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Eruption!: Volcanoes And The Science Of Saving Lives (Scientists in the Field)
by Elizabeth Rusch Tom Uhlman“At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.
Eruptions that Shook the World
by Clive OppenheimerWhat does it take for a volcanic eruption to really shake the world? Did volcanic eruptions extinguish the dinosaurs, or help humans to evolve, only to decimate their populations with a super-eruption 73,000 years ago? Did they contribute to the ebb and flow of ancient empires, the French Revolution and the rise of fascism in Europe in the 19th century? These are some of the claims made for volcanic cataclysm. Volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer explores rich geological, historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records (such as ice cores and tree rings) to tell the stories behind some of the greatest volcanic events of the past quarter of a billion years. He shows how a forensic approach to volcanology reveals the richness and complexity behind cause and effect, and argues that important lessons for future catastrophe risk management can be drawn from understanding events that took place even at the dawn of human origins.
Escaping Nature: How to Survive Global Climate Change
by Orrin H. Pilkey Charles O. Pilkey Linda P. Pilkey-Jarvis Norma J. Longo Keith C. Pilkey Fred B. Dodson Hannah L. HayesIndustrial and agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are rapidly warming Earth’s climate, unleashing rising seas, ocean acidification, melting permafrost, powerful storms, wildfires, floods, deadly heat waves, droughts, tsunamis, food shortages, and armed conflict over shrinking water supplies while reducing nutritional levels in crops. Billions of people will become climate refugees. Hotter temperatures will allow tropical diseases to spread into temperate regions. Higher levels of CO2, allergens, dust, and other particulate matter will impair our physical and mental health and even reduce our cognitive abilities. Climate change disproportionately affects the world’s poor. It also harms Nature, and could ultimately trigger a sixth mass extinction. In Escaping Nature, Orrin H. Pilkey and his coauthors offer concrete suggestions for how to respond to the threats posed by global climate change. They argue that while we wait for the world’s governments to get serious about mitigating climate change we can adapt to a hotter world through technological innovations, behavioral changes, nature-based solutions, political changes, and education.
Escaping the Dark, Gray City: Fear and Hope in Progressive-Era Conservation
by Benjamin Heber JohnsonA compelling and long-overdue exploration of the Progressive-era conservation movement, and its lasting effects on American culture, politics, and contemporary environmentalism The turn of the twentieth century caught America at a crossroads, shaking the dust from a bygone era and hurtling toward the promises of modernity. Factories, railroads, banks, and oil fields—all reshaped the American landscape and people. In the gulf between growing wealth and the ills of an urbanizing nation, the spirit of Progressivism emerged. Promising a return to democracy and a check on concentrated wealth, Progressives confronted this changing relationship to the environment—not only in the countryside but also in dense industrial cities and leafy suburbs. Drawing on extensive work in urban history and Progressive politics, Benjamin Heber Johnson weaves together environmental history, material culture, and politics to reveal the successes and failures of the conservation movement and its lasting legacy. By following the efforts of a broad range of people and groups—women’s clubs, labor advocates, architects, and politicians—Johnson shows how conservation embodied the ideals of Progressivism, ultimately becoming one of its most important legacies.
Escaping the Resource Curse (Initiative for Policy Dialogue at Columbia: Challenges in Development and Globalization)
by Humphreys Macartan Jeffrey D. Sachs Joseph E. Stiglitz Eds.The wealth derived from natural resources can have a tremendous impact on the economics and politics of producing countries. In the last quarter century, we have seen the surprising and sobering consequences of this wealth, producing what is now known as the "resource curse." Countries with large endowments of natural resources, such as oil and gas, often do worse than their poorer neighbors. Their resource wealth frequently leads to lower growth rates, greater volatility, more corruption, and, in extreme cases, devastating civil wars. In this volume, leading economists, lawyers, and political scientists address the fundamental channels generated by this wealth and examine the major decisions a country must make when faced with an abundance of a natural resource. They identify such problems as asymmetric bargaining power, limited access to information, the failure to engage in long-term planning, weak institutional structures, and missing mechanisms of accountability. They also provide a series of solutions, including recommendations for contracting with oil companies and allocating revenue; guidelines for negotiators; models for optimal auctions; and strategies to strengthen state-society linkages and public accountability. The contributors show that solutions to the resource curse do exist; yet, institutional innovations are necessary to align the incentives of key domestic and international actors, and this requires fundamental political changes and much greater levels of transparency than currently exist. It is becoming increasingly clear that past policies have not provided the benefits they promised. Escaping the Resource Curse lays out a path for radically improving the management of the world's natural resources.
