New Books: Sustainable Stockholm Exploring Urban Sustainability in Europe’s Greenest City Edited by Jonathan Metzger, Amy Rader Olsson (26 Aug 2013)

Sustainable Stockholm

Exploring Urban Sustainability in Europe’s Greenest City

Edited by Jonathan Metzger, Amy Rader Olsson

Routledge – 2014 – 248 pages

Descriptions:

Sustainable Stockholm provides a historical overview of Stockholm’s environmental development, and also discusses a number of cross-disciplinary themes presenting the urban sustainability work behind Stockholm’s unique position, and importantly the question of how well Stockholm’s practices can be exported and transposed to other places and contexts.

By using the case of Stockholm as the pivot of discussions, Sustainable Stockholm investigates the core issues of sustainable urban environmental development and planning, in all their entanglements. The book shows how intersecting fields such as urban planning and architecture, traffic planning, land-use regulation, building, waste management, regional development, water management, infrastructure engineering—together and in combination—have contributed to making Stockholm Europe’s "greenest" city.

Contents:

Introduction: The Greenest City?

Jonathan Metzger and Amy Rader Olsson

From ugly duckling to Europe's first green capital: a historical perspective on the development of Stockholm's urban environment

Björn Hårsman and Bo Wijkmark

Using the concept of sustainability to work: interpretations in academia, policy, and planning

Ulrika Gunnarsson-Östling, Karin Edvardsson Björnberg, and Göran Finnveden

A Sustainable Urban Fabric: The development and application of Analytical Urban Design Theory

Lars Marcus, Berit Balfors, and Tigran Haas

Sustainable urban flows and networks: theoretical and practical aspects of infrastructure development and planning

Folke Snickars, Lars-Göran Mattsson, and Bo Olofsson

The Economics of Green Buildings

Hans Lind, Magnus Bonde, and Agnieszka Zalejska-Jonsson

Performing sustainability: institutions, inertia and the practices of everyday life

Ebba Högström, Josefin Wangel, and Greger Henriksson

From Eco-Modernizing to Political Ecologizing: Future challenges for the Green Capital

Karin Bradley, Anna Hult, and Göran Cars

Urban sustainable development the Stockholm way

Amy Rader Olsson and Jonathan Metzger

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415622134/

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Indian Updates: Indian cities less NO2 polluted than other major global counterparts (20 Aug 2013)

NASA scientists have used satellite observations to measure air pollution's dependence on population in four of the planet's major air pollution regions: the United States, Europe, China and India.

Indian cities less NO2 polluted than other major global counterparts

ANI | Aug 20, 2013, 09.51 PM IST
WASHINGTON: NASA scientists have used satellite observations to measure air pollution's dependence on population in four of the planet's major air pollution regions: the United States, Europe, China and India.


They found that the pollution-population relationship varies by region. For example, a city of 1 million people in Europe experiences six times higher nitrogen dioxide pollution than an equally populated city of 1 million people in India, according to the research led by Lok Lamsal, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centerin Greenbelt, Maryland.

Lamsal said that energy usage patterns and per capita emissions differ greatly between India and Europe and destpite large populations, Indian cities seem cleaner in terms of NO2 pollution than the study's other regions.

The variation is a reflection of regional differences such as industrial development, per capita emissions and geography.

Previously, researchers have measured the relationship between population and several urban characteristics, like infrastructure, employment and innovation.

Lamsal said that they showed that the relationship is also applicable to pollution and measurement of that relationship is potentially useful for developing future inventories and formulating air pollution control policies.

The researchers focused on nitrogen dioxide, or NO2, a common pollutant from the burning of fossil fuels. The gas is a precursor to the formation of near-ground ozone, which can cause respiratory problems and is a problem in many major metropolitan areas.

NO2 is also unhealthy to breathe in high concentrations. One feature of the gas, however, is that it's a good proxy for urban air quality.

