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The Sixth Element: How Carbon Shapes Our World
by Theodore P. Snow Don BrownleeA cosmic perspective on carbon—its importance in the universe and our livesWhen we think of carbon, we might first think of a simple element near the top of the periodic table: symbol C, atomic number 6. Alternatively, we might think of something more tangible—a sooty piece of coal or a sparkling diamond, both made of carbon. Or, as Earth&’s temperature continues to rise alarmingly, we might think of the role carbon plays in climate change. Yet carbon&’s story begins long ago, far from earthly concerns. In The Sixth Element, astronomers Theodore Snow and Don Brownlee tell the story of carbon from a cosmic perspective—how it was born in the fiery furnaces of stars, what special chemical and physical properties it has, and how it forms the chemical backbone of the planets and all life as we know it. Foundational to every part of our lives, from our bodies to the food, tools, and atmosphere that sustain our existence, carbon is arguably humankind&’s most important element.Snow and Brownlee offer readers the ideal introduction to the starry element that made our world possible and shapes our lives. They first discuss carbon&’s origin, discovery, and unique ability to bond with other elements and form countless molecules. Next, they reveal carbon&’s essential role in the chemical evolution of the universe and the formation and evolution of galaxies, stars, planets, and life, and then, more generally, its technological uses and its influence on Earth&’s climate. Bringing readers on a historical, scientific, and cross-disciplinary journey, The Sixth Element illuminates the cosmic wonder that is carbon.
Slow Burn: The Hidden Costs of a Warming World
by Robert Jisung ParkHow the subtle but significant consequences of a hotter planet have already begun—from lower test scores to higher crime rates—and how we might tackle them todayIt&’s hard not to feel anxious about the problem of climate change, especially if we think of it as an impending planetary catastrophe. In Slow Burn, R. Jisung Park encourages us to view climate change through a different lens: one that focuses less on the possibility of mass climate extinction in a theoretical future, and more on the everyday implications of climate change here and now.Drawing on a wealth of new data and cutting-edge economics, Park shows how climate change headlines often miss some of the most important costs. When wildfires blaze, what happens to people downwind of the smoke? When natural disasters destroy buildings and bridges, what happens to educational outcomes? Park explains how climate change operates as the silent accumulation of a thousand tiny conflagrations: imperceptibly elevated health risks spread across billions of people; pennies off the dollar of productivity; fewer opportunities for upward mobility.By investigating how the physical phenomenon of climate change interacts with social and economic institutions, Park illustrates how climate change already affects everyone, and may act as an amplifier of inequality. Wealthier households and corporations may adapt quickly, but, without targeted interventions, less advantaged communities may not.Viewing climate change as a slow and unequal burn comes with an important silver lining. It puts dollars and cents behind the case for aggressive emissions cuts and helps identify concrete steps that can be taken to better manage its adverse effects. We can begin to overcome our climate anxiety, Park shows us, when we begin to tackle these problems locally.
Slow Onset Disasters: Linking Urban Built Environment and User-oriented Strategies to Assess and Mitigate Multiple Risks (SpringerBriefs in Applied Sciences and Technology)
by Graziano Salvalai Enrico Quagliarini Juan Diego Blanco Cadena Gabriele BernardiniThe book provides an overview of the Slow Onset Disasters (SLOD) in the urban built environment discussing potential strategies to assess and mitigate multiple climate change related risks. Climate change evidence has been reported in the last decades, suggesting that the anthropogenic activities are accelerating these changes towards a warmer and more polluted environment. In this context, SLODs have been linked to climate change related disasters and have been stated to have a higher impact risk within dense built environment (BE). Therefore, the book presents a description of the most relevant SLODs, their significance, and confluence, the way in which scientists and entities are monitoring their progression at different scales, a structured risk assessment strategy and the deconstruction of the BE characteristics that make it more prone to SLODs risk. In addition, it highlights the necessity of adapting the traditional risk assessment methods, to account for different vulnerability types, including the morphology and materiality of the BE, and the BE users’ characteristics. In fact, individual features influence users’ responses and tolerance to environmental stressors, because of age, health, gender, habits, and behaviour, thus impacting the users’ vulnerability. Exposure can then amplify these issues, since it defines the number of users that can be effectively affected by the SLOD. Starting from this perspective, the book first traces literature-based correlations between individual features, use behaviour, and individual response to the SLOD-altered open spaces. Then, a novel methodology, to quantify the variations of users’ vulnerability and exposure, is offered, to support designers in quickly defining input scenarios for risk assessment and mitigation. Lastly, it demonstrates, through a case study, the SLOD risk assessment framework proposed and the evaluation of the efficacy of risk mitigation strategies.
Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions: Results of SSPCR 2022 (Green Energy and Technology)
by Adriano Bisello Daniele Vettorato Marta Bottero Dionysia KolokotsaThis open access book includes a selection of innovative contributions presented at the 4th international conference “Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions 2022”, held in Bolzano, Italy in July 2022. Featuring 10 papers by academics and consultants, strongly rooted in practical experiences and international projects, it discusses current ground-breaking research in innovative and sustainable planning for cities, with a focus on the environmental, economic, and social challenges associated with the global sustainability transition and energy systems integration. The contributions are illustrative of the richness of the issues discussed and the breadth of the emerging themes, including innovative business models for building and infrastructure at district level, integrated sustainability assessment schemes for Positive Energy Districts, a material flow accounting model for regional metabolism, energy communities as a lever to promote historical and landscape values, optimized and electrified last-mile logistics, multi-criteria decision analysis tools to redefine center/periphery relationships, a framework for socio-spatial analysis related to social practices, design principles and communication technologies improving both indoor and outdoor public spaces, augmented nature-based solution coupling the green elements with the latest technologies to deliver healthier and more appealing cities.
Smart Cities: Innovations, Challenges and Future Perspectives (S.M.A.R.T. Environments)
by Leonidas G. Anthopoulos Sushobhan Majumdar Vinay KandpalThis book aims to integrate new technologies and adaptation tools into the process of smart city planning. It also emphasizes the value and importance of modern technologies such as IoT and data science as a smart technology for the formation of a smart city. The authors believe that various technologies in a smart city will reduce all the problems for the sustainable growth and future prospects of the city. The first section of this book discusses the innovation of new technologies (AI, data science, block chain, etc.) that has flourished in recent decades which will make the city smarter. This section also describes that block chain and IoT (Internet of Things) are two transformative technologies that can greatly impact smart cities by enhancing security, improving transparency, and enabling efficient management of resources. The second section of the book explains about the uses of AI tools and smart technologies (like waste management, public safety and security) for the development and management of smart cities. This chapter also describes AI-powered systems that are integrated into smart buildings to optimize energy usage, enhance occupant comfort, and improve building management. These systems can adjust lighting and HVAC settings based on occupancy, learn user preferences, and provide personalized energy efficiency recommendations. The third portion of the book investigates the recent challenges and barriers of smart city that have been faced by the smart cities in the recent decades. This section also describes various challenges and barriers for the implementation of IoT sensor, AI technologies, etc., for the formation of a smart city. The future prospects of a smart city are the main theme of the last chapter. In this section, an attempt has been made about the future vision and outlook of the smart city. This chapter also describes different approaches (like smart grid, societal smart city, smart city model, etc.) for the future planning and management of the city.
Smart Cities in Poland: Towards sustainability and a better quality of life?
by Izabela Jonek-Kowalska Radosław WolniakThis book considers and examines the concept of a Smart City in the context of improving the quality of life and sustainable development in Central and Eastern European cities. The Smart City concept has been gaining popularity in recent years, with supporters considering it to be an effective tool to improve the quality of life of the city’s residents. In turn, opponents argue that it is a source of imbalance and claim that it escalates the problems of social and economic exclusion. This book, therefore, assesses the quality of life and its unsustainability in Central and Eastern European cities within the context of the Smart City concept and from the perspective of key areas of sustainable development. Using case studies of selected cities in Central and Eastern Europe and representative surveysof Polish cities, this book illustrates the process of creating smart cities and their impact on improving the quality of life of citizens. Specifically, this book investigates the conditions that a Smart City has to meet to become sustainable, how the Smart City concept can support the improvement of the residents’ quality of life and how Central and Eastern European countries create smartcity solutions. Containing both theoretical and practical content, this book will be of relevance to researchers and students interested in smart cities and urban planning, as well as city authorities and city stakeholders who are planning to implement the Smart City concept.
