ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: Climate Change, Coasts and Coastal Risk / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(4), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6040141 --- Regional Scale Risk-Informed Land-Use Planning Using Probabilistic Coastline Recession Modelling and Economical Optimisation: East Coast of Sri Lanka / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(4), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6040120 --- Optimized Reliability Based Upgrading of Rubble Mound Breakwaters in a Changing Climate / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(3), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6030092 --- Potential Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Coarse Scale Marsh Migration on Storm Surge Hydrodynamics and Waves on Coastal Protected Areas in the Chesapeake Bay / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(3), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6030086 --- Significance of Fluvial Sediment Supply in Coastline Modelling at Tidal Inlets / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(3), 79; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6030079 --- Projected 21st Century Coastal Flooding in the Southern California Bight. Part 2: Tools for Assessing Climate Change-Driven Coastal Hazards and Socio-Economic Impacts / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(3), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6030076 --- Failure of Grass Covered Flood Defences with Roads on Top Due to Wave Overtopping: A Probabilistic Assessment Method / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(3), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6030074 --- Modelling Hydrodynamic Impacts of Sea-Level Rise on Wave-Dominated Australian Estuaries with Differing Geomorphology / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(2), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6020066 --- Projected 21st Century Coastal Flooding in the Southern California Bight. Part 1: Development of the Third Generation CoSMoS Model / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(2), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6020059 --- An Effective Modelling Approach to Support Probabilistic Flood Forecasting in Coastal Cities—Case Study: Can Tho, Mekong Delta, Vietnam / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(2), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6020055 --- Probabilistic Assessment of Overtopping of Sea Dikes with Foreshores including Infragravity Waves and Morphological Changes: Westkapelle Case Study / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6020048 --- How Well Do AR5 Sea Surface-Height Model Projections Match Observational Rates of Sea-Level Rise at the Regional Scale? / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6010011 --- Two Centuries of Climate Change and Climate Variability, East Coast Australia / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(1), 3; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6010003 --- Jump to: Editorial, Research / Open AccessFeature PaperReview / Quantifying Economic Value of Coastal Ecosystem Services: A Review / J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2018, 6(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse6010005

Description / Table of Contents: Les scientifiques et les ingénieurs ont un rôle majeur à jouer pour l’avenir de l’humanité : ce sont eux qui ont pu alerter le monde sur le danger que court le climat de la planète et sur ses conséquences ; ce sont eux qui en ont identifié une cause très probable et sur laquelle nous pouvons réagir. Notre action dépend de nombreux facteurs : prise de conscience universelle, volontés politiques, solidarité entre les Etats et les peuples, moyens financiers... mais aussi in fine moyens scientifiques et techniques. Cependant, les ingénieurs ne sont pas des magiciens. Remplacer l’usage des ressources énergétiques traditionnelles, stockées depuis des millions d’années, par des ressources non carbonées, autant que possible renouvelables (nucléaire, hydraulique, géothermie, biomasse, vent, soleil…) demande du temps. L’objet de ce livre est double : montrer d’une part l’attention que les ingénieurs et scientifiques portent à cette menace fondamentale et leur compréhension du problème, d’autre part leur souhait de participer davantage aux débats et aux décisions, avec l’espoir d’aboutir à des orientations et des réalisations plus efficaces en faveur de l’objectif recherché. Les auteurs estiment que par leur indépendance, leur objectivité, leurs compétences et leur pragmatisme, les ingénieurs devraient contribuer au rapprochement entre rêve et réalité.

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction: Climate Crisis and the Cultural Imagination / pp. 1–22 --- Chapter 1. Collapse / pp. 23–48 --- Chapter 2. Pastoral / pp. 49–78 --- Chapter 3. Urban / pp. 79–104 --- Chapter 4. Polar / pp. 105–132 --- Conclusion / pp. 133–145

Description / Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Introductory Chapter: The Main Directions and Tasks of Pure and Applied Biogeography in Solving the Global Problems of Our Time by Levente Hufnagel --- Chapter 2: Are Historical Biogeographical Events Able to Promote Biological Diversification? by Julián A. Velasco --- Chapter 3: Ecological Responses to Climate Change at Biogeographical Boundaries by Melinda Pálinkás --- Chapter 4: A Synopsis of Global Mapping of Freshwater Habitats and Biodiversity: Implications for Conservation by Ryan A. McManamay, Natalie A. Griffiths, Christoper R. DeRolph and Brenda M. Pracheil --- Chapter 5: Plant Antiherbivore Defense in Diverse Environments by Alina Morquecho-Contreras, Carmen Zepeda-Gómez and Hermilo Sánchez-Sánchez --- Chapter 6: Vachellia (Acacia) karroo Communities in South Africa: An Overview by Mamokete Dingaan and Pieter J. du Preez --- Chapter 7: Ecological Biogeography of West Usambara Mountains: A Study on the Influence of Abiotic Factors to Spatial Distribution of Plant and Animal Species by Joel Loitu Meliyo, Kenneth F.G. Masuki, Balthazar M. Msanya, Didas N. Kimaro and Loth S. Mulungu

Description / Table of Contents: 1. Comparison of the Temporal Variability of Maximum Daily Temperatures for Summer Months in Relation to El Nino Events in Southern Québec / by Ali Assani --- 2. Influence of Climate Regime Shift on the Abrupt Change of Tropical Cyclone Activity in Various Genesis Regions / by Chi-Cherng Hong and Yi-Kai Wu --- 3. The Highest Geomagnetic Storms of the Solar Cycle Observed at Ground Level / by Carlos E. Navia, Marcel N. de Oliveira and Carlos R. A. Augusto --- 4. Rainfall Distribution in Landfalling Tropical Cyclones / by Zifeng Yu and Yuqing Wang --- 5. Extreme Weather Events in Ukraine: Occurrence and Changes / by Vira Balabukh, Olena Lavrynenko, Volodymyr Bilaniuk, Andriy Mykhnovych and Olha Pylypovych --- 6. Heat Waves: Health Effects, Observed Trends and Climate Change / by Martínez-Austria Polioptro F and Bandala Erick R. --- 7. Malawi’s Experience with Weather Index Insurance as Agricultural Risk Mitigation Strategy Against Extreme Drought Events 1 / by Ephias M. Makaudze

Description / Table of Contents: Introduction: Advancing Public Deliberation on Climate Change and Other Wicked Problems / Lorelei L. Hanson and David Kahane --- 1. Profiles of Four Citizen Deliberations / Lorelei L. Hanson --- 2. The Theory and Practice of Deliberative Democracy / David Kahane and Gwendolyn Blue --- 3. The Economic and Political Context of Climate Policy in Alberta / Geoff Salomons and John R. Parkins --- 4. Beyond the Usual Suspects: Representation in Deliberative Exercises / Shelley Boulianne --- 5. From Facts to Frames: Dominant and Alternative Meanings of Climate Change / Gwendolyn Blue --- 6. Collaborating on Deliberative Democracy / David Kahane and Lorelei L. Hanson --- 7. On the Ground: Practitioners Reflect on ABCD’s Citizen Deliberations / Mary Pat MacKinnon, Jacquie Dale, and Susanna Haas Lyons --- 8. Climate Change, Social Change, and Systems Change / David Kahane --- Conclusion: The Potential of Deliberation to Tap the Power of Citizens to Address Climate Change and Other Issues of Sustainability / Tom Prugh and Matt Leighninger

Description / Table of Contents: 1 The Climate Crisis and Systemic Alternatives Vishwas Satgar --- PART ONE :THE CLIMATE CRISIS AS CAPITALIST CRISIS --- 2 The Limits of Capitalist Solutions to the Climate Crisis Dorothy Grace Guerrero --- 3 The Anthropocene and Imperial Ecocide: Prospects for Just Transitions Vishwas Satgar --- PART TWO: DEMOCRATIC ECO-SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVES IN THE WORLD --- 4 The Employment Crisis, Just Transition and the Universal Basic Income Grant Hein Marais --- 5 The Rights of Mother Earth Pablo Sólon --- 6 Buen Vivir: An Alternative Perspective from the Peoples of the Global South Alberto Acosta and Mateo Martínez Abarca --- 7 Challenging the Growth Paradigm: Marx, Buddha and the Pursuit of ‘Happiness’ Devan Pillay --- 8 Ubuntu and the Struggle for an African Eco-socialist Alternative Christelle Terreblanche --- 9 The Climate Crisis and the Struggle for African Food Sovereignty Nnimmo Bassey --- PART THREE: DEMOCRATIC ECO-SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVES IN SOUTH AFRICA --- 10 The Climate Crisis and a ‘Just Transition’ in South Africa: An Eco-Feminist-Socialist Perspective Jacklyn Cock --- 11 Energy, Labour, and Democracy in South Africa Michelle Williams --- 12 Capital, Climate and the Politics of Nuclear Procurement in South Africa David Fig --- 13 Climate Jobs at Two Minutes to Midnight Brian Ashley --- 14 Deepening the Just Transition Through Food Sovereignty and the Solidarity Economy Andrew Bennie and Athish Satgoor --- 15 Eco-Capitalist Crises in the ‘Blue Economy’: Operation Phakisa’s Small, Slow Failures Desné Masie and Patrick Bond --- CONCLUSION: Vishwas Satgar

Description / Table of Contents: "In Energy without Conscience" David McDermott Hughes investigates why climate change has yet to be seen as a moral issue. He examines the forces that render the use of fossil fuels ordinary and therefore exempt from ethical evaluation. Hughes centers his analysis on Trinidad and Tobago, which is the world's oldest petro-state, having drilled the first continuously producing oil well in 1866. Marrying historical research with interviews with Trinidadian petroleum scientists, policymakers, technicians, and managers, he draws parallels between Trinidad's eighteenth- and nineteenth-century slave labor energy economy and its contemporary oil industry. Hughes shows how both forms of energy rely upon a complicity that absolves producers and consumers from acknowledging the immoral nature of each. He passionately argues that like slavery, producing oil is a moral choice and that oil is at its most dangerous when it is accepted as an ordinary part of everyday life.

