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Varmint Rifles and Cartridges: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Select Guns and Loads
by Charles T. RichardsA thorough guide, Varmint Rifles and Cartridges provides detailed information about getting started in varmint hunting, selecting the best rifles for the job, and choosing your cartridges and other components. The text is supplemented by more than one hundred detailed photographs that illustrate the various types of rifles and cartridges available for varmint hunters.Varmint Rifles and Cartridges presents information about the history of varmint hunting and how those original rifles differ from the most popular rifles and cartridges available for varmint hunters on the market today. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a particular cartridge, including the: .204 Ruger .223 Remington .220 Swift .243 Winchester .257 RobertsAt the end of each chapter, author C. T. Richards demonstrates how each cartridge and rifle performs through the results of range tests and trajectory tests he conducted himself. A varmint hunter since the 1950s, Richards is more than qualified to grade these products and offer advice on varmint hunting in general.The content of Varmint Rifles and Cartridges will appeal to readers considering varmint hunting for the first time, as well those who have previously acquired some experience in using these tools.
The Variety of Life
by Nicola DaviesOur planet is full of life! Did you know there are 400,000 species of beetle - but only eight species of bear? This stunning book explores the extraordinary diversity of the natural world and profiles some of its most surprising creatures.A glorious celebration of diversity within the Animal Kingdom by non-fiction specialist Nicola Davies, illustrated by rising star Lorna Scobie. There is something to delight on every page with fascinating facts about mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. This exquisite book will encourage children to treasure the world's biodiversity and help to stop it slipping away.
The Variety of Integral Ecologies: Nature, Culture, and Knowledge in the Planetary Era (SUNY series in Integral Theory)
by Sam Mickey; Sean Kelly; Adam Robbert; Mary Evelyn TuckerIn the current era of increasing planetary interconnectedness, ecological theories and practices are called to become more inclusive, complex, and comprehensive. The diverse contributions to this book offer a range of integral approaches to ecology that cross the boundaries of the humanities and sciences and help us understand and respond to today's ecological challenges. The contributors provide detailed analyses of assorted integral ecologies, drawing on such founding figures and precursors as Thomas Berry, Leonardo Boff, Holmes Rolston III, Ken Wilber, and Edgar Morin. Also included is research across the social sciences, biophysical sciences, and humanities discussing multiple worldviews and perspectives related to integral ecologies. The Variety of Integral Ecologies is both an accessible guide and an advanced supplement to the growing research for a more comprehensive understanding of ecological issues and the development of a peaceful, just, and sustainable planetary civilization.
Varieties of Environmentalism: Essays North and South
by Ramachandra Guha Joan Martínez AlierUntil very recently, studies of the environmental movement have been heavily biased towards the North Atlantic worlds. There was a common assumption amongst historians and sociologists that concerns over such issues as conservation or biodiversity were the exclusive preserve of the affluent westerner: the ultimate luxury of the consumer society. Citizens of the world's poorest countries, ran the conventional wisdom, had nothing to gain from environmental concerns; they were 'too poor to be green', and were attending to the more urgent business of survival. Yet strong environmental movements have sprung up over recent decades in some of the poorest countries in Asia and Latin America, albeit with origins and forms of expression quite distinct from their western counterparts. In Varieties of Environmentalism, Guha and Matinez-Alier seek to articulate the values and orientation of the environmentalism of the poor, and to explore the conflicting priorities of South and North that were so dramatically highlighted at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Essays on the 'ecology of affluence' are also included, placing ion context such uniquely western phenomena as the 'cult of wilderness' and the environmental justice movement. Using a combination of archival and field data,. The book presents analyses of environmental conflicts and ideologies in four continents: North and South America, Asia and Europe. The authors present the nature and history of environmental movements in quite a new light, one which clarifies the issues and the processes behind them. They also provide reappraisals for three seminal figures, Gandhi, Georgescu-Roegen and Mumford, whose legacy may yet contribute to a greater cross-cultural understanding within the environmental movements.
