- Table View
- List View
Entropy and the Tao of Counting: A Brief Introduction to Statistical Mechanics and the Second Law of Thermodynamics (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Kim SharpThis book provides a complete and accurate atomic level statistical mechanical explanation of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics. It assumes only a basic knowledge of mechanics and requires no knowledge of calculus. The treatment uses primarily geometric arguments and college level algebra. Quantitative examples are given at each stage to buttress physical understanding. This text is of benefit to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as educators and researchers in the physical sciences (whether or not they have taken a thermodynamics course) who want to understand or teach the atomic/molecular origins of entropy and the second law. It is particularly aimed at those who, due to insufficient mathematical background or because of their area of study, are not going to take a traditional statistical mechanics course.
Entropy, Divergence, and Majorization in Classical and Quantum Thermodynamics (SpringerBriefs in Mathematical Physics #16)
by Takahiro SagawaRich information-theoretic structure in out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics exists in both the classical and quantum regimes, leading to the fruitful interplay among statistical physics, quantum information theory, and mathematical theories such as matrix analysis and asymptotic probability theory. The main purpose of this book is to clarify how information theory works behind thermodynamics and to shed modern light on it.The book focuses on both purely information-theoretic concepts and their physical implications. From the mathematical point of view, rigorous proofs of fundamental properties of entropies, divergences, and majorization are presented in a self-contained manner. From the physics perspective, modern formulations of thermodynamics are discussed, with a focus on stochastic thermodynamics and resource theory of thermodynamics. In particular, resource theory is a recently developed field as a branch of quantum information theory to quantify “useful resources” and has an intrinsic connection to various fundamental ideas of mathematics and information theory. This book serves as a concise introduction to important ingredients of the information-theoretic formulation of thermodynamics.
Ents, Elves, and Eriador: The Environmental Vision of J.R.R. Tolkien (Culture of the Land)
by Jonathan Evans Matthew Dickerson&“A fascinating ecocritical evaluation&” of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion and other works of the master fantasist (Northeastern Naturalist). The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion are rarely considered to be works of environmental literature or mentioned together with such authors as John Muir, Rachel Carson, or Aldo Leopold. Nonetheless, Tolkien&’s vision of nature is as passionate and has had as profound an influence on his readers as that of many contemporary environmental writers. The burgeoning field of agrarianism provides new insights into Tolkien&’s view of the natural world and environmental responsibility. In Ents, Elves, and Eriador, Matthew Dickerson and Jonathan Evans show how Tolkien anticipated some of the tenets of modern environmentalism in the imagined world of Middle-earth and the races with which it is peopled. Dickerson and Evans examine Tolkien&’s major works as well as his lesser-known stories and essays, comparing his writing to that of the most important naturalists of the past century. A vital contribution to environmental literature and an essential addition to Tolkien scholarship, Ents, Elves, and Eriador offers both Tolkien fans and environmentalists an understanding of Middle-earth that has profound implications for environmental stewardship in the present and the future of our own world. &“This book is for everyone who loves the work of J. R. R. Tolkien, and who loves the world around them.&” —Armchair Interviews &“Anyone who ever thrilled to Tolkien&’s fighting trees, or to the earthy Tom Bombadil, or to the novel charm of the Shire will want to read this important and lovely book.&” —Bill McKibben, Scholar in Residence in Environmental Studies, Middlebury College
Entscheidungen in die weite Zukunft: Ungewissheiten bei der Entsorgung hochradioaktiver Abfälle (Energiepolitik und Klimaschutz. Energy Policy and Climate Protection)
by Dirk Scheer Anne Eckhardt Frank Becker Volker Mintzlaff Roman SeidlIn diesem Open-Access-Buch werden Wege aufgezeigt, mit verschiedenen Formen von Ungewissheiten und der Dynamik von Ungewissheiten bezüglich der Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle umzugehen. Die sichere Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle erfordert es, über Zeiträume von bis zu einer Million Jahre hinaus zu planen. Ein solches Vorhaben ist von erheblichen Ungewissheiten begleitet, die sich zudem auf dem Entsorgungsweg verändern. Dem Sammelband liegen inter- und transdisziplinäre Forschungsergebnisse zugrunde. Die Autor:innen sprechen in allgemein verständlicher Sprache eine breite Leserschaft an, die sich für die Entsorgung radioaktiver Abfälle oder grundlegender für den Umgang mit Vorhaben, die sehr langfristig angelegt sind, interessiert.