Description / Table of Contents: Chapter 1: Comparison of Evapotranspiration Methods Under Limited Data by Hsin-Fu Yeh --- Chapter 2: Assessment and Prediction of Evapotranspiration Based on Scintillometry and Meteorological Datasets by Antonin Poisson, Angel Fernandez, Dario G. Gomez, Régis Barillé and Benoit Chorro --- Chapter 3: Sensitivity of Evapotranspiration Models to Onsite and Offsite Meteorological Data for a Poderosa Pine Forest by Wonsook Ha, Abraham E. Springer, Frances C. O'Donnell and Thomas E. Kolb --- Chapter 4: Evapotranspiration in Northern Agro-Ecosystems: Numerical Simulation and Experimental Comparison by Watcharee Ruairuen, Gilberto J. Fochesatto, Marco Bittelli, Elena B. Sparrow, Mingchu Zhang and William Schnabel --- Chapter 5: Moisture Evaporation from Granular Biopesticides Containing Quiescent Entomopathogenic Nematodes by Carlos Inocencio Cortés-Martínez, Jaime Ruiz-Vega and Gabino Alberto Martínez-Gutiérrez

Description / Table of Contents: Nishimura, T. Rust Formation Mechanism on Low Alloy Steels after Exposure Test in High Cl− and High SOx Environmen. Materials 2017, 10(2), 199; doi:10.3390/ma10020199. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/2/199 --- Chang, T.; Odnevall Wallinder, I.; de la Fuente, D.; Chico, B.; Morcillo, M.; Welter, J.; Leygraf, C. Analysis of Historic Copper Patinas. Influence of Inclusions on Patina Uniformity. Materials 2017, 10(3), 298; doi:10.3390/ma10030298. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/3/298 --- Na, O.; Cai, X.; Xi, Y. Corrosion Prediction with Parallel Finite Element Modeling for Coupled Hygro-Chemo Transport into Concrete under Chloride-Rich Environment. Materials 2017, 10(4), 350; doi:10.3390/ma10040350. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/4/350 --- Kreislova, K.; Knotkova, D. The Results of 45 Years of Atmospheric Corrosion Study in the Czech Republic. Materials 2017, 10(4), 394; doi:10.3390/ma10040394. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/4/394 --- Alcántara, J.; Fuente, D.; Chico, B.; Simancas, J.; Díaz, I.; Morcillo, M. Marine Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel: A Review. Materials 2017, 10(4), 406; doi:10.3390/ma10040406. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/4/406 --- Hosseinpour, S.; Johnson, M. Vibrational Spectroscopy in Studies of Atmospheric Corrosion. Materials 2017, 10(4), 413; doi:10.3390/ma10040413. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/4/413 --- Panchenko, Y.; Marshakov, A. Prediction of First-Year Corrosion Losses of Carbon Steel and Zinc in Continental Regions. Materials 2017, 10(4), 422; doi:10.3390/ma10040422. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/4/422 --- Chico, B.; de la Fuente, D.; Díaz, I.; Simancas, J.; Morcillo, M. Annual Atmospheric Corrosion of Carbon Steel Worldwide. An Integration of ISOCORRAG, ICP/UNECE and MICAT Databases. Materials 2017, 10(6), 601; doi:10.3390/ma10060601. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/6/601 --- Bouchar, M.; Dillmann, P.; Neff, D. New Insights in the Long-Term Atmospheric Corrosion Mechanisms of Low Alloy Steel Reinforcements of Cultural Heritage Buildings. Materials 2017, 10(6), 670; doi:10.3390/ma10060670. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/6/670 --- Tidblad, J.; Kreislová, K.; Faller, M.; de la Fuente, D.; Yates, T.; Verney-Carron, A.; Grøntoft, T.; Gordon, A.; Hans, U. ICP Materials Trends in Corrosion, Soiling and Air Pollution (1987–2014). Materials 2017, 10(8), 969; doi:10.3390/ma10080969. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/8/969 --- Cole, I. Recent Progress and Required Developments in Atmospheric Corrosion of Galvanised Steel and Zinc. Materials 2017, 10(11), 1288; doi:10.3390/ma10111288. http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/10/11/1288

Description / Table of Contents: The topics of climate change, weather prediction, atmospheric sciences and other related fields are gaining increased attention due to the possible impacts of changes in climate and weather upon the planet. Concurrently, the increasing ability to computationally model the governing partial differential equations that describe these various topics of climate has gained a great deal of attention as well. In the current book, several aspects of these topics are examined to provide another stepping stone in recent advances in the fields of study and also focal points of endeavor in the evolving technology.

Description / Table of Contents: Greenhouse Gases - Selected Case Studies, is a book which covers a range of topics. The long term effective management of the natural environment, requires a detailed understanding of greenhouse gases. This has both environmental and economic implications, especially where there is any anthropogenic involvement. Numerical models are often the tool and framework used for predicting the effects, both in the long-term and short-term, of greenhouse gases. However, the relevant atmospheric processes can vary quite considerably depending upon the spatial and temporal scales under consideration. For this reason for the past few decades, scientists, engineers, meteorologists and mathematicians have all been continuing to conduct research into the many aspects which influence greenhouse gases. These issues range from: industrial science, agricultural research, carbon dioxide and other emissions. This book reports the findings from recent research in greenhouse gases, primarily in the the form of case studies, particularly from an interdisciplinary perspective. The research was carried out by researchers who specialise in areas such as: energy production, emissions from livestock, chemical industry, and metallurgical process technology.

Description / Table of Contents: Sustainability should be a key component of every process, safeguarding resources and reserves for future generations. This book shows how a responsible use of resources is possible, offering valid technological alternatives to fight climate change. We offer current technologies and valid methods for a wide range of activities: teaching, investigation, work, business and even daily life. We encourage all our readers to join us and become part of the solution to climate change, rather than the problem. After reading this book, we are certain that you will find justified reasons to start your own personal and social awareness campaign in favour of these effective technologies against climate change.

Description / Table of Contents: Frederiks, E.; Stenner, K.; Hobman, E. The Socio-Demographic and Psychological Predictors of Residential Energy Consumption: A Comprehensive Review. Energies 2015, 8(1), 573-609; doi:10.3390/en8010573 --- Sun, W.; He, Y.; Chang, H. Forecasting Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption for Power Generation Using QHSA-Based LSSVM Model. Energies 2015, 8(2), 939-959; doi:10.3390/en8020939 --- Gutierrez-Escolar, A.; Castillo-Martinez, A.; Gomez-Pulido, J.; Gutierrez-Martinez, J.; Stapic, Z.; Medina-Merodio, J. A Study to Improve the Quality of Street Lighting in Spain. Energies 2015, 8(2), 976-994; doi:10.3390/en8020976 --- Chew, K.; Klemeš, J.; Alwi, S.; Manan, Z.; Reverberi, A. Total Site Heat Integration Considering Pressure Drops. Energies 2015, 8(2), 1114-1137; doi:10.3390/en8021114 --- Kim, S.; Shin, K.; Choi, B.; Jo, J.; Cho, S.; Cho, Y. A Study on the Variation of Heating and Cooling Load According to the Use of Horizontal Shading and Venetian Blinds in Office Buildings in Korea. Energies 2015, 8(2), 1487-1504; doi:10.3390/en8021487 --- Sheng, P.; Yang, J.; Shackman, J. Energy’s Shadow Price and Energy Efficiency in China: A Non-Parametric Input Distance Function Analysis. Energies 2015, 8(3), 1975-1989; doi:10.3390/en8031975 --- Benavides, C.; Gonzales, L.; Diaz, M.; Fuentes, R.; García, G.; Palma-Behnke, R.; Ravizza, C. The Impact of a Carbon Tax on the Chilean Electricity Generation Sector. Energies 2015, 8(4), 2674-2700; doi:10.3390/en8042674 --- Li, W.; Li, H.; Sun, S. China’s Low-Carbon Scenario Analysis of CO2 Mitigation Measures towards 2050 Using a Hybrid AIM/CGE Model. Energies 2015, 8(5), 3529-3555; doi:10.3390/en8053529 --- Nasirov, S.; Silva, C.; Agostini, C. Investors’ Perspectives on Barriers to the Deployment of Renewable Energy Sources in Chile. Energies 2015, 8(5), 3794-3814; doi:10.3390/en8053794 --- Deng, X.; Yu, Y.; Liu, Y. Temporal and Spatial Variations in Provincial CO2 Emissions in China from 2005 to 2015 and Assessment of a Reduction Plan. Energies 2015, 8(5), 4549-4571; doi:10.3390/en8054549 --- Klimscheffskij, M.; Van Craenenbroeck, T.; Lehtovaara, M.; Lescot, D.; Tschernutter, A.; Raimundo, C.; Seebach, D.; Timpe, C. Residual Mix Calculation at the Heart of Reliable Electricity Disclosure in Europe—A Case Study on the Effect of the RE-DISS Project. Energies 2015, 8(6), 4667-4696; doi:10.3390/en8064667 --- Ferrara, R. The Smart City and the Green Economy in Europe: A Critical Approach. Energies 2015, 8(6), 4724-4734; doi:10.3390/en8064724 --- Stenner, K.; Nwokora, Z. Current and Future Friends of the Earth: Assessing Cross-National Theories of Environmental Attitudes. Energies 2015, 8(6), 4899-4919; doi:10.3390/en8064899 --- Atlason, R.; Oddsson, G.; Unnthorsson, R. Theorizing for Maintenance Management Improvements: Using Case Studies from the Icelandic Geothermal Sector. Energies 2015, 8(6), 4943-4962; doi:10.3390/en8064943 --- Ellenbeck, S.; Beneking, A.; Ceglarz, A.; Schmidt, P.; Battaglini, A. Security of Supply in European Electricity Markets—Determinants of Investment Decisions and the European Energy Union. Energies 2015, 8(6), 5198-5216; doi:10.3390/en8065198 --- Hasager, C.; Vincent, P.; Badger, J.; Badger, M.; Di Bella, A.; Peña, A.; Husson, R.; Volker, P. Using Satellite SAR to Characterize the Wind Flow around Offshore Wind Farms. Energies 2015, 8(6), 5413-5439; doi:10.3390/en8065413 --- Puigjaner, L.; Pérez-Fortes, M.; Laínez-Aguirre, J. Towards a Carbon-Neutral Energy Sector: Opportunities and Challenges of Coordinated Bioenergy Supply Chains-A PSE Approach. Energies 2015, 8(6), 5613-5660; doi:10.3390/en8065613 --- Thollander, P.; Palm, J. Industrial Energy Management Decision Making for Improved Energy Efficiency—Strategic System Perspectives and Situated Action in Combination. Energies 2015, 8(6), 5694-5703; doi:10.3390/en8065694 --- Jänicke, M. Horizontal and Vertical Reinforcement in Global Climate Governance. Energies 2015, 8(6), 5782-5799; doi:10.3390/en8065782 --- Benavides, C.; Gonzales, L.; Diaz, M.; Fuentes, R.; García, G.; Palma-Behnke, R.; Ravizza, C. Correction: The Impact of a Carbon Tax on the Chilean Electricity Generation Sector. Energies 2015, 8(6), 6247-6248; doi:10.3390/en8066247 --- Wang, W.; Ouyang, W.; Hao, F. A Supply-Chain Analysis Framework for Assessing Densified Biomass Solid Fuel Utilization Policies in China. Energies 2015, 8(7), 7122-7139; doi:10.3390/en8077122 --- Punys, P.; Dumbrauskas, A.; Kasiulis, E.; Vyčienė, G.; Šilinis, L. Flow Regime Changes: From Impounding a Temperate Lowland River to Small Hydropower Operations. Energies 2015, 8(7), 7478-7501; doi:10.3390/en8077478 --- Reid, G.; Wynn, G. The Future of Solar Power in the United Kingdom. Energies 2015, 8(8), 7818-7832; doi:10.3390/en8087818 --- Scott, C.; Sugg, Z. Global Energy Development and Climate-Induced Water Scarcity—Physical Limits, Sectoral Constraints, and Policy Imperatives. Energies 2015, 8(8), 8211-8225; doi:10.3390/en8088211 --- Lilliestam, J.; Patt, A. Barriers, Risks and Policies for Renewables in the Gulf States. Energies 2015, 8(8), 8263-8285; doi:10.3390/en8088263 --- Van Ackere, S.; Van Eetvelde, G.; Schillebeeckx, D.; Papa, E.; Van Wyngene, K.; Vandevelde, L. Wind Resource Mapping Using Landscape Roughness and Spatial Interpolation Methods. Energies 2015, 8(8), 8682-8703; doi:10.3390/en8088682 --- Komendantova, N.; Vocciante, M.; Battaglini, A. Can the BestGrid Process Improve Stakeholder Involvement in Electricity Transmission Projects?. Energies 2015, 8(9), 9407-9433; doi:10.3390/en8099407 --- Kiyar, D.; Wittneben, B. Carbon as Investment Risk—The Influence of Fossil Fuel Divestment on Decision Making at Germany’s Main Power Providers. Energies 2015, 8(9), 9620-9639; doi:10.3390/en8099620 --- Bernardes, L.; Carneiro, J.; Madureira, P.; Brandão, F.; Roque, C. Determination of Priority Study Areas for Coupling CO2 Storage and CH4 Gas Hydrates Recovery in the Portuguese Offshore Area. Energies 2015, 8(9), 10276-10292; doi:10.3390/en80910276 --- Dovì, V.; Battaglini, A. Energy Policy and Climate Change: A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Global Problem. Energies 2015, 8(12), 13473-13480; doi:10.3390/en81212379

