter 7: Exploring the Essentials of a Circular Business Model 113 The Six Rs: Your New Circularity Mantra 114 Refuse: Say no to what you don’t need 114 Reduce: Use less for longer 115 Reuse and remanufacture: Extend product life 116 Repurpose: Find other uses 116 Recycle: Return materials for rebirth 116 Rot: Return it to the soil 117 Developing a Circular Business Structure: The Bones of the Operation 117 Identifying potential material loops 118 Considering innovative business models 118 Who’s at the table? Engaging your stakeholders 120 Developing a message 121 Benchmarking and improvement 122 Chapter 8: ’Round and ’Round: Making Your Products Circular 127 Managing Material Lifecycle Performance 128 Designing products for reuse 129 Designing products to be remanufactured 130 Designing products for recycling 130 Making Your Product Lifecycle Smarter 131 Creating effective and serviceable products 132 Being flexible 132 Seeking collaborators and partners 133 How It All Comes Together 134 Everything is circular first 134 Everything is transparent 135 Chapter 9: From Trash to Treasure: Converting Waste into Products 139 Seeing Why the Circular Economy Is All About Retaining Value 140 Stop Being Linear: It’s a Waste of Time 144 Why Buy Waste When You Can Sell It? 145 Selling your old stuff 147 Starting your own business 149 Troubleshooting a Wasteful Product Lifecycle 152 Where the wild things are 153 Signed, sealed, delivered 153 Waste not, want not 154 Being a sustainable shopper 154 Finding value in the ugly 155 Part 3: Rethinking Material Lifecycles: The Circular Perspective 163 Chapter 10: Understanding the Circular Material Lifecycle 165 Viewing the Entire Spectrum of Environmental Impact 166 Defining degenerative lifecycles 167 Defining sustainable lifecycles 167 Defining regenerative lifecycles 168 Understanding the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Butterfly Diagram 169 Examining the circular economy’s structure: The bones of the operation 169 Renewables flow management: Harnessing biological cycles 171 Stock management: Optimizing technical cycles 172 Promoting environmental restoration: Investing now to obtain even more later 175 Chapter 11: Analyzing Material Lifecycle Processes 179 Looking at Material Processes 181 Fostering transparency 183 Instituting chemical management 183 Rewarding innovation 184 The Lifecycle Principles: Identifying Where Change Can Happen 184 Preserving natural capital 185 Enhancing the usefulness of products, components, and raw materials 186 Developing effective systems that minimize negative externalities 187 Looking at Opportunities for Optimization 187 Refusing the new: Reusing the old 188 Employing the remaining factor: Remanufacturing 189 Biochemical extraction for the win 190 Chapter 12: Improving the Material Lifecycle 195 Improving How Material Lifecycles Function 196 Looking at Materials in a New Way 198 Getting to know your lifecycle 199 Refuse before you reduce, reuse, and recycle 200 Examining Operations in a New Way 201 Looking at human capital 201 You can be everywhere 201 Connecting Sourcing, Suppliers, and Customers 202 Chapter 13: It All Comes Down to Selecting the Right Materials 207 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Exploring Materials 208 Oil or Plastics — They’re Really Much the Same Thing 208 What’s Harder than Rock? Metals 212 Paper Products and Cardboard 214 Through the Looking Glass 217 And Everything In-Between 218 Identifying Hazardous Materials 219 Red list materials 220 Red list material alternatives 221 Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) 221 Sourcing, Ethics, and Standards 222 Understanding strategic sourcing 222 Establishing ethics 223 Exploring certifications and standards 223 Chapter 14: Circular Materials, Products, and Packaging 227 Redesigning Materials and Products: The Transition from Linear to Circular 228 “Less bad” does not equal “good” 228 Planning for material reincarnation 230 How To Keep Materials In Use Forever 231 Why things break 232 From planned obsolescence to planned permanence 232 Shipping Global versus Producing Local 234 Building a regional economy: A shipping substitute 235 You’ve got to be shipping me 238 Permanent packaging 239 Part 4: Redesigning the Future to Be Circular 245 Chapter 15: The Circular Economy of Food Production 247 Examining the Two Ways of Producing Food 248 Investigating the Hidden Costs of Agriculture 249 Food waste: Expending money, time, and resources unnecessarily 250 Environmental degeneration: Damaging the planet with increasing speed 252 Permaculture to the Rescue 252 Following nature’s lead: Permaculture design principles 253 Taking a look at permaculture management zones 256 Chapter 16: Circularity for Design 259 Redesigning Design 260 Understanding circular design 260 Designing out waste 263 Keeping products and materials in use 264 Regenerating natural systems 264 Recognizing the Problems Designers Face 265 We’re being overtaken by trash 265 We’re running out of materials 265 We’re choking on carbon 266 Creating a Framework for Circular Design 267 Applying the ReSOLVE framework to buildings 268 