Escapism
by Yi-Fu TuanAcclaimed cultural geographer Yi-Fu Tuan considers humanity's enduring desire to escape reality— and embrace alternatives such as love, culture, and DisneyworldIn prehistoric times, our ancestors began building shelters and planting crops in order to escape from nature's harsh realities. Today, we flee urban dangers for the safer, reconfigured world of suburban lawns and parks. According to geographer Yi-Fu Tuan, people have always sought to escape in one way or another, sometimes foolishly, often creatively and ingeniously. Glass-tower cities, suburbs, shopping malls, Disneyland—all are among the most recent monuments in our efforts to escape the constraints and uncertainties of life—ultimately, those imposed by nature. "What cultural product," Tuan asks, "is not escape?" In his new book, the capstone of a celebrated career, Tuan shows that escapism is an inescapable component of human thought and culture.
The ESG and Sustainability Deskbook for Business: A Guide to Policy, Regulation, and Practice
by Kristyn NoethThe interest in sustainability and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) from stakeholders across all sectors is growing and will continue to do so as we are in the most pivotal decade for meeting the global goals on climate change and sustainable development. This book is a compendium of the international agreements, regulatory advancements, and current practicum to inform a 360-degree viewpoint of the organizations, frameworks, and stakeholders that shape the evolving landscape.Written in a straightforward and conversational tone, you’ll embark on a knowledge journey on the progression of ESG and sustainability and how it directly shapes and informs current practice. It provides insights, discussion, and topical briefings as a side-by-side reader to accompany the rise of ESG and sustainability in business and the markets. The flow of information and reader education begins with the origins of sustainability in international treaties and policy. It then moves on to theadvent and differentiation of ESG, sustainability, and social responsibility; provides substantive issue briefings on the key “E,” “S,” and “G” factors. You’ll continue by walking through the global regulatory and standards paradigms; delve into ESG ratings and indices; and examine in-depth analysis of the respective roles of the corporation, the financial and investment sector, the international bodies, the business interest groups, the NGOs and third-party organizations, and the philanthropic community. You’ll also see that corporations and investors are advancing ESG and sustainability strategies and programs at a record pace. What were once regarded as “nice-to-have” initiatives with voluntary reporting have moved into the regulated sphere with mandatory public disclosures and reporting requirements on greenhouse gas emissions, climate risk and transition planning, biodiversity and nature-related impacts, supply chain transparency, anti-bribery and corruption, humanrights, human capital, and board diversity. The ESG and Sustainability Deskbook for Business threads the needle with best practices, case studies, and takeaways to illustrate the applications and to enhance understanding.What You Will LearnStudy the progression of ESG and sustainability and how related considerations increasingly drive business, policy, and economic decisionsReview Takeaways and best practices to provide insights and discussion pointsUnderstand the critical differences between ESG, social responsibility, and sustainabilityWho This Book is ForESG and Sustainability Practitioners (across all sectors), Corporate leadership, Tech sector (a key growth area for compliance, reporting, and GHG accounting), Investors, Compliance, risk, legal, and corporate governance professionals, Management and board consultants
ESG Investing For Dummies
by Brendan BradleyYour guide to investing for a more sustainable world Investing in one’s own future has always been a good financial move. But what if you want to ensure that the companies you have a financial interest in are also helping to improve the present and future of all of us—and of the planet? More than ever before, sustainable investors want to be confident that a company’s Environmental (net zero emissions target), Social (response to the Covid-19 pandemic), and Governance (no repeats of Enron and WorldCom) policies and actions are positively impacting the global outlook—and to identify ways that their dollar can incentivize business leaders to do even better. The worldwide rise of an Environmental, Socially Responsible, and Governance (ESG) approach to investing shows you’re not alone, and the $30+ trillion—and growing—committed in this way says