Environmental Sustainability

Increasingly, cracks are appearing in the capacity of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes to provide the goods and services that sustain our planet's well-being. The response from most quarters has been for "more of the same" that created the situation in the first place: more control, more intensification, and greater efficiency. "Resilience thinking" offers a different way of understanding the world and a new approach to managing resources. It embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change.

Beginning in the vast North American Boreal Forest that stretches through Canada, and roving across the continent, from the Northern Sierra to Alabama's Paint Rock Forest, from the Appalachian Trail to a ranch in Mexico, Tony Hiss sets out on a journey to take stock of the "superorganism" that is the earth: its land, its elements, its plants and animals, its greatest threats - and what we can do to keep it, and ourselves, alive.

Uncovering the Green Future: Inspiring Solutions for Environmental Challenges. Explore the intersection of economics, technology, and conservation in this engaging guide to a more sustainable future.

Sustainability of the environment contains both wishful thinking and ignorance – ignorance of the reality that natural systems are complex and unfathomable by scientists, and that repetition of their outputs depend on repetition of initial and all subsequent conditions. Scientific insights provide knowledge, but it is partial in most cases, and when applied is often subject to conflicting objectives, which in turn produce conditions that affect outcomes ‑ thus our best efforts to predict natural outcomes are usually flawed. We further display our ignorance in seeking social ...

Corporate Sustainability & Responsibility (CSR) - incorporating corporate (social) responsibility, sustainable development, business ethics, corporate citizenship, business & society and corporate governance - has become a widely taught subject in business schools and practiced in companies around the world. For the first time, there is a comprehensive e-textbook that introduces students and practitioners to CSR theory and practice, looking at the past, present and future. The text begins with definitions and drivers of CSR, including the all-important "business case", then traces the ...

As CEOs and business leaders navigate a world of complex global challenges, sustainability is no longer optional but a business imperative. In this book, two sustainability leaders with decades of experience - Henrik Henriksson, CEO of Scania, and Elaine Weidman Grunewald, cofounder of the AI Sustainability Center and former chief sustainability and public affairs officer at Ericsson - offer a simple but powerful three-step model for leading an organization on a sustainability transformation journey that aims at big, audacious, world-changing goals.

This book compiles a striking mix of speculative tales examining the interaction between personal decisions and environmental effects. From future environments to the natural world, the stories explore the effects of technological advancement and environmental consciousness across many contexts. The stories span from moving meditations on the scarcity of nature in a technologically advanced society to humorous parodies of bureaucratic methods for environmental preservation. Every narrative not only provides entertainment value but also acts as a mirror reflecting on human activities and ...

Explore the untapped potential of the world's most intriguing elements in "Earth's Elements of Power." This compelling eBook delves into the critical role rare earth minerals play in our modern society and their significant impact on global politics and technology. From the smartphones in our hands to the electric vehicles on our roads, rare earth elements are the unsung heroes driving technological advancement and economic power. Journey through the history and science of these vital resources, uncovering their geological roots and marveling at the complex extraction and processing ...

Introduction: In today's rapidly evolving business environment, managing environmental risks effectively is not just an option—it's a necessity. This book serves as a comprehensive guide for organizations aiming to understand and implement ISO 14001:2015, the international standard for environmental management systems. The guide provides a thorough understanding of environmental risk assessments, risk registers, root cause analysis, and the continuous improvement process that businesses need to integrate into their operations. Through step-by-step explanations and actionable tools, this ...

While politicians, entrepreneurs, and even school children could tell you that sustainability is an important and nearly universal value, many of them, and many of us, may struggle to define the term, let alone trace its history. What is sustainability? Is it always about the environment? What science do we need to fully grasp what it requires? What does sustainability mean for business? How can governments plan for a sustainable future?

Josh Spodek disconnected his Manhattan apartment from the electric grid in May 2022. He didn’t know how he’d last more than a day. He learned by doing, and he’s still going. He didn’t ask permission or wait for institutional aid, though he had practiced unplugging appliances and bought a used solar panel from Craigslist, hoping it would help. Then he simply flipped the circuit and solved challenges as they came. He soon found, to his surprise, his quality of life improving.

From Ice to Heat: A Climate Change Book Exploring Global Warming, Earth’s Climate History, and the Future of Our Planet For over four billion years, Earth’s climate has transformed through powerful natural cycles—glacial advances, warming interglacials, and dramatic atmospheric changes that reshaped life on the planet. These transformations were slow, giving ecosystems time to adapt. But now, that ancient rhythm has been broken. In just over a century, human activity has driven Earth into a state of rapid and unprecedented climate change. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, ...

The world is anything but serene and still. We are all vulnerable to natural threats, both internal and external. Meteor showers, asteroids are only a few of the factors likely to pose threats to the world from space. As for the seemingly solid earth, the planet's interior has an inner core of molten elements. It surely would not be an exaggeration to call this part of the earth, which remains invisible to our eyes, "a flaming core". There also exists an atmosphere surrounding the earth, which is a "shield" against external threats. Yet, no part of the earth is immune against the effects of...

"By Any Dreams Necessary" is a transformative guide that offers a strategic vision for enhancing sustainability, building resilience, and achieving environmental justice in African American communities. Dr. Bruce Strouble delivers a strategic plan for African Americans to address systemic racial oppression, economic disenfranchisement, and environmental injustice and turn them into opportunities for empowerment through practical solutions and strategic action. This book blends rigorous academic research with an on-the-ground roadmap for transforming harsh realities into tangible change.

In this gripping historical memoir, journalist and famed redwood activist Greg King examines how investors and a growing U.S. economy drove the timber industry to cut down all but 4 percent of the original two-million-acre redwood ecosystem. King first examined redwood logging in the 1980s—as an award-winning reporter. What he found in the woods convinced him to leap the line of neutrality and become an activist dedicated to saving the very last ancient redwood groves remaining in private hands.

It’s become common to tell kids that they’re going to die from climate change. We are constantly bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won’t be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, and that we should reconsider having children.

Dive into the future of energy with "Environmental Considerations," a captivating exploration of sustainable energy solutions and the intricate web of environmental policies shaping our world. This comprehensive eBook delivers an insightful guide through the complexities of green energy, unveiling how innovations are transforming sectors worldwide. Embark on a journey to understand the foundational aspects of sustainability in the energy sector, tracing the historical context of green initiatives and the pivotal role of environmental regulations. Discover the landscape of global ...

Engineering in Environmental Engineering is a comprehensive study resource designed for environmental engineering professionals preparing for the PE Environmental Exam. This guide covers key topics such as water treatment, air quality management, hazardous waste remediation, stormwater management, and environmental regulations, including CERCLA, RCRA, CWA, and CAA. Each chapter is meticulously structured to provide detailed explanations, real-world examples, and essential strategies to help candidates grasp complex environmental engineering principles. It focuses on critical areas like ...

In We Are the Weather, Jonathan Safran Foer explores the central global dilemma of our time in a surprising, deeply personal, and urgent new way. Some people reject the fact, overwhelmingly supported by scientists, that our planet is warming because of human activity. But do those of us who accept the reality of human-caused climate change truly believe it? If we did, surely we would be roused to act on what we know.

This comprehensive guide is designed to help professionals and organizations establish and maintain an effective Environmental Management System (EMS) for ISO 14001 compliance. It provides a step-by-step approach to understanding the requirements, procedures, and best practices for creating, managing, and optimizing an EMS that meets global standards. This book is ideal for those looking to streamline document control, manage environmental risks, and promote sustainability within their organization. With detailed case studies, real-world examples, and expert insights, you will learn how to ...