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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.
The Vanishing Manatee
by Margaret Goff ClarkIntroduces the playful manatee and discusses its future and its relationship with humans.
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.
The Variscan Belt of Western Europe, Volume 1: History, Geodynamic Context and Early Orogenic Events
by Julien Berger Yoann DenèleThis book deals with the geological record and the evolution of ideas concerning the Variscan orogenic belt in France and neighboring regions. Volume 1 is based on a general introduction concerning the imprint of the Variscan period on the geology of France, as well as on the particularities of the study of this ancient orogen. A history of the concepts applied to the Variscan belt is proposed in order to consider this orogen in the history of Earth Sciences. A paleogeodynamic analysis of the Variscan cycle sets the general framework for the evolution of the orogen, which is then tackled through the prism of the magmatic, metamorphic and tectonic record of the early phases (from Cambrian to Lower Carboniferous). Volume 2 proposes an analysis of the late evolution of the Variscan orogenic belt, reflecting its dismantling in a high-temperature context during the Upper Carboniferous and Permian. The sedimentary archives are described, as well as the questions raised by the specificities of this ancient orogen.
The Variscan Belt of Western Europe, Volume 2: Late Magmatic, Metamorphic and Tectonic Events and the Sedimentary Record
by Julien Berger Yoann DenèleThis book deals with the geological record and the evolution of ideas concerning the Variscan orogenic belt in France and neighboring regions. Volume 1 is based on a general introduction concerning the imprint of the Variscan period on the geology of France, as well as on the particularities of the study of this ancient orogen. A history of the concepts applied to the Variscan belt is proposed in order to consider this orogen in the history of Earth Sciences. A paleogeodynamic analysis of the Variscan cycle sets the general framework for the evolution of the orogen, which is then tackled through the prism of the magmatic, metamorphic and tectonic record of the early phases (from Cambrian to Lower Carboniferous). Volume 2 proposes an analysis of the late evolution of the Variscan orogenic belt, reflecting its dismantling in a high-temperature context during the Upper Carboniferous and Permian. The sedimentary archives are described, as well as the questions raised by the specificities of this ancient orogen.
The Vascular Plant Communities of the Retezat National Park (Geobotany Studies)
by Gheorghe Coldea Vasile CristeaThe floristic studies carried out during the 19th and 20th centuries in the Retezat Massif identified 1,152 plant species and 104 subspecies within the Cormobionta sub-regnum. Of these, about 12% are endemic Carpathian and Dacian-Balkan taxa that induce a regional specificity to the hosting communities. The phytocoenological research led to the description of 67 plant associations, grouped in 28 alliances, 19 orders and 13 vegetation classes. These classes are: Asplenietea trichomanis, Thlaspietea rotundifolii, Salicetea herbaceae, Montio-Cardaminetea, Scheuchzerio-Caricetea fuscae, Oxycocco-Sphagnetea, Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, Caricetea curvulae, Loisleurio-Vaccinietea, Elyno-Seslerietea, Mulgedio-Aconitetea, Carpino-Fagetea and Vaccinio-Piceetea. The following plant associations herein described are new syntaxa: Phyteumo confusi-Junicetum trifidi, Salici kitaibelianae-Dryadetum octopetalae and Aconito taurici-Rumicetum alpine. For the protection of some rare plant species and vulnerable plant associations, two natural reserves are proposed to be created within the “Limestone Retezat” area.
The Vegan Evolution: Transforming Diets and Agriculture (Routledge Studies in Food, Society and the Environment)
by Gregory F. TagueArguing for a vegan economy, this book explains how we can and should alter our eating habits away from meat and dairy through sociocultural evolution. Using the latest research and ideas about the cultural ecology of food, this book makes the case that through biological and, especially, cultural evolution, the human diet can gravitate away from farmed meat and dairy products. The thrust of the writing demonstrates that because humans are a cultural species, and since we are evolving more culturally than biologically, it stands to reason for health and environmental reasons that we develop a vegan economy. The book shows that for many good reasons we don’t need a diet of meat and dairy and a call is made to legislative leaders, policy makers, and educators to shift away from animal farming and inform people about the advantages of a vegan culture. The bottom line is that we have to start thinking collectively about smarter ways of growing and processing plant foods, not farming animals as food, to generate good consequences for health, the environment, and, therefore, animals. This is an attainable and worthy goal given the mental and physical plasticity of humans through cooperative cultural evolution. This book is essential reading for all interested in veganism, whether for ethical, environmental, or health reasons, and those studying the human diet from a range of disciplines, including cultural evolution, food ecology, animal ethics, food and nutrition, and evolutionary studies.