Varanger (The Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife)
by Cecelia HollandTwo young Vikings voyage deep into the Russian winter, a quest for glory that will lead all the way to ByzantiumConn Corbansson is a clever and strong leader of men and his cousin and best friend, the god-touched Raef, is his navigator and shield against evil. After joining a fur-trading ship to Russia they are forced to overwinter in the icebound village of Novgrod. But tempers flare in the confinement, and factions form – the far-faring Norse against the native Rus, the honour-bound warriors against the gold-seeking traders. Taking service with the leader of the Rus, Dobrynya, they travel south to Kiev, and on with a raiding party that will take them all the way into the northern reaches of the Byzantine Empire. Varanger, fourth in the compelling Life and Times of Corban Loosestrife series, is perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell and Giles Kristian. ‘A potent blend of fantasy, history, and romance… a rousing, vivid tale rich with Nordic lore’ Publishers Weekly ‘Elements of romance, mysticism, and suspense are interwoven into one superlative, spine-tingling adventure’ Booklist ‘She is the finest author of historical fiction working in English today’ SF Site
Vaquita: Science, Politics, and Crime in the Sea of Cortez
by Brooke BessesenIn 2006, vaquita, a diminutive porpoise making its home in the Upper Gulf of California, inheritedthe dubious title of world's most endangered marine mammal.Nicknamed "panda of the sea” for their small size and beguiling facial markings, vaquitas have been in decline for decades, dying by the hundreds in gillnets intended for commercially valuable fish, as wellas for anendangered fish called totoaba. When international crime cartels discovered a lucrative trade in the swim bladders of totoaba, illegal gillnetting went rampant, and now the lives of the few remaining vaquitas hang in the balance.Author Brooke Bessesen takes us on a journey to Mexico's Upper Gulf region to uncover the story. She interviewed townspeople, fishermen, scientists, and activists, teasing apart a complex story filled with villains and heroes, a story whose outcome is unclear.When diplomatic and political efforts to save the little porpoise failed, Bessesen followed a team of veterinary experts in a binational effort to capture the last remaining vaquitas and breed them in captivity—the best hope for their survival. In this fast-paced, soul-searing tale, she learned that there are no easy answers when extinction is profitable.Whether the rescue attempt succeeds or fails, the world must ask itself hard questions. When vaquita and the totoaba are gone, the black market will turn to the next vulnerable species. What will we do then?
Vapor Intrusion Simulations and Risk Assessments
by Yijun Yao Qiang ChenThis book introduces key concepts in modeling and risk assessments of vapor intrusion, a process by which the subsurface volatile contaminants migrate into the building of concern. Soil vapor intrusion is the major exposure pathway for building occupants to chemicals from the subsurface, and its risk assessments determine the criteria of volatile contaminants in soil/groundwater in brownfield redevelopment. The chapters feature the recent advances in vapor intrusion studies and practices, including analytical and numerical modeling of vapor intrusion, statistical findings of United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Vapor Intrusion Database and Petroleum Vapor Intrusion Databases, the challenges of preferential pathways, and the application of building pressure cycling methods, and field practices of vapor intrusion risk assessments at developed contaminated sites and in brownfield redevelopment. This volume also summarizes the advantages and limits of current applications in vapor intrusion risk assessment, laying the groundwork for future research of better understanding in risk characterization of soil vapor intrusion using models. Written by experts in this field, Vapor Intrusion Simulations and Risk Assessments will serve as an invaluable reference for researchers, regulators, and practitioners, who are interested in perceiving the basic knowledge and current advances in risk assessments of soil vapor intrusion.
