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From Me to We: The Five Transformational Commitments Required to Rescue the Planet, Your Organization, and Your Life
by Bob DoppeltIn From Me to We: The Five Transformational Commitments Required to Rescue the Planet, Your Organization, and Your Life, systems change expert Bob Doppelt reveals that most people today live a dream world, controlled by false perceptions and beliefs. The most deeply held illusion is that all organisms on Earth, including each of us, exist as independent entities. At the most fundamental level, the change needed to overcome our misperceptions is a shift from focusing only on "me" – our personal needs and wants – to also prioritizing the broader "we": the many ecological and social relationships each of us are part of, those that make life possible and worthwhile. Research shows that by using the techniques described in this book this shift is possible – and not that difficult to achieve. From Me to We offers five transformational "commitments" that can help you change your perspective and engage in activities that will help resolve today's environmental and social problems. Not coincidentally, making these commitments can improve the quality of your life as well. Bob Doppelt's latest book is a wake-up call to the creed of individualism. He calls for recognition of the laws of interdependence, cause and effect, moral justice, trusteeship, and free will. The book will be essential to all of those interested in how we can create and stimulate a sea change in how to enable the necessary behavioral change we need to deal with the myriad environmental and social pressures consuming the planet.
From Monsoons to Microbes: Understanding the Ocean's Role in Human Health
by National Research CouncilWhat can sharks teach us about our immune system? What can horseshoe crabs show us about eyesight?The more we learn about the ocean, the more we realize how critical these vast bodies of water are to our health and well-being. Sometimes the ocean helps us, as when a marine organism yields a new medical treatment. At other times, the ocean poses the threat of coastal storm surges or toxic algal blooms.From Monsoons to Microbes offers a deeper look into the oceans that surround us, often nuturing yet sometimes harming humankind. This book explores the links among physical oceanography, public health, epidemiology, marine biology, and medicine in understanding what the ocean has to offer. It will help readers grasp such important points as: How the ocean's sweeping physical processes create long-term phenomena such as El Nino and short-term disastrous events such as tsunamis--including what communities can do to prepare.What medicines and nutritional products have come from the ocean and what the prospects are for more such discoveries.How estuaries work--where salt and fresh water meet--and what can go wrong, as in the 7,000 square mile "dead zone" at the out-flow of the Mississippi River.How the growing demand for seafood and the expansion of ocean-going transport has increased our exposure to infectious agents--and how these agents can be tracked down and fought.Why "red tides" of toxic algae suddenly appear in previously unaffected coastal areas, and what happens when algal toxins find their way into our food supply or the air we breathe. The book recommends ways we can implement exciting new technologies to monitor the physics, chemistry, and biology of the ocean to recognize change as it happens. From the impact of worldwide atmospheric warming to the significance of exotic bacteria from submarine hydrothermal vents, the ocean has many depths left to explore.
From Newton to Mandelbrot
by H. Eugene Stanley Dietrich Stauffer Annick LesneThis textbook takes the reader on a tour of the most important landmarks of theoretical physics: classical, quantum, and statistical mechanics, relativity, electrodynamics, as well as the most modern and exciting of all: elementary particles and the physics of fractals. The second edition has been supplemented with a new chapter devoted to concise though complete presentation of dynamical systems, bifurcations and chaos theory. The treatment is confined to the essentials of each area, presenting all the central concepts and equations at an accessible level. Chapters 1 to 4 contain the standard material of courses in theoretical physics and are supposed to accompany lectures at the university; thus they are rather condensed. They are supposed to fill one year of teaching. Chapters 5 and 6, in contrast, are written less condensed since this material may not be part of standard lectures and thus could be studied without the help of a university teacher. An appendix on elementary particles lies somewhere in between: It could be a summary of a much more detailed course, or studied without such a course. Illustrations and numerous problems round off this unusual textbook. It will ideally accompany the students all along their course in theoretical physics and prove indispensable in preparing and revising the exams. It is also suited as a reference for teachers or scientists from other disciplines who are interested in the topic.
