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Surface- and Groundwater Quality Changes in Periods of Water Scarcity
by Miloš GregorThis thesis deals with the evaluation of surface and groundwater quality changes in the periods of water scarcity in river catchment areas. The work can be divided into six parts. Existing methods of drought assessment are discussed in the first part, followed by the brief description of the software package HydroOffice, designed by the author. The software is dedicated to analysis of hydrological data (separation of baseflow, parameters of hydrological drought estimation, recession curves analysis, time series analysis). The capabilities of the software are currently used by scientist from more than 30 countries around the world. The third section is devoted to a comprehensive regional assessment of hydrological drought on Slovak rivers, followed by evaluation of the occurrence, course and character of drought in precipitation, discharges, base flow, groundwater head and spring yields in the pilot area of the Nitra River basin. The fifth part is focused on the assessment of changes in surface and groundwater quality during the drought periods within the pilot area. Finally, the results are summarized and interpreted, and rounded off with an outlook to future research.
Surreal Photography: Creating The Impossible
by Daniela BowkerSurreal digital photography is not only an enjoyable extension of many enthusiast’s repertoire, but is has firmly established a foothold in the world of art. This book reveals the latest developments in the field and demystifies the techniques used by modern surreal photographers, whether they favor SOOC (straight out of the camera) or sophisticated digital manipulations. Breaking down the shooting and editing process for any reader to follow and emulate, this book provides step-by-step instructions for creating extraordinary scenes. With contributions from numerous artists—including Natalie Dybisz, Jon Jacobsen and Dariusz Klimczak— readers will be able to explore many different artistic styles from impossible landscapes to unsettling portraits.
Surreal Photography: Creating the Impossible
by Daniela BowkerEver since Man Ray imposed the sound holes of a violin onto his model's back, photographers have been enthusiastic practitioners of surreal art. Now with the advent of high-quality digital photo-manipulation the possibilities for creativity have become infinite. This book reveals the latest techniques in the field of surreal photography and features art from a host of the very best modern surreal photographers.- Breaks down the shooting and editing process so any photographer can make their own impossible images- With processing walkthroughs from contributing artists including Natalie Dybisz, Julie de Waroquier and Sarolta Bán- Step-by-step instructions for creating extraordinary scenes- Covers many different styles, from impossible landscapes to unsettling portraits
Surveillance Law, Data Retention and Human Rights: A Risk to Democracy (Routledge Research in Human Rights Law)
by Matthew WhiteThis book analyses the compatibility of data retention in the UK with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The increase in the use of modern technology has led to an explosion of generated data and, with that, a greater interest from law enforcement and intelligence agencies. In the early 2000s, data retention laws were introduced into the UK, and across the European Union (EU). This was met by domestic challenges before national courts, until a seminal ruling by the Court of Justice in the European Union (CJEU) ruled that indiscriminate data retention was incompatible with EU law. Since then, however, the CJEU has revised its position and made certain concessions, particularly under the guise of national security. This book focuses on data retention in the UK with the principal aim of examining compatibility with the ECHR. This is explored through a variety of ways including providing an account of democracy and why secret surveillance poses a threat to it, a history of data retention, assessing the seriousness that data retention poses to fundamental rights, the collection of rights that are affected by data retention which are crucial for a functioning democracy, the implications of who can be obligated to retain (and what to retain), the idea that data retention is a form of surveillance and ultimately, with all things considered, whether this is compatible with the ECHR. The work will be an invaluable resource for students, academics, researchers and policy-makers working in the areas of privacy, human rights law and surveillance.
Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet
by Yasha LevineThe internet is the most effective weapon the government has ever built.In this fascinating book, investigative reporter Yasha Levine uncovers the secret origins of the internet, tracing it back to a Pentagon counterinsurgency surveillance project.A visionary intelligence officer, William Godel, realized that the key to winning the war in Vietnam was not outgunning the enemy, but using new information technology to understand their motives and anticipate their movements. This idea--using computers to spy on people and groups perceived as a threat, both at home and abroad--drove ARPA to develop the internet in the 1960s, and continues to be at the heart of the modern internet we all know and use today. As Levine shows, surveillance wasn't something that suddenly appeared on the internet; it was woven into the fabric of the technology.But this isn't just a story about the NSA or other domestic programs run by the government. As the book spins forward in time, Levine examines the private surveillance business that powers tech-industry giants like Google, Facebook, and Amazon, revealing how these companies spy on their users for profit, all while doing double duty as military and intelligence contractors. Levine shows that the military and Silicon Valley are effectively inseparable: a military-digital complex that permeates everything connected to the internet, even coopting and weaponizing the antigovernment privacy movement that sprang up in the wake of Edward Snowden.With deep research, skilled storytelling, and provocative arguments, Surveillance Valley will change the way you think about the news--and the device on which you read it.
Surveillance and Surveillance Detection: A CIA Insider's Guide
by John KiriakouHave you ever thought you were being followed or watched? Have you ever needed to follow or observe someone and not be seen?In the world of espionage, surveillance and surveillance detection are a way of life. It is the job of every CIA operations officer to make sure he or she is not under surveillance—that is, being followed to the commission of an &“operational act.&” It is also the job of every CIA operations officer to surveil his own targets, whether they are terrorists or terrorist suspects, foreign intelligence officers, hostile actors, or even sometimes his own agents for vetting purposes. In everyday life, many people from all walks of life need to know how to perform similar operations. Whether avoiding a stalker, checking up on an unfaithful partner, or just securing one&’s own privacy, a working knowledge of modern surveillance and surveillance detection techniques is a critical skill to possess. And there is nobody better to teach that skill than someone trained by the CIA.From former CIA counterterrorism officer John C. Kiriakou, Surveillance and Surveillance Detection: A CIA Insider's Guide takes you through the CIA's surveillance and surveillance detection program. It will teach you to apply CIA surveillance techniques to your own everyday life. You&’ll learn how to stay safe, to ensure your privacy, and to keep the honest people honest—the CIA way.
Surveillance, Prevention, and Control of Infectious Diseases: An AI Perspective
by Serkan Kiranyaz Muhammad E. H. ChowdhuryThis is a pioneering book that delves into the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and healthcare, specifically focusing on the detection and prevention of infectious diseases. Authored by leading experts in the field, this book offers a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements, challenges, and applications of AI in combating infectious diseases. With a unique emphasis on big data, wearable data, and computer vision, the book presents original research works that showcase innovative approaches to leveraging AI for disease surveillance, screening, and severity stratification. Through a combination of review chapters summarizing the current state of the field and novel applications of AI technology, readers gain valuable insights into the potential of AI in addressing major life-threatening infectious diseases identified by the UN Sustainable Development Goal 3. The book's structure ensures a balanced blend of theoretical foundations and practical applications, making it accessible to both researchers and healthcare professionals. By exploring cutting-edge methodologies and case studies, the book equips readers with the knowledge and tools needed to harness the power of AI in the fight against infectious diseases, ultimately contributing to global efforts to improve public health outcomes. With its interdisciplinary approach and focus on AI-driven solutions, " Surveillance, prevention, and control of infectious diseases: An AI perspective" serves as an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to stay abreast of the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field. Whether exploring the role of wearable devices in disease monitoring or examining the potential of computer vision for early detection, this book offers a comprehensive overview of AI applications that have the potential to revolutionize infectious disease management and prevention strategies.
Survey of Operating Systems (Fifth Edition)
by Charles Holcombe Jane HolcombeInformation technology (IT) offers many career paths, leading to occupations in such fields as PC repair, network administration, telecommunications, Web development, graphic design, and desktop support. To become competent in any IT field, however, you need certain basic computer skills. This book will help you build a foundation for success in the IT field by introducing you to fundamental information about desktop operating systems, a needed basis for working with computers at any level.
