Book:
Radiative forcing of climate changeAuthor:
Committee on Radiative Forcing Effects on Climate, Climate Research Committee, National Research CouPages:
224Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0309095069Radiative forcing is a way to quantify an energy imbalance imposed on the climate system either externally (e.g., solar energy output or volcanic emissions) or by human activities (e.g., deliberate land modification or emissions of greenhouse gases, aerosols, and their precursors). The concept of radiative forcing has been central for guiding climate research and policy over the past two decades. There are several reasons for this. It provides a simple yet fundamental index that allows us to look at how climate change is driven by the energy imbalance of the Earth system. It is successful in predicting change in global mean surface temperature as computed from climate models and it, thus, allows quantitative comparison of the contributions of different agents to climate change. It is easy to compute and is reproducible across models and therefore offers a convenient common metric on which policy research and recommendations can be based. 
Book:
Renewable Energy in Europe: Markets, Trends and TechnologiesAuthor:
European Renewable Energy CouncilPages:
272Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
1844078752How can the European Union meet its commitment to derive 20% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2020? Which sources offer the best prospects for realizing this goal? These are the questions answered by this key book which analyzes the current situation of renewable energy in Europe, examines the latest technological, financial and economic developments, and outlines ways in which the markets themselves can be developed.
The book is divided into sections examining the integration of renewable energy, electricity, heating and cooling, and biofuels. All the main technologies are covered, with exploration of:
* benefits and applications
* costs and prices
* markets and installed capacity
* policy instruments
* key countries and success stories
* targets and long-term potential.
This will be essential reading for policy decision-makers at all levels and to all those involved in the development of the renewable energy industry.
Book:
Continental rifts: Evolution, structure, tectonicsAuthor:
K.H.OlsenPages:
511Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0444895663Continental rifling and associated processes of lithospheric extension have been among the most active research frontiers in the Earth sciences over the past four decades. These subjects cover a wide range of interconnected fundamental processes occurring in an important part of the Earth for mankind-- the continental crust and lithosphere--and have captured the interest and attention of researchers from a wide spectrum of disciplines in the solidearth sciences. These disciplines range from classical field geology through newly developed techniques and capabilities for seismological and electromagnetic probing of the Earth, to sophisticated and realistic dynamical modeling with high-speed supercomputers. For more than 30 years, working groups and study committees composed of international researchers focusing on the problems of the Earth's rift zones have been organized under the aegis of programs promoting international cooperative research in the geosciences, such as the International Upper Mantle Project, the Geodynamics Project, and the International Lithosphere Program.
Book:
Climate Management: Solving the Problem (Global Warming)Author:
Julie Kerr, Ph.D. CasperPages:
264Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0816072663From the Preface:...Although the United States has been one of the largest contribu-
tors to global warming, it ranks far below countries and regions—such
as Canada, Australia, and western Europe—in taking steps to fix the
damage that has been done. Global Warming is a multivolume set that
explores the concept that each person is a member of a global family
who shares responsibility for fixing this problem. In fact, the only way
to fix it is to work together toward a common goal. This seven-volume
set covers all of the important climatic issues that need to be addressed
in order to understand the problem, allowing the reader to build a solid
foundation of knowledge and to use the information to help solve the
critical issues in effective ways. The set includes the following volumes:
Climate Systems
Global Warming Trends
Global Warming Cycles
Changing Ecosystems
Greenhouse Gases
Fossil Fuels and Pollution
Climate Management
These volumes explore a multitude of topics—how climates change,
learning from past ice ages, natural factors that trigger global warming
on Earth, whether the Earth can expect another ice age in the future,
how the Earth’s climate is changing now, emergency preparedness
in severe weather, projections for the future, and why climate affects
everything people do from growing food, to heating homes, to using
the Earth’s natural resources, to new scientific discoveries. They look
at the impact that rising sea levels will have on islands and other areas
worldwide, how individual ecosystems will be affected, what humans
will lose if rain forests are destroyed, how industrialization and pollu-
tion puts peoples’ lives at risk, and the benefits of developing environ-
mentally friendly energy resources...
Book:
Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation: Resolving Global Environmental and Resource ProblemsAuthor:
Patrick Moriarty, Damon HonneryPages:
218Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
1849964823A vast amount has been written on climate change and what should be our response. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation suggests that most of this literature takes a far too optimistic position regarding the potential for conventional mitigation solutions to achieve the deep cuts in greenhouse gases necessary in the limited time frame we have available. In addition, global environmental problems, as exemplified by climate change, and global resource problems – such as fossil fuel depletion or fresh water scarcity – have largely been seen as separate issues. Further, proposals for solution of these problems often focus at the national level, when the problems are global. The authors argue that the various challenges the planet faces are both serious and interconnected. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation takes a global perspective in its treatment of various solutions: • renewable energy; • nuclear energy; • energy efficiency; • carbon sequestration; and • geo-engineering. It also addresses the possibility that realistic solutions cannot be achieved until the fundamentally ethical question of global equity – both across nations today and also inter-generational – is fully addressed. Such an approach will also involve reorienting the global economy away from an emphasis on growth and toward the direct satisfaction of basic human needs for all the Earth’s people. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation is aimed at the many members of the public with an awareness of climate change, but who wish to find out more about how we need to respond to the challenge. It will also be of interest to technical professionals, as well as postgraduate students and researchers, from the environmental and engineering science sectors.
