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Proceedings of the 17th International Conference on Alkali-Aggregate Reaction in Concrete: ICAAR 2024 - Volume II (RILEM Bookseries #50)
by Leandro F. M. Sanchez Cassandra TrottierThis book gathers the peer-reviewed papers presented at the 17th International Conference on Alkali-Aggregate Reaction in Concrete (ICAAR), held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on May 19–24, 2024. It highlights the latest advances and innovations in the field of internal swelling reactions, particularly alkali-aggregate reaction (AAR), and combined mechanisms such as delayed ettringite formation (DEF). The conference topics encompass understanding the reaction mechanisms and the affecting factors; testing methods and preventative measures; diagnosis, evaluation, and prognosis; monitoring and NDT; structural effects and modeling at all scales; repair and remedial measures; and combined mechanisms (e.g., DEF). The contributions, which were selected by means of a rigorous international peer-review process, present a wealth of exciting ideas that will open novel research directions and foster new multidisciplinary collaborations.
We Will Not Be Saved: A memoir of hope and resistance in the Amazon rainforest
by Nemonte Nenquimo'Nemonte's writing is as provocative as it is inspiring' EMMA THOMPSON'One of the most effective leaders for indigenous rights and environmental justice' LAURENE POWELL JOBS'I'm here to tell you my story, which is also the story of my people and the story of this forest.'Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador's Amazon rainforest, Nemonte Nenquimo was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. Age 14, she left the forest for the first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture.She listened. Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate-change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as the spears that her ancestors wielded - honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and missionaries.In this astonishing memoir, she partners with her husband Mitch Anderson, founder of Amazon Frontlines, digging into generations of oral history, uprooting centuries of conquest, hacking away at racist notions of Indigenous peoples, and ultimately revealing a life story as rich, harsh and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself.More praise for We Will Not Be Saved: 'A radical manifesto for our times' VANESSA KIRBY'An act of storytelling generosity' NATHALIE KELLY'Inspiring, moving and unforgettable' ROWAN HOOPER'Truly Inspiring and humbling' CAROLINE SANDERSON** Publishing in the US as WE WILL BE JAGUARS**
Sustainability Stories: The Power of Narratives to Understand Global Challenges
by Brigitte Bernard-Rau"Sustainability Stories" is an impactful book that offers a global perspective on the grand theme of sustainability. Through the lens of practitioners deeply committed to this cause, the book amplifies sometimes unheard voices, inspiring readers from diverse backgrounds to embrace environmental, social, and financial responsibilities. Each contributor, whether an entrepreneur, professor, lawyer, artist, or sustainability expert, acts as a visionary communicator, forging connections and leading by example. Featuring over 30 narratives from countries such as France, Germany, India, Morocco, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States, "Sustainability Stories" is sure to engage an international audience. Through its pages, this book spreads optimism, determination, and a desire for positive societal change. It empowers readers of all ages and educational backgrounds to join the movement toward a sustainable future. By sharing unique insights and experiences, "Sustainability Stories" serves as a catalyst, inspiring individuals to take action and make a difference in their professional practices, communities and lives.
Analyse der 7. MaRisk-Novelle zum Umgang mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken: Schlussfolgerungen für mittelständische Banken im Licht der EZB-Anforderungen zur vollständigen E(SG)-Umsetzung (Business, Economics, and Law)
by Thomas BöhmDie Europäische Zentralbank stellte in ihrer Mitteilung vom 02. November 2022 klar, dass alle Banken die regulatorischen Anforderungen zum Umgang mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken bis spätestens Ende 2024 vollständig erfüllen müssen. Mit der 7. Novelle hat die Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) ESG-Risiken in ihre Mindestanforderungen an das Risikomanagement (MaRisk) der Banken übernommen. In diesem Werk werden die aufsichtlichen ESG-Erwartungshaltungen von EZB, EBA und BaFin dargelegt und miteinander verglichen. Die Arbeit zeigt Ansätze auf, wie mittelständische Institute angemessen mit Klima- und Umweltrisiken in der Banksteuerung umgehen können. Dabei wird deutlich, dass in einer konsequenten institutsspezifischen Umsetzung, neben der Reduzierung möglicher Risiken, auch viele Chancen in Form neuer Geschäftsfelder, gesteigerter Ertragschancen und Imagegewinn liegen.