Lamsal and colleagues studied data collected by the Ozone Monitoring Instrument on NASA's Aura satellite, which measures NO2 throughout the atmosphere in the afternoon around the world.

Next they used an air quality computer model to derive from the satellite data the annual mean concentration of the gas near the ground in some of the Northern Hemisphere's major polluting regions, excluding hotspots such as power plants that could skew the urban relationship. By overlaying pollution concentration with population density data, the researchers could examine the relationship.

Results across the different regions showed divergent NO2 surface concentrations in urban areas of 1 million people: 0.98 parts per billion (US), 1.33 ppb (Europe), 0.68 ppb (China) and 0.23 ppb (India). The same regions saw various degrees of pollution increases in cities with population of 10 million people: 2.55 ppb (US), 3.86 ppb (Europe), 3.13 ppb (China) and 0.53 ppb (India).

The contribution to air pollution from surface-level NO2 in each region more than doubled when cities increased in population from 1 million to 10 million people, although in China the increase was much larger, by about a factor of five.

Even though larger cities are typically more energy efficient with lower per-capita emissions, more people still translates to more pollution. But the study reveals some noteworthy regional differences.

The study has been published in Environmental Science and Technology.

The researchers said that further investigation is needed in order to clarify the causes behind the regional differences.

Source: 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/pollution/Indian-cities-less-NO2-polluted-than-other-major-global-counterparts/articleshow/21940061.cms

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New Books: Values in Sustainable Development Edited by Jack Appleton (21 Aug 2013)

Values in Sustainable Development

Edited by Jack Appleton

Routledge – 2014 – 344 pages

Descriptions:

To enhance sustainable development research and practice the values of the researchers, project managers and participants must first be made explicit. Values in Sustainable Development introduces and compares worldviews and values from multiple countries and perspectives, providing a survey of empirical methods available to study environmental values as affected by sustainable development. The first part is methodological, looking at what values are, why they are important, and how to include values in sustainable development. The second part looks at how values differ across social contexts, religions and viewpoints demonstrating how various individuals may value nature from a variety of cultural, social, and religious points of view. The third and final part presents case studies ordered by scale from the individual and community levels through to the national, regional and international levels. These examples show how values can motivate, be incorporated into and be an integral part of the success of a project.

This thought-provoking book gives researchers, students and practitioners in sustainable development a wealth of approaches to include values in their research.

Contents:

Part 1: Methods for Understanding Individuals’ Values

Part 2: Religious and Ethnically Based Environmental Values\

Part 3: Examples of Values Guiding Behavior

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415643504/

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Taiwanese Updates: 環保署推動資源循環零廢棄 規劃建置二手物交換資訊整合平台 (20 Aug 2013)