Book:
Climate Capitalism: Global Warming and the Transformation of the Global EconomyAuthor:
Peter Newell, Matthew PatersonPages:
222Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0521194857Confronting climate change is now understood as a problem of 'decarbonising' the global economy: ending our dependence on carbon-based fossil fuels. This book explores whether such a transformation is underway, how it might be accelerated, and the complex politics of this process. Given the dominance of global capitalism and free-market ideologies, decarbonisation is dependent on creating carbon markets and engaging powerful actors in the world of business and finance. Climate Capitalism assesses the huge political dilemmas this poses, and the need to challenge the entrenched power of many corporations, the culture of energy use, and global inequalities in energy consumption. Climate Capitalism is essential reading for anyone wanting to better understand the challenge we face. It will also inform a range of student courses in environmental studies, development studies, international relations, and business programmes.
Book:
Wind energuy siting handbookAuthor:
American Wind Energy AssociationPages:
183Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0000000000Global warming is considered one of the most serious problems facing the global community. Certain gases, such as carbon dioxide, when released in the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels, create a "greenhouse effect." Clean, renewable energy solutions, such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems, that do not rely on fossil fuels for energy generation help curb the effects of global warming. Throughout the United States, many local and state governments have set mandates or passed laws to encourage clean energy generation by requiring utilities to produce a portion of electricity from renewable
sources.
Book:
Sustainable Infrastructure: The Guide to Green Engineering and DesignAuthor:
S. Bry SartePages:
384Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0470453613As more factors, perspectives, and metrics are incorporated into the planning and building process, the roles of engineers and designers are increasingly being fused together. Sustainable Infrastructure explores this trend with in-depth look at sustainable engineering practices in an urban design as it involves watershed master-planning, green building, optimizing water reuse, reclaiming urban spaces, green streets initiatives, and sustainable master-planning. This complete guide provides guidance on the role creative thinking and collaborative team-building play in meeting solutions needed to affect a sustainable transformation of the built environment.
Book:
Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy ProjectsAuthor:
Committee on Environmental Impacts of Wind Energy Projects and National Research CouncilPages:
1Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0309108349The generation of electricity by wind energy has the potential to reduce environmental impacts caused by the use of fossil fuels. Although the use of wind energy to generate electricity is increasing rapidly in the United States, government guidance to help communities and developers evaluate and plan proposed wind-energy projects is lacking. "Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects" offers an analysis of the environmental benefits and drawbacks of wind energy, along with an evaluation guide to aid decision-making about projects. It includes a case study of the mid-Atlantic highlands, a mountainous area that spans parts of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. This book will inform policy makers at the federal, state, and local levels.
Book:
Fundamentals of Irrigation and On-farm Water Management, Volume 1Author:
M. H. AliPages:
315Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
1441963340The comprehensive and compact presentation in this book is the perfect format for a resource/textbook for undergraduate students in the areas of Agricultural Engineering, Biological Systems Engineering, Bio-Science Engineering, Water Resource Engineering, and Civil & Environmental Engineering. This book will also serve as a reference manual for researchers and extension workers in such diverse fields as agricultural engineering, agronomy, ecology, hydrology, and meteorology.
Book:
Building for a Changing Climate: The Challenge for Construction, Planning and EnergyAuthor:
Peter F. SmithPages:
200Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
1844077357There is now a practically universal consensus that our climate is changing rapidly, and as a direct result of human activities. While there is extensive debate about what we can do to mitigate the damage we are causing, it is becoming increasingly clear that a large part of our resources will have to be directed towards adapting to new climatic conditions, with talk of survivability replacing sustainability as the new and most pressing priority. Nowhere is this more evident than in the built environment -- the stage on which our most important interactions with climatic conditions are played out.In this frank yet pervasively positive book, sustainable architecture guru Peter Smith lays out his vision of how things are likely to change, and what those concerned with the planning, design and construction of the places we live and work can and must do to avert the worst impacts. Beginning with a background to the science and discussion of the widely feared graver risks not addressed by the politically driven IPCC reports, he moves on to examine the challenges we will face and proposes practical responses based on real world experiences. Case studies cover flood and severe weather protection, energy efficient retrofitting, distributed power generation and the potential for affordable zero carbon homes. He ends with a wider discussion of options for future energy provision. This is a provocative, persuasive and, crucially, practical read for anyone concerned with the measures we must take now to ensure a climate-proof future for humanity.
