Title search results
Showing 2601 - 2620 of 7965 items
In 1968, nine sailors set off on the most daring race ever held: to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe nonstop. It…
was a feat that had never been accomplished and one that would forever change the face of sailing. Ten months later, only one of the nine men would cross the finish line and earn fame, wealth, and glory. For the others, the reward was madness, failure, and death. In this extraordinary book, Peter Nichols chronicles a contest of the individual against the sea, waged at a time before cell phones, satellite dishes, and electronic positioning systems. A Voyage for Madmen is a tale of sailors driven by their own dreams and demons, of horrific storms in the Southern Ocean, and of those riveting moments when a split-second decision means the difference between life and death.Aboveground–Belowground Community Ecology (Ecological Studies #234)
By Scott N. Johnson, Takayuki Ohgushi, Susanne Wurst. 2018
Researchers now recognize that above- and belowground communities are indirectly linked to one another, often by plant-mediated mechanisms. To date,…
however, there has been no single multi-authored edited volume on the subject. This book remedies that gap, and offers state-of-the art insights into basic and applied research on aboveground-belowground interactions and their functional consequences. Drawing on a diverse pool of global expertise, the authors present diverse approaches that span a range of scales and levels of complexity.The respective chapters provide in-depth information on the current state of research, and outline future prospects in the field of aboveground-belowground community ecology. In particular, the book’s goal is to expand readers’ knowledge of the evolutionary, community and ecosystem consequences of aboveground-belowground interactions, making it essential reading for all biologists, graduate students and advanced undergraduates working in this rapidly expanding field. It touches on multiple research fields including ecology, botany, zoology, entomology, microbiology and the related applied areas of biodiversity management and conservation.Global Mountain Regions: Conversations toward the Future (Framing the Global)
By Ann Kingsolver, Sasikumar Balasundaram. 2018
No matter where they are located in the world, communities living in mountain regions have shared experiences defined in large…
part by contradictions. These communities often face social and economic marginalization despite providing the lumber, coal, minerals, tea, and tobacco that have fueled the growth of nations for centuries. They are perceived as remote and socially inferior backwaters on one hand while simultaneously seen as culturally rich and spiritually sacred spaces on the other. These contradictions become even more fraught as environmental changes and political strains place added pressure on these mountain communities. Shifting national borders and changes to watersheds, forests, and natural resources play an increasingly important role as nations respond to the needs of a global economy. The works in this volume consider multiple nations, languages, generations, and religions in their exploration of upland communities’ responses to the unique challenges and opportunities they share. From paintings to digital mapping, environmental studies to poetry, land reclamation efforts to song lyrics, the collection provides a truly interdisciplinary and global study. The editors and authors offer a cross-cultural exploration of the many strategies that mountain communities are employing to face the concerns of the future.Bum Wrap
By Mary Beth Cox. 2018
Plastic was once considered the material of the future, but now it has become a nuisance that results in too…
much trash for the planet to handle. Learn about the durability and longevity of this 19th-century invention and hear recycling ideas from a chemist who hopes to salvage plastic's reputation.Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and…
their children. Sustainable agriculture is a discipline that addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control, and biodiversity depletion. Novel, environmentally-friendly solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from sciences as diverse as agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy, and social sciences. Indeed, sustainable agriculture decipher mechanisms of processes that occur from the molecular level to the farming system to the global level at time scales ranging from seconds to centuries. For that, scientists use the system approach that involves studying components and interactions of a whole system to address scientific, economic and social issues. In that respect, sustainable agriculture is