3 Degrees More: The Impending Hot Season and How Nature Can Help Us Prevent It
by Klaus WiegandtThis open access book describes in detail what life on this planet would be like if its average surface temperature were to rise 3 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial level. On this basis, the book argues that it is imperative to keep this temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. It then lays out a detailed plan of what politically feasible, cost-effective measures should now be taken to achieve this goal. In this context, the book provides detailed discussions of climate finance, climate education and nature-based solutions. The book has been translated into English from the original German version published in 2022, and contains an original foreword and preface.
A Natural History of the Emirates
by John A. BurtFor many people, thoughts of the United Arab Emirates conjure images of ultramodern skyscrapers and rolling sand dunes. However, the Emirates are a rich mosaic of ecosystems and habitats that support surprisingly diverse communities of organisms, and there is growing awareness of the importance of these previously underappreciated natural assets. A Natural History of the Emirates provides a comprehensive overview of the unusual environmental setting of this young nation, and surveys the major ecosystems and the marine and terrestrial organisms occurring across the nation. From freshwater streams in the hyperarid Hajar Mountains to the world’s most temperature-tolerant coral reefs, the UAE is home to an astounding variety of uniquely adapted organisms that are providing insights into climate change and how organisms cope with and respond to extreme environmental conditions. The book closes with a section on human interactions with this unique environment, and proposes initiatives to ensure the protection of these unique natural assets into the future. This is an open access book.
Proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference 2022 Volume 2: Geotechnics: Learning, Evaluation, Analysis and Practice (GEOLEAP) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering #477)
by Deepankar Choudhury Anil Joseph Babu T. Jose Dipak Kumar Sahoo Eun Chul Shin Rahul R. PaiThis book comprises the select proceedings of the Indian Geotechnical Conference (IGC) 2022. The contents focus on recent developments in geotechnical engineering for a sustainable world. The book covers behaviour of soils and soil–structure interaction, soil stabilization, ground improvement and land reclamation, shallow and deep foundations, geotechnical, geological and geophysical investigation, rock engineering, tunnelling and underground structures, slope stability, landslides and liquefaction, earth retaining structures and deep excavations, geosynthetics engineering, geo-environmental engineering, sustainable geotechnics and landfill design, geo-hydrology, dam and embankment engineering, earthquake geotechnical engineering, transportation geotechnics, forensic geotechnical engineering and retrofitting of geotechnical structures, offshore geotechnics, marine geology and sub-sea site investigation, computational, analytical and numerical modelling, reliability in geotechnical engineering. The contents of this book are useful to researchers and professionals alike.
The Devil's Element: Phosphorus And A World Out Of Balance
by Dan EganA New Yorker Best Book of the Year "Lively…and thought-provoking.” —Robert W. Howarth, Science The New York Times best-selling author on the source of great bounty—and now great peril—all over the world. Phosphorus has played a critical role in some of the most lethal substances on earth: firebombs, rat poison, nerve gas. But it’s also the key component of one of the most vital: fertilizer, which has sustained life for billions of people. In this major work of explanatory science and environmental journalism, Pulitzer Prize finalist Dan Egan investigates the past, present, and future of what has been called “the oil of our time.” The story of phosphorus spans the globe and vast tracts of human history. First discovered in a seventeenth-century alchemy lab in Hamburg, it soon became a highly sought-after resource. The race to mine phosphorus took people from the battlefields of Waterloo, which were looted for the bones of fallen soldiers, to the fabled guano islands off Peru, the Bone Valley of Florida, and the sand dunes of the Western Sahara. Over the past century, phosphorus has made farming vastly more productive, feeding the enormous increase in the human population. Yet, as Egan harrowingly reports, our overreliance on this vital crop nutrient is today causing toxic algae blooms and “dead zones” in waterways from the coasts of Florida to the Mississippi River basin to the Great Lakes and beyond. Egan also explores the alarming reality that diminishing access to phosphorus poses a threat to the food system worldwide—which risks rising conflict and even war. With The Devil’s Element, Egan has written an essential and eye-opening account that urges us to pay attention to one of the most perilous but little-known environmental issues of our time.