Description / Table of Contents: 1. Planning the Adaptation to Climate Change in Cities: an Introduction / Tiepolo, Maurizio; Cristofori, Elena --- 2. Climate Change Characterisation and Planning in Large Tropical and Subtropical Cities / Tiepolo, Maurizio; Cristofori, Elena --- 3. Extreme Events Assessment Methodology as a Tool for Engineering Adaptation Measures – Case Study of North Coast of São Paulo State (SP), Brazil / Sakai, Rafael de Oliveira; Cartacho, Diego Lourenço; Arasaki, Emilia; Alfredini, Paolo; Rosso, Maurizio; Pezzoli, Alessandro; Cabral De Souza Junior, Wilson; Cabral De Souza, Wilson --- 4. Vulnerability and Resilience to Drought in the Chaco, Paraguay / Pezzoli, Alessandro; Ponte, Enrico --- 5. Characterization of Flood Hazard at a Municipal Level. A Case Study in Tillabéri Region, Niger / Bacci, Maurizio --- 6. Sensitivity of Dar Es Salaam Coastal Aquifer to Climate Change with Regard to Seawater Intrusion and Groundwater Availability / Sappa, Giuseppe; Luciani, Giulia --- 7. Impact of the Construction of an Offshore Highway on the Sea-Spray Dynamics in La Reunion Island / Piazzola, Jacques; Tedeschi, Gilles; Missamou, Tathy --- 8. Early Warning Systems & Geomatics: Value-added Information in the Absence of High Resolution Data / Cristofori, Elena; Albanese, Adriana; Boccardo, Piero --- 9. Planning the Adaptation of Coastal Cities to Climate Change: a Review of 14 Pilot Projects / Ponte, Enrico --- 10. National and Local Contingency Planning: a Comparative Analysis of Plans in Africa and Latin America / Ponte, Enrico --- 11. Measures of Adaptation and Community-based Water Management in Mékhé, Senegal / Biconne, Rita --- 12. Flood Risk Preliminary Mapping in Niamey, Niger / Tiepolo, Maurizio; Braccio, Sarah --- 13. Flood Risk Assessment at Municipal Level in the Tillabéri Region, Niger / Tiepolo, Maurizio; Braccio, Sarah --- 14. Drought Risk in the Tillabery Region, Niger / Tarchiani, Vieri; Bacci, Maurizio --- 15. Climate Change Adaptation Through Urban Planning: a Proposed Approach for Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania / Macchi, Silvia; Ricci, Liana --- 16. Climate Change Adaptation in Dar es Salaam: Local Government Opinions and Proposed Interventions / Shemdoe, Riziki S.; Rugai, Dionis; Fantini, Laura --- 17. Household Level Vulnerability to Climate Change in Nepal – A Comparison of a Semi-urban and a Rural Village Development Committee / Giri, Madhav --- 18. Weather Observation Network and Climate Change Monitoring in Catalonia, Spain / Prohom, Marc; Puig, Oriol --- 19. Assessing flood risk in Zurich, Switzerland: the KR-RRA approach / Ronco, Paolo; Bullo, Martina; Gallina, Valentina; Torresan, Silvia; Critto, Andrea; Zabeo, Alex; Semenzin, Elena; Olschewski, Roland; Marcomini, Antonio --- 20. Flood Risk Assessment and Quantification in the Piedmont Region, Italy / Franzi, Luca; Bianco, Gennaro; Bruno, Alessandro; Foglino, Sara --- 21. Conclusion / Tiepolo, Maurizio; Ponte, Enrico

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change will bring about significant changes to the capacity of, and the demand on, water resources. The resulting changes include increasing climate variability that is expected to affect hydrologic conditions. The effects of climate variability on various meteorological variables have been extensively observed in many regions around the world. Of these, rainfall is one of the most important variables. Understanding the effects of climate variability on spatial and temporal rainfall characteristics is of special interest to water resource policy makers. Investigating rainfall variability at the regional scale is essential for understanding potential impacts on humans and the natural environment. Atmospheric circulation, topography, land use and other regional features modify global changes to produce unique patterns of change at the regional scale. As the future changes to these water resources cannot be measured in the present, hydrological models are critical in the planning required to adapt our water resource management strategies to future climate conditions. Such models include catchment runoff models, reservoir management models, flood prediction models, groundwater recharge and flow models, and crop water balance models. In water-scarce regions such as Australia, urban water systems are particularly vulnerable to rapid population growth and climate change. In the presence of climate change induced uncertainty, urban water systems need to be more resilient and multi-sourced. Decreasing volumetric rainfall trends have an effect on reservoir yield and operation practices. Severe intensity rainfall events can cause failure of drainage system capacity and subsequent urban flood inundation problems. Policy makers, end users and leading researchers need to work together to develop a consistent approach to interpreting the effects of climate variability and change on water resources.

Description / Table of Contents: The sustainability of irrigation and drainage in the face of many variants and constraints like availability of water as a resource, ecological balance, socio-cultural impacts, and climate change effects lies in the strategies adopted and systems emplaced. It has always remained a challenge for the users of irrigation waters to maintain sustainability in quality and quantity. This book aims ?to explore frontiers of knowledge in coining sustainable strategies and systems direly needed in managing the quality and quantity of water required for crop irrigation, surface and root zone drainage and flood management using available tools of research and development?. Eminent authors and their colleagues possessing varied professional backgrounds and expertise have dealt with these issues concerning the strategies and systems of irrigation and drainage. This book will prove to be beneficial for crop growers, agricultural engineers, water resource managers, academicians and graduate students alike.

Description / Table of Contents: Depuis le début des années 2000, l’insuffisance des efforts politiques pour réduire drastiquement les émissions globales de gaz à effet de serre a conduit au renforcement d’un discours sur la nécessité de s’adapter au changement climatique. Particulièrement dans les régions vulnérables aux effets du changement climatique, une transformation des politiques de gestion de l’environnement apparaît comme nécessaire afin de réduire les risques et d’exploiter les nouvelles opportunités découlant du changement climatique et de ses im-pacts. Or, si les analystes constatent un développement des activités d’adaptation au changement climatique, peu de travaux interrogent l’efficacité réelle des mesures actuelles et leurs éventuelles limites. Cet ouvrage tente de combler cette lacune en déconstruisant la notion d’adaptation au changement climatique et en interrogeant sa signification réelle pour la conduite des politiques à incidence environnementale. Il exa-mine de manière théorique en quoi l’adaptation au changement climatique nécessiterait des réformes de l’action publique. Puis, il examine l’état des pratiques actuelles au travers d’études de cas dans le secteur agricole en Inde (Rajasthan et Maharashtra) et dans le secteur du tourisme hivernal en Suisse (Alpes vaudoises et vallée de Joux). Sur la base de cette incursion théorique et empirique dans l’univers de ces nouvelles politiques de gestion de l’environnement, l’auteur discute des limitations observées et suggère des voies d’amélioration pour le futur.

Description / Table of Contents: Prior to May 2015, the oil-rich jurisdiction of Alberta had, for over four decades, been a one-party state. During that time, the rule of the Progressive Conservatives essentially went unchallenged, with critiques of government policy falling on deaf ears and Alberta ranking behind other provinces in voter turnout. Given the province’s economic reliance on oil revenues, a symbiotic relationship also developed between government and the oil industry. Cross-national studies have detected a correlation between oil-dependent economies and authoritarian rule, a pattern particularly evident in Africa and the Middle East. Alberta Oil and the Decline of Democracy in Canada sets out to test the “oil inhibits democracy” hypothesis in the context of an industrialized nation in the Global North.In probing the impact of Alberta’s powerful oil lobby on the health of democracy in the province, contributors to the volume engage with an ongoing discussion of the erosion of political liberalism in the West. In addition to examining energy policy and issues of government accountability in Alberta, they explore the ramifications of oil dependence in areas such as Aboriginal rights, environmental policy, labour law, women’s equity, urban social policy, and the arts. If, as they argue, reliance on oil has weakened democratic structures in Alberta, then what of Canada as whole, where the short-term priorities of the oil industry continue to shape federal policy? In Alberta, the New Democratic Party is in a position to reverse the democratic deficit that is presently fuelling political and economic inequality. The findings in this book suggest that, to revitalize democracy, provincial and federal leaders alike must find the courage to curb the influence of the oil industry on governance.