環保署推動資源循環零廢棄 規劃建置二手物交換資訊整合平台
提供單位：行政院環境保護署廢管處
發布日期：2013.08.20

暑假過後升為小六的小男孩，希望擁有一輛腳踏車，爸爸用一個功能正常、卻用不到的電鍋，在「幸福小站」換到了他需要的腳踏車，小男孩高興的說要騎回家……，這是新北市環保局幸福小站網路上一則真實感人的跳蚤市場故事。如何讓您家中用不到的二手物，成為別人的幸福，賦予舊物品新生命。環保署今年特別規劃建置二手物交換資訊整合平台，提供民眾輕鬆搜尋到二手物交換資訊，延長物品的生命週期，從源頭減少廢棄物產生，達到資源循環零廢棄的目標。         環保署表示，在二手物循環再使用推動上，除了大家熟知各縣市環保局再生家具定期辦理拍賣之外(包括基隆市美傢園、臺中市寶之林、臺南市藏金閣、臺北市再生家具網、高雄市戀舊拍賣網…等，皆化腐朽為神奇)，在政府與民間也經常舉辦各類二手物品跳蚤市集或交換平台，喚起民眾愛物惜物的心，養成不浪費的好習慣，讓物資循環利用就能減少很多垃圾，較具特色有：         政府部門主要以各縣市環保局為主，較具成效有臺北市「延慧書庫」的二手書兌換；新北市幸福小站「餘裕物資媒合平台」，回收二手物免費提供給弱勢或突遭變故的家庭，多餘物資則提供民眾以物易物；臺中市「二手物銀行」，透過累積點數兌換；宜蘭縣「故事宅急便-公益二手創意市集」，結合藝文活動公益捐贈；嘉義市「跳蚤來了 資源惜福尋寶去」，結合再耕園身心障礙者謀生平台，匯集大眾的愛心二手物資等，其餘縣市亦均有辦理相關二手交換平台或跳蚤市場。         民間機構設立二手物交換平台，也非常多樣且各具特色，例如廢棄物清除業之大豐環保公司的城市源點，跳脫回收站以往髒亂不堪的傳統印象，以全新概念的環保回收型便利店，提供二手物寄賣；網路平台則有「以物易物交換網」，透過媒合成功換得點數紀錄於減碳存摺，並轉換為氧樹遊戲的等級，吸引民眾參與。         環保署也表示，不論政府或民間設立二手交換平台，經由機關、團體及社區的推廣，讓惜物、環保與公益傳承下去。但因資訊分散未整合，也未有持續全面的宣導計畫，民眾不瞭解交換管道，也不易搜尋。有鑑於此，環保署為落實「資源循環零廢棄」5R中之「Reuse(再使用)」，今年特別成立計畫整合政府及民間二手交換資訊，同時配合推動低碳永續家園之「資源循環」之優先推動行動項目，將整合二手物交換資訊整合平台(愛二手物I2so5)，並配合低碳永續家園行動計畫之認證專案，逐步推廣到全國各村里社區、鄉鎮。         環保署也呼籲民眾，除了考慮採購再生家具或二手物品，不僅能節省支出，做公益，更能節能減碳做環保之外；如家裡有用不到的物品，可透過政府或民間交換媒合平台，讓二手物變得更有價值，同時也幫助有需要的人，讓您的「舊愛」變成有緣人的「新歡」，讓資源循環，低碳永續。

點閱數：651

附加檔案：

附件一、記者版 非巨大家具 v2.docx

附件二、記者版 巨大廢棄物 v2.docx

Source: http://ivy5.epa.gov.tw/enews/fact_Newsdetail.asp?InputTime=1020820150922

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Events: Global Energy Essay Contest 2013 organized by global energy initiative (deadline: 28 Oct 2013)

Global Energy Essay Contest 2013

Global Energy Essay Contest 2013

Introduction

"A Vision for The Decade (2014-2024) of Sustainable Energy for All"

Date:

28 Oct 2013

The Global Energy Essay Contest provides an exciting opportunity for college and university students around the world to engage in critical  thinking and present their ideas and solutions to tackle the key energy issues that humanity faces today.

Eligibility

The essay contest is open to all students from across the world that   are currently enrolled in university working towards a degree program   (e.g. B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S, M.B.A, M.Ed., Ph.D., etc) to take part in  the contest.

Essay Topic

The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared  201402024 as the Decade of Sustainable Energy for All, underscoring the importance of energy issues for sustainable development and for the elaboration of the post-2015 development agenda.

Taking inspiration from this, we would like students to share their thoughts on the declaration through this year?s essay topic:

"A Vision for The Decade (2014-2024) of Sustainable Energy for All"

Prizes

The First and Second place winners will receive an invitation to the Global Energy Conference at the United Nations from December 11-12, 2013. The First place winner will also have a speaking opportunity during the award presentation ceremony. Airfare and accommodation to New York will be covered. The top ten finalists will receive  certificates from Global Energy Initiative.

The deadline for submission is October 28, 2013. Prize winners will be announced on November 8, 2013.

Visit our website http://globalenergyinitiative.org/ for more details.