Countering Dispossession, Reclaiming Land: A Social Movement Ethnography
by David E. GilbertTwo decades ago, a group of Indonesian agricultural workers began occupying the agribusiness plantation near their homes. In the years since, members of this remarkable movement have reclaimed collective control of their land and cultivated diverse agricultural forests on it, repairing the damage done over nearly a century of abuse. Countering Dispossession, Reclaiming Land is their story. David E. Gilbert offers an account of the ways these workers-turned-activists mobilized to move beyond industrial agriculture's exploitation of workers and the environment, illustrating how emancipatory and ecologically attuned ways of living with land are possible. At a time when capitalism has remade landscapes and reordered society, the Casiavera reclaiming movement stands as an inspiring example of what struggles for social and environmental justice can achieve.
Ocean - The Secret of Planet Earth
by Carlos M. DuarteThe ocean characterises planet Earth and differentiates it from the more than 5000 known planets. It is also the habitat where life emerged as a singularity in the universe. However, we know less about the oceans than we do about some remote planets such as Mars.This book provides basic facts for understanding the oceans, their properties and their importance to mankind through the ages. The long relationship between the ocean and humanity, which permeates all areas of our culture, is at a crossroads where human activity is profoundly affecting its functioning and the integrity of marine ecosystems. However, the intelligent and rational use of the ocean holds, in large part, the key to providing the resources needed to sustain our quality of life in the future. Unlocking, through scientific research, the secrets that the ocean still holds is an essential challenge for humanity. This book informs the reader about all these aspects of the ocean through a text that combines scientific rigour with personal reflections based on the author's own experiences, dedicated to exploring and learning more about the ocean.
Environmental Sociology and Social Transformation: Key Issues (ISSN)
by Rolf Lidskog Magnus BoströmEnvironmental Sociology and Social Transformation demonstrates how sociological theory and research are critical for understanding the social drivers of global environmental destruction and the conditions for transformative change.Written by two professors of sociology who are deeply involved in the international community of environmental sociology, Magnus Boström and Rolf Lidskog argue that we need to better understand society as well as the fundamentally social nature of environmental problems and how they can be addressed. The authors provide answers to why so many unsustainable practices are maintained and supported by institutions and actors despite widespread knowledge of their negative consequences. Employing a pluralistic sociological approach to the study of social transformations, the book is divided into five key themes: Causes, Distributions, Understandings, Barriers, and Transformation. Overall, the book offers an integrative and comprehensive understanding of the social dimension of (un)sustainability, societal inertia, and conditions for transformative change. It provides the reader with references from classic and contemporary sociology and uses pedagogical features including boxes and questions for discussion to help embed learning.Arguing that a broad and deep social transformation is needed to avoid a global civilization crisis, Environmental Sociology and Social Transformation will be a great resource for students and scholars who are exploring current environmental challenges and the societal conditions for meeting them.
Convergence and Developmental Aspects of Credit Allocations in BRICS Nations: Theoretical and Empirical Inquiries
by Ramesh Chandra DasThis book explores the levels of cooperation and the phenomenon of convergence among BRICS nations. It provides an in-depth look into the financial and banking systems among these rapidly developing economies and the steps they have taken to foster development and counter inequalities.Of the many factors in determining the income and wealth of a country as well as a group of countries, commercial bank credit, a well-known financial indicator, has been an important one. This book analyses the governance and structure of the New Development Bank and its effects on group members for peer growth and to defend against any external economic and political shocks. It looks at how much of an influence the commercial bank credit, or simply the credit, has upon the income levels of the BRICS member countries, how equitable they are, whether they are converging in credits and incomes, and other such issues. It also focuses on India’s credit aspects of inclusiveness and convergence.With a strong empirical model estimation, this book will be of interest to students and researchers of economics, finance, management, political studies, international relations, and international trade.