From Oil to Knowledge: Transforming the United Arab Emirates into a Knowledge-Based Economy
by Allam Ahmed Ibrahim AlfakiOver-reliance on oil challenges the long-term sustainability of an economy. The UAE’s government has placed considerable focus on a comprehensive strategic planning exercise to transform the country’s economic structure from relying heavily on hydrocarbon resources to becoming a knowledge-based economy. Non-oil is to account for 80% of the country’s economy by 2021. From Oil to Knowledge examines the role of this major powerhouse of the Arab World to transform itself into a leader in the adoption of science, technology and innovation to drive economic success on the international stage.In this first book to present and critically evaluate the extent of the UAE’s success in diversifying its economy and implementing the principles and approaches of a Knowledge Economy, the authors identify the achievements of the government to date and the areas of further development. From Oil to Knowledge will be utilized as a guide by policymakers and senior managers to enhance their ability to think strategically towards implementing the pillars of a Knowledge Economy within their own organisations and nation states.
From Particle Systems to Partial Differential Equations: PSPDE X, Braga, Portugal, June 2022 (Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics #465)
by Patrícia Gonçalves Ana Jacinta Soares Eric CarlenThis book presents the proceedings of the international conference Particle Systems and Partial Differential Equations X, which was held at the University of Minho, Braga, Portugal, from 2022. It includes papers on mathematical problems motivated by various applications in physics, engineering, economics, chemistry, and biology.
From Plant to Plate: Turn Home-Grown Ingredients Into Healthy Meals!
by Ella Phillips Darryl GadzekpoGrow mighty ingredients, then take them from mud kitchen to real kitchen and transform them into delicious, plant-powered feasts.Grab your shovel and plant for a recipe! Discover 15 incredible plants, including zucchini, raspberries, corn, and basil, then find out what it takes to make them grow. From showing you how seeds should be properly planted to helping you find the best soil for your plants, Darryl Gadzekpo and Ella Phillips offer all the tips and tricks green-fingered kids need to know to transform seeds into mighty fruit, vegetables, and herbs your tummies would be proud of.But the fun doesn't end here! Once you've removed those muddy boots, head to the kitchen and learn how to prepare and cook your home-grown ingredients. With more than 25 tasty recipe ideas from basil pesto pasta to butternut squash muffins, you'll master a variety of unique plant-powered food that you'll love to eat as much as you love to cook.A visual feast for 7–9-year-olds, From Plant to Plate is the perfect book to inspire kids to get growing, get cooking, and get plant-powered eating.
From Pole to Pole: Roald Amundsen's Journey in Flight
by Garth James CameronRoald Amundsen (1872-1928) was the most successful polar explorer of his era using sledges, dogs, ski and ships. He is mainly remembered for being the first man to reach the South Pole on 14 December 1911. What is less often remembered is that he was also the first man to reach the North Pole on 12 May 1926 as the leader of the Amundsen- Ellsworth-Nobile expedition in the airship Norge. His involvement in aviation from 1909 to his death in 1928, has not been the subject of a detailed study until now.This book explores Amundsen's enthusiasm for flight from the moment he read about Bleriot's flight across the English Channel in an aeroplane on 25 July 1909. From that moment onwards he saw the potential of aircraft as vehicles to explore portions of the globe that remained unexplored in the first quarter of the 20th century. The man-lifting kites built by Einar Sem-Jacobsen took the life of his second in command, Ole Engelstad and were carried, but not used, during his 1910-1912 expedition to the South Pole. He saw aeroplanes flying in America and Germany in 1913 and in 1914 he was taught to fly by Sem-Jacobsen. He passed his flight test on a Farman Longhorn biplane on 1 June 1914 and in mid-1915 was issued with the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (Norge) aeroplane pilot's certificate number one. He bought a Farman biplane to take with him on an expedition to the North Polar Sea but the outbreak of the Great War stopped the Expedition and Amundsen gave his Farman to the Norwegian government. After the war he acquired a Curtiss Oriole biplane and two Junkers F13's then in 1925 he embarked on a flight, which he barely survived, to the North Pole in two Dornier Wal flying boats. 1926 brought long delayed success when the Norge flew to the Pole and on to Alaska. On 18 June 1928 he and five companions took off from Tromso on a search and rescue flight for the missing airship Italia and were never seen again.