Smart City: A Critical Assessment (The City Project #6)
by Dario Costi Giovanni LeoniThis contributed volume reports on a multidisciplinary collective work on the topic of Smart City, merging scientific reflections and operational issues. Here, current Smart Cities concepts are subjected to criticism, while the related terminology has been updated to contemplate a model of urban development capable of integrating technical and humanistic culture by fostering an open dialogue between different stakeholders. Upon an introduction to the state of the art, this book presents a glossary of definitions and concepts around the contemporary city, and five interviews with researchers and scholars of different background. The last chapter summarizes current challenges in designing the city of the future, highlighting new research directions in home-infrastructure, small smart city, energy transition, connectivity, digitalization and autonomous and connected mobility.Written by the members of the Scientific Committee of the Smart City 4.0 Sustainable LAB ResearchLaboratory, an inter-university network including research groups from the University of Parma, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, University of Bologna, University of Ferrara, the Polytechnic University of Milan, and the Catholic University of Milan with its Piacenza campus, this book offers a source of inspiration for other researchers and stakeholders, and it is intended to foster collaborations between different stakeholders - and possibly countries – to develop future cities that are wise, green, sustainable and inclusive.
Smart Food Industry: Fundamentals, Technologies, and Management, Volume 1
by Eduardo Jacob-Lopes Leila Queiroz Zepka Mariany Costa DepráSmart Food Industry: The Blockchain for Sustainable Engineering, Volume I - Fundamentals, Technologies, and Management is a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about food engineering and processing, under sustainable engineering perspective. This book includes disruptive approaches that will potentially enable the food industry for the transition to sustainable production. Divided into four parts, the book explores (i) fundamentals of sustainable food, (ii) conventional technologies in the food industry, (iii) sustainabile emerging technologies in food industries, and (iv) sustainable management in food industries. The book is an invaluable reference resource for students, researchers, graduates, and professionals, in general, who wish to gain knowledge in the engineering and food processing area as well as about sustainable food industry practices.
Smart Organizations in the Public Sector: Sustainable Local Development in the European Union (Citizenship and Sustainability in Organizations)
by Hanna Godlewska-Majkowska Tomasz Pilewicz Patrycjusz ZarębskiHow does a smart organization model enable self-governments to lead local and regional development in a sustainable and resilient manner? What are key aspects of smart organizations impacting the success of self-governments in attracting and retaining residents, entrepreneurs, and investors? Smart organizations became a relevant construct in economic and management sciences. They supply many practical applications for self-governments and public sector organizations that are looking for effective ways to leverage their resources and capabilities in the local and regional development process. This research monograph indicates how factors of smart organizations in local administration lead to sustainable and resilient development processes. In parallel, the monograph is a practical guide for local government managers looking for the best, international practices in collecting, researching, and interpreting data for making decisions that influence the competitiveness and market position of locations they govern.