Description / Table of Contents: The Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project: Phase I Activities by a Global Community of Science (Cynthia Rosenzweig, James W Jones, Jerry L Hatfield, John M Antle, Alexander C Ruane, and Carolyn Z Mutter) --- AgMIP's Transdisciplinary Agricultural Systems Approach to Regional Integrated Assessment of Climate Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation (John M Antle, Roberto O Valdivia, Kenneth J Boote, Sander Janssen, James W Jones, Cheryl H Porter, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Alexander C Ruane, and Peter J Thorburn) --- AgMIP Climate Data and Scenarios for Integrated Assessment (Alexander C Ruane, Jonathan M Winter, Sonali P McDermid, and Nicholas I Hudson) --- Cropping Systems Modeling in AgMIP: A New Protocol-Driven Approach for Regional Integrated Assessments (Peter J Thorburn, Kenneth J Boote, John N G Hargreaves, Perry L Poulton, and James W Jones) --- Representative Agricultural Pathways and Scenarios for Regional Integrated Assessment of Climate Change Impacts, Vulnerability, and Adaptation (Roberto O Valdivia, John M Antle, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Alexander C Ruane, Joost Vervoort, Muhammad Ashfaq, Ibrahima Hathie, Sabine Homann-Kee Tui, Richard Mulwa, Charles Nhemachena, Paramasivam Ponnusamy, Herath Rasnayaka, and Harbir Singh) --- Data Interoperability Tools for Regional Integrated Assessments (Cheryl H Porter, Chris Villalobos, Dean Holzworth, Roger Nelson, Jefffrey W White, Ioannis N Athanasiadis, Meng Zhang, Sander Janssen, Rob Knapen, James W Jones, Kenneth J Boote, John Hargreaves, and John M Antle) --- The AgMIP GRIDded Crop Modeling Initiative (AgGRID) and the Global Gridded Crop Model Intercomparison (GGCMI) (Joshua Elliott and Christoph Müller) --- The AgMIP Coordinated Climate-Crop Modeling Project (C3MP): Methods and Protocols (Sonali P McDermid, Alexander C Ruane, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Nicholas I Hudson, Monica D Morales, Prabodha Agalawatte, Shakeel Ahmad, L R Ahuja, Istiqlal Amien, Saseendran S Anapalli, Jakarat Anothai, Senthold Asseng, Jody Biggs, Federico Bert, Patrick Bertuzzi, Virender S Bhatia, Marco Bindi, Ian Broad, Davide Cammarano, Ramiro Carretero, Ashfaq Ahmad Chattha, Uran Chung, Stephanie Debats, Paola Deligios, Giacomo De Sanctis, Thanda Dhliwayo, Benjamin Dumont, Lyndon Estes, Frank Ewert, Roberto Ferrise, Thomas Gaiser, Guillermo Garcia, Sika Gbegbelegbe, Vellingiri Geethalakshmi, Edward Gerardeaux, Richard Goldberg, Brian Grant, Edgardo Guevara, Jonathan Hickman, Holger Hoffmann, Huanping Huang, Jamshad Hussain, Flavio Barbosa Justino, Asha S Karunaratne, Ann-Kristin Koehler, Patrice K Kouakou, Soora Naresh Kumar, Arunachalam Lakshmanan, Mark Lieffering, Xiaomao Lin, Qunying Luo, Graciela Magrin, Marco Mancini, Fabio Ricardo Marin, Anna Dalla Marta, Yuji Masutomi, Theodoros Mavromatis, Greg McLean, Santiago Meira, Monoranjan Mohanty, Marco Moriondo, Wajid Nasim, Lamyaa Negm, Francesca Orlando, Simone Orlandini, Isik Ozturk, Helena Maria Soares Pinto, Guillermo Podesta, Zhiming Qi, Johanna Ramarohetra, Muhammad Habib ur Rahman, Helene Raynal, Gabriel Rodriguez, Reimund Rötter, Vaishali Sharda, Lu Shuo, Ward Smith, Val Snow, Afshin Soltani, K Srinivas, Benjamin Sultan, Dillip Kumar Swain, Fulu Tao, Kindie Tesfaye, Maria I Travasso, Giacomo Trombi, Alex Topaj, Eline Vanuytrecht, Federico E Viscarra, Syed Aftab Wajid, Enli Wang, Hong Wang, Jing Wang, Erandika Wijekoon, Lee Byun-Woo, Yang Xiaoguang, Ban Ho Young, Jin I Yun, Zhigan Zhao, and Lareef Zubair) --- Uncertainty in Agricultural Impact Assessment (Daniel Wallach, Linda O Mearns, Michael Rivington, John M Antle, and Alexander C Ruane) --- Uncertainties in Scaling-Up Crop Models for Large-Area Climate Change Impact Assessments (Frank Ewert, Lenny G J van Bussel, Gang Zhao, Holger Hoffmann, Thomas Gaiser, Xenia Specka, Claas Nendel, Kurt-Christian Kersebaum, Carmen Sosa, Elisabet Lewan, Jagadeesh Yeluripati, Matthias Kuhnert, Fulu Tao, Reimund Rötter, Julie Constantin, Helene Raynal, Daniel Wallach, Edmar Teixeira, Balasz Grosz, Michaela Bach, Luca Doro, Pier Paolo Roggero, Zhigan Zhao, Enli Wang, Ralf Kiese, Edwin Haas, Henrik Eckersten, Giacomo Trombi, Marco Bindi, Christian Klein, Christian Biernath, Florian Heinlein, Eckart Priesack, Davide Cammarano, Senthold Asseng, Joshua Elliott, Michael Glotter, Bruno Basso, Guillermo A Baigorria, Consuelo C Romero, and Marco Moriondo) --- Statistical Analysis of Large Simulated Yield Datasets for Studying Climate Change Effects (David Makowski, Senthold Asseng, Frank Ewert, Simona Bassu, Jean-Louis Durand, Pierre Martre, Myriam Adam, Pramod K Aggarwal, Carlos Angulo, Christian Baron, Bruno Basso, Patrick Bertuzzi, Christian Biernath, Hendrik Boogaard, Kenneth J Boote, Nadine Brisson, Davide Cammarano, Andrew J Challinor, Sjakk J G Conijn, Marc Corbeels, Delphine Deryng, Giacomo De Sanctis, Jordi Doltra, Sebastian Gayler, Richard Goldberg, Patricio Grassini, Jerry L Hatfield, Lee Heng, Steven Hoek, Josh Hooker, Tony L A Hunt, Joachim Ingwersen, Cesar Izaurralde, Raymond E E Jongschaap, James W Jones, Armen R Kemanian, Christian Kersebaum, Soo-Hyung Kim, Jon Lizaso, Christoph Müller, Naresh S Kumar, Claas Nendel, Garry J O'Leary, Jorgen E Olesen, Tom M Osborne, Taru Palosuo, Maria V Pravia, Eckart Priesack, Dominique Ripoche, Cynthia Rosenzweig, Alexander C Ruane, Fredirico Sau, Mickhail A Semenov, Iurii Shcherbak, Pasquale Steduto, Claudio Stöckle, Pierre Stratonovitch, Thilo Streck, Iwan Supit, Fulu Tao, Edmar I Teixeira, Peter Thorburn, Denis Timlin, Maria Travasso, Reimund Rötter, Katharina Waha, Daniel Wallach, Jeffrey W White, Jimmy R Williams, and Joost Wolf) --- Crop Diseases and Climate Change in the AgMIP Framework (Ariena H C van Bruggen, James W Jones, Jose Mauricio C Fernandes, Karen Garrett, and Kenneth J Boote) --- Perspectives on Climate Effects on Agriculture: The International Efforts of AgMIP in Sub-Saharan Africa (Job Kihara, Dilys S MacCarthy, Andre Bationo, Saidou Koala, Jonathan Hickman, Jawoo Koo, Charles Vanya, Samuel Adiku, Yacob Beletse, Patricia Masikate, Karuturi P C Rao, Carolyn Z Mutter, Cynthia Rosenzweig, and James W Jones) --- Climate Change Impacts on West African Agriculture: An Integrated Regional Assessment (CIWARA) (Samuel G K Adiku, Dilys S MacCarthy, Ibrahima Hathie, Madina Diancoumba, Bright S Freduah, Joseph Amikuzuno, P C Sibiry Traore, Seydou Traore, Eric Koomson, Alhassane Agali, Jon I Lizaso, Dougbedji Fatondji, Myriam Adams, Lodoun Tigana, Daouda Z Diarra, Ousmane N'diaye, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Impacts of Climate Variability and Change on Agricultural Systems in East Africa (Karuturi P C Rao, Gummadi Sridhar, Richard M Mulwa, Mary N Kilavi, Anthony Esilaba, Ioannis N Athanasiadis, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Projected Impacts of Climate Change Scenarios on the Production of Maize in Southern Africa: An Integrated Assessment Case Study of the Bethlehem District, Central Free State, South Africa (Yacob G Beletse, Wiltrud Durand, Charles Nhemachena, Olivier Crespo, Weldemichael A Tesfuhuney, Matthew R Jones, Mogos Y Teweldemedhin, Sunshine M Gamedze, Pontsho M Bonolo, Syanda Jonas, SueWalker, Patrick Gwimbi, Thembeka N Mpuisang, Davide Cammarano, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Crop-Livestock Intensification in the Face of Climate Change: Exploring Opportunities to Reduce Risk and Increase Resilience in Southern Africa by Using an Integrated Multi-modeling Approach (Patricia Masikati, Sabine Homann-Kee Tui, Katrien Descheemaeker, Olivier Crespo, Sue Walker, Christopher J Lennard, Lieven Claessens, Arthur C Gama, Sebastiao Famba, Andre F van Rooyen, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Integrated Assessments of the Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture: An Overview of AgMIP Regional Research in South Asia (Sonali P McDermid, Guntuku Dileepkumar, K M Dakshina Murthy, S Nedumaran, Piara Singh, Chukka Srinivasa, B Gangwar, N Subash, Ashfaq Ahmad, Lareef Zubair, and S P Nissanka) --- Impact of Climate Change on the Rice–Wheat Cropping System of Pakistan (Ashfaq Ahmad, Muhammad Ashfaq, Ghulam Rasul, Syed Aftab Wajid, Tasneem Khaliq, Fahd Rasul, Umer Saeed, Muhammad Habib ur Rahman, Jamshad Hussain, Irfan Ahmad Baig, Syed Asif Ali Naqvi, Syed Ahsan Ali Bokhari, Shakeel Ahmad, Wajid Naseem, Gerrit Hoogenboom, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Integrated Climate Change Assessment through Linking Crop Simulation with Economic Modeling — Results from the Indo-Gangetic Basin (Nataraja Subash, Babooji Gangwar, Harbir Singh, Guillermo Baigorria, Alok Kumar Sikka, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Integrated Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Maize Farms and Farm Household Incomes in South India: A Case Study from Tamil Nadu (Paramasivam Ponnusamy, Geethalakshmi Vellingiri, Raji Reddy Danda, Lakshmanan Arunachalam, Dakshina Murthy, Sunandini Prema, Sreenivas Gade, Sonali P McDermid, and Roberto O Valdivia) --- Climate Change Impacts on Rice Farming Systems in Northwestern Sri Lanka (Lareef Zubair, Sarath P Nissanka, W M W Weerakoon, Dumindu I Herath, Asha S Karunaratne, A S M Prabodha, M B Agalawatte, Rasnayaka M Herath, S Zeenas Yahiya, B V R Punyawardene, Janan Vishwanathan, Punya Delpitiya, A Erandika N Wijekoon, Janaka Gunaratna, Sewwandhi S K Chandrasekara, P Wickramagamage, K D N Weerasinghe, Champa M Navaratne, Ruchika S Perera, Asela I Gunesekara, G M Pradeep Kumara, Daniel Wallach, Roberto O Valdivia, and Sonali P McDermid) --- AgMIP Regional Activities in a Global Framework: The Brazil Experience (Eduardo D Assad, Fábio R Marin, Roberto O Valdivia, and Cynthia Rosenzweig) --- AgMIP Regional Activities in a Global Framework: The China Experience (Fulu Tao and Erda Lin) --- AgMIP Training in Multiple Crop Models and Tools (Kenneth J Boote, Cheryl H Porter, John Hargreaves, Gerrit Hoogenboom, Peter Thorburn, and Carolyn Mutter) --- Major Findings and Future Activities (Cynthia Rosenzweig and Daniel Hillel)

Description / Table of Contents: Wind power and solar photovoltaics (PV) are crucial to meeting future energy needs while decarbonising the power sector. Deployment of both technologies has expanded rapidly in recent years, one of the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak picture of clean energy progress. However, the inherent variability of wind power and solar PV raises unique and pressing questions. Can power systems remain reliable and cost-effective while supporting high shares of variable renewable energy (VRE)? And if so, how? Based on a thorough review of the integration challenge, this publication - gauges the economic significance of VRE integration impacts - highlights the need for a system-wide approach to integrating high shares of VRE - recommends how to achieve a cost-effective transformation of the power system. This book summarises the results of the third phase of the Grid Integration of VRE (GIVAR) project, undertaken by the IEA over the past two years. It is rooted in a set of seven case studies, comprising 15 countries on four continents. It deepens the technical analysis of previous IEA work and lays out an analytical framework for understanding the economics of VRE integration impacts. Based on detailed modelling, the impact of high shares of VRE on total system costs is analysed. In addition, the four flexible resources which are available to facilitate VRE integration – generation, grid infrastructure, storage and demand side integration – are assessed in terms of their technical performance and cost-effectiveness.