Purpose-driven Innovation Leadership for Sustainable Development: A Qualitative Case Study Approach (ISSN)
by Gaia GrantPurpose-driven Innovation Leadership for Sustainable Development presents invaluable insights into how leaders can balance competing innovation demands. The book reports on research from an in-depth case study, which reveals the importance of developing highly adaptative and innovative responses through periods of rapid growth – while simultaneously ensuring organisational stability grounded in a clear core purpose. ‘Paradox’ theory is introduced as a constructive theoretical lens for exploring these complexities of leadership sensemaking in innovation contexts. The findings demonstrate how to incorporate both perspectives to establish a robust innovation culture.This book aims to equip readers with evidence-based principles that can be readily applied in practice. The qualitative methodology, which includes case studies and interviews conducted with global innovation leaders, uncovers powerful strategies from relevant real-world experiences. Targeted ‘Reflection and Action’ questions are also included to guide implementation.Purpose-driven Innovation Leadership for Sustainable Development will support researchers, educators, and students in the higher education sector who would like to investigate contemporary innovation leadership principles and practices. The book will also interest business leaders hoping to access rigorous research studies on the topic presented in an effective actionable format.
Urban Inequalities from Space: Earth Observation Applications in the Majority World (Remote Sensing and Digital Image Processing #26)
by Monika Kuffer Stefanos GeorganosRapid transformation processes occur in the Majority World, where most of the global population is living (estimated around ¾ of the global population), often deprived of access to infrastructure, services, exposed to hazards and degrading environmental conditions. The continuous urbanization in many African, Asian and Latin American cities is coupled with rapid socio-economic and demographic changes in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas. These changes often increase socio-economic fragmentation and existing disparities. According to the United Nations, of the 36 fastest growing cities (with an average annual growth rate of more than 6%), seven are located in Africa, while 28 are found in Asia. On top of the socio-economic transformations, the increasing impact of climate change is expected to increase local vulnerabilities. However, data to understand these transformation processes and relationships are either unavailable, scarce or come with high degrees of uncertainty. Earth Observation information and methods have a great potential to fill data gaps, but they are not exploited to their full potential. Most urban remote sensing studies in the Majority World focus on the primary cities, while not much is known about secondary cities, urbanizing zones or peri-urban areas. Attempting to measure and map environmental and socio-economic phenomena through remote sensing is fundamentally different from extracting bio-physical parameters. In general, studies done by researchers of the Minority World do not sufficiently understand the information needs and capacity demands of the Majority World, especially related to user requirements and ethical perspectives. In this book, we aim to provide an outlook on how Remote Sensing can provide tailored solutions to information needs in urban and urbanizing areas of the Majority World, e.g., in terms socio-economic, environmental and demographic transformation processes. We will provide methodological and application pathways insupport of local and national information needs as well as in support of sustainable development, and specifically, supporting the monitoring of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The book combines an overview of innovations in applications, methodologies and data use, showing the capacity of Earth Observation to fill global knowledge gaps.
Redescribing Horizontal Geographies: A Neopragmatist Approach to Spatial Contingency, Complexity, and Relationships (Neopragmatic Horizontal Geographies #1)
by Olaf KühneThe first book in the series provides the concept of a theoretical redefinition of 'horizontal geographies'. These denote the spatial syntheses as undertaken in various disciplines, whether as regional studies, area studies, new regional geography, and many more. The basis of the redescription is philosophical neopragmatism, which has occasionally been taken up in the spatial sciences, but has never been differentiated into a theory-driven empirical research program. This development of the research program guides the present book. Philosophical neopragmatism, especially as conceptualized by Richard Rorty, focuses in particular on contingency of society, self, and language, which also allows spatial syntheses to be understood not as 'images of reality' but as contingent proposals for redescribing spaces. As a result of the complexity of spatial processes, their horizontal geographic study requires a triangulation of theories, methods, researcher perspectives, data, and the involvement of people without expert special knowledge. To highlight the contingency of the spatial syntheses, the presentation of the results - —here especially graphic and cartographic - —resorts to the attitude of irony. Regarding the six levels of trigangulation, neopragmatism acts as a meta-theoretical orientation framework. Against the background of the complexity of spatial developments on the one hand and to operationalize Rorty's principle of private self-creation and public solidarity on the other hand, Ralf Dahrendorf's concept of life chances is drawn upon. Especially in the differentiation of this concept made in this book, it serves on the one hand for an understanding access of the (also spatial) expression of options and ligatures,, and on the other hand it offers a normative framework for the evaluation of socio-spatial developments. The reference to neopragmatic studies on spatial syntheses conducted to date and evaluated in this book shows the potential of the approach elaborated here in conceptual detail for the first time.