The Vegetarian Imperative
by Anand M. SaxenaWe have learned not to take food seriously: we eat as much as we want of what we want when we want it, and we seldom think about the health and environmental consequences of our choices. But the fact is that every choice we make has an impact on our health and on the environment. In The Vegetarian Imperative, Anand M. Saxena, a scientist and a vegetarian for most of his life, explains why we need to make better choices: for better health, to eliminate world hunger, and, ultimately, to save the planet. Our insatiable appetite for animal-based foods contributes directly to high rates of chronic diseases—resulting in both illness and death. It also leads to a devastating overuse of natural resources that dangerously depletes the food available for human consumption. The burgeoning population and increasing preference for meat in all parts of the world are stretching planetary resources beyond their limits, and the huge livestock industry is degrading the agricultural land and polluting air and water.Continuing at this pace will bring us to the crisis point in just a few decades—a reality that threatens not only our current lifestyle but our very survival. This book shows us a way out of this dangerous and vicious cycle, recommending a much-needed shift to a diet of properly chosen plant-based foods.Any one of these arguments alone—personal health, worldwide hunger, and environmental degradation—provides reason enough to stop consuming so much animal-based food; taken together, they make an unassailable case for vegetarianism. The Vegetarian Imperative will make you rethink what you eat—and help you save the planet.
The Vegetation of Antarctica through Geological Time
by David J. Cantrill Imogen PooleThe fossil history of plant life in Antarctica is central to our understanding of the evolution of vegetation through geological time and also plays a key role in reconstructing past configurations of the continents and associated climatic conditions. This book provides the only detailed overview of the development of Antarctic vegetation from the Devonian period to the present day, presenting Earth scientists with valuable insights into the break up of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Details of specific floras and ecosystems are provided within the context of changing geological, geographical and environmental conditions, alongside comparisons with contemporaneous and modern ecosystems. The authors demonstrate how palaeobotany contributes to our understanding of the palaeoenvironmental changes in the southern hemisphere during this period of Earth history. The book is a complete and up-to-date reference for researchers and students in Antarctic palaeobotany and terrestrial palaeoecology.
The Vegetation of Georgia (South Caucasus)
by George NakhutsrishviliThe book describes richness and diversity of Georgia's vegetation. Contrasting ecosystems coexist on the relatively small territory of the country and include semi-deserts in East Georgia, Colchic forests with almost sub-tropical climate in West Georgia and subnival plant communities in high mountains. West Georgia lacks xerophilous vegetation zone and mesophilous forest vegetation spreads from the sea level to subalpine zone. The Colchic refugium (West Georgia) ensured survival of the Tertiary's mesophilous forest flora. Vertical profile of the vegetation is more complex in East Georgia with semi-desert, steppe and arid open forest zone. In South Georgia the montane zone represented by montane steppe is devoid of forests
The Vegetation of the Maltese Islands (Geobotany Studies)
by Salvatore Brullo Cristian Brullo Salvatore Cambria Gianpietro Giusso del GaldoThis book discusses the remarkable plant diversity of the Maltese Archipelago. Despite its relatively small area and long-term human exploitation, many different plant communities occur in this territory. The book presents phytosociological investigations, together with taxonomical studies, which have been conducted over more than forty years, highlighting the unique features of this central Mediterranean insular ecosystem. It also describes the phytosociological role played by several narrow endemic or phytogeographically relevant taxa and introduces many phytocoenoses exclusively growing in the archipelago. The study integrates the palaeogeographic issues linked to the ancient and intriguing history of the different civilizations that succeeded on the islands for thousands of years. The book also focuses on the N2000 habitats.