Description / Table of Contents: This book argues that climate change has a devastating effect on how we think about the future. Once several positive feedback loops in Earth’s dynamic systems, such as the melting of the Arctic icecap or the drying of the Amazon, cross the point of no return, the biosphere is likely to undergo severe and irreversible warming. Nearly everything we do is premised on the assumption that the world we know will endure into the future and provide a sustaining context for our activities. But today the future of a viable biosphere, and thus the purpose of our present activities, is put into question. A disappearing future leads to a broken present, a strange incoherence in the feel of everyday life. We thus face the unprecedented challenge of salvaging a basis for our lives today. That basis, this book argues, may be found in our capacity to assume an infinite responsibility for ecological disaster and, like the biblical Job, to respond with awe to the alien voice that speaks from the whirlwind. By owning disaster and accepting our small place within the inhuman forces of the biosphere, we may discover how to live with responsibility and serenity whatever may come.

Description / Table of Contents: Over the past few decades, water policies have undergone significant changes in many countries, notably due to the development of national and international political, social, and environmental issues, including globalization, trade liberalization, institutional and legal requirements, changing standards of living, management practices, and technological innovation. Policy changes include both “high level” views about water status and practical instruments, in particular with an emphasis on integrated basin management and economic policy instruments. A relevant part of the water policy literature addresses this topic, mainly as an issue related to environmental conservation. However, water remains a major productive factor, particularly in agriculture. This role is made even more prominent in light of economic crises, increased competition across markets and climate change, as well as fossil energy limitations, which also highlight the water–energy nexus as a key resource issue for future economic viability. The delay, in the past, in recognizing the economic consequences of a limited water supply, and in decoupling economic development from water demand and supply, has resulted in a water-dependent growth model, currently threatened by increasing scarcity and droughts. Consequently, there is now an urgent need for new perspectives for promoting a more sustainable and efficient use of water resources. This calls for, on the one hand, a comprehensive understanding of water efficiency and productivity and, on the other hand, an investigation of the linkages among economic sectors to illustrate trade-offs in water reallocations. In addition, this also points to the need to study the institutional innovations and economic evaluation instruments that are able to better assess policy performance and provide evidence for improved mechanism designs aimed specifically at water efficiency and productivity.

Description / Table of Contents: We are facing a global energy crisis caused by world population growth, an escalating increase in demand, and continued dependence on fossil-based fuels for generation. It is widely accepted that increases in greenhouse gas concentration levels, if not reversed, will result in major changes to world climate with consequential effects on our society and economy. This is just the kind of intractable problem that Purdue University’s Global Policy Research Institute seeks to address in the Purdue Studies in Public Policy series by promoting the engagement between policy makers and experts in fields such as engineering and technology. Major steps forward in the development and use of technology are required. In order to achieve solutions of the required scale and magnitude within a limited timeline, it is essential that engineers be not only technologically-adept but also aware of the wider social and political issues that policy-makers face. Likewise, it is also imperative that policy makers liaise closely with the academic community in order to realize advances. This book is designed to bridge the gap between these two groups, with a particular emphasis on educating the socially-conscious engineers and technologists of the future. In this accessibly-written volume, central issues in global energy are discussed through interdisciplinary dialogue between experts from both North America and Europe. The first section provides an overview of the nature of the global energy crisis approached from historical, political, and sociocultural perspectives. In the second section, expert contributors outline the technology and policy issues facing the development of major conventional and renewable energy sources. The third and final section explores policy and technology challenges and opportunities in the distribution and consumption of energy, in sectors such as transportation and the built environment. The book’s epilogue suggests some future scenarios in energy distribution and use.

Description / Table of Contents: The Earth is the only planet in our solar system that supports life. The complex process of evolution occurred on Earth only because of some unique environmental conditions that were present: water, an oxygen-rich atmosphere, and a suitable surface temperature. Climate change refers to a statistically significant variation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability, persisting for an extended period (typically decades or longer). Thus, it requires field of attention towards reduction in the rise in atmospheric temperature, by controlling emitted greenhouse gases into the atmosphere in order to preserve natural resources and by introducing new technologies on alternative fuels. This book presents the fundamental effect on the origin of climate change, impacts over ice cap, melting of Arctic ice, rise in sea level and related technologies that can be implemented to cultivate our land for agriculture, growing forestation to reduce the impact of temperature rise and disaster on human being as well as on other livelihood. This also need to strive for novel policies that world leader should adopt.

Description / Table of Contents: The research presented here is primarily concerned with human-environment interactions on the tropical coast of northern Australia during the late Holocene. Based on the suggestion that significant change can occur within short time-frames as a direct result of interactive processes, the archaeological evidence from the Point Blane Peninsula, Blue Mud Bay, is used to address the issue of how much change and variability occurred in hunter-gatherer economic and social structures during the late Holocene in coastal northeastern Arnhem Land. The suggestion proposed here is that processes of environmental and climatic change resulted in changes in resource distribution and abundance, which in turn affected patterns of settlement and resource exploitation strategies, levels of mobility and, potentially, the size of foraging groups on the coast. The question of human behavioural variability over the last 3000 years in Blue Mud Bay has been addressed by examining issues of scale and resolution in archaeological interpretation, specifically the differential chronological and spatial patterning of shell midden and mound sites on the peninsula in conjunction with variability in molluscan resource exploitation. To this end, the biological and ecological characteristics of the dominant molluscan species is considered in detail, in combination with assessing the potential for human impact through predation. Investigating pre-contact coastal foraging behaviour via the archaeological record provides an opportunity for change to recognised in a number of ways. For example, a differential focus on resources, variations in group size and levels of mobility can all be identified. It has also been shown that human-environment interactions are non-linear or progressive, and that human behaviour during the late Holocene was both flexible and dynamic.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate scenarios suggest that current forest stands will face radically different temperature and precipitation conditions in the future. Developing future strategies for forest management in the face of uncertain and highly variable forecasts of future site conditions is a great challenge. Here we have analyzed transnational case studies dealing with different manifestations of climate change effects. We intend to stimulate the discussion on management strategies to adapt forests in the Alps to climate change risks. The presented results are derived from the INTERREG project “Management Strategies to Adapt Alpine Space Forests to Climate Change Risks” that was implemented within the framework of the European Territorial Cooperation “Alpine Space Programme 2007-2013.

Description / Table of Contents: As societies transition to evidence-based adaptation and management there is increasing recognition of the need for understanding climate change and variability dynamics and impacts at regional levels and for various activities. This book is a contribution toward that goal. Readers interested in climate change management will find detailed discussions of climatic variability dynamics in selected regions as well as new innovative ways of monitoring climate change, assessing climate risks, and predicting impacts. Those interested in refreshing the fundamentals of climate change and climate variability will find a very accessible review of the status of knowledge on the subject, including a balanced interrogation of available evidence. In an attempt to keep the book accessible, every effort was made to minimize technical jargon without compromising scientific accuracy. The result should be useful to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.

Description / Table of Contents: Phenology, a study of animal and plant life cycle, is one of the most obvious and direct phenomena on our planet. The timing of phenological events provides vital information for climate change investigation, natural resource management, carbon sequence analysis, and crop and forest growth monitoring. This book summarizes recent progresses in the understanding of seasonal variation in animals and plants and its correlations to climate variables. With the contributions of phenological scientists worldwide, this book is subdivided into sixteen chapters and sorted in four parts: animal life cycle, plant seasonality, phenology in fruit plants, and remote sensing phenology. The chapters of this book offer a broad overview of phenology observations and climate impacts. Hopefully this book will stimulate further developments in relation to phenology monitoring, modeling and predicting.

Description / Table of Contents: Anomalous climatic outcomes such as higher temperatures, intense rainfall and flood, frequent and severe droughts are now at the new level. Without appropriate adaptation measures, climate change is bound to exacerbate vulnerability of society, place food security and human health at risk, threaten the lives of growing urban population and impede the goal of attaining sustainable development. The human and social dimensions of climate change, including climate policy, are essential parts of our response to the many challenges emanating from climate change. By focusing on a wide range of topics and involving a diverse array of scholars, this book sheds lights on human and social dimensions of climate change; topics neglected and often poorly understood by scholars and policymakers.

Description / Table of Contents: Understanding greenhouse gas capture, utilization, reduction, and storage is essential for solving issues such as global warming and climate change that result from greenhouse gas. Taking advantage of the authors' experience in greenhouse gases, this book discusses an overview of recently developed techniques, methods, and strategies: - Novel techniques and methods on greenhouse gas capture by physical adsorption and separation, chemical structural reconstruction, and biological utilization. - Systemic discussions on greenhouse gas reduction by policy conduction, mitigation strategies, and alternative energy sources. - A comprehensive review of geological storage monitoring technologies.

Description / Table of Contents: Understanding greenhouse gas sources, emissions, measurements, and management is essential for capture, utilization, reduction, and storage of greenhouse gas, which plays a crucial role in issues such as global warming and climate change. Taking advantage of the authors' experience in greenhouse gases, this book discusses an overview of recently developed techniques, methods, and strategies: - A comprehensive source investigation of greenhouse gases that are emitted from hydrocarbon reservoirs, vehicle transportation, agricultural landscapes, farms, non-cattle confined buildings, and so on. - Recently developed detection and measurement techniques and methods such as photoacoustic spectroscopy, landfill-based carbon dioxide and methane measurement, and miniaturized mass spectrometer.

Description / Table of Contents: This book provides a general introduction to the popular topic of climate variability. It explores various aspects of climate variability and change from different perspectives, ranging from the basic nature of low-frequency atmospheric variability to the adaptation to climate variability and change. This easy and accessible book can be used by professionals and non professionals alike.

Description / Table of Contents: Irrigated agriculture is the most significant user of fresh water in the world and, due to the large area occupied, is one of the major pollution sources for the water resources. This book comprises 12 chapters that cover different issues and problematics of irrigated agriculture: from water use in different irrigated systems to pollution generated by irrigated agriculture. Moreover, the book also includes chapters that deal with new possibilities of improving irrigation techniques through the reuse of drainage water and wastewater, helping to reduce freshwater extractions. A wide range of issues is herein presented, related to the evaluation of irrigated agriculture impacts and management practices to reduce these impacts on the environment.

Description / Table of Contents: Urban flooding is a significant challenge which today increasingly confronts the residents of the expanding cities and towns of developing countries, as well as policymakers and national, regional and local government officials. The Global Handbook presents the state-of-the art in urban flood risk management in a thorough and user-friendly way. It serves as a primer in integrated urban flood risk management for technical specialists, decision-makers and other concerned stakeholders in the private and community sectors. It covers the causes, probability and impacts of floods; the measures that can be used to manage flood risk, balancing structural and non-structural solutions in an integrated fashion; and the means by which these measures can be financed and implemented, and their progress monitored and evaluated.The Handbook provides an operational guide on how most effectively to manage the risk of floods in rapidly urbanizing settings – and within the context of a changing climate.

Description / Table of Contents: There is a mounting consensus that human behavior is changing the global climate and its consequence could be catastrophic. Reducing the 24 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions from stationary and mobile sources is a gigantic task involving both technological challenges and monumental financial and societal costs. The pursuit of sustainable energy resources, environment, and economy has become a complex issue of global scale that affects the daily life of every citizen of the world. The present mitigation activities range from energy conservation, carbon-neutral energy conversions, carbon advanced combustion process that produce no greenhouse gases and that enable carbon capture and sequestion, to other advanced technologies. From its causes and impacts to its solutions, the issues surrounding climate change involve multidisciplinary science and technology. This handbook will provide a single source of this information. The book will be divided into the following sections: Scientific Evidence of Climate Change and Societal Issues, Impacts of Climate Change, Energy Conservation, Alternative Energies, Advanced Combustion, Advanced Technologies, and Education and Outreach.