Entwicklung, humanitäre Hilfe und soziale Wohlfahrt: Sozialer Wandel von innen nach außen
by Cornelia C. WaltherIn diesem Buch wird untersucht, wie menschliches Verhalten durch unsere Wünsche, Emotionen, Gedanken und Empfindungen geformt wird und wie sich umgekehrt die Erfahrungen, die sich aus unserem Verhalten ergeben, auf uns selbst, andere und den Planeten auswirken. Auf der Grundlage einer Analyse des ständigen Wechselspiels zwischen diesen vier Ebenen bietet es praktische Lösungen, um systematisch eine nachhaltige gesellschaftliche Veränderungsdynamik in Gang zu setzen. Es wird aufgezeigt, warum der Wandel, zusätzlich zur wirtschaftlichen und politischen Transformation auf der Makroebene, mit einem Bewusstseinswandel auf der Mikroebene beginnt. Dabei stellt er die fehlende Verbindung zwischen Investitionen in die persönliche Befähigung und das kollektive Wohlergehen her. Ein neuartiges theoretisches Paradigma bildet die Grundlage dieses Buches, das in der Perspektive einer kontinuierlichen "Körper-Geist-Herz-Seele-Verbindung" verankert ist. Ausgehend von der Prämisse, dass eine gerechte Gesellschaft allen zugute kommt, wird argumentiert, dass Anstrengungen, die für andere unternommen werden, auf drei Ebenen Vorteile bringen - für den Einzelnen, der handelt, für denjenigen, für den gehandelt wurde, und für die Gesellschaft.
Environing Media (ISSN)
by Adam Wickberg Johan GärdeboThis edited volume interrogates the role of media technologies in the formation of environments, understood both as physical spaces and as epistemological constructs about them. Using the concept of ‘environing media’, the book advances a deeper understanding of how media processes – defined here as the storage, process, and transmission of data – influence human-Earth relations.Virtually all aspects of the interconnected global ecological crisis can be related to the intensification and acceleration of scaling up the human imprint on the planet by technological means. Combining ideas from the humanities, arts, and humanistic social sciences, Environing Media offers a perspective on how we entered the current geological epoch – the Anthropocene. The ten chapters explore colonial, planetary, and elemental environing media, with cases including indigenous history, ocean monitoring, computational history, climate modeling, environmental history, the air as medium, the biosphere, and the Earth system.Drawing upon a breadth of examples and expertise in history, anthropology, geography, cultural history, science and technology studies, and media studies, the book discovers a novel approach to human-Earth histories that demonstrates how technologies have mediated between humans and environments and in the process contributed to a societal feedback loop between knowing and doing environment, each impacting the other. Environing Media is a timely addition for scholars and upper-level students in environmental humanities and media studies.The Open Access version of chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 are available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781003282891. Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. Chapters 3, 8, and 9 have been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY 4.0) license.