For more information:

http://www.sustainability.hku.hk/news-event/detail/global-energy-essay-contest-2013

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Events: Public Lecture organized by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 6 Sep 2013

Public Lecture organized by HKPOLYU
Topic: Sustainable Buildings - Dream or Trend
Date: 6 Sep 2013
Time: 18:30 - 19:30
Venue: Room M1603, Senate Room, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University



For more information: http://www.polyu.edu.hk/fce/events/20130906_lecture/

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Indian Updates: Mumbai, Kolkata to suffer huge damage from sea flooding by 2050: Study (19 Aug 2013)

A file photo of strong wind and rain in the outskirts of Kolkata city on May 25, 2009. (TOI Photo)

Mumbai, Kolkata to suffer huge damage from sea flooding by 2050: Study
Subodh Varma, TNN | Aug 19, 2013, 03.19 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Mumbai and Kolkata are at risk of suffering several billions of dollars of damages by 2050 due to flooding even if they upgrade their protection, a study has warned. Mumbai would lose $6.4 billion and Kolkata $3.4 billion annually, the study published in Nature Climate Change estimated.


In the worst case scenario, the world's 136 largest coastal cities could risk combined annual losses of $1 trillion (750 billion euros) from floods by 2050 unless they drastically raise their defenses, the study said.

Flood exposure is increasing in coastal cities owing to growing populations and assets, the changing climate, and subsidence, the study found.

World Bank economist Stephane Hallegatte and colleagues composed a loss risk scenario based on city population growth as well as different levels of sea level rise, protection upgrades and subsidence—the sinking of surface areas often linked to the extraction of oil or other ground resources.

Average global flood losses in 2005 are estimated to be approximately US$6?billion per year. Assuming cities improve their protection to contain the flood risk to current levels, and based purely on the projected growth of city populations and the assets accumulated there, the team warned of a nine-fold increase in losses to $52 billion per year by 2050, AFP reported.

However, this figure changes dramatically once climate change induced sea level rise and subsidence is factored in. It increases to between $60 and $63 billion per year.

"With no adaptation (of flood protection), the projected increase in average losses by 2050 is huge, with aggregate losses increasing to more than $1 trillion per year," said the study—a worst-case-scenario.

But even the best protection in the world won't eliminate the risk, said the study. While higher dykes can reduce flooding, the magnitude of losses when they do occur will continue to rise.

"We have more and more people depending on these protections. That means that if we have a dyke rupture, as there are more people behind the dykes, we will have ever bigger catastrophes," Hallegatte told AFP.

With protection upgrades, the cities with the highest projected annual losses by 2050 were Guangzhou ($13.2 billion), Mumbai ($6.4 billion) and Kolkota ($3.4 billion) in India, Guayaquil ($3.2 billion) in Ecuador and Shenzhen ($3.1 billion) in China. For Guangzhou, this represented an 11 percent rise on 2005 losses and for Kolkota 24 percent, said the authors.

Number six on the list was Miami, with projected annual losses of $2.5 billion, followed by Tianjin in China with $2.3 billion, New York with $2 billion, Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam with $1.9 billion and New Orleans with $1.9 billion, AFP reported.

Rich cities, many of them in areas more at risk from flooding, can generally afford better defences than poor cities which are over-represented among those that risk the biggest losses, said the study.

Amsterdam, for example, has about $83 billion of assets exposed to extreme flooding—yet its average annual loss was $3 million due to having the world's best flood defences.

New Orleans, on the other hand, has annual losses estimated at $600 million, though improvements have been made since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

According to Hallegatte, the team has calculated that about $50 billion per year would be required to boost flood protection for the 136 cities in the report—"far below" the estimated losses.

Source:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/global-warming/Mumbai-Kolkata-to-suffer-huge-damage-from-sea-flooding-by-2050-Study/articleshow/21913568.cms

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Indian Updates: Exotic shark fins soup industry comes under environment ministry's radar (23 Aug 2013)

Exotic shark fins soup industry comes under environment ministry's radar

Vishwa Mohan, TNN | Aug 23, 2013, 10.30 PM IST

NEW DELHI: Exotic shark fins soup industry will have to observe certain dos and don'ts in India under a new government policy. Union environment ministry has prohibited "the removal of shark fins on board a vessel in the sea" so that the law enforcers can monitor illegal hunting of banned species of sharks.