From Political to Economic Awakening in the Arab World
by Francisco H. G. Ferreira Julian Messina Jamele Rigolini Luis-Felipe López-Calva Maria Ana Lugo Renos VakisThe popular grievances that have fueled the Arab Spring since 2010 demonstrate that past development paradigms have failed to achieve the inclusive and sustainable growth expected by Arab populations. Countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have failed to develop a strong private sector that is linked with global markets, survives without state assistance, and generates productive employment for young people. One key symptom of this maldevelopment is that, with the exception of the petroleum sector, MENA remains the least trade-integrated region in the world. The Deauville Partnership, launched by the Group of Eight (G8) in Deauville, France, in May 2011, is thus strategic and timely. At the request of the G8, this report provides an analytical framework for increasing trade and foreign direct investment (FDI) for Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia (the Partnership countries). Increased trade and FDI is a key means by which Partnership countries can achieve a path of sustainable growth that reduces youth unemployment. Moreover, trade and investment can also show short-term results. The G8 countries, Turkey, the Gulf states, and other Deauville partners can help the new Arab democracies achieve their objectives in two main ways: by effectively expanding market opportunities and by supporting domestic regulatory reforms. To start implementing a long-term vision of increased trade and investment integration, based on an integrated economic space in the Mediterranean basin, the Deauville Partnership could focus on five priority areas. These are helping Partnership countries adapt to a fast-changing trade, FDI, and jobs landscape; improving market access opportunities and market regulations; fostering competitiveness, diversification, and employment; facilitating trade and mobilizing trade finance and diaspora resources; and promoting inclusiveness, equity, and sustainability of the structural transformation brought about by the process of integration. The success of the Arab political awakening will greatly depend on the emergence of such an economic awakening that can generate quality employment for the millions of young Arab men and women who seek jobs and a decent life.
From Populations to Ecosystems: Theoretical Foundations for a New Ecological Synthesis (MPB-46) (Monographs in Population Biology #46)
by Michel LoreauThe major subdisciplines of ecology--population ecology, community ecology, ecosystem ecology, and evolutionary ecology--have diverged increasingly in recent decades. What is critically needed today is an integrated, real-world approach to ecology that reflects the interdependency of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. From Populations to Ecosystems proposes an innovative theoretical synthesis that will enable us to advance our fundamental understanding of ecological systems and help us to respond to today's emerging global ecological crisis. Michel Loreau begins by explaining how the principles of population dynamics and ecosystem functioning can be merged. He then addresses key issues in the study of biodiversity and ecosystems, such as functional complementarity, food webs, stability and complexity, material cycling, and metacommunities. Loreau describes the most recent theoretical advances that link the properties of individual populations to the aggregate properties of communities, and the properties of functional groups or trophic levels to the functioning of whole ecosystems, placing special emphasis on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Finally, he turns his attention to the controversial issue of the evolution of entire ecosystems and their properties, laying the theoretical foundations for a genuine evolutionary ecosystem ecology. From Populations to Ecosystems points the way to a much-needed synthesis in ecology, one that offers a fuller understanding of ecosystem processes in the natural world.