Environing Media (Routledge Environmental Humanities)
by Adam Wickberg Johan GärdeboThis edited volume interrogates the role of media technologies in the formation of environments, understood both as physical spaces and as epistemological constructs about them. Using the concept of ‘environing media’, the book advances a deeper understanding of how media processes – defined here as the storage, process, and transmission of data – influence human-Earth relations. Virtually all aspects of the interconnected global ecological crisis can be related to the intensification and acceleration of scaling up the human imprint on the planet by technological means. Combining ideas from the humanities, arts, and humanistic social sciences, Environing Media offers a perspective on how we entered the current geological epoch – the Anthropocene. The ten chapters explore colonial, planetary, and elemental environing media, with cases including indigenous history, ocean monitoring, computational history, climate modeling, environmental history, the air as medium, the biosphere, and the Earth system. Drawing upon a breadth of examples and expertise in history, anthropology, geography, cultural history, science and technology studies, and media studies, the book discovers a novel approach to human-Earth histories that demonstrates how technologies have mediated between humans and environments and in the process contributed to a societal feedback loop between knowing and doing environment, each impacting the other. Environing Media is a timely addition for scholars and upper-level students in environmental humanities and media studies.
Environment
by Linda R. Berg Peter H. Raven David M. Hassenzahl Mary Catherine Hager Nancy Y. GiftEnvironment, Tenth Edition helps students understand the connection between the core concepts of the Environmental Science and their daily lives. The 10th edition enhanced e-text features a rich, interactive collection of current case studies and in-text examples, which provides students with the tools to understand, apply, and think critically about environmental science. It also provides instructors with powerful tools to assess individual students progresses well as the class as a whole.
Environment (7th Edition)
by Linda R. Berg Peter H. Raven David M. HassenzahlOffering a more concise resource for environmental scientists, this seventh edition explores important environmental issues and shows how to apply this information on the job. It focuses on a systems approach, presenting a framework for thinking about environmental science.
Environment (Eighth Edition)
by Linda R. Berg Peter H. Raven David M. HassenzahlThe 8th Edition of "Environment" builds on the previous comprehensive, systems-based environmental science issue with more in-depth information on systems approach, which emphasizes the interconnected nature of environmental science throughout the text. The book is even more reader-friendly integrated learning system designed to help move from general concepts to specific applications and continues to focus on currency. It presents the basic facts, various perspectives on issues, and framework to help readers reach their own informed decisions in a changing marketplace.
Environment - Competitive exam
by Shankar IasThe best book on environment, recommended by civil service exam experts. The book includes the previous year question and point by point description and analysis.
Environment Conscious Manufacturing
by Surendra M. Gupta A. J. D. Fred LambertHotter temperatures, less arctic ice, loss of habitat-every other day, it seems, global warming and environmental issues make headlines. Consumer-driven environmental awareness combined with stricter recycling regulations have put the pressure on companies to produce and dispose of products in an environmentally responsible manner. Redefining indus
Environment and Belief Systems (Key Concepts in Indigenous Studies)
by G. N. DevyPart of the series Key Concepts in Indigenous Studies, this book focuses on the concepts that recur in any discussion of nature, culture and society among the indigenous. The book, the first in a five-volume series, deals with the two crucial concepts of environment and belief systems of indigenous peoples from all the continents of the world. With contributions from renowned scholars, activists and experts from around the globe, it presents a salient picture of the environments of indigenous peoples and discusses the essential features of their belief systems. It explores indigenous perspectives related to religion, ritual and cultural practice, art and design, and natural resources, as well as climate change impacts among such communities in Latin and North America, Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands), India, Brazil, Southeast Asia and Africa. Bringing together academic insights and experiences from the ground, this unique book's wide coverage will serve as a comprehensive guide for students, teachers and scholars of indigenous studies. It will be essential reading for those in anthropology, social anthropology, sociology and social exclusion studies, religion and theology, and cultural studies, as well as activists working with indigenous communities.
Environment and Business (Routledge Introductions to Environment: Environment and Society Texts)
by David Hitchcock Alasdair BlairThis text examines how businesses and the environment interact. It is ideal for students with no previous knowledge of business studies. It examines in depth the ways in which business, industry, the physical environment, environmentalism and social change have evolved alongside each other. The authors use boxed case-studies to highlight how business practice and the environment interact at levels from local to global, with examples from multinational companies, government bodies, national charities and local enterprise. The book also contains a large number of informative diagrams. The case studies include: * Shell Oil's environmental policy* railways and the industrial revolution* the British National Trust's business enterprises* Sainsbury's approach to organic foods* Australia's landcare scheme* changing trends in retailing* Brent Spar * big game hunting and conservation.