Vanishing Sands: Losing Beaches to Mining
by Orrin H. Pilkey Norma J. Longo William J. Neal Nelson G. Rangel-Buitrago Keith C. Pilkey Hannah L. HayesIn a time of accelerating sea level rise and increasingly intensifying storms, the world’s sandy beaches and dunes have never been more crucial to protecting coastal environments. Yet, in order to meet the demands of large-scale construction projects, sand mining is stripping beaches and dunes, destroying environments, and exploiting labor in the process. The authors of Vanishing Sands track the devastating impact of legal and illegal sand mining over the past twenty years, ranging from Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to South America and the eastern United States. They show how sand mining has reached crisis levels: beach, dune, and river ecosystems are in danger of being lost forever, while organized crime groups use deadly force to protect their illegal mining operations. Calling for immediate and widespread resistance to sand mining, the authors demonstrate that its cessation is paramount for saving not only beaches, dunes, and associated environments but also lives and tourism economies everywhere.
The Vanishing Rainforest
by Richard PlattThis story, told through a child called Remaema, describes how the Yanomami tribe is battling against potential developers.
The Vanishing Present: Wisconsin’s Changing Lands, Waters, and Wildlife
by Donald M. Waller Thomas P. RooneyStraddling temperate forests and grassland biomes and stretching along the coastline of two Great Lakes, Wisconsin contains tallgrass prairie and oak savanna, broadleaf and coniferous forests, wetlands, natural lakes, and rivers. But, like the rest of the world, the Badger State has been transformed by urbanization and sprawl, population growth, and land-use change. For decades, industry and environment have attempted to coexist in Wisconsin-- and the dynamic tensions between economic progress and environmental protection makes the state a fascinating microcosm for studying global environmental change. The Vanishing Present brings together a distinguished set of contributors-- including scientists, naturalists, and policy experts-- to examine how human pressures on Wisconsin's changing lands, waters, and wildlife have redefined the state's ecology. Though they focus on just one state, the authors draw conclusions about changes in temperate habitats that can be applied elsewhere, and offer useful insights into future of the ecology, conservation, and sustainability of Wisconsin and beyond. A fitting tribute to the home state of Aldo Leopold and John Muir, The Vanishing Present is an accessible and timely case study of a significant ecosystem and its response to environmental change.
The Vanishing Manatee
by Margaret Goff ClarkIntroduces the playful manatee and discusses its future and its relationship with humans.
Vanishing Ice: Glaciers, Ice Sheets, and Rising Seas
by Vivien GornitzThe Arctic is thawing. In summer, cruise ships sail through the once ice-clogged Northwest Passage, lakes form on top of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and polar bears swim farther and farther in search of waning ice floes. At the opposite end of the world, floating Antarctic ice shelves are shrinking. Mountain glaciers are in retreat worldwide, unleashing flash floods and avalanches. We are on thin ice—and with melting permafrost’s potential to let loose still more greenhouse gases, these changes may be just the beginning.Vanishing Ice is a powerful depiction of the dramatic transformation of the cryosphere—the world of ice and snow—and its consequences for the human world. Delving into the major components of the cryosphere, including ice sheets, valley glaciers, permafrost, and floating ice, Vivien Gornitz gives an up-to-date explanation of key current trends in the decline of ice mass. Drawing on a long-term perspective gained by examining changes in the cryosphere and corresponding variations in sea level over millions of years, she demonstrates the link between thawing ice and sea-level rise to point to the social and economic challenges on the horizon. Gornitz highlights the widespread repercussions of ice loss, which will affect countless people far removed from frozen regions, to explain why the big meltdown matters to us all. Written for all readers and students interested in the science of our changing climate, Vanishing Ice is an accessible and lucid warning of the coming thaw.
The Vanishing Face of Gaia: A Final Warning
by James LovelockThe global temperature is rising, the ice caps are melting, and levels of pollution across the world have reached unprecedented heights. According to eminent scientist James Lovelock, in order to survive an assault from her dependents, the Earth is lurching ever closer to a permanent ?hot state. OCO Within the next century, we will almost certainly be forced to give up many of the comforts of western living as supplies are threatened. Only the fittest?and the smartest?will survive. A reluctant jeremiad from one of the environmental movementOCOs elder statesmen, "The Vanishing Face of Gaia" offers an essential wake-up call for the human race.