Description / Table of Contents: Urban flooding is a significant challenge which today increasingly confronts the residents of the expanding cities and towns of developing countries, as well as policymakers and national, regional and local government officials. The Global Handbook presents the state-of-the art in urban flood risk management in a thorough and user-friendly way. It serves as a primer in integrated urban flood risk management for technical specialists, decision-makers and other concerned stakeholders in the private and community sectors. It covers the causes, probability and impacts of floods; the measures that can be used to manage flood risk, balancing structural and non-structural solutions in an integrated fashion; and the means by which these measures can be financed and implemented, and their progress monitored and evaluated. The Handbook provides an operational guide on how most effectively to manage the risk of floods in rapidly urbanizing settings – and within the context of a changing climate.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate Models offers a sampling of cutting edge research contributed by an international roster of scientists. The studies strive to improve our understanding of the physical environment for life on this planet. Each of the 14 essays presents a description of recent advances in methodologies for computer-based simulation of environmental variability. Subjects range from planetary-scale phenomena to regional ecology, from impacts of air pollution to the factors influencing floods and heat waves. The discerning reader will be rewarded with new insights concerning modern techniques for the investigation of the natural world.

Description / Table of Contents: Climatology, the study of climate, is no longer regarded as a single discipline that treats climate as something that fluctuates only within the unchanging boundaries described by historical statistics. The field has recognized that climate is something that changes continually under the influence of physical and biological forces and so, cannot be understood in isolation but rather, is one that includes diverse scientific disciplines that play their role in understanding a highly complex coupled "whole system" that is the earth's climate. The modern era of climatology is echoed in this book. On the one hand it offers a broad synoptic perspective but also considers the regional standpoint, as it is this that affects what people need from climatology. Aspects on the topic of climate change - what is often considered a contradiction in terms - is also addressed. It is all too evident these days that what recent work in climatology has revealed carries profound implications for economic and social policy; it is with these in mind that the final chapters consider acumens as to the application of what has been learned to date.

Description / Table of Contents: This book addresses the theme of the impacts of global warming on different specific fields, ranging from the regional and global economy, to agriculture, human health, urban areas, land vegetation, marine areas and mangroves. Despite the volume of scientific work that has been undertaken in relation to each of each of these issues, the study of the impacts of global warming upon them is a relatively recent and unexplored topic. The chapters of this book offer a broad overview of potential applications of global warming science. As this science continues to evolve, confirm and reject study hypotheses, it is hoped that that this book will stimulate further developments in relation to the impacts of changes in the global climate.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change is beginning to have effects on climate, weather and resource availability in ways that need to be anticipated when planning for the future. In particular, changes in rainfall patterns and temperature may impact the intensity or schedule of water availability. Also the retreat of tropical glaciers, the drying of unique Andean wetland ecosystems, as well as increased weather variability and weather extremes will affect water regulation. These changes have the potential to impact the energy and other sectors, such as agriculture, and could have broader economic effects. Anticipating the impacts of climate change is a new frontier. There are few examples of predictions of the impact of climate change on resource availability and even fewer examples of the applications of such predictions to planning for sustainable economic development. However, having access to an effective methodology would allow planners and policy makers to better plan for adaptation measures to address the consequences of climate change on the power and water sectors. This report presents a summary of the efforts to develop methodological tools for the assessment of climate impacts on surface hydrology in the Peruvian Andes. It is targeted to decision makers in Peru and in other countries to give them guidance on how to choose available and suitable tools and make an assessment of climate impacts on water regulation.

Description / Table of Contents: This Study explores arguments about the impact of climate change on human rights, examining the international legal frameworks governing human rights and climate change and identifying the relevant synergies and tensions between them. It considers arguments about (i) the human rights impacts of climate change at a macro level and how these impacts are spread disparately across countries; (ii) how climate change impacts human rights enjoyment within states and the equity and discrimination dimensions of those disparate impacts; and (iii) the role of international legal frameworks and mechanisms, including human rights instruments, particularly in the context of supporting developing countries’ adaptation efforts. The Study surveys the interface of human rights and climate change from the perspective of public international law. It builds upon the work that has been carried out on this interface by reviewing the legal issues it raises and complementing existing analyses by providing a comprehensive legal overview of the area and a focus on obligations upon States and other actors connected with climate change. The objective has therefore been to contribute to the global debate on climate change and human rights by offering a review of the legal dimensions of this interface as well as a survey of the sources of public international law potentially relevant to climate change and human rights in order to facilitate an understanding of what is meant, in legal terms, by 'human rights impacts of climate change' and help identify ways in which international law can respond to this interaction. This is a complex and dynamically evolving legal and policy landscape and this study aims to capture its most salient features insofar as they appear at present.

Description / Table of Contents: This book shows some of the socio-economic impacts of climate change according to different estimates of the current or estimated global warming. A series of scientific and experimental research projects explore the impacts of climate change and browse the techniques to evaluate the related impacts. These 23 chapters provide a good overview of the different changes impacts that already have been detected in several regions of the world. They are part of an introduction to the researches being done around the globe in connection with this topic. However, climate change is not just an academic issue important only to scientists and environmentalists; it also has direct implications on various ecosystems and technologies.

Description / Table of Contents: This book provides an interdisciplinary view of how to prepare the ecological and socio-economic systems to the reality of climate change. Scientifically sound tools are needed to predict its effects on regional, rather than global, scales, as it is the level at which socio-economic plans are designed and natural ecosystem reacts. The first section of this book describes a series of methods and models to downscale the global predictions of climate change, estimate its effects on biophysical systems and monitor the changes as they occur. To reduce the magnitude of these changes, new ways of economic activity must be implemented. The second section of this book explores different options to reduce greenhouse emissions from activities such as forestry, industry and urban development. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that climate change can be minimized, but not avoided, and therefore the socio-economic systems around the world will have to adapt to the new conditions to reduce the adverse impacts to the minimum. The last section of this book explores some options for adaptation.

Description / Table of Contents: This book provides the latest knowledge and practice in responding to the challenge of climate change in cities. Case studies focus on topics such as New Orleans in the context of a fragile environment, a framework to include poverty in the cities and climate change discussion, and measuring the impact of GHG emissions.

Description / Table of Contents: While the energy sector is a primary target of efforts to arrest and reverse the growth of greenhouse gas emissions and lower the carbon footprint of development, it is also expected to be increasingly affected by unavoidable climate consequences from the damage already induced in the biosphere. Energy services and resources, as well as seasonal demand, will be increasingly affected by changing trends, increasing variability, greater extremes and large inter-annual variations in climate parameters in some regions. All evidence suggests that adaptation is not an optional add-on but an essential reckoning on par with other business risks. Existing energy infrastructure, new infrastructure and future planning need to consider emerging climate conditions and impacts on design, construction, operation, and maintenance. Integrated risk-based planning processes will be critical to address the climate change impacts and harmonize actions within and across sectors. Also, awareness, knowledge, and capacity impede mainstreaming of climate adaptation into the energy sector. However, the formal knowledge base is still nascent—information needs are complex and to a certain extent regionally and sector specific. This report provides an up-to-date compendium of what is known about weather variability and projected climate trends and their impacts on energy service provision and demand. It discusses emerging practices and tools for managing these impacts and integrating climate considerations into planning processes and operational practices in an environment of uncertainty. It focuses on energy sector adaptation, rather than mitigation which is not discussed in this report. This report draws largely on available scientific and peer-reviewed literature in the public domain and takes the perspective of the developing world to the extent possible.

Description / Table of Contents: This book offers an interdisciplinary view of the biophysical issues related to climate change. Climate change is a phenomenon by which the long-term averages of weather events (i.e. temperature, precipitation, wind speed, etc.) that define the climate of a region are not constant but change over time. There have been a series of past periods of climatic change, registered in historical or paleoecological records. In the first section of this book, a series of state-of-the-art research projects explore the biophysical causes for climate change and the techniques currently being used and developed for its detection in several regions of the world. The second section of the book explores the effects that have been reported already on the flora and fauna in different ecosystems around the globe. Among them, the ecosystems and landscapes in arctic and alpine regions are expected to be among the most affected by the change in climate, as they will suffer the more intense changes. The final section of this book explores in detail those issues.

Description / Table of Contents: The failure of the UN climate change summit in Copenhagen in December 2009 to effectively reach a global agreement on emission reduction targets, led many within the developing world to view this as a reversal of the Kyoto Protocol and an attempt by the developed nations to shirk out of their responsibility for climate change. The issue of global warming has been at the top of the political agenda for a number of years and has become even more pressing with the rapid industrialization taking place in China and India. This book looks at the effects of climate change throughout different regions of the world and discusses to what extent cleantech and environmental initiatives such as the destruction of fluorinated greenhouse gases, biofuels, and the role of plant breeding and biotechnology. The book concludes with an insight into the socio-religious impact that global warming has, citing Christianity and Islam.

Description / Table of Contents: This book is intended to introduce the reader to examples of the range of practical problems posed by "Global Warming". It includes 11 chapters split into 5 sections. Section 1 outlines the recent changes in the Indian Monsoon, the importance of greenhouse gases to life, and the relative importance of changes in solar radiation in causing the changes. Section 2 discusses the changes to natural hazards such as floods, retreating glaciers and potential sea level changes. Section 3 examines planning cities and transportation systems in the light of the changes, while section 4 looks at alternative energy sources. Section 5 estimates the changes to the carbon pool in the alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The 11 authors come from 9 different countries, so the examples are taken from a truly international set of problems.

Description / Table of Contents: Like a star chart this volume orientates the reader to the key issues and debates in Pacific and Australasian biogeography, palaeoecology and human ecology. A feature of this collection is the diversity of approaches ranging from interpretation of the biogeographic significance of plant and animal distributional patterns, pollen analysis from peats and lake sediments to discern Quaternary climate change, explanation of the patterns of faunal extinction events, the interplay of fire on landscape evolution, and models of the environmental consequences of human settlement patterns. The diversity of approaches, geographic scope and academic rigor are a fitting tribute to the enormous contributions of Geoff Hope. As made apparent in this volume, Hope pioneered multidisciplinary understanding of the history and impacts of human cultures in the Australia- Pacific region, arguably the globe’s premier model systems for understanding the consequences of human colonization on ecological systems. The distinguished scholars who have contributed to this volume also demonstrate Hope’s enduring contribution as an inspirational research leader, collaborator and mentor. Terra Australis leave no doubt that history matters, not only for land management, but more importantly, in alerting settler and indigenous societies alike to their past ecological impacts and future environmental trajectories.

Description / Table of Contents: The history of climate change in the valleys near Rauris and Flattach north and south of the Hohe Tauern mountain ridge was investigated in the project “A Tale of Two Valleys”. The story begins long before human settlement and projects into the future. Increasing impact of human activity causes a growing responsibility for the climate on earth. Concurrently precautions are required to cope with the adverse effects of climate change. Change is a fact. Understanding interactions between climate, landscape, and economy is pivotal to meet the challenge. | Sich heute mit den Alpen zu befassen bedeutet eine Reihe großer und unterschiedlicher Themen anzugehen, Themen, die von der Vielfalt und Ausdehnung des Territoriums, der Größe und der Vielfalt der Bevölkerung, der Verschiedenheit und der unterschiedlichen Geschwindigkeit der Umwandlungsprozesse abhängen, die seit mehr als einem Jahrhundert und in verschiedenster Weise die große Gebirgskette der Alpen mit ihren diversen Teilen beeinflusst, welche diese Vorgänge zu verschiedenen Zeitpunkten und in unterschiedlicher Weise erlebt und erlitten haben oder noch erleiden. Dieser Band vereinigt die Beiträge maßgeblicher Exponenten aus der Welt der Kultur, der Politik und der Wirtschaft, die ihre Thesen und Ergebnisse anlässlich der Fünften Internationalen Tagung der Rete Montagna in Chiavenna (I) und Castasegna (CH) zum Thema „Die Alpen im Wandel zwischen Risiken und Chancen“ vortrugen.