Survival Analysis
by Prabhanjan Tattar H J VamanSurvival analysis generally deals with analysis of data arising from clinical trials. Censoring, truncation, and missing data create analytical challenges and the statistical methods and inference require novel and different approaches for analysis. Statistical properties, essentially asymptotic ones, of the estimators and tests are aptly handled in the counting process framework which is drawn from the larger arm of stochastic calculus. With explosion of data generation during the past two decades, survival data has also enlarged assuming a gigantic size. Most statistical methods developed before the millennium were based on a linear approach even in the face of complex nature of survival data. Nonparametric nonlinear methods are best envisaged in the Machine Learning school. This book attempts to cover all these aspects in a concise way. Survival Analysis offers an integrated blend of statistical methods and machine learning useful in analysis of survival data. The purpose of the offering is to give an exposure to the machine learning trends for lifetime data analysis. Features: Classical survival analysis techniques for estimating statistical functional and hypotheses testing Regression methods covering the popular Cox relative risk regression model, Aalen’s additive hazards model, etc. Information criteria to facilitate model selection including Akaike, Bayes, and Focused Penalized methods Survival trees and ensemble techniques of bagging, boosting, and random survival forests A brief exposure of neural networks for survival data R program illustration throughout the book
Survival Analysis with Python
by Avishek NagSurvival analysis uses statistics to calculate time to failure. Survival Analysis with Python takes a fresh look at this complex subject by explaining how to use the Python programming language to perform this type of analysis. As the subject itself is very mathematical and full of expressions and formulations, the book provides detailed explanations and examines practical implications. The book begins with an overview of the concepts underpinning statistical survival analysis. It then delves into Parametric models with coverage of Concept of maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) of a probability distribution parameter MLE of the survival function Common probability distributions and their analysis Analysis of exponential distribution as a survival function Analysis of Weibull distribution as a survival function Derivation of Gumbel distribution as a survival function from Weibull Non-parametric models including Kaplan–Meier (KM) estimator, a derivation of expression using MLE Fitting KM estimator with an example dataset, Python code and plotting curves Greenwood’s formula and its derivation Models with covariates explaining The concept of time shift and the accelerated failure time (AFT) model Weibull-AFT model and derivation of parameters by MLE Proportional Hazard (PH) model Cox-PH model and Breslow’s method Significance of covariates Selection of covariates The Python lifelines library is used for coding examples. By mapping theory to practical examples featuring datasets, this book is a hands-on tutorial as well as a handy reference.
Survival Analysis: Proportional and Non-Proportional Hazards Regression
by John O'QuigleyThis book provides an extensive coverage of the methodology of survival analysis, ranging from introductory level material to deeper more advanced topics. The framework is that of proportional and non-proportional hazards models; a structure that is broad enough to enable the recovery of a large number of established results as well as to open the way to many new developments. The emphasis is on concepts and guiding principles, logical and graphical. Formal proofs of theorems, propositions and lemmas are gathered together at the end of each chapter separate from the main presentation. The intended audience includes academic statisticians, biostatisticians, epidemiologists and also researchers in these fields whose focus may be more on the applications than on the theory. The text could provide the basis for a two semester course on survival analysis and, with this goal in mind, each chapter includes a section with a range of exercises as a teaching aid for instructors.