Vanishing Borders: Protecting the planet in the age of globalization (The Worldwatch Environmental Alert Series)
by Hilary FrenchThe world is shrinking faster than ever. Goods, money, microbes, pollution, people and ideas are crossing boundaries ever more frequently. The implications for our future and for the health of the planet are profound. Vanishing Borders outlines the ecological challenges posed and then goes on to define the necessary strategies for tackling them. Presently, national governments are singularly ill-equipped for tackling transitional environmental problems-from ozone depletion to soaring trade in commodities such as timbre- problems which are climbing ever higher on the international political agenda. Industrial and developing countries are on a collision course over climate change, and water shortages are creating tensions in several parts of the world. The author argues that only a worldwide commitment to strengthening treaties and institutions needed to integrate ecological considerations into the rules of global commerce holds out hope. Over 200 international environmental treaties exist but most need more stringent conditions and enforcement, and continuing support from NGO and business communities. Significantly, the digital revolution, integral in itself to processes to globalization, offers channels through which powerful coalitions can effect change. The book provides a compelling and accessible analysis and a clear plan of action in pursuit of environmental stability. Originally published in 2000
Vanishing Bees: Science, Politics, and Honeybee Health
by Daniel Lee Kleinman Sainath SuryanarayananIn 2005, beekeepers in the United States began observing a mysterious and disturbing phenomenon: once-healthy colonies of bees were suddenly collapsing, leaving behind empty hives full of honey and pollen. Over the following decade, widespread honeybee deaths--some of which have come to be called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)--have continued to bedevil beekeepers and threaten the agricultural industries that rely on bees for pollination. Scientists continue to debate the causes of CCD, yet there is no clear consensus on how to best solve the problem. Vanishing Bees takes us inside the debates over widespread honeybee deaths, introducing the various groups with a stake in solving the mystery of CCD, including beekeepers, entomologists, growers, agrichemical companies, and government regulators. Drawing from extensive interviews and first-hand observations, Sainath Suryanarayanan and Daniel Lee Kleinman examine how members of each group have acquired, disseminated, and evaluated knowledge about CCD. In addition, they explore the often-contentious interactions among different groups, detailing how they assert authority, gain trust, and build alliances. As it explores the contours of the CCD crisis, Vanishing Bees considers an equally urgent question: what happens when farmers, scientists, beekeepers, corporations, and federal agencies approach the problem from different vantage points and cannot see eye-to-eye? The answer may have profound consequences for every person who wants to keep fresh food on the table.
Vanishing America
by Miles A. PowellMiles Powell explores how early conservationists became convinced that the vitality of America's white races depended on preserving the wilderness. Some conservationists embraced scientific racism, eugenics, and restrictive immigration laws, but these activists also laid the groundwork for the many successes of the modern environmental movement.
Vanishing Act (Float #2)
by Laura MartinFans of the Percy Jackson series and John David Anderson will love this sequel to the acclaimed novel Float, in which inconveniently invisible Hank must find a way to save Camp Outlier from a saboteur—and win the camp-wide challenge.Hank, Emerson, and their friends have returned to Camp Outlier for another summer of fun and shenanigans. Hank won’t let his RISK (Recurring Incident of the Strange Kind) factor of inconvenient invisibility stop him from having the best summer ever, even when it starts mysteriously turning people and objects around him invisible too. But between his invisibility and an internet celebrity joining their cabin, camp clown Hank is struggling to maintain his spotlight.Hank knows that if he can win the camp-wide challenge for his team, all eyes will be back on him (or, at least, on where everyone thinks the invisible kid is standing). But as the finish line approaches, it becomes clear that someone is trying to sabotage Camp Outlier—and Hank’s pursuit of camp-wide glory puts him in serious danger.Laura Martin’s books are the perfect blend of humor and heart, starring deeply relatable characters and highlighting classic middle grade themes in engaging, creative ways.