it’s already become a transformative global movement. ESG provides a framework for evaluating companies that, unlike unrelated investment strategies, informs and guides sustainable investment. Even if you’re a novice investor, ESG For Dummies will allow you to hit this new investing landscape running, providing you with measurable ways to factor ESG into company performance, see how these are reflected in your investment return, and show how you can monitor companies to ensure your money is being put to ethical use. You’ll also become familiar with the big names to follow in the ESG world, how they’re already effecting positive change, and how you can help. Identify the drivers for each category of ESG Define and measure material ESG factors for investing success Understand principles for building a diversified sustainable portfolio Recognize material ESG factors effect on company performance ESG investing introduces powerful tools to do real and lasting good: this book shows you how to use them to help make everyone’s future, including your own, much more secure.
ESG Management of the Development of the Green Economy in Central Asia (Environmental Footprints and Eco-design of Products and Processes)
by Elena G. Popkova Bruno S. SergiThis book proposes digitalization as a promising direction for green growth and sustainable development of the economy of Central Asia. It reveals the advanced and unique hands-on and case-based experience of Central Asia in ESG management with the involvement of digital technologies and provides practical recommendations on the extension of the use of digital technologies in ESG management of the development of the green economy in Central Asia.
ESG Mindset: Business Resilience and Sustainable Growth
by Matthew SekolBusinesses who take environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) seriously can transform their companies, industries and economies worldwide. Learn how to think critically about ESG to ensure your company remains resilient with sustainable growth in the long term. ESG goes beyond decarbonization commitments, corporate goals and industry awards to core business issues, stakeholders and the balance sheet. Managing these risks and opportunities requires courage, imagination and careful analysis to improve and innovate around what is and isn't working at a company. It requires mainstreaming a consistent definition of ESG so key decision-makers are empowered to act across the business and their value chains, including in daily business practices, communication with stakeholders, financial considerations, and the integration of new technologies and products.ESG Mindset guides business leaders, ESG specialists and CSR strategists through the nuanced and most thoughtful ways to focus on these core business issues. Equipping readers with an enhanced way to think through complex business decisions and interconnected crises, the book provides accessible perspectives and real-world examples from companies around the world that have implemented a meaningful approach to ESG and learned lessons along the way. Readers will learn how to think about pressing ESG challenges from a new perspective and build defensibility in their efforts to future-proof a business and potentially save the world as only they can.
ESG: Nachhaltigkeit als strategischer Erfolgsfaktor (SDG - Forschung, Konzepte, Lösungsansätze zur Nachhaltigkeit)
by Klaus Rainer Kirchhoff Sönke Niefünd Julian A. von PressentinImmer mehr Investoren haben ESG-Kriterien in ihre Investitionskriterien integriert und immer mehr Banken ergänzen ihre Vergaberichtlinien für Kredite um ESG-Aspekte. Mit einer gelebten ESG-Strategie und ESG-Kommunikation werden Unternehmen für Investoren und Banken folgerichtig attraktiver.Dieses Buch soll Unternehmern und Managern zeigen, wie sie zu einer überzeugenden ESG-Strategie kommen und wie sie diese professionell kommunizieren.
ESG Reporting Manual: 500+ Legal Tips and Tricks to Improve Your ESG Reporting (River Publishers Series in Energy Sustainability and Efficiency)
by null Robin BousteadAre you struggling to navigate the complex landscape of ESG compliance? Do you fear falling victim to allegations of green or social-washing while also striving to deliver value for your shareholders? Look no further. Our ESG Reporting Manual offers 500+ legal tips and tricks, presented in a practical step-by-step format, to help your organization meet its reporting obligations and achieve success. Written by a seasoned business owner with decades of experience, this manual is your ultimate guide to navigating the complexities of ESG legislation with confidence. Don't let confusion hold you back any longer – let our manual guide you towards compliance and growth.