Survive the Five: Unofficial Pro Gamer Tips for Fans of Five Nights at Freddy's—Includes Security Breach Hacks
by Anna MirabellaUnofficial hacks, tips, and tricks to help gamers survive in the world of Five Nights at Freddy's! Five Nights at Freddy&’s is an iconic jump-scare horror game experience with massive appeal for kids and adults of all ages. Ever since its 2014 release, it has made an indelible mark on pop culture and earned the attention of content creators and influencers the world over. From its creepy animatronic characters to its darkly compelling story, Five Nights at Freddy&’s is ripe with the kind of drama and tension that makes players come back for more. Its devoted network of fans is perpetually hungry for the next installment or DLC. Thanks to its lasting popularity over the last decade, the Five Nights at Freddy&’s franchise has grown to include eight main installments and a slew of popular spinoffs. Survive the Five: Unofficial Pro Gamer Secrets for Five Nights at Freddy&’s is the must-have guide for mastering each one. Survive the Five offers fans of all ages a chance to revel in the history, lore, and nightmare-worthy narrative of the hit game and collect useful (and entertaining) intel on the origins and importance of the franchise&’s eerie main characters, Freddy Fazbear, Chica, Bonnie, and Foxy. They&’ll also pick up expert tips and strategies to navigate each bone-chilling level like a pro. There&’s no job more terrifying than the one you get in Five Nights at Freddy&’s: a security guard at Freddy Fazbear&’s Pizzeria. But if you know how to listen to phone messages, how to using power sparingly, and how to carefully track the location of each animatronic enemy, you might just live another day. Full-color screenshots from the game itself and clear step-by-step instructions offer a comprehensive, user-friendly tour of everything players need to know. Insider tips, tricks, and fun easter eggs for the core games in the franchise turn readers into unstoppable Five Nights survivors.
Surviving AI: The Promise and Peril of Artificial Intelligence
by Calum ChaceArtificial intelligence is our most powerful technology, and in the coming decades it will change everything in our lives. If we get it right it will make humans almost godlike. If we get it wrong... well, extinction is not the worst possible outcome. "Surviving AI" is a concise, easy-to-read guide to what's coming, taking you through technological unemployment (the economic singularity) and the possible creation of a superintelligence (the technological singularity). Here's what some of the leading thinkers in the field have to say about it: A sober and easy-to-read review of the risks and opportunities that humanity will face from AI. Jaan Tallinn - co-founder of Skype Understanding AI - its promise and its dangers - is emerging as one of the great challenges of coming decades and this is an invaluable guide to anyone who's interested, confused, excited or scared. David Shukman - BBC Science Editor We have recently seen a surge in the volume of scholarly analysis of this topic; Chace impressively augments that with this high-quality, more general-audience discussion. Aubrey de Grey - CSO of SENS Research Foundation; former AI researcher It's rare to see a book about the potential End of the World that is fun to read without descending into sensationalism or crass oversimplification. Ben Goertzel - chairman of Novamente LLC Calum Chace is a prescient messenger of the risks and rewards of artificial intelligence. In "Surviving AI" he has identified the most essential issues and developed them with insight and wit - so that the very framing of the questions aids our search for answers. Chace's sensible balance between AI's promise and peril makes "Surviving AI" an excellent primer for anyone interested in what's happening, how we got here, and where we are headed. Kenneth Cukier - co-author of "Big Data" If you're not thinking about AI, you're not thinking. "Surviving AI" combines an essential grounding in the state of the art with a survey of scenarios that will be discussed with equal vigor at cocktail parties and academic colloquia. Chris Meyer - author of"Blur," "It's Alive," and "Standing on the Sun" The appearance of Calum Chace's book is of some considerable personal satisfaction to me, because it signifies the fact that the level of social awareness of the rise of massively intelligent machines has finally reached the mainstream. If you want to survive the next few decades, you cannot afford NOT to read Chace's book. Prof. Dr. Hugo de Garis - former director of the Artificial Brain Lab, Xiamen University, China "Surviving AI" is an exceptionally clear, well-researched and balanced introduction to a complex and controversial topic, and is a compelling read to boot. Sean O hEigeartaigh -executive director of Cambridge Centre for the Study of Existential Risk In"Surviving AI," Calum Chace provides a marvellously accessible guide to the swirls of controversy that surround discussion of what is likely to be the single most important event in human history--the emergence of artificial superintelligence. Throughout, "Surviving AI" remains clear and jargon-free. David Wood - chair of London Futurists Artificial intelligence is the most important technology of our era. Technological unemployment could force us to adopt an entirely new economic structure, and the creation of superintelligence would be the biggest event in human history. "Surviving AI" is a first-class introduction to all of this. Brad Feld - co-founder of Techstars"
Surviving Game School…and the Game Industry After That
by Michael Lynch Adrian EarleSurviving Game School speaks about what to expect in a top game design or game development college program, and what to expect once students get out. Making games is not at all the same as playing games. Uncommonly blunt, the book reveals the rigors – and the joys – of working in this industry. Along the way the book touches on themes of time management, creativity, teamwork, and burnout. The authors explore the impact working in the game industry can have on personal relationships and family life. The book closes with advice about life’s goals and building and keeping a sensible balance between work and everything else.