From Public Housing Soc Market
by J KemenyJim Kemeny develops a conceptual framework to present a critical study of comparative rental markets. The framework centres around the concept of the process of maturation of cost rental housing and two policies for handling this which have been adopted by industrial societies. These are, firstly, the Anglo-Saxon "dualist" system, seen in Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand, and secondly, the Germanic "unitary market" system, seen in Sweden, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland. Using a comparative approach based around international case studies, Jim Kemeny shows how each system stems from different power structures, is governed by different policy strategies, and is informed by different ideological views of how markets operate. Offering a radical critique of the orthodox view, it is argued that the time is now right for English-speaking nations to abandon state control over cost renting but allow to it to compete directly with profit renting, as in the "unitary market" model. International in scope, this volume should be of interest to researchers in housing, sociology and related fields.
From Research To Operations In Weather Satellites And Numerical Weather Prediction: Crossing The Valley Of Death
by Board on Atmospheric Sciences ClimateThis workshop report examines the capability of the forecast system to efficiently transfer weather and climate research findings into improved operational forecast capabilities. It looks in particular at the Environmental Modeling Center of the National Weather Service and environmental observational satellite programs. Using these examples, the report identifies several shortcomings in the capability to transition from research to operations. Successful transitions from R&D to operational implementation requires (1) understanding of the importance (and risks) of the transition, (2) development and maintenance of appropriate transition plans, (3) adequate resource provision, and (4) continuous feedback (in both directions) between the R&D and operational activities.
From Resource Scarcity to Ecological Security: Exploring New Limits to Growth
by Dennis Pirages Ken CousinsA new recognition of profound interconnections between social and natural systems is challenging conventional constructs and the policy predispositions informed by them. Our current intellectual challenge is to develop the analytical and theoretical underpinnings of an understanding of the relationship between the social and the natural systems. Our policy challenge is to identify and implement effective decision-making approaches to managing the global environment.
From Seascapes of Extinction to Seascapes of Confidence: Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries in Chile: ElQuisco and Puerto Oscuro
by Gloria L. FernandezFrom Seascapes of extinction to seascapes of confidence. Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries in Chile: El Quisco and Puerto Oscuro by Gloria Gallardo Fernandés is an important contribution to our understanding of the multifaceted challenges underlying sustainable solutions to ecological fisheries, the book describes how, in Chile, indiscriminate harvest of the edible shellfish Concholepas concholepas (false abalone or Loco), has been threatening not only the living of small-scale artisan fishers but also the ecosystem. In an attempt to strengthen the fishers’ livelihoods and at the same time recuperate the fish, the Chilean government introduced the regulatory measure: Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources (MEABRs), locally known as Management Areas (MAs) and internationally as Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries (TURFs).
From Seascapes of Extinction to Seascapes of Confidence: Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries in Chile: ElQuisco and Puerto Oscuro
by Gloria L. FernandezFrom Seascapes of extinction to seascapes of confidence. Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries in Chile: El Quisco and Puerto Oscuro by Gloria Gallardo Fernandés is an important contribution to our understanding of the multifaceted challenges underlying sustainable solutions to ecological fisheries, the book describes how, in Chile, indiscriminate harvest of the edible shellfish Concholepas concholepas (false abalone or Loco), has been threatening not only the living of small-scale artisan fishers but also the ecosystem. In an attempt to strengthen the fishers’ livelihoods and at the same time recuperate the fish, the Chilean government introduced the regulatory measure: Management and Exploitation Areas for Benthic Resources (MEABRs), locally known as Management Areas (MAs) and internationally as Territorial Use Rights in Fisheries (TURFs).
From Seed to Plant (Journeys 2014)
by Gail GibbonsFlowers, trees, fruits—plants are all around us, but where do they come from? With simple language and bright illustrations, non-fiction master Gail Gibbons introduces young readers to the processes of pollination, seed formation, and germination. Important vocabulary is reinforced with accessible explanation and colorful, clear diagrams showing the parts of plants, the wide variety of seeds, and how they grow. The book includes instructions for a seed-growing project, and a page of interesting facts about plants, seeds, and flowers. A nonfiction classic, and a perfect companion for early science lessons and curious young gardeners. According to The Washington Post, Gail Gibbons "has taught more preschoolers and early readers about the world than any other children's writer-illustrator." Ms. Gibbons is the author of more than 100 books for young readers, including the bestselling titles From Seed to Plant and Monarch Butterfly. Her many honors include the Washington Post/Childrens Book Guild Nonfiction Award and the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book Award. From Seed to Plant was included in the Common Core State Standards Appendix B.