The policy prescribes that any possession of shark fins that are not naturally attached to the body of the shark would amount to "hunting" of a Schedule-I (protected category) species which attracts punishment under the Wild Life(Protection) Act.

"The policy calls for concerted action and implementation by the concerned state governments through appropriate legislative, enforcement and other measures", said the ministry in a statement issued on Friday.

It said, "With a view to stop the inhuman hunting of sharks and to enable the enforcement agencies to monitor the illegal hunting/poaching of the species listed in Schedule-I, the environment and forest minister Jayanthi Natarajan has approved a policy for prohibiting the removal of shark fins on board a vessel in the sea".

Sharks, Rays and Skates play an important the role in maintenance of the marine ecosystem like tigers and leopards in the forests. India is known to be home to about 40-60 species of sharks.

However, the population of some of these has declined over the years due to several reasons including over exploitation and unsustainable fishing practices. Therefore, 10 species of sharks have been listed in the Schedule- I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, in order to provide them the highest degree of protection.

"Due to high demand of shark fines in the shark fin-soup industry, it has been reported that the fins of the sharks captured in the mid sea are removed on the vessel and the de-finned sharks are thrown back in the sea to die a painful death.

"This has not only resulted in in-human killing of large number of sharks and in this process, but also has further decimated the population of listed species. This practice prevailing on board the shipping vessels has led to difficulties in enforcement of provisions of the law as it becomes difficult to identify the species of sharks from the fins alone, without the corresponding carcass, from which the fins have been detached", said the ministry.

Source: 
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Exotic-shark-fins-soup-industry-comes-under-environment-ministrys-radar/articleshow/22011426.cms

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Vietnamese updates: Vietnam initially succeeded in protecting the ozone layer (22 Aug 2013)

Vietnam initially succeeded in protecting the ozone layer 
Thứ năm, ngày 22 tháng 08 năm 2013 cập nhật lúc 00:07


September 16^th every year is International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. In this day, the world reiterated the importance of ozone layer, the influence of people on the degradation of the ozone layer due to the emission of hazardous substances that cause ‘damage’ to fragile ozone layer in the upper atmosphere. Looking back the past, Vietnam has achieved remarkable success in the gradual restriction of the use of ozone depleting substances.

Protecting the ozone layer is the responsibility of mankind. Therefore, the leaders of the countries all over the world had a meeting in Montreal (Canada), 195/196 countries have agreed to participate in the Montreal Protocol 1997 to eliminate the use of chemicals to deplete the ozone layer. The current goal of Vietnam and countries participating in the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the Ozone Layer is to gradually eliminate the entire of ozone depleting substances such as CFC, HCFC, HFC (chemicals used in Cooling mechanism of conditioning equipment, air conditioning, etc.). These substances have the potential to cause global warming thousand times higher than CO2.

Although in January 1994, Vietnam participated in Montreal Protocol, until January 2010, there is no longer any business in Vietnam using CFC (the catalyst has high affection in breaking ozone molecules) in cosmetics production. Cooling and air conditioning industry also achieve positive results with an average reduction of 3.6 tons of CFC 11 per year in the textile industry, 5.8 tons of CFC-12 in air conditioning used in cars and 40 tons of CFCs in commercial refrigeration equipment and appliances, etc. Vietnam has completely eliminated the annual consumption of ozone depleting substances, with about 500 tons of CFCs and 3.8 tons of halons. With these achievements, Vietnam’s efforts and contribution in the implementation of Montreal Protocol have been recognized by ‘Environment Program’ of United Nations.