Surviving Security: How to Integrate People, Process, and Technology
by Amanda AndressPrevious information security references do not address the gulf between general security awareness and the specific technical steps that need to be taken to protect information assets. Surviving Security: How to Integrate People, Process, and Technology, Second Edition fills this void by explaining security through a holistic approach that conside
Surviving the Machine Age
by Kevin Lagrandeur James J. HughesThis book examines the current state of the technologically-caused unemployed, and attempts to answer the question of how to proceed into an era beyond technological unemployment. Beginning with an overview of the most salient issues, the experts collected in this work present their own novel visions of the future and offer suggestions for adapting to a more symbiotic economic relationship with AI. These suggestions include different modes of dealing with education, aging workers, government policies, and the machines themselves. Ultimately, they lay out a whole new approach to economics, one in which we learn to merge with and adapt to our increasingly intelligent creations.
Surviving the Whiteboard Interview: A Developer’s Guide to Using Soft Skills to Get Hired
by William GantThe industry standard whiteboard interview can be daunting for developers. Let’s face it: it combines the worst aspects of a typical interview, on-the-spot public speaking, a quiz show, and a dinner party full of strangers judging you—all at once. Brilliant developers can let their nerves get the best of them and completely bomb a whiteboard interview, while inexperienced developers who excel in soft skills can breeze through them. In Surviving the Whiteboard Interview, author William Gant uses his real-world knowledge and expertise to guide you through the psychological roadblocks of a coding test while also providing you with a sample coding challenge. With enough preparation, information, and assured confidence, you can survive a whiteboard interview at any organization. In addition to the benefits listed above, Gant helps you explore how you can create a good soft skills impression that will last beyond the whiteboard test by showing your work ethic, positive attitude, and ability to take and implement criticism effectively. These assets will unequivocally serve other parts of your life outside of an interview context, as well. While Gant does not promise that you will ever truly enjoy interviewing, he does promise to arm you with the proper preparation techniques and knowledge needed to tame the common fears and dread that come along with it. Maximize your career potential and get inspired with Surviving the Whiteboard Interview. The steps to your dream role just might be closer than you think.What You Will LearnPractice both hard and soft skills required to succeed at a whiteboard interview, covering coding tests as well as psychological preparationLearn how to make other aspects of your interview stronger, so you can create a great impressionMaster solving common whiteboard problems in different programming languages Who This Book is ForThis book is primarily for aspiring software developers who are looking for a job in the field. However, it will also be helpful for more seasoned developers who find interviewing painful and want to improve their skills.
Surviving the Wild Wild Web: A User’s Playbook to Navigating the Internet's Trickiest Terrains
by Marton Gergely Ian Grey Heba SaleousThe information security arena is often vague and confusing for internet users, both young and old. New traps are being devised daily, and falling into them can take legal, ethical, financial, physical, and mental tolls on individuals. With increasing cases of fake news, identity theft, piracy, spying, and scams surfacing, this book explains the risks of the internet and how they can be mitigated from a personal and professional perspective.Surviving the Wild Wild Web: A User’s Playbook to Navigating the Internet’s Trickiest Terrains is a readable guide addressing the malicious behaviors within internet cultures. Written in simple and jargon-free language, the book describes ten pillars of information security risks faced by all internet users. Each pillar will be detailed as a story, starting with the roots of the problem and branching out into tangential related issues and topics. Each chapter ends by detailing ways a user can avoid falling victim to cyber threats. It uses a combination of news articles, topical current events, and previously published academic research to underpin the ideas and navigates how users interact with the World Wide Web. The book aims to create a generation of internet-literate readers who can spot the pitfalls of the internet in their personal and professional lives to surf the web safely.This guide will appeal to any individual interested in internet safety, with a potential readership extending to students and professionals in the fields of computer science, information systems, cybersecurity, business, management, human resources, psychology, medicine, education, law, and policy.