Snow Cover Distribution and Dynamics: The Trans-Himalayan Region of Ladakh, India (Advances in Asian Human-Environmental Research)
by Stanzin PassangThis comprehensive book examines a high mountain snow-covered expanse, spanning an investigation period of almost two decades. Leveraging advanced remote sensing and innovative algorithms, it meticulously maps the temporal and spatial dimensions of the snow cover extent of Ladakh, India. Rigorous statistical analyses, terrain examinations, and a groundbreaking snowfall prediction model contribute to a nuanced understanding. Grounded in empirical data, the volume not only enriches the research framework but also serves as a guiding compass for sustainable development amid the challenges of global warming. Seamlessly blending scientific rigour with a passion for discovery, the book invites readers to immerse themselves in a captivating snow-clad terrain, unlocking the secrets of its unique environment. Snow Cover Distribution and Dynamics: The Trans-Himalayan Region of Ladakh, India is divided into five chapters. The book begins with an introduction and a comprehensive overview of the materials and methods used in the study. The focus is on the application of the MODIS NDSI snow mapping algorithm, validated using Landsat images. The research also involves the development of innovative algorithms for the removal of clouds from MODIS data and for forecasting snowfall. The study is further enriched by on-ground measurements and the deployment of terrestrial cameras across diverse topographies for data validation. Chapter 3 presents the results, including observed patterns and trends of the snow cover distribution, and the application of an ARIMA model for future snowfall predictions. The final two chapters discuss the findings in detail, draw conclusions, and provide a future outlook, thereby offering a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
Social Geographies: The Basics (The Basics)
by Kath Browne Dhiren Borisa Mary Gilmartin Niharika BanerjeaSocial Geographies: The Basics introduces what social geography is, and what it might be. It outlines the key contours of social geographies, and also disrupts some of the conventions of the discipline in both its content and structure.This book approaches social geographies by beginning with the resistances, contestations and ‘solutions’ that communities use to challenge exclusions in place and space in order to create equitable societies. It then addresses the inequalities, precarities, and ‘problems’ that prompt these interventions. This allows the book to emphasise the importance of activism in the here and now, and to show how activism often makes issues visible and contested in ways that are then theorised by academics. Social Geographies starts with solidarities, communities, and networks before moving to examine difference, precarity, and mobilities. Each chapter offers key case studies that centre resistance, contestations of inequitable power, and local knowledges that can often be seen as ‘solutions’ to national and transnational issues, creating a decolonial understanding of ‘social geography from below’ within and across national contexts.This book is essential reading for undergraduate students and readers new to the area, as well as anyone studying introductory geography, social, cultural and critical geography, ‘the spatial turn’ and issues of spatialities, and key issues like precarity, power, difference, equality, and mobilities.
The Social Impacts of Climate Change in China over the Past 2000 Years
by Xiuqi Fang Yun Su Jingyun Zheng Lingbo Xiao Zhudeng Wei Jun YinThis book aims to illustrate how climate change had impacted the socio-economic development in the history of China, under the framework of food security. The 10 years resolution sequences indexing the status of social and economic subsystems in China over the past 2000 years are reconstructed. Statistical methods are used to reveal the major characters and main process of the impact of historical climate change on China's social economy. This book serves as a reference both for researchers, graduates, and undergraduates majoring in geography, climatology, history, and other related fields.
Social Sustainability and Good Work in Organizations (Citizenship and Sustainability in Organizations)
by Klarissa Lueg Simon JebsenThis edited research monograph collects nine unique research contributions on the concept of social sustainability and its connection to possibilities and hindrances for good work in organisations. Social sustainability, in organisational contexts, emphasizes the long-term well-being of stakeholders and communities. The authors in this book demonstrate how organisational long-term strategies should prioritise employee well-being, mental health, community engagement, and ethical supply chain management, inter alia. Readers, from undergraduate students to the research community, will learn how long-term social sustainability orientation is different from Corporate Social Responsibility, which responds to immediate stakeholder expectations. The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals have nudged many organisations to implement social sustainability, and many authors in this book relate to UN concepts such as the SDGs or Global Compact’s definition of social sustainability. However, many organisations have come under scrutiny for acting merely ceremonial to live up to the current megatrends. In consequence, readers will take away that the line between genuine corporate mission and ceremonial lip services must be critically observed, and how this can be done in different areas. Key chapters of this book explore social sustainability, e.g., in higher education (as sustainable knowledge in business students), in corporate communication (employee identification, corporate volunteering, and corporate heritage), and in sustainable human resource management practices. Workplace toxicity, especially towards minorities, is explored, highlighting both the role of bystanders, and the financial repercussions of ignoring workplace harassment. Digital transformation's social implications, employee well-being, and the importance of psychological safety in startups are addressed. The chapters, all together, signify the relevance of meaningful work for long-term societal cohesion and individual fulfilment.
