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The Water-Food-Energy Nexus: Processes, Technologies, and Challenges (Green Chemistry and Chemical Engineering)
by R. Srinivasan I. M. Mujtaba N. O. ElbashirExponential growth of the worldwide population requires increasing amounts of water, food, and energy. However, as the quantity of available fresh water and energy sources directly affecting cost of food production and transportation diminishes, technological solutions are necessary to secure sustainable supplies. In direct response to this reality, this book focuses on the water-energy-food nexus and describes in depth the challenges and processes involved in efficient water and energy production and management, wastewater treatment, and impact upon food and essential commodities. The book is organized into 4 sections on water, food, energy, and the future of sustainability, highlighting the interplay among these topics. The first section emphasizes water desalination, water management, and wastewater treatment. The second section discusses cereal processing, sustainable food security, bioenergy in food production, water and energy consumption in food processing, and mathematical modeling for food undergoing phase changes. The third section discusses fossil fuels, biofuels, synthetic fuels, renewable energy, and carbon capture. Finally, the book concludes with a discussion of the future of sustainability, including coverage of the role of molecular thermodynamics in developing processes and products, green engineering in process systems, petrochemical water splitting, petrochemical approaches to solar hydrogen generation, design and operation strategy of energy-efficient processes, and the sustainability of process, supply chain, and enterprise.
The Watermelon Genome (Compendium of Plant Genomes)
by Sudip Kr. Dutta Padma Nimmakayala Umesh K. ReddyThis book is the first comprehensive compilation of deliberations on botany, genetic resources and diversity, classical genetics and traditional breeding, genetic transformation, and detailed enumeration on molecular maps and mapping of economic genes and QTLs, whole genome sequencing and comparative genomics in watermelon, and elucidation on functional genomics. The genomic resources for disease resistance, genomics of fruit and quality traits of watermelon, and molecular and metabolic regulation of nutraceuticals in watermelon are discussed. Mapping of quality traits, and biotic and abiotic resistance is also to be discussed. The genome draft of watermelon and application of genome editing are covered. The book contains approximately 250 pages and over 10 chapters authored by globally reputed experts on the relevant field in this crop. This book is useful to the students, teachers, and scientists in academia and relevant private companies interested in horticulture, genetics, breeding, pathology, entomology, physiology, molecular genetics and genomics, in vitro culture and genetic engineering, and structural and functional genomics. This book is also useful for seed industries.
The Watershed
by Annabel SoutarHow much do we value clean water? Enough to stop our industrialized way of life from degrading it? The documentary play The Watershed follows an artist and her family in the struggle to chart a sustainable course between economic prosperity and environmental stewardship. Annabel Soutar is Canada's foremost documentary theater writer.
The Watershed Project Management Guide
by Thomas E. DavenportA key question for individuals involved in managing watersheds is, What is an effective process that will integrate science, policy, and public participation in order to help manage water resources effectively? Outlining a new four-step process that supports adaptive management, The Watershed Project Management Guide explores an innovative approach for addressing complex water and related management issues. Integrating science, policy, and public opinion, this four-phased approach will assist watershed practitioners develop a plan consistent with the recently released USDA-EPA Watershed Management Planning and Implementation Process guidance. This process can be used to implement a management strategy to meet the load allocations required by an approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), the goals of a Source Water Protection Plan, USDA programs such as EQIP, or Section 319 Project.