Layers of useful life 269 Putting the pieces together 271 Chapter 17: Circular Economy for Builders, Makers, and Manufacturers 275 Assessing a Building’s Lifecycle 276 Defining construction and demolition debris 276 Gauging the economic opportunities of C&D waste 277 Measuring C&D waste impact 277 Defining lifecycle impacts 279 Identifying human health hazards and promoting transparency 280 People, planet and profit 280 Selecting Appropriate Building Products 283 Sourcing responsibly 284 Something stinks 285 We All Embody Carbon 287 The human’s relationship to carbon 288 The building’s relationship to carbon 290 Operational carbon 290 Embodied carbon 291 Carbon influences on building design 293 Straight from the Open Source 294 Recognizing the benefit 294 Looking at open source in action 295 Chapter 18: The Circular Economy for Fashion and Clothing 297 Sewing Together the Issue: Where Fashion Is and Where It’s Headed 298 Fashion = Waste + Pollution 299 The current trajectory to catastrophe 302 Making It Circular: A Future Forecast for Fashion 303 The Phase Out phase 304 Redesigning how clothes are used 305 Optimizing collection and recycling 306 Relying on renewable resources 307 Comparing Common Fashion Fabrics 310 Plastic 311 Plants 313 Animals 314 Part 5: Creating A Circular Economy For All 317 Chapter 19: Understanding an Individual’s Circular Opportunities 319 Looking at the Food You Eat 320 Sourcing 320 Managing food waste 321 Sizing Up the Products You Buy 327 Recycling: The last resort 327 Selecting products with reuse potential 328 Evaluating the House You Live In 328 Considering lifecycle costs 329 Building better 329 Thinking About the Way You Commute 331 Be car-less for once 331 Choose more efficient options 332 Revisiting the Way You Work 332 Promoting telecommuting and teleconferencing 332 Managing office supplies 333 Chapter 20: Creating a Career in the Circular Economy 335 Looking at the Future of Jobs 336 Jobs that are central to the circular economy 338 Jobs that are enabling the circular economy 338 Jobs that are indirectly related to the circular economy 339 Skills required for a circular economy 341 Where to Go for More Education 341 Earning certifications 341 Earning degrees and diplomas 342 Chapter 21: A Global Vision of a Circular Economy 345 Seeing What a Circular Community Looks Like 346 Sourcing community resources and aid 347 Looking at food management 348 Eyeing transportation 349 Seeing What a Circular University Looks Like 350 Learning from living laboratories 351 Insisting on data visibility 352 Seeing What a Circular Restaurant and Brewery Look Like 353 Fostering effective and efficient sourcing and prep 354 Revising service standards 355 Viewing waste as a resource 356 Part 6: The Part of Tens 359 Chapter 22: Ten Questions to Ask About Your Material Lifecycle 361 Where Did This Material Come From? 362 What Are the By-Products of Harvesting This Material? 362 What Are the By-Products of Manufacturing This Material? 362 How Is the Material Delivered? 363 How Is the Material Installed? 364 How Is the Material Maintained, Powered, or Operated? 364 How Healthy Are the Materials? 364 What Can We Do with These Materials After We’re Done with Them? 365 What Can Be Done to Extend, Prolong, or Maintain the Material? 366 What Can We Do to Encourage the Reuse, Refurbishment, Redistribution, or Remanufacture of the Material? 366 Chapter 23: Ten Questions to Foster Innovative Thinking 367 How Can We Make This Product Redundant? 368 How Can We Rethink How This Product Is Used? 369 How Can We Reduce the Resources or Materials Used? 369 In What Ways Can This Product Be Reused by Another Consumer? 369 In What Ways Can This Product Be More Easily Maintained and Repaired? 370 In What Ways Can This Product Be Restored or Kept Up-to-Date? 370 How Can Discarded Parts Be Remade into a New Version of the Same Product? 370 How Can Discarded Parts Be Remade Into a New Product? 371 In What Ways Can We Recycle These Materials into Quality Products? 371 How Can We Dispose of This Material in a Manner That Recovers Energy? 371 Chapter 24: Ten Questions to Ask about Your Supply Chain 373 What Drives Your Product Design? 374 What Are Your Users’ Needs? 374 Will Your Customers Access or Will They Own Your Product? 375 Who Are Your Partners? 376 What Materials Are Required? 377 How Will You Produce Your Product? 377 How Will Users Receive Your Product? 378 How Will You Support the Repair and Maintenance of Your Product? 379 What Refurbishment Options Will You Offer for Your Product? 379 How Will You Reclaim Your Product at Its End of Life? 380 Chapter 25: Ten Questions That Reveal How Much Your Waste Is Costing You 381 What Labor Costs Are Tied to Waste Disposal? 382 What Is the Real Cost of Waste Disposal? 382 What Is the Impact on Human Health? 383 How Does Waste Impact Ecosystem Services? 383 What Is the Innate Value of Waste? 384 How Much Raw Material Is Required to Offset Waste? 385 What Are the Indirect Costs of Waste? 385 How Much Does Poor Efficiency Cost? 386 What Natural Resources Are Required for Waste? 386 What Waste Remediation Will Be Required? 387 Index 389