From Sovereignty to Solidarity: Rethinking Human Migration (Space Power and Politics)
by Harald BauderFrom Sovereignty to Solidarity seeks to re-imagine human mobility in ways that are de-linked from national sovereignty. Using examples from around the world, the author examines contemporary practices of solidarity to illustrate what such a conceptualization of human mobility looks like. He suggests that urban and local scales, rather than the national scale, is a better way to frame human migration and belonging. The book ultimately proposes that solidarity, rather than sovereignty, offers an alternative approach to imagine how human mobility should, and already does, occur. This book will be relevant to upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in disciplines such as Migration Studies, Urban Studies, Human and Political Geography, and Refugee Studies. It is also relevant to researchers, development workers and human rights/environmental activists, and other intellectual practitioners.
From Special Relativity to Feynman Diagrams
by Riccardo D'Auria Mario TrigianteThis book, now in its second edition, provides an introductory course on theoretical particle physics with the aim of filling the gap that exists between basic courses of classical and quantum mechanics and advanced courses of (relativistic) quantum mechanics and field theory. After a concise but comprehensive introduction to special relativity, key aspects of relativistic dynamics are covered and some elementary concepts of general relativity introduced. Basics of the theory of groups and Lie algebras are explained, with discussion of the group of rotations and the Lorentz and Poincaré groups. In addition, a concise account of representation theory and of tensor calculus is provided. Quantization of the electromagnetic field in the radiation range is fully discussed. The essentials of the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms are reviewed, proceeding from systems with a finite number of degrees of freedom and extending the discussion to fields. The final four chapters are devoted to development of the quantum field theory, ultimately introducing the graphical description of interaction processes by means of Feynman diagrams. The book will be of value for students seeking to understand the main concepts that form the basis of contemporary theoretical particle physics and also for engineers and lecturers. An Appendix on some special relativity effects is added.
From Stardust to First Cells: The Origin and Evolution of Early Life
by Sankar ChatterjeeThis book presents a groundbreaking hypothesis to answer one of the greatest scientific mysteries: How did life begin? Like a detective piecing together seemingly disparate bits of evidence, Dr. Sankar Chatterjee combines the most recent discoveries in cosmology, geology, chemistry, information systems, and biology, weaving a vast tapestry from the threads of current research. Dr. Chatterjee convincingly argues that the odyssey of life first began when the fundamental building blocks were brought to Earth by meteorites. These cosmic compounds concentrated and simmered like a soup in hydrothermal crater-caldrons. Through a system of subterranean vent networks, a biosynthetic-rich variety of organic compounds mixed and matched into a recipe of rich biomolecules guided by prebiotic information systems. Through symbiosis, these complex biopolymers gradually assemble into membrane-bound protocells. At each stage of this evolutionary progression, through natural selection, they refined with increasing stability and complexity, ultimately leading to the emergence of the first cells about four billion years ago. In this book, Dr. Chatterjee tells this story in rigorous detail in language that is both accessible and engaging.
From Traditional to Modern African Water Management: Lessons for the Future
by Andreas Haarstrick Chrispin Kowenje Timothy Biswick Gideon Ajeagah Stephen Ojwach Oluwatoyin A. Odeku Gnon BabaThis book preserves and scientifically interprets the African foreknowledge on water resources management. It offers insight into the relevance of the traditional knowledge and practices to modern approaches on sustainable water management. The African continent has partially preserved its natural habitat for centuries. In this book, this knowledge is combined with the current scientific understanding. The traditional practices are categorized as: i) water harvesting, ii) water transportation, iii) water storage and conservation, iv) water treatments, v) myths and folk stories about water management or conservation, vi) water resource management systems, and vii) soil–water–forest conservation/management systems sub-topics. The findings presented here are in line with SDG 6, which aims at ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by the year 2030.