The Waterside Ape: An Alternative Account of Human Evolution
by Peter Rhys EvansWhy are humans so fond of water? Why is our skin colour so variable? Why aren’t we hairy like our close ape relatives? A savannah scenario of human evolution has been widely accepted primarily due to fossil evidence; and fossils do not offer insight into these questions. Other alternative evolutionary scenarios might, but these models have been rejected. This book explores a controversial idea – that human evolution was intimately associated with watery habitats as much or more than typical savannahs. Written from a medical point of view, the author presents evidence supporting a credible alternative explanation for how humans diverged from our primate ancestors. Anatomical and physiological evidence offer insight into hairlessness, different coloured skin, subcutaneous fat, large brains, a marine-type kidney, a unique heat regulation system and speech. This evidence suggests that humans may well have evolved, not just as savannah mammals, as is generally believed, but with more affinity for aquatic habitats – rivers, streams, lakes and coasts. Key Features: Presents the evidence for a close association between riparian habitats and the origin of humans Reviews the "savannah ape" hypothesis for human origins Describes various anatomical adaptations that are associated with hypotheses of human evolution Explores characteristics from the head and neck such as skull and sinus structures, the larynx and ear structures and functions Corroborates a novel scenario for the origin of human kind ‘… a counterpoint to the textbooks or other books which deal with human evolution. I think readers will see it as a clearly written, well-supported discussion of an alternativeperspective on human origins’. —Kathlyn Stewart, Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa ‘There is a pressing need to expand discussions of human evolution to includenon-anthropocentric narratives that use comparative data. Dr Rhys-Evans’ specific expertise and experience with the human head, neck, ears, throat, mouth and sinuses, provides him with a distinct perspective from which to approach the subject of human evolution. Moreover, his understanding of non-anthropocentric views of human evolution (water-based models), allow him to apply a biological approach to the subject, missing in more traditional (savannah-based) models’. —Stephen Munro, National Museum of Australia
The Water–Food–Energy Nexus: Power, Politics, and Justice (Pathways to Sustainability)
by Carl Middleton Dipak Gyawali Jeremy AlloucheThe world of development thinkers and practitioners is abuzz with a new lexicon: the idea of "the nexus" between water, food, and energy which is intuitively compelling. It promises better integration of multiple sectoral elements, a better transition to greener economies, and sustainable development. However, there appears to be little agreement on its precise meaning, whether it only complements existing environmental governance approaches or how it can be enhanced in national contexts. One current approach to the nexus treats it as a risk and security matter while another treats it within economic rationality addressing externalities across sector. A third perspective acknowledges it as a fundamentally political process requiring negotiation amongst different actors with distinct perceptions, interests, and practices. This perspective highlights the fact that technical solutions for improving coherence within the nexus may have unintended and negative impacts in other policy areas, such as poverty alleviation and education. The Water–Food–Energy Nexus: Power, Politics and Justice lays out the managerial-technical definitions of the nexus and challenges these conceptions by bringing to the forefront the politics of the nexus, around two key dimensions – a dynamic understanding of water–food–energy systems, and a normative positioning around nexus debates, in particular around social justice. The authors argue that a shift in nexus governance is required towards approaches where limits to control are acknowledged, and more reflexive/plural strategies adopted. This book will be of interest to academic researchers, policy makers, and practitioners in the fields of international development studies, environmental politics, and science and technology studies, as well as international relations.
The Wave Concept in Electromagnetism and Circuits: Theory and Applications
by Nathalie Raveu Henri Baudrand Mohammed TitaouineThis book provides background information for students and researchers using mathematical equations leading to a better understanding of electromagnetic behavior. It introduces in detail a new formulation of the integral methods and a set of applications applicable to a variety of electromagnetic domains.
The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean
by Susan CaseyFrom Susan Casey, bestselling author of The Devil's Teeth, an astonishing book about colossal, ship-swallowing rogue waves and the surfers who seek them out. For centuries, mariners have spun tales of gargantuan waves, 100-feet high or taller. Until recently scientists dismissed these stories--waves that high would seem to violate the laws of physics. But in the past few decades, as a startling number of ships vanished and new evidence has emerged, oceanographers realized something scary was brewing in the planet's waters. They found their proof in February 2000, when a British research vessel was trapped in a vortex of impossibly mammoth waves in the North Sea--including several that approached 100 feet. As scientists scramble to understand this phenomenon, others view the giant waves as the ultimate challenge. There are extreme surfers who fly around the world trying to ride the ocean's most destructive monsters. The pioneer of extreme surfing is the legendary Laird Hamilton, who, with a group of friends in Hawaii, figured out how to board suicidally large waves of 70 and 80 feet. Casey follows this unique tribe of people as they seek to conquer the holy grail of their sport, a 100-foot wave. In this mesmerizing account, the exploits of Hamilton and his fellow surfers are juxtaposed against scientists' urgent efforts to understand the destructive powers of waves--from the tsunami that wiped out 250,000 people in the Pacific in 2004 to the 1,740-foot-wave that recently leveled part of the Alaskan coast. Like Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, The Wave brilliantly portrays human beings confronting nature at its most ferocious.
The Way Kitchens Work: The Science Behind the Microwave, Teflon Pan, Garbage Disposal, and More
by Ed SobeyHow does a microwave heat food? Why is only one side of aluminum foil shiny? and Is it better to use cold or hot water in a garbage disposal? are among the questions answered in this guide that reveals the hidden science of the kitchen and its trappings. Profiling more than 50 common appliances and utensils, this handbook describes each item's history, reveals interesting trivia about the piece, and discusses the technology involved. In addition to featuring the original patent blueprints and photographs of the "guts" of the culinary tools, this guide recounts quirky side stories such as the role a waffle iron played in Nike's inception and the real reason why socialite Josephine Cochran invented the dishwasher in 1886. Those whose stovetop skills are still in development will appreciate the information on the invention and use of the smoke detector and hand-held fire extinguishers.