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnvironment, Tenth Edition helps students understand the connection between the core concepts of the Environmental Science and their daily lives. The 10th edition enhanced e-text features a rich, interactive collection of current case studies and in-text examples, which provides students with the tools to understand, apply, and think critically about environmental science. It also provides instructors with powerful tools to assess individual students progresses well as the class as a whole.Table of Contents1 Introducing Environmental Science and Sustainability 1 2 Environmental Laws, Economics, and Ethics 21 3 Ecosystems and Energy 41 4 Ecosystems and the Physical Environment 57 5 Ecosystems and Living Organisms 85 6 Major Ecosystems of the World 113 7 Human Health and Environmental Toxicology 140 8 The Human Population 161 9 The Urban Environment 179 10 Energy Consumption 196 11 Fossil Fuels 214 12 Renewable Energy and Nuclear Power 234 13 Water: A Limited Resource 255 14 Soil Resources 280 15 Mineral Resources 299 16 Biological Resources 318 17 Land Resources 341 18 Food Resources 362 19 Air Pollution 383 20 Global Climate Change 409 21 Water Pollution 427 22 Pest Management 450 23 Solid and Hazardous Wastes 469 24 Tomorrow's World 489 Appendices 503 Glossary 516 Index I-1

Read more less

Book SynopsisGreenhouse gas (GHG) offsets have long been promoted as an important element of a comprehensive climate policy approach. Offset programs can reduce the overall cost of achieving a given emission goal by enabling emission reductions to occur where costs are lower. Offsets have the potential to deliver sustainability co-benefits, through technology development and transfer. They can also develop human and institutional capacity for reducing emissions in sectors and locations not included in a cap and trade or a mandatory government policy. However, offsets can pose a risk to the environmental integrity of climate actions, especially if issues surrounding additionality, permanence, leakage, quantification and verification are not adequately addressed. The challenge is to design offset programs and policies that can maximize their potential benefits while minimizing their potential risks. This handbook provides a systematic and comprehensive review of existing offset programs. ItTrade Review'The most comprehensive guide available to carbon offset programs around the world.' Derik Broekhoff, Vice President, Policy, Climate Action Reserve 'This handbook is the most comprehensive guide available to carbon offset programs around the world. An invaluable aid for anyone seeking to make sense of the global thicket of offset standards, rules, and systems, both voluntary and regulatory.' Derik Broekhoff, Vice President, Policy, Climate Action Reserve 'This reference work provides a uniquely comprehensive collection of facts and analysis on the numerous offset mechanisms in play across the world. I recommend it to anyone interested in the issue of offsets.' Jean-Jacques Becker, Assistant Director, French Ministry of Energy, Ecology and Sustainable Development 'A must-have resource for state and local policymakers interested in developing offset policies and programs.' Janice Adair, Special Assistant, Washington State Department of Ecology 'SEI is establishing itself as the 'go-to' source for comprehensive, unbiased information about the rapidly changing field of greenhouse gas offsets. This book will be an extremely valuable reference in a field where the lack of reliable data is a continual challenge.' Alexia Kelly, Senior Associate, Climate and Energy Program, World Resources Institute 'A uniquely comprehensive compendium on greenhouse gas offset programs throughout the world. And a wonderful reference for anyone from project developers to treaty negotiators.' Michael Gillenwater, Dean, Greenhouse Gas Management Institute 'This book provides a comprehensive overview of existing greenhouse gas offset programs with a keen eye to issues, options and alternatives. Policy makers, stakeholders and those interested in the development of a comprehensive market for greenhouse gas emission reductions, will find it a useful reference.' Janet Peace, Vice President for Markets and Business Strategy, Pew Center on Global Climate Change 'This book provides an excellent overview of the rules for offsetting projects in different programs around the globe. It should be a definitive reference for anyone who wants to understand the key issues and differences in the various offsetting schemes.' Lambert Schneider, Oeko-InstitutTable of ContentsIntroduction A Comparison of Offset Programs International Offset Mechanisms Offset Features of Cap and Trade Systems Offset Features of Other GHG Systems Greenhouse Gas Accounting Protocols Voluntary GHG Standards Carbon Offset Funds Glossary References