Environment and Citizenship (Routledge Introductions to Environment: Environment and Society Texts)
by Benito CaoThe increasing awareness of the human impact on the environment is having a profound effect on the concept and content of citizenship – one of the fundamental institutions that structures human relations. In what is the first introduction of its kind, this book provides an accessible, stimulating and multidimensional overview of the many ways in which concern for the environment – driven primarily by the preoccupation with sustainability – is reshaping our understanding of citizenship. Environment and Citizenship is structured into three parts. Part I introduces the reader to the concept and theories of citizenship and explores the impact that environmental concerns is having on contemporary formulations of citizenship, both traditional (e.g. national, liberal and republican) and emerging (e.g. cosmopolitan, ecological and ecofeminist). Part II explores the practical manifestations of environmental citizenship, with each chapter focusing on a particular actor: citizens, governments, and corporations. These chapters include references to examples and case studies from a wide range of countries, broadly categorized as belonging to the Global North and the Global South. Part III explores the making of green citizens and outlines the dominant articulations of environmental citizenship that emerge from formal education, news media and popular culture. The book concludes with a general reflection on the present and future of environmental citizenship. The book contains a variety of illustrations, boxed case-studies, links to online resources and suggestions for further reading. This original and engaging text is essential reading for students and scholars of environmental politics, sustainability studies and development studies, as well as for environmental activists, policy practitioners and environmental educators. More broadly, this book will appeal to anyone interested in and concerned with issues of sustainability, social justice and citizenship in the twenty-first century.
Environment and Citizenship in Latin America
by Alex Latta Hannah WittmanScholarship related to environmental questions in Latin America has only recently begun to coalesce around citizenship as both an empirical site of inquiry and an analytical frame of reference. This has led to a series of new insights and perspectives, but few efforts have been made to bring these various approaches into a sustained conversation across different social, temporal and geographic contexts. This volume is the result of a collaborative endeavour to advance debates on environmental citizenship, while simultaneously and systematically addressing broader theoretical and methodological questions related to the particularities of studying environment and citizenship in Latin America. Providing a window onto leading scholarship in the field, the book also sets an ambitious agenda to spark further research.
Environment and Climate-smart Food Production
by Charis M. GalanakisAgriculture and food systems, forestry, the marine and the bio-based sectors are at the very heart of the climate change crisis. Evidence on climate change reveals that it will affect farming first, through changes to rainfall regimes, rising temperatures, the variability and seasonality of the climate and the occurrence of more frequent extreme events (heatwaves, droughts, storms and floods). In addition to findings ways to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, farmers will need to develop farming systems resilient to fluctuating environmental and socioeconomic conditions. It is thus a great challenge to support ambitious climate targets while satisfying the needs for food, feed, bio-based products and energy for a global population projected to reach 10 billion by 2030. Few books on the market integrate environment studies and climate-smart food production. This book fills the knowledge gap by covering all the relevant aspects in one reference: starting with microclimate management, climate change and food systems, and resilience of mixed farming and agroforestry systems, chapters address agricultural soil management, integrated water management in small agricultural catchments, citizen-driven food system approaches in cities, and ICT-enabled agri-food systems. By focusing on the most recent advances in the field while analyzing the potential of already applied practices, this book can serve as a handbook for regulators and researchers looking to understand all aspects of food production and distribution in this changing environment.
Environment and Development in the Straits of Malacca (Routledge Studies in Development and Society)
by Mark Cleary Goh Kim ChuanThis unique study is the first in depth examination of the environment and development of the Straits. Taking an integrative approach, the book argues that the region has an underlying unity which political divisions (between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore) disguise. Its emphasis is on three major elements: first, a study of the historical geography of the region illustrates its role as a sea-corridor which connected the markets of India and China. Secondly, that contemporary patterns of economic development and trade have continued to increase the strategic importance of the region. Finally, the text highlights the major environmental problems, such as pollution, traffic and tourism, that now threaten the sea and coastline.