ESG: Sustainability as a Strategic Success Factor
by Klaus Rainer Kirchhoff Sönke Niefünd Julian von PressentinMore and more investors have integrated ESG criteria into their investment criteria, and an increasing number of banks are supplementing their lending guidelines with ESG aspects. With a lived ESG strategy and ESG communication, companies consequently become more attractive to investors and banks. This book aims to show entrepreneurs and managers how to develop a convincing ESG strategy and how to communicate it professionally.
The ESG Systems in Chinese Enterprises: Theory and Practice (Resources, Climate and Sustainable Development)
by Liang Liang Tao Ding Ruipeng Tan Malin SongThis book delves deeply into the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management systems of Chinese enterprises. It systematically analyzes the origins and evolution of ESG, taking into account China’s unique policy environment and market demands, and presents a localized ESG management framework tailored to Chinese companies. The book provides numerous case studies that illustrate how to effectively implement these frameworks in business operations, offering concrete guidance for achieving sustainable development. This book covers all aspects of ESG management, including comparisons of international standards, analysis of policy and legal frameworks, investment decisions, and corporate risk management. It is suitable for a diverse audience, including scholars, government officials, and corporate managers. By integrating theory with practice, the book provides forward-looking recommendations, offering strong practical guidance through case studies and empirical research to help companies improve their ESG management systems.
Essays in Economics: Theories, Theorizing, Facts And Policies
by Wassily W. LeontiefFirst Published in 2015. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an Informa company.
Essays on Sustainability and Management
by Runa Sarkar Annapurna ShawThis book offers a comprehensive overview of sustainability and management in India and through its insightful essays highlights the complex and multifaceted nature of sustainability as a concept. It also demonstrates the debates surrounding the concept of sustainability and its ramifications for ground-level practice in managing organisations and for public policy. The contributions from sustainability enthusiasts, practitioners from disparate fields and academics working at the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, have been divided into five themes: (1) sustainability as a normative concept; (2) sustainability concept at the global level, (3) sustainability practices in Indian organisations and consumer behaviour; (4) sustainability, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility and (5) sustainability: a critique of organisational practice and government regulation. The themes reflect both new and continuing issues confronting management in the country today. Examples and in-depth studies make it relevant to the grounded reality in India. The expertise and experience of the contributors ensure that readers are left with a grasp of our current understanding of how sustainability is related to society and business, the direction this understanding will take in the future.
The Essence of Turbulence as a Physical Phenomenon: With Emphasis on Issues of Paradigmatic Nature
by Arkady TsinoberThis book critically reexamines what turbulence really is, from a fundamental point of view and based on observations from nature, laboratories, and direct numerical simulations. It includes critical assessments and a comparative analysis of the key developments, their evolution and failures, along with key misconceptions and outdated paradigms. The main emphasis is on conceptual and problematic aspects, physical phenomena, observations, misconceptions and unresolved issues rather than on conventional formalistic aspects, models, etc. Apart from the obvious fundamental importance of turbulent flows, this emphasis stems from the basic premise that without corresponding progress in fundamental aspects there is little chance for progress in applications such as drag reduction, mixing, control and modeling of turbulence. More generally, there is also a desperate need to grasp the physical fundamentals of the technological processes in which turbulence plays a central role.