Read more less

Book SynopsisA comprehensive and accessible analysis of how effective climate policies can lead to a more sustainable future. Perfectfor anyone interested in climate tech solutions.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis fully updated second edition presents a conceptual framework of outdoor recreation management in the form of a series of management matrices. It then illustrates this framework through new and updated case studies in the US national parks, and concludes with the principles of outdoor recreation management. Written by an author team with extensive academic and practical experience in the field of outdoor recreation, the book: - Develops and presents a matrix-based framework of strategies and practices for managing outdoor recreation in a sustainable way. - Illustrates application of best management practices through a series of case studies in diverse national parks. - Includes lecture slides and online matrices to aid the teaching of outdoor recreation management to a new generation. Managing Outdoor Recreation, 2nd Edition is an essential resource for undergraduate and graduate students of parks, outdoor recreation and related subjects, as well as a helpful tool for practitioners.Table of Contents-: Preface PART I: MANAGING OUTDOOR RECREATION 1: Parks and Outdoor Recreation 2: Impacts of Outdoor Recreation 3: Outdoor Recreation Management Practices 4: Evaluating Outdoor Recreation Management Practices 5: Applying Outdoor Recreation Management Practices PART II: CASE STUDIES IN THE NATIONAL PARKS 6: Treading Lightly on Acadia 7: Building a Better Campsite Along the Appalachian Trail 8: Let There Be Light in Great Smoky Mountains 9: How Many Visitors is Too Many at Arches? 10: Protecting Biscayne’s Underwater Treasures 11: Saving Bats at Mammoth Cave 12: Turning Off the Lights at Chaco 13: Busing Among the Grizzlies at Denali 14: Winning the Lottery on the Colorado River 15: The Ice Caves are Open, The Ice Caves are Open 16: The Sounds of Silence in Muir Woods 17: Stewarding America’s Antiquities at Mesa Verde 18: What Goes Up Mt Whitney Must Come Down 19: Preventing the Petrified Forest from Disappearing 20: Containing Contaminants at Carlsbad Caverns 21: Bear Etiquette in Katmai 22: Don’t Pick Up Aquatic Hitchhikers in Voyageurs 23: A Mountain with Handrails at Yosemite 24: Doing the Zion Shuttle 25: The Buzz from Above at Grand Canyon 26: Managing Monuments and Memorials at the National Mall 27: Climbing Towards Common Ground at Devils Tower 28: The Winter Wonderland of Yellowstone 29: Alternative Transportation at Grand Teton 30: No Bad Trip in Glacier PART III: CONCLUSIONS 31: Lessons Learned APPENDIX A: MANAGEMENT PRACTICES APPENDIX B: TEACHING AND MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Read more less

