Displays

An incredible wealth of scientific data on global warming has been collected in the last few decades. The history of the Earth's climate has been probed by drilling into polar ice sheets and sediment layers of the oceans' vast depths, and great advances have been made in computer modelling of our climate. This book provides a concise and accessible overview of what we know about ongoing climate change and its impacts, and what we can do to confront the climate crisis. Using clear and simple graphics in full colour, it lucidly highlights information contained in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, and brings the subject completely up-to-date with current science and policy. The book makes essential scientific information on this critical topic accessible to a broad audience. Obtaining sound information is the first step in preventing a serious, long-lasting degradation of our planet's climate, helping to ensure our future survival.

In May 2019 the UK government declared a climate emergency. Environmental activism has never been more vocal and widespread. Greta Thunberg, David Attenborough, and Extinction Rebellion have been omnipresent in the news, urging individuals and governments to act, now. This book looks at the causes and the consequences of this global crisis and the ways to tackle it.

Offering a clear, engaging, objective portrait of the current state of climate science, Earths Climate acknowledges the evidence is stronger than ever that human activity is the primary cause for global climate change.

The emergence of modern sciences in the seventeenth century profoundly renewed our understanding of nature. For the last three centuries new ideas of nature have been continually developed by theology, politics, economics, and science, especially the sciences of the material world. The situation is even more unstable today, now that we have entered an ecological mutation of unprecedented scale. Some call it the Anthropocene, but it is best described as a new climatic regime. And a new regime it certainly is, since the many unexpected connections between human activity and the natural world oblige every one of us to reopen the earlier notions of nature and redistribute what had been packed inside. So the question now arises: what will replace the old ways of looking at nature? This book explores a potential candidate proposed by James Lovelock when he chose the name 'Gaia' for the fragile, complex system through which living phenomena modify the Earth. The fact that he was immediately misunderstood proves simply that his readers have tried to fit this new notion into an older frame, transforming Gaia into a single organism, a kind of giant thermostat, some sort of New Age goddess, or even divine Providence. In this series of lectures on 'natural religion,' Bruno Latour argues that the complex and ambiguous figure of Gaia offers, on the contrary, an ideal way to disentangle the ethical, political, theological, and scientific aspects of the now obsolete notion of nature. He lays the groundwork for a future collaboration among scientists, theologians, activists, and artists as they, and we, begin to adjust to the new climatic regime.

In the new edition of this highly successful book, Malcolm Hunter and new co-author James Gibbs offer a thorough introduction to the fascinating and important field of conservation biology, focusing on what can be done to maintain biodiversity through management of ecosystems and populations. Starting with a succinct look at conservation and biodiversity, this book progresses to contend with some of the subject's most complex topics, such as mass extinctions, ecosystem degradation, and over exploitation. Discusses social, political, and economic aspects of conservation biology. Thoroughly revised with over six hundred new references and web links to many of the organizations involved in conservation biology, striking photographs and maps. Artwork from the book is available to instructors online at www.blackwellpublishing.com/hunter and by request on CD-ROM.

From the rice farms of India to America's corn belt, this book spans the globe, dissecting the specific practices of modern life that have put us at odds with nature and showing how these trends manifest themselves throughout the world. More than simply another treatise on global warming, this book tells a story that presents a clear, thoughtful look at how our disassociation from nature has helped contribute to the greatest environmental crisis in the history of mankind.

This completely updated and revised second edition provides a unique and up-to-date treatment of all aspects of plant ecology, making it an ideal textbook and reference work for students, researchers and practitioners. More than 500 high-quality images and drawings, mostly in colour, aid readers' understanding of various key topics, while the clear structure and straightforward style make it user friendly and particularly useful for students. Written by leading experts, it offers authoritative information, including relevant references. While Plant Ecology primarily addresses graduate students in biology and ecology, it is also a valuable resource for post-graduate students and researchers in botany, environmental sciences and landscape ecology, as well as all those whose study or work touches on agriculture, forestry, land use, and landscape management. Key Topics: - Molecular ecophysiology (molecular stress physiology: light, temperature, oxygen deficiency, water deficit (drought), unfavorable soil mineral conditions, biotic stress) - Physiological and biophysical plant ecology (ecophysiology of plants: thermal balance, water, nutrient, carbon relations) - Ecosystem ecology (characteristics of ecosystems, approaches how to study and how to model terrestrial ecosystems, biogeochemical fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems) - Community ecology and biological diversity (development of plant communities in time and space, interactions between plants and plant communities with the abiotic and the biotic environment, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning) - Global ecology (global biogeochemical cycles, Dynamic Global Vegetation Models, global change and terrestrial ecosystems)