The Vent and Seep Biota
by Steffen KielOases of life around black smokers and hydrocarbon seeps in the deep-sea were among the most surprising scientific discoveries of the past three decades. These ecosystems are dominated by animals having symbiotic relationships with chemoautotrophic bacteria. Their study developed into an international, interdisciplinary venture where scientists develop new technologies to work in some of the most extreme places on Earth. This book highlights discoveries, developments, and advances made during the past 10 years, including remarkable cases of host-symbiont coevolution, worms living on frozen methane, and a fossil record providing insights into the dynamic history of these ecosystems since the Paleozoic.
The Vertical Farm: Scientific Advances and Technological Developments (Nextgen Agriculture)
by Chittaranjan Kole Kheir Al-Kodmany Andrew Keong Ng Abel TabladaAmid economic uncertainties, fluctuating oil prices, and a rising environmental consciousness, the need for sustainable and efficient food production has become dire. The Vertical Farm: Scientific Advances and Technological Developments systematically navigates the realm of vertical farming (VF), rooted in a robust, scientific foundation. Unveiling the intricate convergence of plant biology, environmental science, and agronomy, it provides a profound understanding of contemporary agriculture. The book spans lighting systems and climate control mechanisms, focusing on sustainability. From small urban initiatives to significant commercial endeavors, real-world case studies showcase VF's adaptability, scalability, and resilience. Addressing multiple challenges, the book explores economic considerations and public perceptions, recognizing their roles in fostering meaningful advancements in agricultural innovation.A volume in the Nextgen Agriculture series, this book is valuable to scientists, practitioners, and students in urban agriculture and planning, horticulture, engineering, landscape architecture, and plant/technology sciences.
The Very Hungry Tiger Shark
by Liz HuyckTiger sharks eat almost anything they can catch. But the practice of dumping garbage in oceans is harmful to these predators who tend to eat something without realizing it isn’t food. This causes tiger sharks to eat license plates and other non-food items they cannot digest.
The Vicuña
by Kristi Anne Stølen Mariela Borgnia Verónica Benítez Jane C. Wheeler Hugo Yacobaccio Jerry Laker Renaudeau d' Arc Nadine Desmond Mcneill Cristian Bonacic Marcelo Cassini Gabriela Lichtenstein Yanina Arzamendia Pete Goddard Bibiana Vilá Jessica Gimpel Ana Wawrzyk Javier García Gomez Iain GordonThe vicuña is one of the few success stories of wildlife conservation. The focus is now shifting from protection to sustainable use. Internationally, policy development has followed the community-based conservation paradigm, which holds that economic benefits from wildlife management practices bring greater commitment on the part of local communities to protect both the species and its habitat. This book takes the position that sustainability is not guaranteed by sustainable use, and that both education and regulation are required to prevent the proliferation of unsustainable practices. The research from the countries presented in this book demonstrate the animal welfare, ecological, economic, social, and conservation trade-offs, which exist between different management systems. This links economics, social and conservation research to provide a unique insight into the viability of community-based wildlife management of a species which until recently was viewed simply as a conservation priority.
The View From Foley Mountain
by Peri Phillips McquayMy feet are practising their steps, gauging the slipperiness of wet lichen on rock and sounding each landing. As my stride shifts to a swing I realize I have a sharper sense of my place in the woods now. I am as taut and limber as a bow-string. I sense bears in the woods, weigh their threat and move on, glorying in the mosses beneath my feet …. We in the woods share fear. By grace of my fear, I am closer to predators and prey. The View From Foley Mountain is a celebration of the joy of living in harmony with the natural world. The seasonal selections lead you through the fields, woods, rock outcroppings and shores of the conservation area which is the author’s home. You will savour the fragrance of maple syrup boiling, share in a summer heron census, snowshoe to a beaver lodge, watch a snapping turtle laying eggs, witness the death of a starving deer, and see turkey vultures soar. Whether she is rejoicing in old barns, canoeing the Snake River, harvesting dye plants or stalking moths at night, Peri Phillips McQuay’s deep love and lyrical vision stimulate you to share her sense of wonder in her surroundings.