Book SynopsisEnergy is a key resource for transformational development globally. Oil and gas continue to play a key role in this sector irrespective of the gradual transition towards renewables and will continue to do so in most developing and emerging economies in the near future. The industry is complex and highly capital intensive not only with significant risk, but also with significant benefits. Such a complex but important sector is generally not well understood both in academic and policy circles. This book fills this void by serving as a comprehensive reference to the oil and gas sector, with a focus on emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It offers in-depth coverage of the critical and contemporary issues in the economics of the oil and gas industry by carefully integrating the relevant theoretical underpinnings and practical policy issues across the value chain of the industry in relation to the development, fiscal arrangements, and the economic and financing aspects of the industry. These insights will significantly deepen the understanding of the industry and extend knowledge of the sector in ways that existing books do not. The book includes relevant cases and, thus, will serve as a valuable resource for students taking courses in market analysis of the oil and gas industry, energy economics, development economics and finance, environmental and resource economics, the political economy of the extractive industry, and development studies. Researchers and practitioners working in these areas will also find the book to be a useful reference guide.Table of ContentsPart I: Overview of the Oil and Gas Industry 1. Introduction to the Economics of the Global Oil and Gas Industry in Emerging and Developing EconomiesPart II: Oil and Gas Development and Fiscal Arrangement 2. The Oil and Gas Industry in Emerging and Developing Economies 3. Oil and Gas Exploration, Development and Production in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies 4. Legal, Regulatory and Fiscal Arrangement in the Oil and Gas Industry in Emerging and Developing Countries 5. Oil and Gas Energy Security PartIII: Oil and Gas Economics and Finance 6. The Economics of Oil and Gas Resources 7. Economics of Downstream Oil & Gas Project, Risk & Decision Analysis 8. The Market for Crude Oil 9. Financing of Oil and Gas Companies in Emerging and Developing Economies 10. Project Finance for the Oil and Gas Industry in Emerging and Developing Economies 11. Investment Appraisals for Oil and Gas Projects 12. Financial Analysis and Performance of Oil and Gas Firms 13. Financial Planning and Forecasting in the Oil and Gas Industry 14. Oil and Gas Valuation 15. Mergers and Acquisitions in the Oil and Gas Sector 16. Enterprise Risk Management in the Oil and Gas Industry: Evidence from a Developing Market 17. Derivative Markets for Oil and Gas Transactions 18. Petroleum Wealth Management in Emerging and Developing Countries 19. Oil Revenues, Finance and Economic Development 20. The Political Economy of the Oil and Gas Sector in Emerging and Developing Countries

Read more less

Book SynopsisIllich?s theories on the effectiveness of cars, air travel, and energy showed that industrial progress actually hampers the speed and effectiveness we have as people who were born capable of walking to our desired destinations. Roads, airports, stations, traffic jams, all take away the benefits of using complicated engineered methods of travel, and make our actual travel times longer.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe live in an oil-dependent world, and have got to this level of dependency in a very short space of time, using vast reserves of oil in the process without planning for when the supply is not so plentiful. Most people don't want to think about what happens when the oil runs out (or becomes prohibitively expensive), but The Transition Handbook shows how the inevitable and profound changes ahead can have a positive effect. They can lead to the rebirth of local communities, which will generate their own fuel, food and housing. They can encourage the development of local currencies, to keep money in the local area. They can unleash a local 'skilling-up', so that people have more control over their lives. The Transition Handbook is the manual which will guide communities to begin this 'energy descent' journey. The argument that 'small is inevitable' is upbeat and positive, as well as utterly convincing. The Transition Companion by Rob Hopkins was published in 2012, and The Power of Just Doing Stuff in 2014.Trade ReviewIf your town is not yet a Transition Town, here is guidance for making it one. We have little time, and much to accomplish * Richard Heinberg, Post Carbon Institute, Santa Rosa, California, author of Power Down *Table of ContentsForeword by Richard Heinberg Introduction Part 1 The Head: understanding peak oil Part 2 The Heart: positive visions of a post peak oil future Part 3 The Hands: a manual for developing the transition town model