According to the Montreal Protocol, in 2013, Vietnam has only consumed HCFC HCFC at the basic line level (221.2 tons). From October 2015 to the end of 2019, it has to decrease by 10% compared to the basic line level , 35% from 2020 and completely eliminate in 2030. The industry of equipment repair and maintenance is allowed to use HCFC until 2040. To ensure the compliance with the limits to eliminate HCFCs according to the Montreal Protocol, with the support of the World Bank, Department of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) has completed the construction of the project ‘National Management Plan for eliminating HCFC substances of Vietnam’. The project’s phase 1 was approved by the Executive Committee of Multilateral Fund with the grant of $ 10 million USD, being implemented since 2012-2016. Phase 2 of the project will be constructed and called for financing by the Department of Hydrometeorology and Climate Change in collaboration with the World Bank and in 2015. It is estimated that Vietnam needs 20-25 million more to completely eliminate HCFC.

The responsibility of Vietnam in the next years is t9bcompletely eliminate HCFC consumption. This process can be extended to 2030. To achieve this objective, from now on, Vietnamese Government is calling for people to join hands to protect the ozone layer by changing consuming behavior. Do not use conditioners containing HCFC-22 coolant with low price. Instead, use HCFC-410a. When purchasing household products, especially the kind using in a spray bottle, consumers should find the kinds with the label of "no CFC ". When painting house, paint by brush or roller, do not use a spray. Reduce the use of plastic foam packaging. If available, take advantage of it for many times. Businesses should not install new equipment using HCFC, they should use advanced technology from the beginning to avoid technology transfer, which requires international roadmap that has been approved.

However, according to Mr. Nguyen Khac Hieu, Deputy Director of Department of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change: If receiving the full support of finance and technology from international organizations, Vietnam will have completed eliminating HCFC in 2025.

Mai Chi

Source: 

http://www.monre.gov.vn/v35/default.aspx?tabid=675&CateID=58&ID=129006&Code=UVHD129006

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Event: 2014 International Conference and Utility Exhibition on “Green Energy for Sustainable Development” organized by Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand from 19-21 Mar 2014

2014 International Conference and Utility Exhibition on “Green Energy for Sustainable Development”

2014 International Conference and Utility Exhibition on“Green Energy for Sustainable Development” is organized by the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand will be held on 19-21 March 2014 at Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel and Resort, Jomtien, Pattaya City, Thailand.

In discussions of economic development, industrialization, modernization and urbanization are often in the equation. But as this generation being a product of past environmental transgressions, we are now all inclined to include environmental sustainability in the picture. We now not only refer economic development to quantitative and qualitative progress in the economy, community and society, but we now also consider the kind of natural environment we would be leaving for future generations. Industrialization, modernization and urbanization translate to an insatiable thirst for energy. But as demand for energy grows, so do the greenhouse gas emissions. If the aspiration of development is to raise living standards, provide proper access to modern energy services, more efficient use of energy to protect the global environment and ensure reliable energy supplies, then green growth must play a key role. Incorporating elements of low-carbon green growth in economic strategies that would cover technological, financial and investment aspects, as well as national and regional energy development policies geared towards achieving a sustainable green future has now become more important. A low-carbon based type of economy will help mitigate environmental pollution and CO2 emissions caused by fossil fuel use, help reduce reliance to dwindling fossil reserves, and encourage technological innovations.

This ICUE 2014 conference will be a venue to exchange research ideas, experiences, technical, social, financial, economic and policy issues covering greening energy utilization. Here, energy professionals, policy makers, researchers, members of the academe, engineers, members of the energy supply sector, etc., will have a platform to showcase research findings, technological innovations, transformative emerging technologies, and even to discuss burning global, regional and national issues in energy utilization for development and environment policies and programmes. In particular, the following topics will be featured:

ü Greening the Fossil Fuels

ü Renewable Energy

ü Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution

ü Smart Grid and Renewable Energy Integration

ü Greening the Industrial Sector

ü Green Energy in Transport

ü Green Buildings and Infrastructures

ü Energy and Water Nexus

ü Energy and Health

ü Greening Urbanization and Urban Settlements

ü Green Policies and Programmes

ü MDGs and Green Energy Rural Development through Green Energy

ü Green Energy Education and Training

Important dates to remember are:

15 September 2013 : Due date of Abstract Submission
15 October 2013: Notification of Abstract Acceptance
20 December 2013: Due date of Full Paper Submission
15 January 2014: Due date of Early Registration

For further information, please contact:
ICUE 2014
Dr. Shobhakar Dhakal
Conference Director
School of Environment Resources and Development
Asian Institute of Technology
P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120
Thailand
Tel: (+662) 524-6216 and 524-5413
Fax: (+662) 524-5439
e-mail: icue@ait.ac.th
URL: www.icue2014.ait.asia or www.icue2014.ait.ac.th

Ms. Maria Kathrina B. Gratuito, Conference Secretariat, Email: icue@ait.ac.th

Event Websites: 

Website

• PRESENTATIONS

Persons Presenting and the files used for this event

For more information: http://cleanairinitiative.org/portal/node/11910

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New Books: Climate Change and Cultural Heritage A Race against Time By Peter F. Smith (22 Aug 2013)

Climate Change and Cultural Heritage

A Race against Time

By Peter F. Smith

Routledge – 2014 – 216 pages

Descriptions:

History reveals how civilisations can be decimated by changes in climate. More recently modern methods of warfare have exposed the vulnerability of the artefacts of civilisation. Bringing together a range of subjects - from science, energy and sustainability to aesthetics theory and civilization theory - this book uniquely deals with climate change and the ensuing catastrophes in relation to cultural factors, urbanism and architecture. It links the evolution of civilisation, with special emphasis on the dynamics of beauty as displayed in architecture and urbanism, to climate change. It then considers both the historic and predicted impacts of climate change and the threat it poses to the continued viability of human civilisation when survival is the top priority.

This book gives students, researchers and professionals in architecture and sustainable design as well as anyone interested in the threat of global warming to civilisation, new insights as to what could be lost if action is not taken at a global level.

Contents:

1. Introduction: Bridging the Cultural Divide
2. Goldilocks 
3. The Evolution of Civilisation 
4. The Dynamics of Climate Change 
5. Climate and the Price of Progress 
6. Predictions for the UK 
7. The Race Against Time
8. From Climate to Civilisation and the Principle of Harmony 
9. Beyond the Maths 
10. The energy Dilemma 
11. Green Technologies - a sample 
12. Access to Clean Energy 
13. Carbon Dioxide Uncertainties 
14. Nuclear Developments and Complementary Technologies 
15. Essential Services Provided by Nature 
16. China, on the Ascent 
17. The Four Degrees Scenario

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415660044/

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New Books: Land Change Science, Political Ecology, and Sustainability Synergies and divergences Edited by Christian Brannstrom, Jacqueline M. Vadjunec (22 Aug 2013)

Land Change Science, Political Ecology, and Sustainability

Synergies and divergences

Edited by Christian Brannstrom, Jacqueline M. Vadjunec

Routledge – 2013 – 266 pages

Descriptions:

Recent claims regarding conver

gence and divergence between land change science and political ecology as approaches to the study of human-environment relationships and sustainability science are examined and analyzed in this innovative volume. Comprised of 11 commissioned chapters as well as introductory and concluding/synthesis chapters, it advances the two fields by proposing new conceptual and methodological approaches toward integrating land change science and political ecology.

The book also identifies areas of fundamental difference and disagreement between fields. These theoretical contributions will help a generation of young researchers refine their research approaches and will advance a debate among established scholars in geography, land-use studies, and sustainability science that has been developing since the early 2000s. At an empirical level, case studies focusing on sustainable development are included from Africa, Central and South America, and Southeast Asia. The specific topics addressed include tropical deforestation, swidden agriculture, mangrove forests, gender, and household issues.