The Essence of Turbulence as a Physical Phenomenon: With Emphasis On Issues Of Paradigmatic Nature
by Arkady TsinoberNow in its second edition, this book clearly, concisely and comprehensively outlines the essence of turbulence. In view of the absence of a theory based on first principles and adequate tools to handle the problem, the “essence” of turbulence, i.e. what turbulence really is from a fundamental point of view, is understood empirically through observations from nature, laboratories and direct numerical simulations rather than explained by means of conventional formalistic aspects, models, etc., resulting in pertinent issues being described at a highly theoretical level in spite of the mentioned lack of theory.As such, the book highlights and critically reexamines fundamental issues, especially those of paradigmatic nature, related to conceptual and problematic aspects, key misconceptions and unresolved matters, and discusses why the problem is so difficult. As in the previous edition, the focus on fundamental issues is also a consequence of the view that without corresponding advances in fundamental aspects there is little chance of progress in any applications. More generally there is a desperate need for physical fundamentals of a great variety of processes in nature and technology in which turbulence plays a central role. Turbulence is omnipresent throughout the natural sciences and technology, but despite the vast sea of information available the book retains its brevity without oversimplifications, making it of interest to a broad audience.
The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land
by Barbara Kingsolver Norman WirzbaAgrarian philosophy, a compelling worldview with advocates around the globe, encourages us to develop practices and policies that promote the sustainable health of the land, community, and culture. <P><P>In this remarkable anthology are fifteen essays from Wendell Berry, Vandana Shiva, Wes Jackson, Gene Logsdon, Brian Donahue, Eric Freyfogle, David Orr, and others. The Essential Agrarian Reader calls us to celebrate the gifts of the earth, through honest work and respect for the land.
The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land
by Norman Wirzba“Eminently quotable and passionately argued essays” on living in harmony with the earth and each other, by Wes Jackson, Wendell Berry, and more (Library Journal, starred review).Includes a Foreword by Barbara KingsolverA compelling worldview with advocates from around the globe, agrarianism challenges the shortcomings of our industrial and technological economy. Not simply focused on farming, the agrarian outlook encourages us to develop practices and policies that promote the health of land, community, and culture. Agrarianism reminds us that no matter how urban we become, our survival will always be inextricably linked to the precious resources of soil, water, and air.Combining fresh insights from the disciplines of education, law, history, urban and regional planning, economics, philosophy, religion, ecology, politics, and agriculture, these original essays develop a sophisticated critique of our culture’s current relationship to the land, while offering practical alternatives. Leading agrarians, including Wendell Berry, Vandana Shiva, Wes Jackson, Gene Logsdon, Brian Donahue, Eric Freyfogle, and David Orr, explain how our goals should be redirected toward genuinely sustainable communities. These writers call us to an honest accounting and correction of our often-destructive ways. They suggest how our society can take practical steps toward integrating soils, watersheds, forests, wildlife, urban areas, and human populations into one great system—a responsible flourishing of our world and culture.
The Essential Atlas of the Bible (NIV Application Commentary Resources)
by Carl G. RasmussenEmbark on a fascinating journey through the lands where key biblical events unfolded. Visit the places where Jesus preached, Moses journeyed, and Paul spread the word of God - all from the comfort of your home with The Essential Atlas of the Bible.With nearly 200 visually captivating, multidimensional maps and full-color images, this comprehensive atlas will deepen your understanding of biblical lands, history, and spirituality. Leveraging highly accurate mapping technologies, it provides an up-to-date geographical perspective that makes Scripture study both engaging and impactful.Discover multifaceted insights through innovative chronological charts covering historical backgrounds, regions, weather, and roads of the Bible's world. This full-color atlas is concise yet comprehensive - perfect for Bible scholars, future pilgrims to the Holy Land, or curious readers seeking greater insight into places frequently mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.The Essential Atlas of the Bible goes beyond just providing information; it takes you on a pilgrimage across time, enriching every step of your Bible study journey where you will discover a visual experience of the biblical world.Enhance your understanding and deepen your faith - don't wait, grab your copy of The Essential Atlas of the Bible today.