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe World Trade Organization (WTO) is scarcely ten years old, but even in these early years of its existence it has generated debate, controversy and even outrage. Rulings on beef hormones and tuna-dolphin cases provide graphic examples of how the organization regulates and intrudes into areas of individual consumer choice, ethical preferences, and cultural habits. This deep and far-ranging impact of the WTO on peoples'' everyday lives means that it is not just an institution of interest to economists, but to everyone, a fact that was perhaps most graphically illustrated in the popular demonstrations at the 1999 Seattle Ministerial. Such protests have become a regular feature associated with most high-level meetings of the WTO. This VSI will provide a timely and carefully considered explanation of what the WTO is, what it does, and how it goes about executing its tasks. A clear understanding of the mandate, structure and functioning of the WTO is essential to appreciate the controversyTrade Review'Narlikar's engagement with public debates is exemplary - a task too rarely attempted by critical scholars in this area. This book is a timely rejoinder to the fledgling study of global governance. An exceptional introduction to the WTO, it also succeeds in doing much more than is says on the tin.' * Craig Berry, Political Studies Review *'The author obviously knows her subject...she succeeds well in giving an account of the organization that is both accessible and engaging... If this is the first thing that a student reads on the WTO, then he or she will be well launched into their enquiry.' * Professor Tony Payne, Department of Politics, University of Sheffield. *Table of ContentsAcknowledgements ; Preface ; 1. Who Needs an International Trade Organization and Why? ; 2. The Formation of the World Trade Organization ; 3. Decision Making and Negotiation Processes in the WTO ; 4. The Mandate of the WTO ; 5. Enforcing the Agreements: Dispute Settlement and the WTO ; 6. The Doha Development Agenda ; 7. The Burden of Governance ; References ; Further Reading

Read more less

Book SynopsisDambisa Moyo is the critically acclaimed author of How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid. She was chosen as one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2009. She holds a PhD in Economics from Oxford University and a Masters from Harvard University Kennedy School of Government, and has worked at the World Bank and Goldman Sachs. She was born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia.Trade ReviewIf Moyo's calculations are correct, we are in big trouble - which makes the central premise of her book all the more arresting...It's not hard to see why Moyo is such a hit as a public intellectual -- Decca Aitkenhead * Guardian *Written to clarify important global questions, this book deserves a wide audience * Kirkus Reviews *With Winner Take All, Dambisa Moyo offers a timely and provocative answer to two crucial questions: How are China's leaders rushing to meet their country's exploding demand for energy, and what does this mean for the rest of us? It's a recipe for conflict-and at a crucial moment for the future of the global economy -- Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and author of 'The End of the Free Market'For anyone longing to make sense of tectonic, eco-political shifts occurring in the commodities market, Winner Takes All is a fascinating and important book. By focusing her razor-sharp mind on China's central role in the new commodities rush, Moyo sheds light on and makes sense of a profound and dramatic moment in our history. Her book is a must-read -- Peter Munk, Chairman and Founder, Barrick Gold Corporation[Praise for How The West Was Lost] Moyo is a very serious lady indeed -- Dominic Lawson * The Times *Moyo's diagnosis of the recent disasters in financial markets is succinct and sophisticated...I applaud her brave alarum -- Paul Collier * The Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRoger Perman is Senior Lecturer in Economics, Strathclyde University. His major research interests and publications are in the field of applied econometrics and environmental economics. Michael Common is Professor in the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Strathclyde University. His major research interests are the development of ecological economics and policies for sustainability. Yue Ma is Associate Professor in Economics, Lingnan University, Hong Kong, and Adjunct Professor of Lingnan College, Zhongshan University, China. His major research interests are international banking and finance, as well as environmental economics for developing countries. David Maddison is Professor of Economics at the University of Birmingham The late James McGilvray was Professor of Economics at Strathclyde University. He made important contributions in the fields of input-outpTable of ContentsChapter 1: An introduction to natural resource and environmental economics Chapter 2: The origins of the sustainability problem Chapter 3: Ethics, economics and the environment Chapter 4: Welfare economics and the environment Chapter 5: Pollution control: targets Chapter 6: Pollution control: instruments Chapter 7: Pollution policy with imperfect information Chapter 8: Economy-wide modelling Chapter 9: International environmental problems Chapter 10: Trade and the Environment Chapter 11: Cost-benefit analysis Chapter 12: Valuing the environment Chapter 13: Irreversibility, risk and uncertainty Chapter 14: The efficient and optimal use of natural resources Chapter 15: The theory of optimal resource extraction: non-renewable resources Chapter 16: Stock pollution problems Chapter 17: Renewable resources Chapter 18: Forest resources Chapter 19: Accounting for the environment