Environment and Development: Challenges, Policies and Practices
by Antonio Augusto Rossotto IorisThis book provides a comprehensive overview of emerging challenges facing different social groups, policy-makers and the international community related to economic growth, social development and environmental change, social inclusion and regional development. The book undertakes a critical assessment of the tensions associated with the failures of mainstream regulatory approaches and impacts of social and economic policies whilst widening the discussion on the interface between the expansion of the socio-environmental demands, equity and justice. These are crucial challenges, of great importance today and of equal relevance to the Global North and South. The book explores one of the main contradictions of development, the simplification of assessments and narrow consideration of alternatives. Taking this dilemma as its departure point, it goes on to examine the justification, trends and limitations of Western-based development and possible alternatives to fundamentally modify the basis and the rationale of the development process. It considers theoretical and lived experiences of development, paying attention to multiple scales, local realities and economic frontiers. Contributing authors explore policy recommendations and discuss effective practical tools for determining the values different people hold for ecosystem services and territorial resources. They cover the monitoring of change in the provision of ecosystem services that might increase the well-being of vulnerable groups as well as strategies to promote innovation and integrated, equitable and sustainable development.
Environment and Earth Observation
by S. Hazra A. Mukhopadhyay A. R. Ghosh D. Mitra V. K. DadhwalThis book presents relevant and contemporary research on the remote sensing of landscapes, agriculture & forestry, geomorphology, coasts & oceans, natural hazards and wild habitats. It highlights the application of remote sensing in understanding natural processes and oceanic features, as well as in creating mapping inventories of water resources across different spatial and temporal scales. Recent advances in hyperspectral imaging and high spatial resolution offer promising techniques for exploring various aspects related to the fruitful and cost-effective monitoring of large-scale environments. In the field of forestry and agriculture, the book addresses topics such as terrain analysis, forest management, updating current forest inventories, and vegetation cover type discrimination. It also elaborates delineation of various geo-morphological features of the earth's surface and natural disasters, and includes a special section on the remote sensing of wild habitats. Readers working in interdisciplinary sectors engaged in remote-sensing-based research benefit from the techniques presented.
Environment and Economy
by Molly Scott CatoAs environmental issues move to the centre of the political debate, more attention is being focused on the role our economy has played in creating the ecological crisis, and what a sustainable economy might look like. In spite of the success of the environmental movement in drawing attention to the crisis facing us, there has been comparatively little attention focused on the way the operation of the global economy contributes to this crisis. Environment and Economy provides a stimulating introductory insight into the history of thinking that has linked the economy and the environment. It begins by introducing readers to the pioneers of this field, such as Fritz Schumacher and Paul Ehrlich, who first drew attention to the disastrous consequences for our environment of our ever-expanding economy. Part two of the book describes the main academic responses to the need to resolve the tension between economy and environment: environmental economics, ecological economics, green economics, and anti-capitalist economics. Part three is structured around key themes including an introduction to economic instruments such as taxes and regulation; pollution and resource depletion; growth; globalization vs. localization and climate change. Each key issue is approached from a range of different perspectives, and working policies are presented in detail. Written in an accessible style, this introductory text offers students with an engaging account of the way that the various traditions of economic thought have approached the environment, bringing them together for the first time in one volume. The text is complimented by boxes, case studies and recommended reading for each theme addressed. It will be of value to students interested in environmental sciences, geography, green issues and economics.