not a classical, narrow science. Instead of solving problems using the classical painkiller approach that treats only negative impacts, sustainable agriculture treats problem sources. Because most actual society issues are now intertwined, global, and fast-developing, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world. This book series gathers review articles that analyze current agricultural issues and knowledge, then propose alternative solutions. It will therefore help all scientists, decision-makers, professors, farmers and politicians who wish to build a safe agriculture, energy and food system for future generations.The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution: 100 Ways to Build a Fossil-Free Future, Raise Empowered Kids, and Still Get a Good Night’s Sleep
By Bill McKibben, Mary DeMocker. 2018
“Relax,” writes author Mary DeMocker, “this isn’t another light bulb list. It’s not another overwhelming pile of parental ‘to dos’…
designed to shrink your family’s carbon footprint through eco-superheroism.” Instead, DeMocker lays out a lively, empowering, and doable blueprint for engaging families in the urgent endeavor of climate revolution. In this book’s brief, action-packed chapters, you’ll learn hundreds of wide-ranging ideas for being part of the revolution — from embracing simplicity parenting, to freeing yourself from dead-end science debates, to teaching kids about the power of creative protest, to changing your lifestyle in ways that deepen family bonds, improve moods, and reduce your impact on the Earth. Engaging and creative, this vital resource is for everyone who wants to act effectively — and empower children to do the same.Ökonomische Inwertsetzung zur Erhaltung des Naturkapitals: Wie eine ökonomische Perspektive helfen kann (essentials)
By Bernd Hansj rgens, Urs Moesenfechtel. 2017
In diesem essential beschreiben Bernd Hansjürgens und Urs Moesenfechtel die Dringlichkeit eines Perspektivenwechsels bei unserem Umgang mit der Natur. Sie…
schlagen dazu eine ökonomische Inwertsetzung von Ökosystemleistungen vor und zeigen auf, welche Handlungsmöglichkeiten dieser Ansatz dem Naturschutz eröffnet.Kiebitzinseln in der Agrarlandschaft: Von der Störstelle zum Habitat (essentials)
By Jan-Uwe Schmidt. 2018
In diesem essential beschreibt Jan-Uwe Schmidt, wie durch Kiebitzinseln nicht nur dem Kiebitz geholfen wird, sondern auch andere Tier- und Pflanzenarten profitieren…
k#65533;nnen. Durch j#65533;hrliche Anlage einer Schwarzbrache mit mindestens 2 Hektar Gr#65533;#65533;e lassen sich Nassstellen leicht als Kiebitzbrutplatz einrichten. Landwirte erh#65533;hen so die Nachhaltigkeit der Landnutzung und schaffen au#65533;erdem einen sicheren Erl#65533;s aus der Verg#65533;tung der Agrarumweltma#65533;nahme. Dieses essential gibt praktische Hinweise zur Planung und Anlage von Kiebitzinseln mithilfe von Luftbildern.Luftbildeinsatz in der ländlichen Bodenordnung: Ein Praxisbeispiel aus Rheinland-Pfalz (essentials)
By Martin Schumann, Thomas Mitschang. 2018
In diesem essential beschreiben Martin Schumann und Thomas Mitschang die Verwendung von Luftbildern in der Flurbereinigungsverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz. Anhand eines Beispiels…
stellen die Autoren die Bedeutung der Luftbilder für die Planung von Landentwicklungsmaßnahmen dar. Seit den fünfziger Jahren des letzten Jahrhunderts werden Luftbilder für die unterschiedlichen Zwecke eingesetzt. Dabei haben sich die Qualität der Aufnahmen sowie die Auswertungsmöglichkeiten im Laufe der Jahrzehnte verändert.Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 31: Biocontrol (Sustainable Agriculture Reviews #31)
By Eric Lichtfouse. 2018
This book presents advanced ecological techniques for crop cultivation and the chapters are arranged into four sections, namely general aspects,…
weeds, fungi, worms and microbes. Biocontrol is an ecological method of controlling pests such as insects, mites, weeds and plant diseases using other organisms. This practice has been used for centuries. Biocontrol relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms. Natural enemies of insect pests, also known as biological control agents, include predators, parasitoids, pathogens, and competitors.Baubegleitender Bodenschutz auf Baustellen: Schnelleinstieg für Architekten und Bauingenieure (essentials)
By Ulrike Meyer, Anne Wienigk. 2016
In diesem essentialstellen die Autorinnen den baubegleitenden Bodenschutz als ein wirksamesInstrument zur Vermeidung und Verhinderung von Bodenschäden auf Baustellen vor.…