The Violent Technologies of Extraction: Political ecology, critical agrarian studies and the capitalist worldeater
by Alexander Dunlap Jostein JakobsenOffering a thought provoking theoretical conversation around ecological crisis and natural resource extraction, this book suggests that we are on a trajectory geared towards total extractivism guided by the mythological Worldeater. The authors discuss why and how we have come to live in this catastrophic predicament, rooting the present in an original perspective that animates the forces of global techno-capitalist development. They argue that the Worldeater helps us make sense of the insatiable forces that transform, convert and consume the world. The book combines this unique approach with detailed academic review of critical agrarian studies and political ecology, the militarization of nature and the conventional and ‘green’ extraction nexus. It seeks radical reflection on the role people play in the construction and perpetuation of these crises, and concludes with some suggestions on how to tackle them.
The Visual Language of Spatial Planning: Exploring Cartographic Representations for Spatial Planning in Europe (RTPI Library Series)
by Stefanie DührAt a time when strategic spatial planning is undergoing a renaissance in Europe, The Visual Language of Spatial Planning makes a unique contribution to this rapidly growing area of teaching and research. Discussing the relevant theoretical perspectives on policy-making and planning, combined with cartographic communication and the use of cartographic representations in the planning process, Stephanie Duhr provides conceptual and practical tools to help students and practitioners better understand maps and visualizations in strategic spatial planning. The book is the first to review the form, style and use of cartographic representations in strategic spacial plans in the Netherlands, Germany and England as well as at European level. Significant differences between planning traditions and the impact of these on transnational planning processes are highlighted. It concludes by discussing the practical implications for future strategic spacial planning processes in Europe and the best use of cartographic representations to reach agreement and to focus dialogue.
The Volcano Disaster
by Peg KehretWarren and Betsy have to work on a class project. Instead Warren is busy testing his grandfather's latest creation, the Instant Commuter. Suddenly, he is teleported back to the dawn of the eruption and he has no way of getting back home!
The Volga: A History
by Janet M. HartleyThe longest river in Europe, the Volga stretches over three and a half thousand km from the heart of Russia to the Caspian Sea, separating west from east. The river has played a crucial role in the history of the peoples who are now a part of the Russian Federation—and has united and divided the land through which it flows. Janet Hartley explores the history of Russia through the Volga from the seventh century to the present day. She looks at it as an artery for trade and as a testing ground for the Russian Empire’s control of the borderlands, at how it featured in Russian literature and art, and how it was crucial for the outcome of the Second World War at Stalingrad. This vibrant account unearths what life on the river was really like, telling the story of its diverse people and its vital place in Russian history.
The Voluntary Environmentalists
by Aseem Prakash Matthew PotoskiA novel theoretical framework to analyse the effectiveness of voluntary environmental programs, including ISO 14001.
The Voyage of Sorcerer II: The Expedition That Unlocked the Secrets of the Ocean’s Microbiome
by David Ewing Duncan J. Craig Venter“Will undoubtedly shape our understanding of the global ecosystem for decades to come.”—Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All MaladiesA celebrated genome scientist sails around the world, collecting tens of millions of marine microbes and revolutionizing our understanding of the microbiome that sustains us.Upon completing his historic work on the Human Genome Project, J. Craig Venter declared that he would sequence the genetic code of all life on earth. Thus began a fifteen-year quest to collect DNA from the world’s oldest and most abundant form of life: microbes. Boarding the Sorcerer II, a 100-foot sailboat turned research vessel, Venter traveled over 65,000 miles around the globe to sample ocean water and the microscopic life within.In The Voyage of Sorcerer II, Venter and science writer David Ewing Duncan tell the remarkable story of these expeditions and of the momentous discoveries that ensued—of plant-like bacteria that get their energy from the sun, proteins that metabolize vast amounts of hydrogen, and microbes whose genes shield them from ultraviolet light. The result was a massive library of millions of unknown genes, thousands of unseen protein families, and new lineages of bacteria that revealed the unimaginable complexity of life on earth. Yet despite this exquisite diversity, Venter encountered sobering reminders of how human activity is disturbing the delicate microbial ecosystem that nurtures life on earth. In the face of unprecedented climate change, Venter and Duncan show how we can harness the microbial genome to develop alternative sources of energy, food, and medicine that might ultimately avert our destruction.A captivating story of exploration and discovery, The Voyage of Sorcerer II restores microbes to their rightful place as crucial partners in our evolutionary past and guides to our future.