Social Transformation for Climate Change: A New Framework for Democracy (Routledge Advances in Climate Change Research)
by Nicholas LowThis book argues that social transformation is both necessary and possible if democracies are to respond effectively to the climate crisis without social collapse. Climate transformation and social transformation are intimately connected. Understanding how to address climate change requires a historical approach both to the climate and to our collective institutions of humanity. Drawing on the works of Karl Polanyi and Thomas Piketty, Nicholas Low traces the course of historic social transformations from Britain, Russia, and Australia to highlight key commonalities: social crisis, the widespread sense by those in power that ‘something has to change’, the shift in ideology, and the political champions that drove the change. Within its international scope, the book delves deeper into specific instances of inequality and poverty from Britain, the USA, Australia, and the Global South. It shows how these examples are connected with the current climate emergency. Finally, the author draws together all the evidence from past transformations to outline how a new social democratic transformation could generate a better future, creating the social solidarity necessary to cope with the climate crisis. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, environmental politics and policy, political ecology, environmental sociology, and environmental studies more broadly. Its argument is also highly relevant for political actors working towards social and economic transformation.
Society and the Environment: Pragmatic Solutions to Ecological Issues
by Michael S CarolanThe fourth edition of Society and the Environment centers its discussion on realistic solutions to the problems that persist and examines current controversies within a socio‑organizational context, shifting focus away from simply explaining what is wrong with the world around us. Introducing this “pragmatic environmentalism,” Carolan discusses the complex pressures and variables that exist where ecology and society collide, with population growth, the increase in demands for food and energy, and transportation and its outsized influence on urban and community patterns. With further attention given to the social phenomena and structural dynamics driving today’s environmental problems, the book concludes with an important reflection on truly sustainable solutions and what constitutes meaningful social change.Each chapter in this interdisciplinary text follows a three‑part structure beginning with an overview of what is wrong and why. This leads into a discussion on each issue’s wide‑ranging implications and, finally, a balanced consideration of realistic solutions. Featuring updated and expanded examples, discussion points, and coverage of recent developments, including the US withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, “booming” national economies and wealth distribution, growing global interest in environmental justice—with particular focus on the links between injustice and race and inequality—climate change, and renewable energy, this new edition remains an essential companion for courses on environmental sociology and sustainability.
Socioeconomic and Geopolitical Aspects of Global Climate Change: An Intersectorial Vision from the South of the South (The Latin American Studies Book Series)
by Leonidas Osvaldo GirardinThis book discusses climate change from an academic point of view centered on and from Latin America. Although climate change is a global issue, there has been a notable lack of input from the Latin American perspective, which means that many Latin American intellectuals often bring ideas, tools and potential solutions proposed by external, international research centers or organizations to the region. This book embraces a Latin American viewpoint to critically engage the problem and many of the concepts used in the analysis of climate change.The text emphasizes heterogeneity as an essential factor that cannot be absent in the analysis of how to understand and face the challenges posed by climate change. This heterogeneity refers not only to the magnitude of the impact that different regions will experience (including in their productive activities, ecosystems and social groups), but also to their contexts and capacities. Different countries' and regions' historical accumulated emissions—the primary cause of the current atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases—can inform current responsibilities, and their diverse productive structures will also contribute to different baselines in energy, agriculture and other sectors. Asymmetries in economic, technological and political capacities to face climate-related challenges will influence the social and economic costs of potential adaptation and mitigation measures.Using this conceptual approach, the book focuses on some of the main climate change-linked impacts expected in the region, such as effects on semi-arid ecosystems, and feasible, sector-specific adaptation measures. Furthermore, it contextualizes mitigation measures that appear on the international agenda (including the utilization of economic instruments to flexibilize the fulfillment of climate commitments) in the Latin American region.Socioeconomic and Geopolitical Aspects of Global Climate Change: An Intersectorial Vision from the South of the South offers socioeconomic and geopolitical analysis from the perspective of a region that is going to suffer impacts disproportionately greater than its historical and current responsibility in triggering this global environmental threat.