Routledge Handbook of Private Law and Sustainability (Routledge Environment and Sustainability Handbooks)
by Marta Santos Silva Andrea Nicolussi Christiane Wendehorst Pablo Salvador Coderch Marc Clément Fryderyk ZollThe Routledge Handbook of Private Law and Sustainability reflects on how the law can help tackle the current environmental challenges and make our societies more resilient to future crises.Sustainability has been high on the political agenda since the approval of the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015 and the EU Green Deal in 2019. The Green Agenda aims at making Europe the first climate‑neutral continent by 2050, but humanity persists in an ecological overshoot that puts at risk the survival of species, including that of our own. Drawing together a selection of leading thinkers in the field, this Handbook provides a curated overview of the most recent and relevant discussions for private lawyers related to environmental and sustainability concerns. The authors delve into case study examples from 20 countries in Europe and beyond and discuss a wide range of issues, including new property law and consumer law paradigms, the use of legal tech for promoting sustainable property management, strategies for fighting planned obsolescence, eco‑design, the servitisation economy, advances on corporate climate litigation and mandated green private sludges. Overall, the volume is designed to empower new generations of legal scholars to take an active role in the transition to a more sustainable future. It will also assist policymakers in producing better policy, through pinpointing the main legal issues that need to be addressed and offering a comparative overview of legal solutions and best practices.Divided into six key parts and overseen by a team of internationally recognised expert editors, this Handbook will be an essential resource for students, scholars, private lawyers and policymakers who wish to have a comprehensive, fundamental overview of how environmental sustainability concerns reflect on private law.
Circular Economy for Buildings and Infrastructure: Principles, Practices and Future Directions (Sustainable Development Goals Series)
by Liyin Shen Jian Zuo Ruidong ChangThis edited volume covers theoretical and practical aspects of circular economy in building development, offering chapters dealing with topics such as material design, affordability of housing development, waste management and recycling, smart metering, and more. A particular focus is placed on various stakeholders’ points of view. The book's chapters are co-developed and contributed by multidisciplinary teams including both academics and industry practitioners. The case study-oriented approach taken here helps to facilitate the reader's understanding of how building sustainability can be achieved in the context of circular economy. The building industry has significant environmental, social and economic impacts. As one of the biggest energy consumers and carbon emitters, building sustainability has attracted wide attention globally. Building projects and their associated activities consume a large amount of energy, natural resources and water while producing a large proportion of wastes throughout their lifecycles. The traditional linear approach of “make, use and dispose” has been heavily criticized, whilst the circular approach has gained momentum. Indeed, circular economy has emerged as one of key principles to manage sustainability related issues by means of focusing on the circularity of resources as well as the cost implications.
Towards Water Circular Economy: Proceedings of the Responsible Water Management and Circular Economy (RWC) 2024 (Springer Proceedings in Earth and Environmental Sciences)
by Mukesh Sharma Arun Kumar Basant Yadav Ankit Agarwal Manish NemaResponsible water management and circular economy aims to establish a common understanding of circular economy principles and resilience in the water sector and to support countries in the implementing those principles. It is essential for water security to deal with the effect of climate change. It can be achieved through smart water management, use of non-conventional water resources, rejuvenation of natural water systems, using advance tools and techniques and adaptation strategies. It will help in improving the water availability in terms of quantity as well as quality and human health. Smart water governance and educating society can also play an important role in achieveing the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 6) “Water for all“. The book aims to accelerate interaction among various stakeholders.
Power Trip: The Story of America's Love Affair with Energy
by Amanda LittlePower Trip is an adventurous, wonk-free, big-picture, solutions-oriented narrative by leading young journalist Amanda Little that maps out the history and future of America’s energy addiction. Infused with next-generation candor and optimism, Power Trip examines the ways in which oil and coal have shaped America as an international superpower—even as they posed political and environmental dangers to the nation and the world. Hard-hitting yet optimistic, Power Trip is a manifesto for the younger generations who are inheriting the earth.