Read more less

Book SynopsisLegacy answers one of the most important questions faces us today. What would an economy look like if it were to be sustainable and hence leave the next generation with the capabilities to choose how to live their lives, having addressed the great environmental challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss?Trade Review'This is a powerful argument for valuing future generations which means saving and investing now so as to live sustainably.' David Willetts, President of the Resolution Foundation and author of The Pinch'This is a hugely important book from a powerful thinker and writer. We are living with crumbling infrastructures, decaying social fabrics, excessive pollution and mass biodiversity loss. Our economies are not sustainable. Sir Dieter's sharp observation is that 'what is not sustainable will not be sustained'. Legacy clearly and potently charts a course from dystopia to utopia. If you care about the fate of humanity, you should read this book and recommend it to others.' Cameron Hepburn, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford'Dieter Helm does not pull his punches in this forthright and powerful book. What is unsustainable can, he insists, not be sustained. To avoid disaster, we must transform how we live. Above all, we must all pay for the maintenance of core natural assets, instead of living well off their destruction. This will demand radical changes in how we live our lives, individually and collectively. Some will assert that the revolution he seeks is impossible. Helm counters that it is inescapable.' Martin Wolf, Financial Times'Helm of Oxford university puts forward a passionate case for moving to a sustainable economy based on the principle that each generation bequeaths a stock of capital - physical and, far more important, natural - as good as what it inherited. To make this approach operational, we should embrace the twin ideas of 'polluter pays' and the 'precautionary principle'. Helm argues that implementing such ideas requires a concept of citizenship. Unfortunately, the challenges of making this idea work globally are daunting.' Martin Wolf, Financial Times - Best Economics Books of 2023'A revolutionary work in several senses.' Edward Lucas, The TimesTable of Contents1. Introduction; 2. The next generation; 3. Taking precautions, building resilience; 4. The capitals; 5. Sustainable accounting and the balance sheet; 6. Polluter pays; 7. Public goods and zero marginal costs; 8. Sustainable consumption, deficits and debt; 9. Social justice; 10. Delivering the system plans; 11. A new constitution; 12. Conclusions: it could go either way.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe recent rise to prominence of renewable energy and energy efficiency has been driven by their potential to lower the environmental impacts of energy use. As these technologies mature they must demonstrate not only their environmental benefits, but also their economic competitiveness.Table of ContentsSymbols, Units and Abbreviations ix About the Companion Website xv 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background 2 1.2 Aim 4 1.3 Aspects of renewable energy project appraisal 6 1.4 Book layout 8 References 10 2 Technologies 11 2.1 Introduction 11 2.2 Key concepts 11 2.2.1 Heat of combustion 12 2.2.2 Efficiency 12 2.2.3 Rated power and energy 12 2.2.4 Capacity and availability factors 13 2.2.5 Technology learning 13 2.3 Electrical power generation 14 2.3.1 Natural-gas-fired power plant 14 2.3.2 Coal-fired power plant 15 2.3.3 Hydropower 17 2.3.4 Wind power 19 2.3.5 Ocean energy 22 2.3.6 Photovoltaics 25 2.4 Heat generation 28 2.4.1 Boilers 28 2.4.2 Solar water heaters 30 2.5 Combined heat and power 34 2.5.1 Micro-CHP 36 2.5.2 CHP engines 37 2.5.3 CHP turbines 37 2.5.4 Combined heat, power and cooling 38 2.6 Energy storage 39 2.6.1 Electrical 40 2.6.2 Pumped hydroelectric storage 40 2.6.3 Compressed air energy storage 42 2.6.4 Thermal energy storage 44 2.7 Energy efficiency 45 2.7.1 Thermal insulation 46 2.7.2 High-efficiency lighting 48 References 50 3 Modelling Energy Systems 53 3.1 Introduction 53 3.2 System, model and simulation 54 3.2.1 Systems 54 3.2.2 Models 58 3.2.3 Simulation 71 3.3 Modelling and simulating energy systems 76 3.3.1 Steps