Environment and Economy (Routledge Introductions to Environment: Environment and Society Texts)
by Molly Scott CatoNothing is more important to our world than finding a more comfortable relationship between the economy and the environment. While issues such as species loss, nitrate pollution, water scarcity and climate change are now attracting the political attention they deserve, their origin in the way our economy is organised is less frequently recognised. This book makes that connection both theoretically – with references to a number of heterodox approaches to economics – and practically through a number of specific issues. Environment and Economy begins by introducing readers to the pioneers of this field, such as Fritz Schumacher and Paul Ehrlich, who first drew attention to the disastrous consequences for our environment of our ever-expanding economy. Part II outlines the contributions to the field of Neoclassical Economics, Environmental Economics, Ecological Economics, Green Economics and Anti-Capitalist Economics. Part III takes a pluralist approach to using economic tools to solve a range of environmental problems: economic growth, resource depletion, pollution, globalisation, climate change, markets vs. commons. Written in an accessible style, this introductory text offers students with an engaging account of the way that the various traditions of economic thought have approached the environment, bringing them together for the first time in one volume. The text is complimented by boxes, case studies and recommended reading for each theme addressed. It will be of value to students interested in environmental sciences, geography, green issues and economics.
Environment and Food (Routledge Introductions to Environment: Environment and Society Texts)
by Colin SageThis timely book provides a thorough introduction to the inter-relationship of food and the environment. Its primary purpose is to bring to our attention the multiplicity of linkages and interconnections between what we eat and how this impacts on the earth’s resources. Having a better idea of the consequences of our food choices might encourage us to develop more sustainable practices of production and consumption in the decades ahead. Although human societies have, over time, brought under control a large proportion of the earth’s resources for the purpose of food production, we remain subject to the effective functioning of global ecosystem services. The author highlights the vital importance of these services and explains why we should be concerned about the depletion of freshwater resources, soil fertility decline and loss of biological diversity. The book also tackles some of the enormous challenges of our era: climate change – to which the agri-food system is both a major contributor and a vulnerable sector – and the prospect of significantly higher energy prices, arising from the peaking of oil and gas supplies which will reveal how dependent the food system has become upon cheap fossil fuels. Such challenges are likely to have significant implications for the long-term functioning of global supply chains and raise profound questions regarding the nutritional security of the world’s population. Taken together the book argues that a re-examination of the assumptions and practices underpinning the contemporary food system is urgently required. Environment and Food is a highly original, inter-disciplinary and accessible text that will be of interest to students and the wider public genuinely interested in and concerned by the state of the world’s food provisioning system. It is richly illustrated with figures and makes extensive use of boxes to highlight relevant examples.
Environment and Health in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh: Historical and Contemporary Scenario
by Editor-Rais AkhtarThis engaging book presents an insightful look into the contributing factors that have shaped the modern public health system in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Reflecting on the historical, socio-economic, and contemporary scenario of environment and public health, this book presents chapters that discuss the role of spatial patterns of diseases, health-risk patterns, contributions of medical missionaries in health services in Kashmir, changing disease ecology of Leh, and traditional medical therapy in Ladakh, among others. This book also examines the cholera ecology in Kashmir during the 19th century, and the significance of Kangri ・ a portable traditional heat source ・ in cultural studies, economics, and cancer research. It investigates the role of traditional knowledge in the medical therapy of rural areas of Ladakh and the impact of urbanization on the quality of human health in Srinagar City. Besides, this book examines iodine deficiency disorders and the extension of vector-borne diseases. The essays also probe into the rising mental health concerns in post-pandemic Kashmir. This book will be useful for students, researchers, and teachers of physical geography, human geography, environmental studies, public health, and health sciences. It will also be of interest to political geographers, sociologists, policymakers, and those interested in the issues related to health and environment in the region.
Environment and Innovation: Strategies to Promote Growth and Sustainability
by Clara Inés Pardo Martínez and Alexander Cotte PovedaThis book seeks to show the role of sustainability and innovation in the business and productive sector as good strategy to improve performance and contribute to growth and sustainable development through innovative strategies applied to the management process. Different public and private organizations seek to maintain their business and market share, while developing strategies to improve environmental performance through innovation and address new challenges that seek a productive sector responsible on environmental issues. This book offers an analysis of the relationship between sustainability and innovation in production with the aim to offer strategies to improve sustainability performance.