Socratic Dialogue: Voicing Values (Giving Voice to Values)
by Sira Abenoza Josep M. LozanoGiving Voice to Values is a very important tool that has helped many professionals better align what they do with what they value and believe. This book introduces the methodology of Socratic Dialogue as a complementary set of tools for creating spaces of joint reflection in which one can gain clarity about one’s values and gain the confidence to voice them effectively. Socrates’ main concern was to progressively reach a higher alignment between ideas and actions: that is, to achieve a harmony between what we think, what we say and what we do. The first step to giving voice to our values involves introspection and dialogue with others – which is how we can become aware of what we really think and value. An examined life, Socrates reminds us, is a fulfilled one. Based on the authors' more than ten years’ experience teaching Socratic Dialogue to business and law students, executives and professionals, faculty, incarcerated people and other vulnerable groups, the book provides teachers and practitioners with a roadmap to conceive, design and conduct Socratic Dialogue courses and sessions. It provides context for the method and its adaptation to the challenges of the 21st century. The book also offers guidance on how to structure a Socratic Dialogue classroom, as well as a series of tried-and-true activities and exercises, practical recommendations and testimonies of the transformative impact that dialogue courses have had on participants. The book is of prime interest to professors and educators of business ethics, as well as professional consultants working to help organizations become more responsible and introduce ethical reasoning in their decisions. It also serves as a valuable resource for social educators and practitioners in prisons and rehabilitation units, as well as teachers in primary and secondary education.
Soil Science in Italy: 1861 to 2024
by Carmelo Dazzi Anna Benedetti Giuseppe Corti Edoardo A.C. CostantiniHistory is generally defined as “the study of past events, particularly in human affairs” and is mostly understood when presented chronologically. That’s why someone also defined it as the ‘chronological record of the past’. Knowing the past is extremely important for any society and human being. Past gives us insights into our evolving behavior in many matters of life. The book is seen as a unique opportunity to preserve the memory of the Italian history of soil science. It represents a milestone and a cultural heritage. Moreover, the book is a sort of ideal bridge between the pioneers of soil science in Italy and the young generation of researchers, contributing to spreading awareness of the importance of soil as a fundamental resource.
Solar Adobe: Energy, Ecology, and Earthen Architecture
by Albert NarathHow a centuries-old architectural tradition reemerged as a potential solution to the political and environmental crises of the 1970s Against the backdrop of a global energy crisis, a widespread movement embracing the use of raw earth materials for building construction emerged in the 1970s. Solar Adobe examines this new wave of architectural experimentation taking place in the United States, detailing how an ancient tradition became a point of convergence for issues of environmentalism, architecture, technology, and Indigenous resistance. Utilized for centuries by the Pueblo people of the American Southwest and by Spanish colonialists, adobe construction found renewed interest as various groups contended with the troubled legacies of modern architecture and an increasingly urgent need for sustainable design practices. In this period of critical experimentation, design networks that included architects, historians, counterculture communities, government weapons labs, and Indigenous activists all looked to adobe as a means to address pressing environmental and political issues. Albert Narath charts the unique capacities of adobe construction across a wide range of contexts, consistently troubling simple distinctions between traditional and modern technologies, high design and vernacular architecture. Drawing insightful parallels between architecture, environmentalism, and movements for Indigenous sovereignty, Solar Adobe stresses the importance of considering the history of the built environment in conjunction with architecture&’s larger impact on the natural world.
Solar Chimney Applications in Buildings: For Engineers and Scientists (Green Energy and Technology)
by Long Shi Haihua ZhangThis book comprehensively describes the operating principles and theoretical foundations of solar chimneys. It covers current research results, including numerical analysis and mathematical models based on different assumptions. Complying with the application of renewable energy in sustainable buildings, solar chimney has received extensive attention as an indispensable part natural ventilation. This book is a guide to the application of solar chimneys from single zones to multi zones, and it provides a reference source of application for construction practitioners and engineering decision-makers. The design basis and the related basic principles of fluid mechanics and natural ventilation design strategies introduced in this book will also be beneficial to college students.