Sie veranschaulichen relevante Eigenschaften von Böden, stellen gravierende Schädendes Bodens auf Baustellen vor, zeigen aber auch Maßnahmen zur Bodenschonung auf. Leicht wird erkennbar, dass vor allem die frühzeitige Integration einesbodenkundlichen Baubegleiters bereits in der Planungsphase des Bauvorhabensüber den Erfolg des Bodenschutzes entscheidet. Es gilt, die häufig nahezuirreversiblen Bodenschäden zu vermeiden, deren Rekultivierung nicht nurkostenintensiv, sondern insbesondere sehr zeitaufwändig ist. PraktischeTo-Do-Listen erleichtern die Umsetzung des Bodenschutzes auf Baustellen.More Tinkering: How Kids in the Tropics Learn by Making Stuff
By Curt Gabrielson. 2018
Tinkering is a way of learning through hands-on activity -- experimenting with materials and devices to see how they work,…
taking things apart, making small changes and improvements, exploring and inventing. Tinkering may seem like a form of play -- and it is -- but it is also a powerful way of discovering truths about science, engineering, and math. With this book, Curt Gabrielson follows up on his best-seller Tinkering: Kids Learn by Making Stuff with this all-new volume that features more than three dozen fun and educational tinkering projects based on his years of working with kids in the tropical island nation of Timor-Leste. Step-by-step instructions accompanied by full-color photos take you through a range of enjoyable projects that explore life sciences, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and mathematics. You'll discover how math is used to make baskets, how fungi create fermentation, how electricity can make a magnet, how the greenhouse effect creates warming, and much more. The author also enlivens his latest batch of tinkering projects with colorful tales of his experiences in the tropic and the lives of the people he' s met there.Inside you'll find:Clear directions for making simple projects and doing activities that teach science, mathematics and engineeringProjects rooted in day to day life and experience in a small, developing nation in the Asian tropicsFull-color photographs throughoutExplicit connections to standard STEAM concepts, K-12Activities doable with less than $5 worth of common materialsThis book is perfect for parents, teachers, and students with an interest in hands-on, tinkering-based science and mathematics education, whether in traditional schools or in home-schooling situations. It will also be of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about developing nations, the culture and unique history of Timor-Leste, tropical nations or Asian cultures, with specific links to Indonesia, Portugal, or Australia.Radical Joy for Hard Times: Finding Meaning and Making Beauty in Earth's Broken Places
By Susan Griffin, Trebbe Johnson. 2018
In a world devastated by human interaction and natural disaster—from clearcutting and fracking to extreme weather and urban sprawl—creating art,…
ritual, and even joy in wounded places is essential to our collective healing When a beloved place is decimated by physical damage, many may hit the donate button or call their congressperson. But award-winning author Trebbe Johnson argues that we need new methods for coping with these losses and invites readers to reconsider what constitutes “worthwhile action.” She discusses real wounded places ranging from weapons-testing grounds at Eglin Air Force Base, to Appalachian mountain tops destroyed by mining. These stories, along with tools for community engagement—ceremony, vigil, apology, and the creation of art with on-site materials—show us how we can find beauty in these places and discover new sources of meaning and community.Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking (A Merloyd Lawrence Book)
By Rachel Love Nuwer. 2018
An intrepid investigation of the criminal world of wildlife trafficking--the poachers, the traders, and the customers--and of those fighting against…
itJournalist Rachel Nuwer plunges the reader into the underground of global wildlife trafficking, a topic she has been investigating for nearly a decade. Our insatiable demand for animals--for jewelry, pets, medicine, meat, trophies, and fur--is driving a worldwide poaching epidemic, threatening the continued existence of countless species. Illegal wildlife trade now ranks among the largest contraband industries in the world, yet compared to drug, arms, or human trafficking, the wildlife crisis has received scant attention and support, leaving it up to passionate individuals fighting on the ground to try to ensure that elephants, tigers, rhinos, and more are still around for future generations.As Reefer Madness (Schlosser) took us into the drug market, or Susan Orlean descended into the swampy obsessions of The Orchid Thief, Nuwer--an award-winning science journalist with a background in ecology--takes readers on a narrative journey to the front lines of the trade: to killing fields in Africa, traditional medicine black markets in China, and wild meat restaurants in Vietnam. Through exhaustive first-hand reporting that took her to ten countries, Nuwer explores the forces currently driving demand for animals and their parts; the toll that demand is extracting on species across the planet; and the conservationists, rangers, and activists who believe it is not too late to stop the impending extinctions. More than a depressing list of statistics, Poached is the story of the people who believe this is a battle that can be won, that our animals are not beyond salvation.Herbicide Residue Research in India (Environmental Chemistry for a Sustainable World #12)