in simulating energy projects 76 3.3.2 Simulation tools 79 3.3.3 Data sources 79 3.4 Case studies 83 3.4.1 Office PV system 83 3.4.2 Gas heat pump for data room cooling 87 3.4.3 Compressed air energy storage 90 3.5 Conclusions 93 References 95 4 Financial Analysis 97 4.1 Introduction 97 4.2 Fundamentals 98 4.2.1 Investor perspective 98 4.2.2 Types of projects and decisions 99 4.2.3 Cash flows 100 4.2.4 Real and nominal prices 104 4.2.5 Present value 106 4.2.6 Discount rates 109 4.2.7 Taxation and depreciation 112 4.2.8 Unequal project lifespan 114 4.3 Financial measures 116 4.3.1 Payback and discounted payback periods 117 4.3.2 Return on investment 120 4.3.3 Profitability index and savings-to-investment ratio 121 4.3.4 Net present value 123 4.3.5 Internal Rate of Return 127 4.3.6 Life cycle cost 131 4.3.7 Levelised Cost of Energy 132 4.3.8 Uncertainty and risk 134 4.3.9 Financial measures compared 136 4.4 Case studies 139 4.4.1 Municipal bus fleet conversion to compressed natural gas 139 4.4.2 New wind farm development 142 4.5 Conclusion 148 References 149 5 Multi-Criteria Analysis 151 5.1 General 151 5.2 Simple non-compensatory methods 152 5.2.1 Introduction 152 5.2.2 Dominance 153 5.2.3 Satisficing methods 155 5.2.4 Sequential elimination methods 157 5.2.5 Attitude-oriented methods 158 5.3 Simple additive weighting method 160 5.3.1 Basic simple additive weighting method 160 5.3.2 Sensitivity analysis of baseline SAW results 163 5.3.3 Assigning weights to the decision criteria 164 5.4 Analytic hierarchy process 168 5.4.1 Introduction 168 5.4.2 Hierarchies 169 5.4.3 Establishing priorities within hierarchies 169 5.4.4 Establishing and calculating priorities 171 5.4.5 Deriving priorities using an approximation method 172 5.4.6 Deriving exact priorities using the iterative Eigenvector method 173 5.5 Concordance analysis 181 5.5.1 Introduction 181 5.5.2 PROMETHEE I 184 5.5.3 ELECTRE TRI 188 5.6 Site selection for wind farms – a case study from Cavan (Ireland) 189 5.6.1 Introduction 189 5.6.2 National and international guidance 189 5.6.3 Decision framework chosen 194 5.6.4 Decision model utilised to categorise each of the 18 sites 195 5.6.5 Selection of potentially suitable sites 198 5.6.6 Concluding comment on case studies 198 5.7 Concluding comments on MCDA models 200 References 202 6 Policy Aspects 203 6.1 Energy policy context 203 6.2 Energy policy overview 206 6.2.1 Policy instruments and targets 206 6.2.2 Designing policy instruments 208 6.3 Marginal abatement cost 210 6.3.1 Environmental life cycle assessment 211 6.3.2 Estimating marginal abatement costs 221 6.4 Subsidy design 224 6.4.1 Types of energy subsidies 224 6.4.2 Calculating feed-in-tariffs 226 6.5 Social cost–benefit analysis 230 6.5.1 Define the objective and identify base case 231 6.5.2 Identify costs and benefits 231 6.5.3 Value costs and benefits 233 6.5.4 Discount the costs and benefits 235 6.5.5 Interpret results 237 6.5.6 Assess who bears the costs and benefits 237 6.5.7 Uncertainty 238 6.5.8 Make decision 238 6.6 Case studies 238 6.6.1 Marginal abatement costs of emission mitigation options in a building estate 238 6.6.2 PV feed-in-tariff design 243 6.7 Conclusions 248 References 248 Appendix A: Table of Discount Factors 251 Index 253

Read more less

Book SynopsisHow did Europeans achieve global dominance and continue to satisfy their ever-growing needs? How do we explain the effects this has on the rest of the world? In his magnum opus, published here in English for the first time as an open access book, world-renowned critical development scholar Benoit Daviron blends Braudelian history and a food systems approach to show how biomass--as the metabolism of societies and as a source of matter and energy--explains key historical phases of Western capitalist hegemony and the transitions between them. By examining various uses of biomass, technical production and extraction methods, forms of labour mobilization, and exchange systems, Daviron provides startling new insights into capitalist development from the 16th century to the present. This book is essential reading for students and scholars of critical approaches to global development, and for anyone interested in how capitalist domination came to be and how the bio-meatabolic imbalances

Read more less