Solar Cooling: Basics and Advances
by S. C. Kaushik S. K. Tyagi V. BaijuThe book deals with the research activities focussed on solar VAD systems evaluating its merit of compatibility with ozone friendly refrigerants and adoptability with solar energy option. The authors of this book have given more emphasis on discussing various solar cooling VAD systems and its viability for the commercial use. Relevant references on "Solar Cooling: Basics and Advances" has been provided which significantly adopt some of the information for the completeness of the book.
Solid Waste Management: Principles and Practice (Environmental Science and Engineering)
by Ramesha Chandrappa Diganta Bhusan DasThis book discusses solid waste management issues from global to local level. It offers an overview of the methods and paradigms of this burgeoning field, ranging from generation, characteristics, quantity, and practical challenges. The book discusses the major issues with respect to environmental health and economy, which are related to solid waste management. Furthermore, it contains updated information on topics such as toxicology, climate change, population pressure, urbanization, energy production, building and community design, and disaster preparedness in the context of solid waste management.
Solidarity Economy: Alternative Spaces, Power and Politics (Routledge Studies in Social Enterprise & Social Innovation)
by Ana Margarida Esteves Thomas Henfrey Luciane Lucas dos Santos Leonardo LealSolidarity economy-based alternative spaces result from an interface among structural factors, institutional regimes and forms of collective action that mobilise narratives of change, collective identities and non-capitalist economic practices. This book analyses how solidarity economy initiatives develop alternative spatialities as counterpower to mainstream economy. Based on case studies in Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia, it elaborates on how different scales of solidarity economy-based alternative spaces result from an interface among structural factors, institutional regimes and forms of collective action that mobilise narratives of change, collective identities and non-capitalist economic practices.
Solvable: How We Healed the Earth, and How We Can Do It Again
by Susan SolomonA compelling and pragmatic argument: solutions to yesterday’s environmental problems reveal today’s path forward. We solved planet-threatening problems before, Susan Solomon argues, and we can do it again. Solomon knows firsthand what those solutions entail. She first gained international fame as the leader of an expedition to Antarctica in 1986, making discoveries that were key to healing the damaged ozone layer. She saw a path—from scientific and public awareness to political engagement, international agreement, industry involvement, and effective action. Solomon, an atmospheric scientist and award-winning author, connects this career-defining triumph to the inside stories of other past environmental victories—against ozone depletion, smog, pesticides, and lead—to extract the essential elements of what makes change possible. The path to success begins when an environmental problem becomes both personal and perceptible to the general public. Lawmakers, diplomats, industries, and international agencies respond to popular momentum, and effective change takes place in tandem with consumer pressure when legislation and regulation yield practical solutions. Healing the planet is a long game won not by fear and panic but by the union of public, political, and regulatory pressure. Solvable is a book for anyone who has ever despaired about the climate crisis. As Solomon reminds us, doom and gloom get us nowhere, and idealism will only take us so far. The heroes in these stories range from angry mothers to gang members turned social activists, to upset Long Island birdwatchers to iconoclastic scientists (often women) to brilliant legislative craftsmen. Solomon’s authoritative point of view is an inspiration, a reality check, a road map, and a much-needed dose of realism. The problems facing our planet are Solvable. Solomon shows us how.
Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis
by David MillerIf our planet is going to survive the climate crisis, we need to act rapidly. Taking cues from progressive cities around the world, including Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Oslo, Shenzhen, and Sydney, this book is a summons to every city to make small but significant changes that can drastically reduce our carbon footprint. We cannot wait for national governments to agree on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage the average temperature rise to within 1.5 degrees. In Solved, David Miller argues that cities are taking action on climate change because they can – and because they must. The updated paperback edition of Solved: How the World’s Great Cities Are Fixing the Climate Crisis demonstrates that the initiatives cities have taken to control the climate crisis can make a real difference in reducing global emissions if implemented worldwide. By chronicling the stories of how cities have taken action to meet and exceed emissions targets laid out in the Paris Agreement, Miller empowers readers to fix the climate crisis. As much a “how to” guide for policymakers as a work for concerned citizens, Solved aims to inspire hope through its clear and factual analysis of what can be done – now, today – to mitigate our harmful emissions and pave the way to a 1.5-degree world.