Book:
Handbook of weather, climate, and waterAuthor:
Thomas D.Potter, Bradley R.ColmanPages:
1006Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0471214892The Handbook of Weather, Climate, and Water provides an authoritative report at the start of the 21St Century on the state of scientific knowledge in these exciting and important earth sciences. Weather, climate, and water affect every person on earth every day in some way. These effects range from disasters like killer storms and floods, to large economic effects on energy or agriculture, to health effects such as asthma or heat stress, to daily weather changes that affect air travel, construction, fishing fleets, farmers, and mothers selecting the clothes their children will wear that day, to countless other subjects. During the past two decades a series of environmental events involving weather, climate, and water around the globe have been highly publicized in the press: the Ozone Hole, Acid Rain, Global Climate Change, El Ninos, major floods in Bangladesh, droughts in the Sahara, and severe storms such as hurricane Andrew in Florida and the F5 tornado in Oklahoma. These events have generated much public interest and controversy regarding the appropriate public policies to deal with them. Such decisions depend critically upon scientific knowledge in the fields of weather, climate, and water.
Book:
Carbonate Reservoirs: Porosity Evolution and Diagenesis in a Sequence Stratigraphic FrameworkAuthor:
Clyde H.MoorePages:
461Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0444508384In the decade since the publication of Carbonate Diagenesis and Porosity, I have given numerous public and in-house industry seminars under the auspices of Oil and Gas Consultants International (OGCI). These seminars were based on the carbonate diagenesis and porosity theme, using the first volume for course notes. During this period the emphasis of the seminars began to shift with the interests of the participants, guided by the needs of the industry and by new research directions being developed and applied by the carbonate community. As a result, the major theme of my seminars shifted from carbonate diagenesis to porosity evolution in carbonate reservoirs in a sea level-based stratigraphic framework. The title of the seminar was shortened to Carbonate Reservoirs and I began to consider a revision of the first book.
Book:
Environmental Nanotechnology: Applications and Impacts of NanomaterialsAuthor:
Mark Wiesner, Jean-Yves BotteroPages:
540Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0071477500Advances in information technologies, materials science, biotechnology, energy engineering, and many other disciplines—including environmental engineering—are converging at the quantum and molecular scales. This molecular terrain is common ground for interdisciplinary research and education that will be an essential component of science and engineering in the future. Much like the digital computer and its impact on science and technology in the 20th century, the tools that serve as portals to the molecular realm will act as both instruments of discovery and rallying points for social interaction between researchers from many disciplines. In this setting, environmental engineers and scientists will take on new roles in collaborating with materials scientists, molecular biologists, chemists, and others to address the challenges of meeting society’s needs for energy and materials in an environmentally responsible fashion.
Book:
Energy, Environment and DevelopmentAuthor:
Jose Goldemberg and Oswaldo LuconPages:
471Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
1844077497The relationship between energy and the environment has been the basis of many studies over the years, as has the relationship between energy and development, yet both of these approaches may produce distortions. In the first edition of this book, Professor Goldemberg pioneered the study of all three elements in relation to one another. With contributions from Oswaldo Lucon, this second edition has been expanded and updated to cover how energy is related to the major challenges of sustainability faced by the world today.The book starts by conceptualizing energy, and then relates it to human activities, to existing natural resources and to development indicators. It then covers the main environmental problems, their causes and possible solutions. Disaggregating national populations by income and by how different income groups consume energy, the authors identify the differences between local, regional and global environmental impacts, and can thus ascertain who is responsible for them. Finally, they discuss general and specific policies to promote sustainable development in energy.New coverage is included of today's pressing issues, including security, environmental impact assessment and future climate change/renewable energy regimes. The authors also cover all major new international agreements and technological developments. Energy, Environment and Development is the result of many years of study and practical experience in policy formulation, discussion and implementation in these fields by the authors. Written in a technical yet accessible style, the book is aimed at students on a range of courses, as well as non-energy specialists who desire an overview of recent thought in the area.
Book:
Problem Solving in Soil MechanicsAuthor:
A. AysenPages:
195Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
0415383927Written for university students taking first-degree courses in civil engineering, environmental and agricultural engineering, Problem Solving in Soil Mechanics stimulates problem-solving learning as well as facilitating self-teaching. Generally assuming prior knowledge of subject, necessary basic information is included to make it accessible to readers new to the topic.Filled with worked exmaples, new and advanced topics and with a flexible structure that means it can be adapted for use in two, three and four year undergraduate courses in soil mechanics, this book is also be a valuable resource for the practising professional engineer as well as undergraduate and postgraduate students.Primarily designed as a supplement to Soil Mechanics: Basic Concepts and Engineering Applications, this book can be used by students as an independent problem-solving text, since there are no specific references to any equations or figures in the main book.
Book:
Landscape-scale Conservation PlanningAuthor:
Stephen C. Trombulak, Robert F. BaldwinPages:
427Format:
PDFLanguage:
EnglishISBN10:
9048195748This book applies the latest thinking and techniques of systematic conservation planning to the issues that arise in protecting ecosystem pattern and process in human-dominated landscapes such as seascapes, multiple countries and conservation targets.