Survivors: The gripping, bestselling novel of life after a global pandemic
by Terry NationSurvivors of a global plague battle for life on an empty planet. A gripping vision of a post-apocalyptic world...'A fine piece of British post-apocalyptic fiction' 'Nation's novel is based on his original cult series...and is all the better for it, being far, far more gritty and realistic' SUNDAY SUNA virus has wiped out 95 per cent of the world's population in just a few weeks, leaving the remaining 5 per cent to stay alive in a world devoid of the most basic amenities - electricity, transport and medicine. The few survivors of the human race are forced to fall back on the most primitive skills in order to live and re-establish some semblance of law and order.Abby Grant, widowed by the plague, moves through this new dark age with determination, sustained by hope that her son, who fled his boarding school at the onset, has survived. She knows she must relearn the skills on which civilisation was built. With others, she founds a commune and the group return to the soil. But marauding bands threaten their existence. For Abby, there's a chance for a new life and love when she encounters James Garland, the fourteenth Earl of Woodhouse, who is engaged in a desperate fight to save his ancestral home. But more important, she must find her son.
Survivors: The gripping, bestselling novel of life after a global pandemic
by Terry NationSurvivors of a global plague battle for life on an empty planet. A gripping vision of a post-apocalyptic world...'A fine piece of British post-apocalyptic fiction' 'Nation's novel is based on his original cult series...and is all the better for it, being far, far more gritty and realistic' SUNDAY SUNA virus has wiped out 95 per cent of the world's population in just a few weeks, leaving the remaining 5 per cent to stay alive in a world devoid of the most basic amenities - electricity, transport and medicine. The few survivors of the human race are forced to fall back on the most primitive skills in order to live and re-establish some semblance of law and order.Abby Grant, widowed by the plague, moves through this new dark age with determination, sustained by hope that her son, who fled his boarding school at the onset, has survived. She knows she must relearn the skills on which civilisation was built. With others, she founds a commune and the group return to the soil. But marauding bands threaten their existence. For Abby, there's a chance for a new life and love when she encounters James Garland, the fourteenth Earl of Woodhouse, who is engaged in a desperate fight to save his ancestral home. But more important, she must find her son.
Sustainability Analytics Toolkit for Practitioners: Creating Value in the 21st Century
by Renard SiewThis book solicits meaningful contributions from key experts and practitioners that have been dealing with the emerging area of sustainability analytics. In doing so, readers would understand the cost, impact and performance of their sustainability initiatives. The book covers current analytical tools (eg: frameworks, standards, ESG indexes) to measure sustainability, and how these tools embed the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition to that, a part of the book is also dedicated to the application of sustainability analytics, highlighting key challenges as well as the importance of engagement and communication in shaping the future direction of sustainability assessments. This book will be extremely useful to both researchers and practitioners who are looking for best--in-class practices to create value from their sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability Awareness and Green Information Technologies (Green Energy and Technology)
by Pedro Isaias Tomayess Issa Theodora Issa Touma B. IssaThis book addresses several aspects of environmental sustainability awareness and priorization, explores ways to use resources and processes more responsibly, and describes the strategies, models and tools required to overcome various challenges. Sustainable and green IT are used to minimize the current ICT recycling problems which are harming our planet. The book discusses the new green information technologies as alternatives to conventional ICT, which have significantly harmed nature, and examines how to make recent technologies such as cloud computing; social networking; smart technology; blockchains, IoT (internet-of-things); and big data sustainable. Exploring sustainability awareness and importance among individuals and organizations in the developed and developing countries, most of the contributions conclude that sustainability should be considered a duty in order to change mindsets, attitudes and actions so as to preserve our planet. Furthermore, it examines the green information technology strategies and models.