The Way Things Work
by David Macaulay Neil ArdleyWhat really makes the things around us tick? Did you know that the principle behind the zip fastener also governed the building of the pyramids? Or that the dentist's drill is a direct descendant of the first windmill? The inner workings of hundreds of machines and devices are explained in this fun, colourful and unique look at technology through time.
The Way Things Work Now
by David MacaulayA New York Times Bestseller Explainer-in-Chief David Macaulay updates the worldwide bestseller The New Way Things Work to capture the latest developments in the technology that most impacts our lives. Famously packed with information on the inner workings of everything from windmills to Wi-Fi, this extraordinary and humorous book both guides readers through the fundamental principles of machines, and shows how the developments of the past are building the world of tomorrow. This sweepingly revised edition embraces all of the latest developments, from touchscreens to 3D printer. Each scientific principle is brilliantly explained--with the help of a charming, if rather slow-witted, woolly mammoth. An illustrated survey of significant inventions closes the book, along with a glossary of technical terms, and an index. What possible link could there be between zippers and plows, dentist drills and windmills? Parking meters and meat grinders, jumbo jets and jackhammers, remote control and rockets, electric guitars and egg beaters? Macaulay explains them all.
The Way Toys Work: The Science Behind the Magic 8 Ball, Etch A Sketch, Boomerang, and More
by Ed Sobey Woody SobeyA Selection of the Scientific American Book ClubProfiling 50 of the world's most popular playthings--including their history, trivia, and the technology involved--this guide uncovers the hidden science of toys. Discover how an Etch A Sketch writes on its gray screen, why a boomerang returns after it is thrown, and how an RC car responds to a remote control device. Leaving no detail unrevealed, the guide includes original patent-application blueprints and photos of the "guts" of several devices. Inventors and museum curators also offer their observations of favorite gizmos while dispelling (or confirming) several toy legends. Complete with explanations of do-it-yourself experiments and tips on reverse engineering old toys to observe their interior mechanics, this entertaining and informative reference even provides pointers on how budding toy makers can build their own toys using only recycled materials and a little ingenuity.
The Way of Coyote: Shared Journeys in the Urban Wilds
by Gavin Van HornA hiking trail through majestic mountains. A raw, unpeopled wilderness stretching as far as the eye can see. These are the settings we associate with our most famous books about nature. But Gavin Van Horn isn’t most nature writers. He lives and works not in some perfectly remote cabin in the woods but in a city—a big city. And that city has offered him something even more valuable than solitude: a window onto the surprising attractiveness of cities to animals. What was once in his mind essentially a nature-free blank slate turns out to actually be a bustling place where millions of wild things roam. He came to realize that our own paths are crisscrossed by the tracks and flyways of endangered black-crowned night herons, Cooper’s hawks, brown bats, coyotes, opossums, white-tailed deer, and many others who thread their lives ably through our own. With The Way of Coyote, Gavin Van Horn reveals the stupendous diversity of species that can flourish in urban landscapes like Chicago. That isn’t to say city living is without its challenges. Chicago has been altered dramatically over a relatively short timespan—its soils covered by concrete, its wetlands drained and refilled, its river diverted and made to flow in the opposite direction. The stories in The Way of Coyote occasionally lament lost abundance, but they also point toward incredible adaptability and resilience, such as that displayed by beavers plying the waters of human-constructed canals or peregrine falcons raising their young atop towering skyscrapers. Van Horn populates his stories with a remarkable range of urban wildlife and probes the philosophical and religious dimensions of what it means to coexist, drawing frequently from the wisdom of three unconventional guides—wildlife ecologist Aldo Leopold, Taoist philosopher Lao Tzu, and the North American trickster figure Coyote. Ultimately, Van Horn sees vast potential for a more vibrant collective of ecological citizens as we take our cues from landscapes past and present. Part urban nature travelogue, part philosophical reflection on the role wildlife can play in waking us to a shared sense of place and fate, The Way of Coyote is a deeply personal journey that questions how we might best reconcile our own needs with the needs of other creatures in our shared urban habitats.