Vanilla Orchids: Natural History and Cultivation
by Ken CameronWith more than 30,000 known species, orchids represent the largest family of plants. But only one genus has agricultural value—the Vanilla orchid. Leading orchid expert Ken Cameron covers the natural history of the world’s most popular flavor and fragrance and provides an introduction to the pollination, biology, structure, evolution, and diversity of Vanilla and related orchids. Vanilla Orchids also features methods for bean harvest, curing, and processing for enthusiasts who want to try it at home.
The Vanderbeekers and the Hidden Garden (The Vanderbeekers #2)
by Karina Yan GlaserReturn to Harlem's "wildly entertaining" family in this funny, heartwarming sequel. <P><P> When catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbors, the Vanderbeeker children set out to build the best, most magical healing garden in Harlem—in spite of a locked fence, thistles and trash, and the conflicting plans of a wealthy real estate developer. While Isa is off at sleepaway orchestra camp, Jessie, Oliver, Hyacinth, and Laney are stuck at home in the brownstone with nothing to do but get on one another’s nerves. <P><P>But when catastrophe strikes their beloved upstairs neighbor, their sleepy summer transforms in an instant as the Vanderbeeker children band together to do what they do best: make a plan. They will create the most magical healing garden in all of Harlem. In this companion to The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street, experience the warmth of a family and their community as they work together to bring a little more beauty and kindness to the world, one thwarted plan at a time. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
The Vandana Shiva Reader (Culture of the Land)
by Vandana ShivaThe pioneering environmental activist presents her most influential writings—with an informative introduction by Wendell Berry.Motivated by agricultural devastation in her home country of India, Vandana Shiva became one of the world's most influential environmental and anti-globalization activists. Her groundbreaking research has exposed the destructive effects of monocultures and commercial agriculture and revealed the links between ecology, gender, and poverty.In The Vandana Shiva Reader, Shiva assembles her most influential writings, combining trenchant critiques of the corporate monopolization of agriculture with a powerful defense of biodiversity and food democracy. This essential collection demonstrates the full range of Shiva's research and activism, from her condemnation of commercial seed technology, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the international agriculture industry's dependence on fossil fuels, to her tireless documentation of the extensive human costs of ecological deterioration.This important volume illuminates Shiva's profound understanding of both the perils and potential of our interconnected world and calls on citizens of all nations to renew their commitment to love and care for soil, seeds, and people.
Valuing U.S. National Parks and Programs: America’s Best Investment
by Linda J. Bilmes John B. LoomisThis book provides the first comprehensive economic valuation of U.S. National Parks (including monuments, seashores, lakeshores, recreation areas, and historic sites) and National Park Service (NPS) programs. The book develops a comprehensive framework to calculate the economic value of protected areas, with particular application to the U.S. National Park Service. The framework covers many benefits provided by NPS units and programs, including on-site visitation, carbon sequestration, and intellectual property such as in education curricula and filming of movies/ TV shows, with case studies of each included. Examples are drawn from studies in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Everglades National Park, and Chesapeake Bay. The editors conclude with a chapter on innovative approaches for sustainable funding of the NPS in its second century. The framework serves as a blueprint of methodologies for conservationists, government agencies, land trusts, economists, and others to value public lands, historical sites, and related programs, such as education. The methodologies are relevant to local and state parks, wildlife refuges, and protected areas in developed and developing countries as well as to national parks around the world. Containing a series of unique case studies, this book will be of great interest to professionals and students in environmental economics, land management, and nature conservation, as well as the more general reader interested in National Parks.
Valuing the Environment: Six case studies (Environmental And Resource Economics Set Ser.)
by Jean-Philippe Barde David W. PearceThe 'Pearce Report', Blueprint for a Green Economy, puts the role which monetary evaluation of environmental costs and benefit. can play firmly into the public eye. This book goes further and looks at six countries where such evaluation techniques are applied and at the obstacles to their further use. The case studies, written by leading experts in each nation, show how these methods are being taken up in the UK, Norway and Italy and the ways in which they are already extensively in use in the USA, Germany and the Netherlands. The authors also describe the obstacles to their use, the lack of knowledge of environmental economics at government level; the competition from other government priorities; the failure of environmental groups to grasp the importance of financial evaluation to their cause. But, as this book makes clear, significant advances are being made, both in the implementation of these economic techniques and, above all, in striking and yet further developments in economic thinking.