Sustainability Challenges and Delivering Practical Engineering Solutions: Resources, Materials, Energy, and Buildings (Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation)
by Gasim Hayder Ahmed Salih Rashid A. SaeedThis book highlights the recent findings and advances in science engineering technology and sustainability issues. It aims to discuss, reflect and share experience in addressing the findings in science engineering technology and sustainability. The book aims to report the various interrelated disciplines from different institutions to discuss, reflect and share technology and experience in addressing new findings and strategies. This book presents the proceedings of the Science Engineering Technology and Sustainability International Conference (SETS2021) which was held virtually—as sustainable virtual conferences become the new normal—during December 23–25, 2021. This book is presenting latest research findings, and it is suitable for researchers, postgraduate students, professionals and experts. The book includes interesting and top research in fuzzy modeling and decision-making applications in computer science. Several chapters address trending research about bioremediation and phytoremediation. There are mainly three research findings that cover artificial intelligence, sustainability and new technologies.
Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities
by National Research Council Computer Science and Telecommunications Board Division on Engineering and Physical Sciences Policy and Global Affairs Science and Technology for Sustainability Program Dominic A. Brose Lynette I. Millett Committee on Fostering Sustainability Considerations into Public and Private Sector Procurement Tools and CapabilitiesFederal laws, regulations, and executive orders have imposed requirements for federal agencies to move toward the sustainable acquisition of goods and services, including the incorporation of sustainable purchasing into federal agency decision making. Since the federal government is such a significant player in the market, its move to incorporate sustainable procurement practices could have a profound impact on the types of products being developed for the market as a whole. The General Services Administration (GSA) has played a key role in furthering sustainable procurement practices throughout the federal government. GSA is responsible for formulating and maintaining government-wide policies covering a variety of administrative actions, including those related to procurement and management. GSA has several ongoing activities related to sustainable procurement to assess the feasibility of working with the federal supplier community - vendors and contractors that serve federal agencies to measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the supply chain while encouraging sustainable operations among suppliers. GSA has also been actively developing programs to assist federal agencies in making sustainable procurement decisions. As federal agencies cannot directly fund the development of sustainable procurement tools, they are particularly interested in understanding how to foster innovation and provide incentives for collaboration between developers and users of tools for sustainable purchasing throughout the supply chain. The training of procurement professionals is also a priority for these agencies. To assist efforts to build sustainability considerations into the procurement process, the National Research Council appointed a committee to organize a two-day workshop that explored ways to better incorporate sustainability considerations into procurement tools and capabilities across the public and private sectors. The workshop was designed to help participants assess the current landscape of green purchasing tools, identify emerging needs for enhanced or new tools and opportunities to develop them, identify potential barriers to progress, and explore potential solutions. The workshop provided an opportunity for participants to discuss challenges related to sustainable purchasing and to developing new procurement tools. Sustainability Considerations for Procurement Tools and Capabilities reviews the presenters' recommendations and tools currently used in sustainable procurement, such as databases for ecolabels and standards, codes, or regulations and other nontechnological tools such as policies, frameworks, rating systems, and product indexes.
Sustainability Measures for COVID-19 Pandemic
by Mamta Mittal Lalit Mohan Goyal Rashmi AgrawalThis book focuses on sustainability issues post COVID-19 outbreak, discusses ways to restrict global spread of the pandemic, and also how to survive holistically in the environment. It also discusses the economic impacts on the world due to the coronavirus outbreak. There is a strong need for monitoring and analysis of pandemics for sustainability like epidemic risk analysis by using pattern recognition or the mental health challenges during an outbreak. This book presents ways to find solutions and gives insights to explore innovative methods and predictive modeling techniques, such that masses are prevented from pandemics.