From Walden to Wall Street: Frontiers of Conservation Finance
by James N. Levitt"From Walden to Wall Street makes clear that a system of market-based conservation finance is vital to the future of environmental conservation." -Henry M. Paulson, Chairman and CEO, Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; Chairman of the Board of Governors, The Nature Conservancy In the absence of innovation in the field of conservation finance, a daunting funding gap faces conservationists aiming to protect America's system of landscapes that provide sustainable resources, water, wildlife habitat, and recreational amenities. Experts estimate that the average annual funding gap will be between $1.9 billion and $7.7 billion over the next forty years. Can the conservation community come up with new methods for financing that will fill this enormous gap? Which human and financial resources will allow us to fund critical land conservation needs? From Walden to Wall Street brings together the experience of more than a dozen pioneering conservation finance practitioners to address these crucial issues. Contributors present groundbreaking ideas including mainstreaming environmental markets; government ballot measures for land conservations; convertible tax-exempt financing; and private equity markets. The creativity and insight of From Walden to Wall Street offers considerable hope that, even in this era of widespread financial constraints, the American conservation community's financial resources may potentially grow dramatically in both quantity and quality in the decades to come.
From Walmart to Al Qaeda: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Globalization
by David MurilloFrom Walmart to Al Qaeda explains the fuzzy, complex and seemingly incomprehensible concept of globalization. What is globalization? What are the core topics, theories and competing ideologies? Are we walking towards homogenization or towards a global collision of cultures and identities? The potential risks and challenges for the global economy, corporations and political regimes are acknowledged by most but not fully understood. This book provides a refreshing new look at how society is being shaped by globalization and how these apparent destructive patterns can be both explained and potentially remedied.Globalization is both a concept and a cliché. It is a term that is used to explain an economic system or the state of the world. David Murillo sets out the questions and identifies the interrelationships of different disciplines to both understand the issues and also find solutions. The book discusses globalization and current attempts to conceptualize and measure it. There are theoretical and ideological debates on whether globalization is inevitable and the various alternatives for interpreting how the world works.Accompanying Teaching Notes are available on request with the purchase of this book.
From Waste to Value: Valorisation Pathways for Organic Waste Streams in Circular Bioeconomies (Routledge Studies in Waste Management and Policy)
by Antje Klitkou Arne Martin Fevolden Marco CapassoFrom Waste to Value investigates how streams of organic waste and residues can be transformed into valuable products, to foster a transition towards a sustainable and circular bioeconomy. The studies are carried out within a cross-disciplinary framework, drawing on a diverse set of theoretical approaches and defining different valorisation pathways. Organic waste streams from households and industry are becoming a valuable resource in today’s economies. Substances that have long represented a cost to companies and a burden for society are now becoming an asset. Waste products, such as leftover food, forest residues and animal carcasses, can be turned into valuable products such as biomaterials, biochemicals and biopharmaceuticals. Exploiting these waste resources is challenging, however. It requires that companies develop new technologies and that public authorities introduce new regulation and governance models. This book helps policy-makers govern and regulate bio-based industries, and helps industry actors to identify and exploit new opportunities in the circular bioeconomy. Moreover, it provides important insights for all students and scholars concerned with renewable energy, sustainable development and climate change.