Valuing Nature: A Handbook for Impact Investing
by William GinnAs the world faces unprecedented challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, the resources needed far outstrip the capabilities of nonprofits and even governments. Yet there are seeds of hope—and much of that hope comes from the efforts of the private sector. Impact investing is rapidly becoming an essential tool, alongside philanthropy and government funding, in tackling these major problems. Valuing Nature presents a new set of nature-based investment areas to help conservationists and investors work together.NatureVest founder William Ginn outlines the emerging private sector investing opportunities in natural assets such as green infrastructure, forests, soils, and fisheries. The first part of Valuing Nature examines the scope of nature-based impact investing while also presenting a practical overview of its limitations and the challenges facing the private sector. The second part of the book offers tools for investors and organizations to consider as they develop their own projects and tips on how nonprofits can successfully navigate this new space. Case studies from around the world demonstrate how we can use private capital to achieve more sustainable uses of our natural resources without the unintended consequences plaguing so many of our current efforts.Valuing Nature provides a roadmap for conservation professionals, nonprofit managers, and impact investors seeking to use market-based strategies to improve the management of natural systems.
Valuing Development, Environment and Conservation: Creating Values that Matter (Routledge Explorations in Development Studies)
by Sarah Bracking Aurora Fredriksen Sian Sullivan Philip WoodhousePolicy-makers are increasingly trying to assign economic values to areas such as ecologies, the atmosphere, even human lives. These new values, assigned to areas previously considered outside of economic systems, often act to qualify, alter or replace former non-pecuniary values. Valuing Development, Environment and Conservation looks to explore the complex interdependencies, contradictions and trade-offs that can take place between economic values and the social, environmental, political and ethical systems that inform non-monetary valuation processes. Using rich empirical material, the book explores the processes of valuation, their components, calculative technologies, and outcomes in different social, ecological and conservation domains. The book gives reasons for why economic calculation tends to dominate in practice, but also presents new insights on how the disobedient materiality of things and the ingenuity of human and non-human agencies can combine and frustrate the dominant economic models within calculative processes. This book highlights the tension between, on the one hand, a dominant model that emphasises technical and ‘universalising’ criteria, and on the other hand, valuation practice in specific local contexts which is more likely to negotiate criteria that are plural, incommensurable and political. This book is perfect for researchers and students within development studies, environment, geography, politics, sociology and anthropology who are looking for new insights into how processes of valuation take place in the 21st century, and with what consequential outcomes.
Valuing Chaparral: Ecosystem Services And Resource Management (Springer Series On Environmental Management)
by Jon E. Keeley Nicole A. Molinari Hugh D. Safford Emma C. UnderwoodChaparral shrubland ecosystems are an iconic feature of the California landscape, and a highly biodiverse yet highly flammable backdrop to some of the fastest growing urban areas in the United States. Chaparral-type ecosystems are a common element of all of the world’s Mediterranean-type climate regions – of which California is one – yet there is little public appreciation of the intrinsic value and the ecosystem services that these landscapes provide. Valuing Chaparral is a compendium of contributions from experts in chaparral ecology and management, with a focus on the human relationship with chaparral ecosystems. Chapters cover a wide variety of subjects, ranging from biodiversity to ecosystem services like water provision, erosion control, carbon sequestration and recreation; from the history of human interactions with chaparral to current education and conservation efforts; and from chaparral restoration and management to scenarios of the future under changing climate, land use, and human population. Valuing Chaparral will be of interest to resource managers, the research community, policy makers, and the public who live and work in the chaparral dominated landscapes of California and other Mediterranean-type climate regions.