Description / Table of Contents: Global warming and changes in climate will have severe and lasting impacts on national efforts to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development. Some of the world s poorest countries and communities are the most vulnerable and are already suffering the consequences. Yet often these countries are rich in natural capital, ecosystems, and biodiversity that can contribute to solutions as they can to climate change. Biodiversity is the foundation and mainstay of agriculture, forests, and fisheries. Biological resources provide the raw materials for livelihoods, agriculture, medicines, trade, tourism, and industry. Forests, grasslands, freshwater, and marine and other natural ecosystems provide a range of services, often not recognized in national economic accounts but vital to human welfare: regulating water flows and water quality, flood control, pollination, decontamination, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and nutrient and hydrological cycling. Current efforts to address climate change focus mainly on reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly through cleaner energy strategies, and on attempting to reduce vulnerability of the communities at risk by improving infrastructure to meet new energy and water needs. This book book sets out a compelling argument for including ecosystem-based approaches to mitigation and adaptation as a third essential pillar in national strategies to address climate change. Such ecosystem-based strategies can offer cost-effective, proven and sustainable solutions contributing to, and complementing, other national and regional adaptation strategies.

Description / Table of Contents: This study from the Independent Evaluation Group draws lessons for development and climate change mitigation from the World Bank Group’s far-reaching portfolio of projects in energy, forestry, transport, coal power, and technology transfer. Reviewing what has worked, what hasn’t, and why, the evaluation’s key findings include: Energy efficiency can offer countries direct economic returns that dwarf those of most other development projects, while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Tropical forest protected areas, on average, significantly reduce tropical deforestation, preserving carbon and biodiversity. Deforestation rates are lower in areas that allowed sustainable use by local populations than in strictly protected areas. Deforestation rates were lowest of all in indigenous forest areas. For renewable energy projects, long-duration loans have been important in making projects financially viable.. But at prevailing carbon prices, carbon offset sales had little impact on most renewable energy projects’ rate of returns, and did not address investors’ need for up-front capital. Technology transfer – broadly understood to include diffusion of technical and financial innovations related to low-carbon development – has worked well when the logic of piloting and demonstration is well thought out, and when grants are used to mitigate the risk of pioneering efforts.

Description / Table of Contents: During the last decades, the monitoring and modelling of various geodynamic processes have gained ever increasing importance. In particular, temporal variations of the deformation and gravity fields recorded by new types of geodetic measuring techniques and reflecting isostatic, tectonic or volcanic processes in the earth's interior as well as climatologically induced changes on its surface have opened new avenues. The present volume succeeds a similar topical volume published in 2007 and reflects the most recent developments in these fields of research. Part of the papers in this book were presented at the second workshop on 'Deformation and Gravity Change: Indicators of Isostasy, Tectonics, Volcanism and Climate Change' that took place at the Casa de los Volcanes on Lanzarote, Spain, during March 27-30, 2007. It was jointly organized and supported by the International Association of Geodesy (IAG), the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science, the Spanish Council for Scientific Research and the Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote. The workshop also served as the second meeting of the members of the IAG Working Group ICCT2 on 'Dynamic Theories of Deformation and Gravity Fields'.

Description / Table of Contents: The Eco2 Cities approach is a point of departure for cities that would like to reap the many benefits of ecological and economic sustainability. It provides an analytical and operational framework that offers strategic guidance to cities on sustainable and integrated urban development. At the same time case studies are used throughout the book to provide a matter-of-fact and ground-level perspective. The Eco2 framework is flexible and easily customized to the context of each country or city. Based on the particular circumstances and the development priorities of a city - the application of the framework can contribute to the development of a unique action plan or roadmap in each case. This action plan can be triggered through catalyst projects.To support this framework, the book also begins to introduce some powerful and practical methods and tools that can further enable sustainable and integrated city planning and decision making. These include 1) operational and process methods that can strengthen collaborative decision making and cross-sector synergies in a city; 2) analytical methods ranging from diagnostics, simulation, design and scenario-generation; and 3) accounting and benchmarking methods which can help clarify, define and measure what it means to truly invest in sustainability and resilience.As additional reference reading, the book also features a series of case studies from best practice cities around the world, each demonstrating a very different dimension of the Eco2 approach. It also features a series of infrastructure sector notes (on spatial development, transport, energy, water and waste management), each of which explore sector specific issues as they pertain to urban development, and the many opportunities for coordination and integration across sectors.

Description / Table of Contents: Governments and civil society in Latin America and the Caribbean should be well informed about the potential costs and benefits of combating climate change, their policy options over the next decades, and the global context for these policy decisions. At the same time, the global community needs to be better informed about the unique perspective of the Latin American and Caribbean region: problems the region will face, its potential contributions toward combating global warming, and how to maximize this potential while continuing to maintain growth and reduce poverty. This book, a companion volume to Low Carbon, High Growth: Latin American Responses to Climate Change, seeks to help fill both these needs.

Description / Table of Contents: Sea level rise, more intense storm surges, and other climate change impacts will pose serious threats to large number of people living along the worlds coasts. This guidebook covers thirteen main adaptation technologies for coastal erosion and flooding due to climate change. For each technology, the authors present a technology description, its advantages and disadvantages, costs and benefits, institutional organisation requirements and detailed examples about its application. This guidebook is co-authored by Matthew M. Linham and Robert J. Nicholls from the University of Southampton. Professor Nicholls is one of the top international experts on coastal impacts and adaptation to climate change, with an emphasis on seal level rise. This guidebook will be a useful handbook for policy makers and coastal zone project planners. This publication is one of the adaptation and mitigation technology guidebooks produced as part of the GEF-funded Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project. This project is undertaken by UNEP and URC in 36 developing countries.

Description / Table of Contents: The past decade has witnessed a major global shift in thinking about water, including the role that water infrastructure plays in sustainable development. This rethinking aims to balance better the social, economic, and environmental performance aspects in the development and management of large dams. Infrastructure strategies must complement strategies for water, environment, and energy security and for emerging concerns to reduce vulnerability in water resource systems to climate change on the horizon. Communication is central to multi-stakeholder dialogue and partnerships at all levels needed to achieve sustainability and governance reform in water resource management and infrastructure provision. At the same time, communication drives the advocacy to mobilize political will and public support for beneficial change and continuous improvement in practices. This case study emphasizes that is not only important to mobilize all opportunities to reconcile water demand and supply in river basins that are coming under increasing levels of water stress, but also to integrate effectively governance and anti-corruption reforms and sustainability improvements into all stages of the planning and project cycle - adding value for stakeholders.

Description / Table of Contents: This book addresses the implications of climate change on indigenous peoples and communities living in the highlands, lowlands, and coastal areas of Latin America and the Caribbean. Across the region, indigenous people already experience the negative effects of climate change and variability. Their livelihoods are threatened by insecure food supplies and poor health. In addition, their cultural integrity is challenged: Indigenous peoples often blame themselves for the changes they observe in nature, despite their limited emission of greenhouse gasses. This book shows the complexity of how indigenous communities are affected by climate change, explores options for improving resilience, and provides guidance in the design of effective and sustainable adaptations. 'Changing climates of the world create new challenges not only for mainstream societies, but for indigenous and subsistence societies as well. The marginalized populations of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have long paid a price for their isolation from the colonial societies, but now the natural foundations of their marginal, traditional habitats and cultural spaces are being changed in ways that are yet to be fathomed. Kronik and Verner systematically and fairly thoroughly substantiate the effects of changing climate on the flora and fauna and patterns of life among indigenous populations in four regions of LAC: the Amazon, Andean and sub-Andean South America, and the Caribbean. Examinations of the vulnerabilities, adjustments, and potential adaptations of an assortment of peoples in each region illuminate the complexities of understanding what the world is up against with climate change, and can help to inform thinking about how the future will unfold. An extraordinary report of rigorous research that ought to be replicated everywhere.

Description / Table of Contents: East Asia has experienced the fastest economic growth in the world over the last three decades, accompanied by a 10-fold gross domestic product increase and rapid urbanization. Energy consumption has more than tripled during this period and is expected to double over the next 20 years. This remarkable trend has led to twin energy challenges in the region - environmental sustainability and energy security. Written for an audience of energy policy makers and practitioners, Winds of Change explores the region’s energy future over the next two decades through two energy scenarios. It outlines the strategic direction East Asia’s energy sector must take to meet its growing energy demand in an environmentally sustainable manner, and presents a pathway of policy frameworks and financing mechanisms to get there. The six East Asian countries - China, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam - examined in this book could, with the right policies and financing, stabilize CO2 emissions by 2025, improve their local environment, and enhance energy security without compromising economic growth. They must move their energy sectors toward much higher efficiency and more widespread use of low-carbon technologies, while obtaining substantial financing and low-carbon technologies from developed countries. This clean energy revolution requires major policy and institutional reforms, including energy pricing reforms, regulations such as energy efficiency standards, financial incentives such as feed-in tariffs for renewable energy, and accelerated research and development. Finally, building low-carbon cities will be key to containing the rapid urban energy growth through compact urban design, public transport, clean vehicles, and green buildings. The window of opportunity is closing fast - delaying action would lock the region into a longlasting high-carbon infrastructure. The technical and policy means exist for such transformational changes, but only strong political will and unprecedented international cooperation will make them happen.

Description / Table of Contents: “Extreme City - Climate change and the transformation of the waterscape” is the book about the results of the Intensive Learning Programme held recently at the Iuav University (Venice, 3rd – 15th April 2010) with the projectual explorations of the EMU students and the teachers contributions. The goals of the intensive programme have been to deal with changes in the water space in climate change conditions. A “research by design” approach was chosen as the starting point of a reflection on techniques and forms of knowledge which use the project to tackle complex issues. A multidisciplinary approach has been proposed to deal with the vulnerability of a dispersedly inhabited region.