The Way of Science
by Dennis R. TrumbleMost people appreciate science on an obvious level. Modern medicine, electric lighting, rapid transportation, and long-distance communication are among the many benefits of science that have made life today healthier and more comfortable than people in earlier eras could have imagined. This book is about a deeper benefit of science, one that, while less obvious, may prove to be far more important in the long run: namely, the ability to look beyond our preconceptions and see the world and ourselves in a truer light. The author makes a compelling case that now more than ever the public at large needs to appreciate the critical-thinking tools that science has to offer and be educated in basic science literacy. Trumble emphasizes that the methods and facts of science are accessible to everyone, and that, contrary to popular belief, understanding science does not require extraordinary intelligence. He also notes that scientific rationality and critical thinking are not only good for our physical well-being but also are fully in sync with our highest moral codes. He illustrates the many ways in which the scientific worldview offers a profound sense of wonder, connectedness, and optimism about the human condition, an inspiring perspective that satisfies age-old spiritual aspirations. At a time of daunting environmental challenges and rampant misinformation, this provides a welcome corrective and reason to hope for the future.
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate Change, History, and Human Action (Historical Ecology Series)
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech McIntosh Roderick J. McIntosh-- Robert W. Harms, Yale University
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate, History, and Human Action
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech Mcintosh Roderick J. McintoshScientists and policymakers are beginning to understand in ever-increasing detail that environmental problems cannot be understood solely through the biophysical sciences. Environmental issues are fundamentally human issues and must be set in the context of social, political, cultural, and economic knowledge. The need both to understand how human beings in the past responded to climatic and other environmental changes and to synthesize the implications of these historical patterns for present-day sustainability spurred a conference of the world's leading scholars on the topic. The Way the Wind Blows is the rich result of that conference. Articles discuss the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency. These themes are illustrated through discussions of human societies around the world and throughout history.
The Way the Wind Blows: Climate, History, and Human Action
by Joseph A. Tainter Susan Keech Mcintosh Roderick J. McintoshScientists and policymakers are beginning to understand in ever-increasing detail that environmental problems cannot be understood solely through the biophysical sciences. Environmental issues are fundamentally human issues and must be set in the context of social, political, cultural, and economic knowledge. The need both to understand how human beings in the past responded to climatic and other environmental changes and to synthesize the implications of these historical patterns for present-day sustainability spurred a conference of the world's leading scholars on the topic. The Way the Wind Blows is the rich result of that conference. Articles discuss the dynamics of climate, human perceptions of and responses to the environment, and issues of sustainability and resiliency. These themes are illustrated through discussions of human societies around the world and throughout history.
The Ways of the Wolf
by Smriti Prasadam-HallsWINNER of the English 7-11 Best Non-fiction Picture Book Award. Shortlisted for the SLA Awards 2018! The wolf stalks the wilderness and our own imaginations. Uncover its mysteries in this beautifully written non-fiction picture book.Majestic and fierce, proud and strong, the wolf has always been a source of fascination - and fear. It remains one of the most misunderstood of all creatures, frequently cast as our mortal enemy. The truth is that wolves and humans are more closely connected than we dare to admit. With beautifully lyrical language, Smriti Prasadam-Halls explores the lightning speed, echoing howl and family life of these mysterious animals, revealing astonishing facts and overturning misconceptions as she does so. Wildlife illustrator Jonathan Woodward brings the creatures to life with breathtaking papercut collage artwork. This is non-fiction storytelling at its very finest.The Ways of the Wolf has been endorsed by the UK Wolf Conservation Trust.IN THE SAME SERIES: The World of the Whale.
The Weak Interaction in Nuclear, Particle and Astrophysics
by K. GrotzThe Weak Interaction in Nuclear, Particle and Astrophysics presents concepts of the weak interaction and its integration into modern gauge theories of particle physics, such as grand unification and supersymmetry. The book explores the close connections between micro (nuclear and particle) physics and macro physics (astrophysics and cosmology) induced by the weak interaction. Special attention is given to neutrinos, which have a key role in the understanding of elementary particle theories. In addition to the theoretical aspects, the book covers the important research topics of solar and galactic neutrinos and double beta decay. Assuming knowledge of elementary electrodynamics and quantum mechanics, this resource provides an insight into the diversity of the problem areas associated with the weak interaction and will encourage intensive study of particular themes.
The Weak Interaction in Nuclear, Particle, and Astrophysics
by K. GrotzThis book provides insight into concept of the weak interaction and its integration into the conceptual structure of elementary particle physics. It exhibits the important role of the weak interaction in nuclear, particle and astrophysics together with the close connection between these areas.