The Voyageur Canadian Biographies 5-Book Bundle: The Firebrand / Mrs. Simcoe's Diary / The Scalpel, the Sword / The Men of the Last Frontier / Pilgrims of the Wild
by Julie Allan Grey Owl Michael Gnarowski James Polk William Kilbourn Ronald Stagg Mary Quayle Innis Elizabeth Posthuma Simcoe Hugh Eayrs Norman Bethune Allan Susan Ostrovsky Sydney GordonVoyageur Classics is a series of special versions of Canadian classics, with added material and new introductory notes. In this bundle we find five biographical and autobiographical titles that shed light on some of Canada’s most important figures at crucial times in the country’s development. William Kilbourn brings to life the rebel Canadian hero William Lyon Mackenzie: able political editor, first mayor of Toronto, and the gadfly of the House of Assembly. The Scalpel, the Sword celebrates the turbulent career of Dr. Norman Bethune, a brilliant surgeon, campaigner for socialized medicine, and communist. Elizabeth Simcoe’s diary, describing Canada from 1791 to 1796, is history written as it was being made, an account instilled with excitement and delight. And finally, two titles by the legendary Grey Owl tell his own astonishing story and advocate for a closeness with and respect for nature. Each of these books is an essential classic of Canadian literature. Includes The Firebrand Mrs. Simcoe’s Diary The Scalpel, the Sword The Men of the Last Frontier Pilgrims of the Wild
The Voyageur Canadian History 2-Book Bundle: The Refugee / The Letters and Journals of Simon Fraser, 1806-1808
by Benjamin Drew W. Kaye Lamb George E. ClarkeVoyageur Classics is a series that issues special new versions of Canadian classics, with added material and special introductions. In this bundle we find two classic works of Canadian historical writing. During three extraordinary years, 1805-1808, Simon Fraser undertook the third major expedition across North America, culminating in his famous journey down the river in British Columbia that now bears his name. Fraser’s exploratory efforts helped lead to Canada’s boundary later being declared at the 49th parallel. In this new volume, librarian and archivist W. Kaye Lamb provides a detailed introduction as well as illuminating annotations to Fraser’s journals. In the early 1850s, white American abolitionist Benjamin Drew was commissioned to travel to Canada West (now Ontario) to interview escaped slaves from the United States. In the course of his journeys in Canada, Drew visited Chatham, Toronto, Galt, Hamilton, London, Dresden, Windsor, and a number of other communities. Originally published in 1856, Drew’s book is the only collection of first-hand interviews of fugitive slaves in Canada ever done. It is an invaluable record of early black Canadian experience. Includes The Refugee The Letters and Journals of Simon Fraser, 1806-1808
The Vulnerable Andaman and Nicobar Islands: A Study of Disasters and Response
by Poonam TripathiThis first full-length book addresses disasters in the context of vulnerability of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands that comprise 572 islands in the Bay of Bengal. It looks at the disasters that the islands have experienced in the last 200 years and analyzes major disasters since colonization by the British. Raising some critical questions, this book attempts to understand the overall profile of disasters – the facts, causes, damage, response and recovery – in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It discusses earthquakes, cyclones, tsunami and epidemics, as well as impacts of World War II, the penal colony and the post-Independence resettlement on the tribal population. The work will serve as a rich resource with its detailed tables, figures, maps and diagrams; appendices; and database ranging from travelogues, Census of India reports and fieldwork to Right to Information (RTI) petitions that collect hitherto unknown facts. The book will be useful to students of geography, disasters and disasters management, climate and environmental studies, history, sociology, island and ocean studies, and South Asian studies.