Contents:

Foreword

Andrew Millington

1. Notes for Avoiding a Missed Opportunity in Sustainability Science: Integrating Land Change Science and Political Ecology

Christian Brannstrom and Jacqueline M. Vadjunec

2. The Ghost of von Thünen Lives: A Political Ecology of the Disappearance of the Amazonian Forest

Robert Walker and Peter Richards

3. Forest Transitions in Southeast Asia: Synergies and Shortcomings in Land Change Science and Political Ecology

Guillaume Lestrelin, Jean-Christophe Castella and Jefferson Fox

4. Politicizing Land Use Change in Highland Madagascar: Struggles with Air Photo Analyses and Conservation Agendas

Christian A. Kull

5. Producing Biodiversity in Tanzania’s Mangrove Forests? A Combined Political Ecology and Ecological Resilience Approach to "Sustainably Utilized Landscapes"

Betsy A. Beymer-Farris

6. Gender, the Household, and Land Change in Southeastern Mexico

Claudia Radel, Birgit Schmook, and Crisol Méndez

7. Border Integrations: The Fusion of Political Ecology and Land Change Science to Inform and Contest Transboundary Integration in Amazonia

David S. Salisbury, Mariano Castro Sánchez Moreno, Luís Dávalos Torres, Robert Guimaraes Vásquez, José Saito Diaz, Pedro Tipula Tipula, Andrés Treneman Young, Carlos Arana Courrejolles, Martin Arana Cardó and the Grupo de Monitoreo de Megaproyectos Región Ucayali

8. Political Ecology and Land Change Science in the Study of Infrastructure Impacts: The Case of the Southwestern Amazon

Stephen G. Perz, Jane Southworth, Grenville Barnes, Youliang Qiu, Yibin Xia, Jing Sun, Karla Rocha

9. Deforestation and the World-as-Representation: The Maya Forest of Southern Belize

Joel Wainwright, Shiguo Jiang, and Desheng Liu

10. Shifting Spaces and Hidden Landscapes in Rural South Africa

Brian King

11. Political Ecology, Land Change Science and the Political Economy of Nature

Brent McCusker

12. The Intersection of Independent Lies: Land Change Science and Political Ecology

Rinku Roy Chowdhury

13. Two-Way Traffic across a Porous Border

Paul Robbins and B. L. Turner II

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9780415540230/

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New Books: Environmental Economics An Integrated Approach By Philip E. Graves (21 Aug 2013)

Environmental Economics

An Integrated Approach

By Philip E. Graves

CRC Press – 2013 – 264 pages

Descriptions:

Rigorous, yet written in a way that facilitates 

understanding of sometimes difficult material, this book provides practical and working knowledge of how environmental policy analysis is conducted in the United States and, to a lesser extent, elsewhere. It details the tools required to conduct that analysis and also discusses weaknesses in the existing methods, underlining areas for future improvement. This approach allows readers to get a sense of what is known and what is not known about environmental economics.

Contents:

Basic Theory: Introduction. The Economy and the Environment: Uncontrolled Case. The Economy and the Environment: The Case of Optimal Controls. Alternative Regulatory Approaches. 

Physical Effects: Optimal Controls in Real-World Settings: General Considerations. The Physical Effects of the Various Residuals: Air. The Physical Effects of the Various Residuals: Water. The Physical Effects of the Various Residuals: Solid Waste and Hazardous Materials. 

Valuation of the Physical Effects: Overview of Valuation Methods. Environmental Valuation: Voting and Referenda. Environmental Valuation: Constructed Markets. Environmental Valuation: The Sum of Specific Damages Approach. Environmental Valuation: The Hedonic Method. Environmental Valuation: The Travel Cost Method. Do Decision-Makers "Care" about Efficiency and Equity? 

The Role of Time and Benefit-Cost Analysis: The Role of Time in Economics: Interest Rates, Compounding, and Discounting. Benefit-Cost Analysis.

Appendices.

For more information: http://www.routledge.com/books/details/9781466518018/

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