Multiplicity of Time Scales in Complex Systems: Challenges for Sciences and Communication I (Mathematics Online First Collections)
by Bernhelm Booß-Bavnbek Katherine Richardson Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen Oriol Vallès CodinaThis highly interdisciplinary volume brings together a carefully curated set of case studies examining complex systems with multiple time scales (MTS) across a variety of fields: materials science, epidemiology, cell physiology, mathematics, climatology, energy transition planning, ecology, economics, sociology, history, and cultural studies. The book addresses the vast diversity of interacting processes underlying the behaviour of different complex systems, highlighting the multiplicity of characteristic time scales that are a common feature of many and showcases a rich variety of methodologies across disciplinary boundaries. Self-organizing, out-of-equilibrium, ever-evolving systems are ubiquitous in the natural and social world. Examples include the climate, ecosystems, living cells, epidemics, the human brain, and many socio-economic systems across history. Their dynamical behaviour poses great challenges in the pressing context of the climate crisis, since they may involve nonlinearities, feedback loops, and the emergence of spatial-temporal patterns, portrayed by resilience or instability, plasticity or rigidity; bifurcations, thresholds and tipping points; burst-in excitation or slow relaxation, and worlds of other asymptotic behaviour, hysteresis, and resistance to change. Chapters can be read individually by the reader with special interest in such behaviours of particular complex systems or in specific disciplinary perspectives. Read together, however, the case studies, opinion pieces, and meta-studies on MTS systems presented and analysed here combine to give the reader insights that are more than the sum of the book’s individual chapters, as surprising similarities become apparent in seemingly disparate and unconnected systems. MTS systems call into question naïve perceptions of time and complexity, moving beyond conventional ways of description, analysis, understanding, modelling, numerical prediction, and prescription of the worldaround us. This edited collection presents new ways of forecasting, introduces new means of control, and – perhaps as the most demanding task – it singles out a sustainable description of an MTS system under observation, offering a more nuanced interpretation of the floods of quantitative data and images made available by high- and low-frequency measurement tools in our unprecedented era of information flows.
Progress in Landslide Research and Technology, Volume 3 Issue 1, 2024 (Progress in Landslide Research and Technology)
by Irasema Alcántara-Ayala Kyoji Sassa Matjaž Mikoš Željko Arbanas Binod Tiwari Kazuo Konagai Shinji Sassa Snježana Mihalić Arbanas David Huntley Huiming Tang Maneesha V. Ramesh Biljana AbolmasovThis open access book provides an overview of the progress in landslide research and technology and is part of a book series of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). The book provides a common platform for the publication of recent progress in landslide research and technology for practical applications and the benefit for the society contributing to the Kyoto Landslide Commitment 2020, which is expected to continue up to 2030 and even beyond to globally promote the understanding and reduction of landslide disaster risk, as well as to address the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals.
Multiplicity of Time Scales in Complex Systems: Challenges for Sciences and Communication II (Mathematics Online First Collections)
by Bernhelm Booß-Bavnbek Katherine Richardson Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen Oriol Vallès CodinaNote to the interested reader to have a look at the companion to this volume Challenges for Sciences and Communication I | ISBN: 978-3-031-28048-1.This highly interdisciplinary volume brings together a carefully curated set of case studies examining complex systems with multiple time scales (MTS) across a variety of fields: materials science, epidemiology, cell physiology, mathematics, climatology, energy transition planning, ecology, economics, sociology, history, and cultural studies. The book addresses the vast diversity of interacting processes underlying the behaviour of different complex systems, highlighting the multiplicity of characteristic time scales that are a common feature of many and showcases a rich variety of methodologies across disciplinary boundaries. Self-organizing, out-of-equilibrium, ever-evolving systems are ubiquitous in the natural and social world. Examples include the climate, ecosystems, living cells, epidemics, the human brain, and many socio-economic systems across history. Their dynamical behaviour poses great challenges in the pressing context of the climate crisis, since they may involve nonlinearities, feedback loops, and the emergence of spatial-temporal patterns, portrayed by resilience or instability, plasticity or rigidity; bifurcations, thresholds and tipping points; burst-in excitation or slow relaxation, and worlds of other asymptotic behaviour, hysteresis, and resistance to change. Chapters can be read individually by the reader with special interest in such behaviours of particular complex systems or in specific disciplinary perspectives. Read together, however, the case studies, opinion pieces, and meta-studies on MTS systems presented and analysed here combine to give the reader insights that are more than the sum of the book’s individual chapters, as surprising similarities become apparent in seemingly disparate and unconnected systems. MTS systems call into question naïve perceptionsof time and complexity, moving beyond conventional ways of description, analysis, understanding, modelling, numerical prediction, and prescription of the world around us. This edited collection presents new ways of forecasting, introduces new means of control, and – perhaps as the most demanding task – it singles out a sustainable description of an MTS system under observation, offering a more nuanced interpretation of the floods of quantitative data and images made available by high- and low-frequency measurement tools in our unprecedented era of information flows.
