Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation: Resolving Global Environmental and Resource Problems (Green Energy and Technology)

A vast amount has been written on climate change and what should be our response. __Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation__ suggests that most of this literature takes a far too optimistic position regarding the potential for conventional mitigation solutions to achieve the deep cuts in greenhouse gases necessary in the limited time frame we have available. In addition, global environmental problems, as exemplified by climate change, and global resource problems – such as fossil fuel depletion or fresh water scarcity – have largely been seen as separate issues. Further, proposals for solution of these problems often focus at the national level, when the problems are global. The authors argue that the various challenges the planet faces are both serious and interconnected. __Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation__ takes a global perspective in its treatment of various solutions: • renewable energy; • nuclear energy; • energy efficiency; • carbon sequestration; and • geo-engineering. It also addresses the possibility that realistic solutions cannot be achieved until the fundamentally ethical question of global equity – both across nations today and also inter-generational – is fully addressed. Such an approach will also involve reorienting the global economy away from an emphasis on growth and toward the direct satisfaction of basic human needs for all the Earth’s people. __Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation__ is aimed at the many members of the public with an awareness of climate change, but who wish to find out more about how we need to respond to the challenge. It will also be of interest to technical professionals, as well as postgraduate students and researchers, from the environmental and engineering science sectors. Annotation A vast amount has been written on climate change and what should be our response. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation suggests that most of this literature takes a far too optimistic position regarding the potential for conventional mitigation solutions to achieve the deep cuts in greenhouse gases necessary in the limited time frame we have available. In addition, global environmental problems, as exemplified by climate change, and global resource problems €“ such as fossil fuel depletion or fresh water scarcity €“ have largely been seen as separate issues. Further, proposals for solution of these problems often focus at the national level, when the problems are global. The authors argue that the various challenges the planet faces are both serious and interconnected. Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation takes a global perspective in its treatment of various solutions:€ renewable energy;€ nuclear energy;€ energy efficiency;€ carbon sequestration; and€ geo-engineering.It also addresses the possibility that realistic solutions cannot be achieved until the fundamentally ethical question of global equity €“ both across nations today and also inter-generational €“ is fully addressed. Such an approach will also involve reorienting the global economy away from an emphasis on growth and toward the direct satisfaction of basic human needs for all the Earth€™s people.Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation is aimed at the many members of the public with an awareness of climate change, but who wish to find out more about how we need to respond to the challenge. It will also be of interest to technical professionals, as well as postgraduate students and researchers, from the environmental and engineering science sectors Remote photography and infrared sensors are widely used in the sampling of wildlife populations worldwide, especially for cryptic or elusive species. Guiding the practitioner through the entire process of using camera traps, this book is the first to compile state-of-the-art sampling techniques for the purpose of conducting high-quality science or effective management. Chapters on the evaluation of equipment, field sampling designs, and data analysis methods provide a coherent framework for making inferences about the abundance, species richness, and occupancy of sampled animals. The volume introduces new models that will revolutionize use of camera data to estimate population density, such as the newly developed spatial capture-recapture models. It also includes richly detailed case studies of camera trap work on some of the world's most charismatic, elusive, and endangered wildlife species. Indispensible to wildlife conservationists, ecologists, biologists, and conservation agencies around the world, the text provides a thorough review of the subject as well as a forecast for the use of remote photography in natural resource conservation over the next few decades Rise and Fall of the Carbon Civilisation: Resolving Global Environmental and Resource Problems Author: Patrick Moriarty, Damon Honnery Published by Springer London ISBN: 978-1-84996-482-1 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-84996-483-8 Table of Contents: The Problems We Face Global Climate Change Earth’s Resources Are Finite Uncertainty in Global Environmental and Resource Problems Renewable Energy: Too Little, Too Late? Nuclear Energy: The Ultimate Technological Fix? Engineering for Greater Energy Efficiency Getting Rid of Atmospheric Carbon: Sequestration and Air Capture Great and Desperate Measures: Geo-engineering The New Economy Conclusions Front Matter....Pages i-xiii The Problems We Face....Pages 1-13 Global Climate Change....Pages 15-36 Earth’s Resources Are Finite....Pages 37-58 Uncertainty in Global Environmental and Resource Problems....Pages 59-77 Renewable Energy: Too Little, Too Late?....Pages 79-101 Nuclear Energy: The Ultimate Technological Fix?....Pages 103-124 Engineering for Greater Energy Efficiency....Pages 125-143 Getting Rid of Atmospheric Carbon: Sequestration and Air Capture....Pages 145-160 Great and Desperate Measures: Geo-engineering....Pages 161-177 The New Economy....Pages 179-203 Conclusions....Pages 205-213 Back Matter....Pages 215-218