The Weapon Wizards: How Israel Became A High-Tech Military Superpower
by Amir Bohbot Yaakov Katz"A lively account of Israel's evolving military prowess...if The Weapon Wizards were a novel, it would be one written by Horatio Alger; if it were a biblical allegory, it would be the story of David and Goliath." —The New York Times Book ReviewFrom drones to satellites, missile defense systems to cyber warfare, Israel is leading the world when it comes to new technology being deployed on the modern battlefield. The Weapon Wizards shows how this tiny nation of 8 million learned to adapt to the changes in warfare and in the defense industry and become the new prototype of a 21st century superpower, not in size, but rather in innovation and efficiency—and as a result of its long war experience. Sitting on the front lines of how wars are fought in the 21st century, Israel has developed in its arms trade new weapons and retrofitted old ones so they remain effective, relevant, and deadly on a constantly-changing battlefield. While other countries begin to prepare for these challenges, they are looking to Israel—and specifically its weapons—for guidance. Israel is, in effect, a laboratory for the rest of the world. How did Israel do it? And what are the military and geopolitical implications of these developments? These are some of the key questions Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot address. Drawing on a vast amount of research, and unparalleled access to the Israeli defense establishment, this book is a report directly from the front lines.
The Weather Almanac
by Steven L. HorstmeyerThe Weather Almanac, 12th Edition is a resource for a variety of climate and meteorological data including both domestic and international weather trends, historical weather patterns dating back 1000 years, natural disasters, and a 20 page glossary of weather terminology. The book is complete with detailed maps, pictures, and tables compiling climate data from a variety of sources, including the National Weather Service and the US Geological Survey. Separate sections in The Weather Almanac are devoted to tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and lightening, flash floods, and winter storms, and they have been edited from official reports by governmental agencies. The new edition has been updated to include recent disasters such as the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami that devastated Indonesia as well as 2005's Hurricane Katrina. These chapters serve as a basic reference for severe weather and extreme conditions, which can assist in preparing for a weather emergency.
The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature's Secret Signs
by Peter WohllebenThe internationally bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees shows how we can decipher nature's secret signs by studying the weather.The internationally bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees shows how we can decipher nature's secret signs by studying the weather.In this first-ever English translation of The Weather Detective, Peter Wohlleben uses his long experience and deep love of nature to help decipher the weather and our local environments in a completely new and compelling way. Analyzing the explanations for everyday questions and mysteries surrounding weather and natural phenomena, he delves into a new and intriguing world of scientific investigation. At what temperature do bees stay home? Why do southerly winds in winter often bring storms? How can birdsong or flower scents help you tell the time? These are among the many questions Wohlleben poses in his newly translated book. Full of the very latest discoveries, combined with ancient now-forgotten lore, The Weather Detective helps you read nature's secret signs and discover a rich new layer of meaning in the world around you.
The Weather Machine: A Journey Inside the Forecast
by Andrew BlumFrom the acclaimed author of Tubes, a lively and surprising tour through the global network that predicts our weather, the people behind it, and what it reveals about our climate and our planetThe weather is the foundation of our daily lives. It’s a staple of small talk, the app on our smartphones, and often the first thing we check each morning. Yet, behind all these humble interactions is the largest and most elaborate piece of infrastructure human beings have ever constructed—a triumph of both science and global cooperation. But what is the weather machine, and who created it? In The Weather Machine, Andrew Blum takes readers on a fascinating journey through the people, places, and tools of forecasting, exploring how the weather went from something we simply observed to something we could actually predict. As he travels across the planet, he visits some of the oldest and most important weather stations and watches the newest satellites blast off. He explores the dogged efforts of forecasters to create a supercomputer model of the atmosphere, while trying to grasp the ongoing relevance of TV weather forecasters.In the increasingly unpredictable world of climate change, correctly understanding the weather is vital. Written with the sharp wit and infectious curiosity Andrew Blum is known for, The Weather Machine pulls back the curtain on a universal part of our everyday lives, illuminating our changing relationships with technology, the planet, and our global community.
The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
by Tim FlanneryWarning that climate change is fast becoming an issue that "will dwarf all others combined," Flannery (U. of Adelaide, Australia) uses these pages to summarize the scientific evidence regarding climate change for a general audience. He has sought to be comprehensive in coverage, discussing the role of climate change in the evolution of the earth, the natural and anthropogenic driving factors of climate change, the range of environmental effects thought to be connected to the phenomena, global models and predictions, and technology- and policy-based solutions. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)