Essential Building Science: Understanding Energy and Moisture in High Performance House Design (Sustainable Building Essentials)
by Jacob Deva RacusinDown and dirty – a complete step-by-step guide to making, installing and living with beautiful, all-natural earthen floors Poor heat and moisture management are the enemies of durable, comfortable, and efficient housing, and good building design and construction starts with a solid understanding of good building science. Essential Building Science provides a highly visual and accessible introduction to the fundamentals of building science for residential construction.Part one covers the rationale behind high-performance design and the fundamentals of building physics, including thermal dynamics, moisture transfer, and hygro-thermal dynamics such as vapor drive and condensation.Part two teaches the vital critical thinking skills needed to consider buildings as whole systems and to develop thermal and moisture control strategies regardless of the specifics of the design. Case studies and examples from across North American climatic zones illuminate real-life problems and offer builders, designers, and DIYers the insights and tools required for creating better new buildings and dramatically improving old ones.Good science plus critical thinking equals high performance buildings.
Essential Business Challenges: How to Understand Complexity, Address Change, and Make Better Decisions
by William B. RouseSociety seems increasingly complex, in part due to constant “breaking news,” likes, tweets, etc. Considerable change is being entertained, or at least debated. Significant decisions are required. Decision-making lately has been flawed, laced with contention, hesitancy, and poor outcomes.The author has long helped clients and sponsors to understand complexity, address needs for change, formulate plans, and make decisions to invest resources to execute these plans. His engagement with them has focused on formulating problems, devising possible solutions, and deciding which solutions merited investment.This book represents the author's reflections on these engagements, associated challenges, and typical outcomes. These stories are reports about clients' or sponsors’ problems and how he and his colleagues went about addressing these problems of complexity, change, and decision-making. The clients or customers for these services included over 100 enterprises in industry, government, and academia. Most were large, many in the US, but quite a few were in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Geography mattered in these engagements but did not dominate.The chapters in this book represent his reports on what he learned, and what he could generalize across airplanes, automobiles, banking, computers, communications, insurance, pharmaceuticals, retail, satellites, semiconductors, and telecoms, working with stakeholders from companies, agencies, and academia.
Essential Classical Thermodynamics (SpringerBriefs in Physics)
by Ulf W. GeddeThis book is a concise, readable, yet authoritative primer of basic classic thermodynamics. Many students have difficulty with thermodynamics, and find at some stage of their careers in academia or industry that they have forgotten what they learned, or never really understood these fundamental physical laws. As the title of the book suggests, the author has distilled the subject down to its essentials, using many simple and clear illustrations, instructive examples, and key equations and simple derivations to elucidate concepts. Based on many years of teaching experience at the undergraduate and graduate levels, “Essential Classical Thermodynamics” is intended to provide a positive learning experience, and to empower the reader to explore the many possibilities for applying thermodynamics in other fields of science, engineering, and even economics where energy plays a central role. Thermodynamics is fun when you understand it!
Essential Concepts of Environmental Communication: An A–Z Guide (Routledge Studies in Environmental Communication and Media)
by Pat BreretonThis book draws on a broad spectrum of environmental communications and related cross-disciplinary literature to help students and scholars grasp the interconnecting key concepts within this ever-expanding field of study. Aligning climate change and environmental learning through media and communications, particularly taking into account the post-COVID challenge of sustainability, remains one of the most important concerns within environmental communications. Addressing this challenge, Essential Concepts for Environmental Communication synthesises summary writings from a broad range of environmental theorists, while teasing out provocative concepts and key ideas that frame this evolving, multi-disciplinary field. Each entry maps out an important concept or environmental idea and illustrates how it relates more broadly across the growing field of environmental communication debates. Included in this volume is a full section dedicated to exploring what environmental communication might look like in a post-COVID setting: • Offers cutting-edge analysis of the current state of environmental communications. • Presents an up-to-date exploration of environmental and sustainable development models at a local and global level. • Provides an in-depth exploration of key concepts across the ever-expanding environmental communications field. • Examines the interaction between environmental and media communications at all levels. • Provides a critical review of contemporary environmental communications literature and scholarship. With key bibliographical references and further reading included alongside the entries, this innovative and accessible volume will be of great interest to students, scholars and practitioners alike.