By Shobha Sondhia, Partha P. Choudhury, A. R. Sharma. 2019
Herbicides constitute about 60% of the total pesticides consumed globally. In India, the use of herbicides started initially in tea…
gardens and picked up in the 1970s, when the high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat were introduced. Presently, 67 herbicides are registered in the country for controlling weeds in crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibre and tuber crops, and also in the non-crop situations. These chemicals are becoming increasingly popular because of their efficiency and relatively low cost compared with manual or mechanical weeding operations. The contribution of herbicide to total pesticide use, which was only 10-15% during the first decade of the 21st century, has now increased to about 25% with an annual growth rate of 15-20%, which is much higher than insecticides and fungicides. Though the application of herbicides is minimizing yield loss to a great extent, their residues in the food chain and surface and groundwater create some environmental nuisance particularly to non-target organisms. Research on pesticide residues in India was started during 1970s, when such chemicals were introduced on a greater scale along with high-yielding variety seeds, irrigation and chemical fertilizers for increasing food production. However, the herbicide residue research was not given much emphasis until 1990s. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research initiated a national level programme known as All India Coordinated Research Project on Weed Management through the NRC-Weed Science as the main centre along with some centers of ICAR Institutes and state agricultural universities. Over the last two decades, adequate information was generated on estimation, degradation and mitigation of herbicide residues, which were documented in annual reports, bulletins, monographs and scientific articles. However, there was no consolidated compilation of all the available information providing a critical analysis of herbicide residues. Accordingly, an effort has been made in the publication to compile the available information on herbicide residues in India. This is the first report of its kind which presents the findings of herbicide residues and their interactions in the biotic and abiotic environment. There are 16 chapters contributed by the leading herbicide residue scientists, each describing the present status of herbicide use, crops and cropping systems, monitoring, degradation and mitigation, followed by conclusions and future lines of work.This book will be useful to the weed scientists in general and herbicide residue chemists in particular, besides the policy makers, students and all those concerned with the agricultural production in the country.Ethnoecology and Medicinal Plants of the Highland Maya (Ethnobiology Ser.)
By John Richard Stepp. 2018
Plants play a central role in human existence. Medicinal plants, in particular, have allowed for the continued survival of the…
human species. This book, based on over a decade of research in Southern Mexico with the Highland Maya, explores the relationship between medicinal plants, traditional ecological knowledge and the environment. The biodiversity of the region remains among the highest in the world, comprising more than 9000 plant species. Over 1600 employed for medicinal uses and knowledge for approximately 600 species is widespread. Medicinal plants play an overwhelmingly primary role in the daily health care of the Highland Maya. Three principal objectives are addressed: 1) identifying which medicinal plants are used; 2) determining the role of environmental variation on use and selection of medicinal plants; and 3) identifying which habitats are preferred for medicinal plant procurement. Findings demonstrate the overwhelming importance of human modified environments for medicinal plants. Explanations are presented from human ecology and biochemical ecology. Implications for conservation, health and the environment are discussed.Two Little Savages: Being the Adventures of Two Boys Who Lived as Indians and What They Learned
By Ernest Thompson Seton.