From Workshop to Waste Magnet: Environmental Inequality in the Philadelphia Region
by Diane SicotteLike many industrialized regions, the Philadelphia metro area contains pockets of environmental degradation: neighborhoods littered with abandoned waste sites, polluting factories, and smoke-belching incinerators. However, other neighborhoods within and around the city are relatively pristine. This eye-opening book reveals that such environmental inequalities did not occur by chance, but were instead the result of specific policy decisions that served to exacerbate endemic classism and racism. From Workshop to Waste Magnet presents Philadelphia's environmental history as a bracing case study in mismanagement and injustice. Sociologist Diane Sicotte digs deep into the city's past as a titan of American manufacturing to trace how only a few communities came to host nearly all of the area's polluting and waste disposal land uses. By examining the complex interactions among economic decline, federal regulations, local politics, and shifting ethnic demographics, she not only dissects what went wrong in Philadelphia but also identifies lessons for environmental justice activism today. Sicotte's research tallies both the environmental and social costs of industrial pollution, exposing the devastation that occurs when mass quantities of society's wastes mix with toxic levels of systemic racism and economic inequality. From Workshop to Waste Magnet is a compelling read for anyone concerned with the health of America's cities and the people who live in them.
From the Corn Belt to the Gulf: Societal and Environmental Implications of Alternative Agricultural Futures
by Joan Iverson Nassauer Mary V. Santelmann Donald ScaviaNutrients from farms in the Mississippi River Basin are the leading cause of the Gulf of Mexico‘s 'Dead Zone,' a 5,000 to 7,000 square mile region where declining oxygen levels are threatening the survival of marine life. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf explores how new agricultural policy can help alleviate this problem, and at the same time improve water quality overall, enhance biodiversity, improve the quality of life for the people who live and work in Corn Belt communities, and relieve downstream flooding. The themes of the book are the far-reaching environmental impacts of Corn Belt agriculture, including associated economic and social effects at multiple spatial scales - and the potential for future agricultural policy to address those impacts through changes in agricultural landscapes and practices. We know that the environmental 'footprint' of Corn Belt agriculture extends beyond farmland and adjacent lakes and streams to groundwater, rivers, cities downstream, into the Gulf of Mexico, and, ultimately, to global oceanic and atmospheric systems. And we acknowledge that agricultural policies, including commodity support payments, have economic impacts at the national and international levels. Pressing negotiations with America‘s trade partners, along with increasing societal attention to both the costs and environmental effects of current agricultural policy, are creating momentum for policy change. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf presents innovative, integrated assessments of the agriculture and ecological systems in the Mississippi River Basin along with studies of local Iowa agricultural watersheds. Contributors from multiple academic and professional disciplines discuss how agricultural policies have contributed to current environmental conditions, and, in what the authors term 'alternative futures' for agricultural landscapes, envision how new policy can help achieve more beneficial patterns.
From the Earth's Core to Outer Space
by Ilmari HaapalaFrom the Earth's Core to Outer Space focuses on four themes: (1) Evolving Earth's crust, (2) Changing Baltic Sea, (3) Climate Change, and (4) Planet Earth, third stone from Sun. The focus on these four topics provides both a state of the art review of earth science topics of particular importance to Scandinavia and the Baltic and also the global context in which a consideration of these topics must be made. It finishes by discussing our use of space born technologies for understanding these topics and places the Earth within the context of our neighbouring planets and their satellites. The first theme includes papers on the structure, origin and evolution of the Earth's crust and in particular the ore deposits in Fennoscandia, plate-tectonic drift of Fennoscandia (Baltica), and postglacial isostatic rebound of the crust. The second theme contains papers dealing with changes in the ice season of the Baltic Sea, inflow and stagnation in deep basins, biology of the Baltic Sea, and carbon dioxide balance in sea water. The third theme deals with origin and evolution of oxygen in atmosphere, postglacial climate change, effects of aerosols and greenhouse gases on climate, interplay between anthropogenic and natural factors in the current climate change, and Earth's water resources. The fourth theme includes articles on Earth's space environment, use of satellites in cartography and geodesy, information obtained by space probes on Mars and other planets and their moons, and possibilities to find life on them.