Paul Collier's The Bottom Billion was greeted as groundbreaking when it appeared in 2007, winning the Estoril Distinguished Book Prize, the Arthur Ross Book Award, and the Lionel Gelber Prize. The Economist wrote that it was "set to become a classic," the Financial Times praised it as "rich in both analysis and recommendations," while Nicholas Kristof of the New York Times called it the "best nonfiction book so far this year."Now, in The Plundered Planet, Collier builds upon his renowned work on developing countries and the poorest populations to confront the global mismanagement of nature. Proper stewardship of natural assets and liabilities is a matter of planetary urgency: natural resources have the potential either to transform the poorest countries or to tear them apart, while the carbon emissions and agricultural follies of the rich world could further impoverish them. The Plundered Planet charts a course between unchecked profiteering on the one hand and environmental romanticism on the other to offer realistic and sustainable solutions to dauntingly complex issues.Grounded in a belief in the power of informed citizens, Collier proposes a series of international standards that would help poor countries rich in natural assets better manage those resources, policy changes that would raise world food supply, and a clear-headed approach to climate change that acknowledges the benefits of industrialization while addressing the need for alternatives to carbon trading. Revealing how these are all interconnected, The Plundered Planet charts a way forward to avoid the mismanagement of the natural world that threatens our future.

The second edition of Dessler and Parson's acclaimed book provides an integrated treatment of the science, technology, economics, policy, and politics of climate change. Aimed at the educated non-specialist, and at courses in environmental policy or climate change, the book clearly lays out the scientific foundations of climate change, the issues in current policy debates, and the interactions between science and politics that make the climate change debate so contentious and confusing. This new edition is brought completely up to date to reflect the rapid movement of events related to climate change. In addition, all sections have been improved, in particular a more thorough primer on the basic science of climate change is included. The book also now integrates the discussion of contrarian claims with the discussion of current scientific knowledge; extends the discussion of cost and benefit estimates; and provides an improved glossary.

A beautiful, illustrated book full of ideas to get you back in touch with nature. Spending time in nature is scientifically proven to be good for us - the benefits are endless and it has the power to make us feel better both physically and emotionally. Organized by season, The Wild Handbook provides a thoughtful collection of activities to get you back in touch with nature and improve your physical and mental wellbeing. It's an antidote to the stresses of modern life - activities include stargazing, wild swimming, various seasonal crafts, forest bathing, foraging and filling your home with natural materials and air purifying plants. Whether you live in the middle of a city or out in the countryside, you'll find practical ideas to suit your lifestyle. Illustrated with atmospheric color artwork, this beautiful gift book makes a wonderful present for the nature-seeker in all of us.

A beautiful companion to the year, showing how to find happiness in reconnecting to the natural world, wherever you live.Whether you live in a house or apartment, in a rural or urban environment, this beautiful book shows how to harness the natural world around us and feel more grounded and rooted in our surroundings. The Wild Journal is a beautifully illustrated guide from leading florist and nature writer Willow Crossley. Guiding you through creative practical projects and therapeutic seasonal reflections, The Wild Journal celebrates the potential of nature to mend, heal and transform our mood.The simple, back-to-basics habits and small seasonal changes in the book can help everyone to counteract the unpredictability and chaos of everyday life. Wherever you live, there are simple mindful actions - from listening to birdsong instead of rushing on your commute, to collecting natural treasures such as feathers, branches, pebbles or pine cones. Willow shares her creative techniques for bringing nature into your daily routine from planting and potting, identifying wild flowers, trying your hand at beautifully simple flower arrangements to making your own essential oils and candles. There is space to record reflections and your favourite seasonal activities, as well as ideas for star-gazing, bird-watching, and so much more.Willow Crossley's creative approach is informed by an artistic eye and a life spent immersed in nature. From growing up in Wales where days were spent exploring outdoors and flowers adorned every surface, to living in France surrounded by fields of sunflowers, iris and fragrant lavender, nature has always been an intrinsic part of her everyday life."Inspirational" -Cara Delevingne

To understand modern principles of sustainable management and the conservation of wildlife species requires intimate knowledge about demography, animal behavior, and ecosystem dynamics. With emphasis on practical application and quantitative skill development, this book weaves together these disparate elements in a single coherent textbook for senior undergraduate and graduate students. It reviews analytical techniques, explaining the mathematical and statistical principles behind them, and shows how these can be used to formulate realistic objectives within an ecological framework.  This third edition is comprehensive and up-to-date, and includes: Brand new chapters that disseminate rapidly developing topics in the field: habitat use and selection; habitat fragmentation, movement, and corridors; population viability. analysis, the consequences of climate chan≥ and evolutionary responses to disturbance A thorough updating of all chapters to present important areas of wildlife research and management with recent developments and examples. A new online study aid - a wide variety of downloadable computer programs in the freeware packages R and Mathcad, available through a companion website. Worked examples enable readers to practice calculations explained in the text and to develop a solid understanding of key statistical procedures and population models commonly used in wildlife ecology and management. The first half of the book provides a solid background in key ecological concepts. The second half uses these concepts to develop a deeper understanding of the principles underlying wildlife management and conservation. Global examples of real-life management situations provide a broad perspective on the international problems of conservation, and detailed case histories demonstrate concepts and quantitative analyses. This third edition is also valuable to professional wildlife managers, park rangers, biological resource managers, and those working in ecotourism.