The Role of Fuels in Transforming Energy End-Use in Buildings and Industrial Processes (Synthesis Lectures on Engineering, Science, and Technology)
by Praveen Cheekatamarla Kyle Gluesenkamp Stephen Kowalski Zhenning Li Saad JajjaEnergy-efficient technologies are necessary to lower the carbon footprint for a transition towards clean energy in a sustainable manner. This book examines what role fuels have in the transformation of end-use in buildings and industrial processes. Energy-efficient technologies are necessary to lower the carbon footprint for a transition towards clean energy in a sustainable manner. Efficient utilization of primary energy resources, including renewables, to support the current and future energy needs while targeting grid resiliency, energy, and environmental security at an affordable cost is of significant value. The author analyzes heat pumps, fuel-driven thermal providers, and power systems configurations and looks at the sensitivity of the electrical grid's carbon intensity and tariff towards carbon footprint and energy costs compared with fuel-driven technologies. The role of low-carbon, zero-carbon, and carbon-negative fuels, such as power-to-gas (P2G), power-to-liquid (PtL), hydrogen, and biogas, in conjunction with polygeneration technologies, are discussed. This book also examines two different scenarios focused on the sensitivity of the pace of decarbonization of the electrical grid and fuel supply on operational energy-related carbon emissions.Compares electricity versus fuel as a primary energy sourceExplores the role of fuels in the decarbonization journey Examines the value proposition of currently available energy solutions
Australian Caves and Karst Systems (Cave and Karst Systems of the World)
by Susan White John Webb Garry K. SmithThis book, part of the series Cave and Karst Systems of the World, begins with a review of the interaction between people and caves in Australia (including conservation), followed by descriptions of the spectacular cave diving sites, before comprehensively covering all the major carbonate and noncarbonate karst areas, subdivided by rock type and region, and including the origin of the caves. This is followed by broad overviews of cave minerals and speleothems, cave biology and cave fossils. Each section was written by one or more specialists in the topic and is illustrated by clear diagrams and superb colour photos. The book emphasises the unique aspects of the Australian karst, including the variability in the age of the caves (very old to very young) and the impact of isolation on the stygofauna, as well as the vertebrate fossils preserved in the caves. Written in an easy-to-read style, the book is a primary reference guide to Australian karst and represents a valuable asset for anyone interested in the topic, not only cavers and academics.
Exercises in Applied Mathematics: With a View toward Information Theory, Machine Learning, Wavelets, and Statistical Physics (Chapman Mathematical Notes)
by Daniel AlpayThis text presents a collection of mathematical exercises with the aim of guiding readers to study topics in statistical physics, equilibrium thermodynamics, information theory, and their various connections. It explores essential tools from linear algebra, elementary functional analysis, and probability theory in detail and demonstrates their applications in topics such as entropy, machine learning, error-correcting codes, and quantum channels. The theory of communication and signal theory are also in the background, and many exercises have been chosen from the theory of wavelets and machine learning. Exercises are selected from a number of different domains, both theoretical and more applied. Notes and other remarks provide motivation for the exercises, and hints and full solutions are given for many. For senior undergraduate and beginning graduate students majoring in mathematics, physics, or engineering, this text will serve as a valuable guide as theymove on to more advanced work.