This is one of the great classics of nature and boyhood by one of America's foremost nature experts. It presents…
a vast range of woodlore in the most palatable of forms, a genuinely delightful story. It will provide many hours of good reading for any child who likes the out-of-doors, and will teach him or her many interesting facts of nature, as well as a number of practical skills. It will be sure to awaken an interest in the outdoor world in any youngster who has not yet discovered the fascination of nature.The story concerns two farm boys who build a teepee in the woods and persuade the grownups to let them live in it for a month. During that time they learn to prepare their own food, build a fire without matches, use an axe expertly, make a bed out of boughs; they learn how to "smudge" mosquitoes, how to get clear water from a muddy pond, how to build a dam, how to know the stars, how to find their way when they get lost; how to tell the direction of the wind, blaze a trail, distinguish animal tracks, protect themselves from wild animals; how to use Indian signals, make moccasins, bows and arrows, Indian drums and war bonnets; how to know the trees and plants, and how to make dyes from plants and herbs. They learn all about the habits of various birds and animals, how they get their food, who their enemies are and how they protect themselves from them.Most of this information is not generally available in books, and could be gained otherwise only by years of life and experience in suitable surroundings. Yet Mr. Thompson Seton explains it so vividly and fully, with so many clear, marginal illustrations through the book, that the reader will finish "Two Little Savages" with an enviable knowledge of trees, plants, wild-life, woodlore, Indian crafts and arts, and survival information for the wilds. All of this is presented through a lively narrative that has as its heroes two real boys, typically curious about everything in the world around them, eager to outdo each other in every kind of endeavor. The exciting adventures that befall them during their stay in the woods are just the sort of thing that will keep a young reader enthralled and will stimulate his or her imagination at every turn.Great Tide Rising: Towards Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary Change
By Kathleen Dean Moore. 2016
Even as seas rise against the shores, another great tide is beginning to rise - a tide of outrage against…
the pillage of the planet, a tide of commitment to justice and human rights, a swelling affirmation of moral responsibility to the future and to Earth's fullness of life.Philosopher and nature essayist Kathleen Dean Moore takes on the essential questions: Why is it wrong to wreck the world? What is our obligation to the future? What is the transformative power of moral resolve? How can clear thinking stand against the lies and illogic that batter the chances for positive change? What are useful answers to the recurring questions of a storm-threatened time - What can anyone do? Is there any hope? And always this: What stories and ideas will lift people who deeply care, inspiring them to move forward with clarity and moral courage?The Essential Agrarian Reader: The Future of Culture, Community, and the Land
By Barbara Kingsolver, Norman Wirzba. 2003
Agrarian 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. 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.It all began simply enough. In 1976 the Point Reyes Wilderness Act was passed with broad support, giving more than…
33,000 acres of forest, grassland and shoreline the highest possible environmental protection in America. Those lands were to include a rare marine sanctuary, the Drakes Estuary, as "potential wilderness." Located in that estuary was a small, struggling oyster farm. In existence for more than eighty years, it was accused of doing environmental harm. In 2005 the farm was given notice by the National Parks Service that its lease on the property, due to expire in 2012, would not be renewed. The intention was to allow this area to be restored and to be a viable part of the wilderness preserve. Kevin Lunny, a local rancher, bought the oyster farm in 2005 and renamed it The Drakes Bay Oyster Company. He refused to acknowledge the term of the lease, nor did he intend to abide by it, and thus began a protracted battle in the courts and in the court of public opinion over the future of the estuary.Environmentalists, local activists, national politicians, scientists, and the Department of the Interior all joined the battle, which began as a matter of localbeginning. In a lyrical narrative style she explores the case, interviews and portrays the players, (major and minor), and presents this complex matter with thorough and deliberate care.