Description / Table of Contents: Today's enormous development challenges are complicated by the reality of climate change�the two are inextricably linked and together demand immediate attention. Climate change threatens all countries, but particularly developing ones. Understanding what climate change means for development policy is the central aim of the World Development Report 2010. It explores how public policy can change to better help people cope with new or worsened risks, how land and water management must adapt to better protect a threatened natural environment while feeding an expanding and more prosperous population, and how energy systems will need to be transformed.The report is an urgent call for action, both for developing countries who are striving to ensure policies are adapted to the realities and dangers of a hotter planet, and for high-income countries who need to undertake ambitious mitigation while supporting developing countries efforts. A climate-smart world is within reach if we act now to tackle the substantial inertia in the climate, in infrastructure, and in behaviors and institutions; if we act together to reconcile needed growth with prudent and affordable development choices; and if we act differently by investing in the needed energy revolution and taking the steps required to adapt to a rapidly changing planet.In the crowded field of climate change reports, WDR 2010 uniquely: -- emphasizes development -- takes an integrated look at adaptation and mitigation -- highlights opportunities in the changing competitive landscape and how to seize them -- proposes policy solutions grounded in analytic work and in the context of the political economy of reform

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change is arguably the most profound challenge facing the international community in the 21st century. It is as much a challenge for poverty reduction, growth, and development as it is a global environmental issue. Climate change could undermine or reverse progress in reducing poverty and attaining the Millennium Development Goals, thereby unraveling many of the development gains of recent decades. It already threatens the livelihoods, health, and well-being of millions of people worldwide, particularly the poorest, most vulnerable groups. This book focuses attention on these previously neglected and poorly understood social dimensions of climate change. It highlights equity and vulnerability as central organizing themes and illustrates the multiple ways that pro-poor climate policy and action should be integrated into existing approaches to poverty reduction and development—from the local to the global levels. This integration is needed both in terms of pro-poor approaches to climate change adaptation and in terms of better managing the social risks and potential benefits associated with measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Description / Table of Contents: Energy is intrinsic to urban settlements, embedded in the built environment, and directly used to power socio-economic activity, transport and communications, and enable the provision of municipal services. In response to the crucial role of urban energy efficiency for environmentally sustainable and inclusive development processes, ESMAP’s Energy Efficient Cities Initiative (EECI) was launched in October 2008 to facilitate the implementation of practical energy solutions that meet the development priorities of cities, and simultaneously build their climate resilience. Chapter 1 begins with a contextual background on the inter-related associations between energy, socio-economic progress and urbanization. This edited volume compiles seven topical papers presented at the two EECI sponsored sessions during the World Bank’s fifth Urban Research Symposium, held at Marseille, France, June 28-30, 2009. Chapters 2–8 comprise the papers presented at these sessions: i) tools and assessment approaches on energy efficient urban development, and ii) good practices that promote low carbon sectoral interventions. The analytical tools and policy insights offered in this volume extend from integrated assessments of new cities to the impacts of socio-economic, climate and demographic changes on existing cities. Sector-specific interventions are discussed in the context of tools to ‘green’ buildings in Australia, the transformation to efficient lighting systems in the Philippines, and Demand Responsive Transport Systems in France. In addition, the documentation and benchmarking of a variety of low-carbon and carbon neutral good practices provides a range of practical insights on plausible energy efficient interventions in urban sectors. Thus the chapters in this publication comprise significant contributions to the ESMAP objective of mainstreaming and leveraging knowledge and initiatives on urban energy efficiency. Following from them, the last chapter 9 provides a contextual overview of ESMAP’s programmatic priorities to support energy efficient urban growth, to be effected through EECI.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change is emerging as one of the most important issues of our time, with the potential to cause profound cascading effects on ecosystems and society. However, these effects are poorly understood and our projections for climate change trends and effects have thus far proven to be inaccurate. In this collection of 24 chapters, we present a cross-section of some of the most challenging issues related to oceans, lakes, forests, and agricultural systems under a changing climate. The authors present evidence for changes and variability in climatic and atmospheric conditions, investigate some the impacts that climate change is having on the Earth's ecological and social systems, and provide novel ideas, advances and applications for mitigation and adaptation of our socio-ecological systems to climate change. Difficult questions are asked. What have been some of the impacts of climate change on our natural and managed ecosystems? How do we manage for resilient socio-ecological systems? How do we predict the future? What are relevant climatic change and management scenarios? How can we shape management regimes to increase our adaptive capacity to climate change? These themes are visited across broad spatial and temporal scales, touch on important and relevant ecological patterns and processes, and represent broad geographic regions, from the tropics, to temperate and boreal regions, to the Arctic.

Description / Table of Contents: Concern exists over human-generated increases in atmospheric greenhouse gases and their potential consequences to society. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2007 finds that global temperatures have increased by 0.8ºC since 1850 and that climate warming is now ’unequivocal’. While the human imprint is becoming increasingly apparent, Earth’s climate has shifted dramatically and frequently during the last few million years, alternating between ice ages, when vast glaciers covered Northern Europe and much of North America, and interglacials—warm periods much like today. Farther back in geologic time, climates have differed even more from the present. Thus, to fully understand the unusual changes of the 20th century and possible future trends, these must be placed in a longer-term context extending beyond the period of instrumental records. The Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments, a companion volume to the recently-published Encyclopedia of World Climatology, provides the reader with an entry point to the rapidly expanding field of paleoclimatology—the study of climates of the past. Highly interdisciplinary in nature, paleoclimatology integrates information from a broad array of disciplines in the geosciences, ranging from stratigraphy, geomorphology, glaciology, paleoecology, paleobotany to geochemistry and geophysics, among others. The encyclopedia offers 230 informative articles written by over 200 well known international experts on numerous subjects, ranging from classical geological evidence to the latest research. The volume is abundantly illustrated with line-drawings, black-white and color photographs. Articles are arranged alphabetically, with extensive bibliographies and cross-references.

Description / Table of Contents: This book advances the understanding and integration in operational terms of environmental flows (water allocation) into integrated water resources management (IWRM). Based on an in-depth analysis of 17 global water policy, plan, and project case studies, it addresses the highly contested complexities of environmentally responsible water resources development, broadens the global perspectives on "equitable sharing" and "sustainable use" of water resources, and expands the definitions of "benefits sharing" in high-risk water resources development. The book fills a major gap in knowledge on IWRM and forms an important contribution to the ongoing discourse on climate change adaptation in the water sector.

Description / Table of Contents: "Climate Resilient Cities: A Primer on Reducing Vulnerabilities to Disasters" provides city administratorswith exactly what they need to know about the complex and compelling challenges of climate change. The book helps local governments create training, capacity building, and capital investment programs for building sustainable, resilient communities. A step-by-step self-assessment challenges policymakers to think about the resources needed to combat natural disasters through an innovative "hot spot" risk and vulnerability identifi cation tool.This primer is unique from other resources in its treatment of climate change using a dual-track approach that integrates both mitigation (lowering contributions to greenhouse gases) and adaptation (preparing for impacts of climate change) with disaster risk management. The book is relevant both to cities that are just beginning to think about climate change as well as those that already have well established policies, institutions, and strategies in place. By providing a range of city-level examples of sound practices around the world, the book demonstrates that there are many practical actions that cities can take to build resilience to climate change and natural disasters.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change threatens to derail development, even as development pumps ever-greater quantities of carbon dioxide into an atmosphere already polluted with two centuries of Western emissions. The World Bank, with a newly-articulated Strategic Framework on Development and Climate Change, must confront these entangled threats in helping its clients to carve out a sustainable growth path. This evaluation assesses the Bank's experience with key win-win policies in the energy sector.

Description / Table of Contents: There is an increasing consensus in the scientific community that climate change is a real and present threat. Despite the large uncertainty on the timing, magnitude and even the direction of some of the physical and economic effects of this phenomenon, it is widely accepted that these effects will be regionally differentiated and that developing countries and lower income populations will tend to suffer the most. In this context, it is critical that Latin American and Caribbean countries develop their own strategies for adapting to the various impacts of climate change and for contributing to global efforts aimed at mitigation.'Low Carbon, High Growth' contributes to these efforts by addressing a number of questions related to the causes and consequences of climate change in Latin America. What are the likely impacts of climate change in the region? Which countries and regions will be most affected? What can governments do to tackle the challenges associated with adapting to climate change? What role can Latin America and the Caribbean play in the area of climate change mitigation? How can the international community best help the region respond? While the study does not attempt to provide definitive answers to these questions, its goal is to contribute new information and analysis to help inform the public policy debate on this important issue.

Description / Table of Contents: This volume provides a comprehensive, up-to-date account of how the physical and biological environment of the Antarctic continent and Southern Ocean has changed from Deep Time until the present day. It also considers how the Antarctic environment may change over the next century in a world where greenhouse gas concentrations are much higher than occurred over the last few centuries. The Antarctic is a highly coupled system with non-linear interactions between the atmosphere, ocean, ice and biota, along with complex links to the rest of the Earth system. In preparing this volume our approach has been highly cross-disciplinary, with the goal of reflecting the importance of the continent in global issues, such as sea level rise, the separation of natural climate variability from anthropogenic influences, food stocks, biodiversity and carbon uptake by the ocean. One hundred experts in Antarctic science have contributed and drafts of the manuscript were reviewed by over 200 scientists. We hope that it will be of value to all scientists with an interest in the Antarctic continent and the Southern Ocean, policy makers and those concerned with the deployment of observing systems and the development of climate models.

Description / Table of Contents: Awareness that many key aspects of public health are strongly influenced by climate is growing dramatically, driven by new research and experience and fears of climate change and the research needed to underpin policy developments in area is growing rapidly . This awareness has yet to translate into a practical use of climate knowledge by health policy-makers. Evidence based policy and practice is the mantra of the health sector. If climate scientists are to contribute effectively to health policy at local and global scales then careful empirical studies must be undertaken – focused on the needs of the public health policy and decision-makers. Results presented at the Wengen conference make clear that the science and art of integrating climate knowledge into the control of climate sensitive diseases on a year to year time frame as well as careful assessments of the potential impacts of climate change on health outcomes over longer time frames is advancing rapidly on many fronts. This includes advances in the empirical understanding of mechanisms, methodologies for modeling future impacts, new partnership developments between the health and climate community along with access to relevant data resources, and education and training. In a rapidly evolving field this book provides a snapshot of these emerging themes.

Description / Table of Contents: Climate change remains a global challenge requiring international collaborative action. Another area where countries have successfully committed to a long-term multilateral resolution is the liberalization of international trade. Integration into the world economy has proven a powerful means for countries to promote economic growth, development, and poverty reduction. The broad objectives of the betterment of current and future human welfare are shared by both global trade and climate regimes. Yet both climate and trade agendas have evolved largely independently through the years, despite their mutually supporting objectives. Since global emission goals and global trade objectives are shared policy objectives of most countries, and nearly all of the World Bank's clients, it makes sense to consider the two sets of objectives together.This book is one of the first comprehensive attempts to look at the synergies between climate change and trade objectives from economic, legal, and institutional perspectives. It addresses an important policy question - how changes in trade policies and international cooperation on trade policies can help address global environmental spillovers, especially GHG emissions, and what the (potential) effects of (national) environmental policies that are aimed at global environmental problems might be for trade and investment. It explores opportunities for aligning development and energy policies in such a way that they could stimulate production, trade, and investment in cleaner technology options.

Description / Table of Contents: This book examines the contributions that space technologies can make in tackling some of the serious problems posed by climate change. Focusing on examples of water management, marine resources and maritime transport, it sets out the rationale for further developing satellite systems to measure and monitor climate change and help mitigate its consequences. The report underlines the need to consider satellites not just as research and development systems, but as an important component of a critical communication- and information-based infrastructure for modern societies. The tool box for decision makers that concludes the book reviews different methodological options for deciding on investments in space-based earth observation.

Description / Table of Contents: This book bridges the gap between system theory and global climate change research, and benefits both. A representative set of systems problems is listed indicating how such cross-fertilization would enhance present understanding of global problems while assisting the extension of systems theory. The goal is a comprehensive conceptual model of global change which encompasses atmosphere, lithosphere, ocean, biosphere and cryosphere. The systems model is developed in two steps using a "block diagram" approach. First, causality flows among principal components are identified and a block diagram representation is constructed. Second, mathematical description of the mappings represented by the blocks is derived from the physical principles and known disciplinary models. The generation of the complete block diagram is believed to be the first of its kind. A number of helpful features characterize the book. Chapter 1 provides the basic framework and organization of the book. Chapter 2 is a primer to global climate systems for the reader unfamiliar with the subject of the scientific aspects of global warning. A list of notation in Appendix B, a glossary of global climate change research search terminology, and a detailed index for cross referencing are included. Additionally, a representative set of relevant systems problems in global change is listed at the end of the book.