- Table View
- List View
Life in the Megalopolis: Mexico City and Sao Paulo (Questioning Cities)
by Lucia SaThe modern metropolis has been called 'the symbol of our times', and life in it epitomizes, for many, modernity itself. But what to make of inherited ideas of modernity when faced with life in Mexico City and São Paulo, two of the largest metropolises in the world? Is their fractured reality, their brutal social contrasts, and the ever-escalating violence faced by their citizens just an intensification of what Engels described in the first in-depth analysis of an industrial metropolis, nineteenth century Manchester? Or have post-industrial and neo-globalized economies given rise to new forms of urban existence in the so-called developing world? Life in the Megalopolis: Mexico City and São Paulo investigates how such questions are explored in cultural productions from these two Latin American megalopolises, the focus being on literature, film popular music, and visual arts. This book combines close readings of works with a constant reference to theoretical, anthropological and social studies of these two cities, and builds on received definitions of the concept megalopolis Life in the Megalopolis is the first book to combine urban-studies theories (particularly Lefebvre, Harvey, and de Certeau) with Benjaminian cultural analyses, and theoretical discussions with close-readings of recent cultural works in various media. It is also the first book to compare Mexico City and São Paulo.
Life in the Soil: A Guide for Naturalists and Gardeners
by James B. NardiLeonardo da Vinci once mused that “we know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot,” an observation that is as apt today as it was five hundred years ago. The biological world under our toes is often unexplored and unappreciated, yet it teems with life. In one square meter of earth, there lives trillions of bacteria, millions of nematodes, hundreds of thousands of mites, thousands of insects and worms, and hundreds of snails and slugs. But because of their location and size, many of these creatures are as unfamiliar and bizarre to us as anything found at the bottom of the ocean. Lavishly illustrated with nearly three hundred color illustrations and masterfully-rendered black and white drawings throughout, Life in the Soil invites naturalists and gardeners alike to dig in and discover the diverse community of creatures living in the dirt below us. Biologist and acclaimed natural history artist James B. Nardibegins with an introduction to soil ecosystems, revealing the unseen labors of underground organisms maintaining the rich fertility of the earth as they recycle nutrients between the living and mineral worlds. He then introduces readers to a dazzling array of creatures: wolf spiders with glowing red eyes, snails with 120 rows of teeth, and 10,000-year-old fungi, among others. Organized by taxon, Life in the Soil covers everything from slime molds and roundworms to woodlice and dung beetles, as well as vertebrates from salamanders to shrews. The book ultimately explores the crucial role of soil ecosystems in conserving the worlds above and below ground. A unique and illustrative introduction to the many unheralded creatures that inhabit our soils and shape our environment aboveground, Life in the Soil will inform and enrich the naturalist in all of us.
Life in the Universe: Expectations and Constraints (Springer Praxis Books)
by Dirk Schulze-Makuch Louis N. IrwinExamines each of these parameters in crucial depth and makes the argument that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. Considers exotic forms of life that would not have to rely on carbon as the basic chemical element, solar energy as the main energy source, or water as the primary solvent and the question of detecting bio- and geosignatures of such life forms, ranging from earth environments to deep space. Seeks an operational definition of life and investigate the realm of possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter. Avoids scientific jargon wherever possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.
Life in the Wetlands (What on Earth)
by Carolyn ScraceWetlands are not just muddy swamps or murky bogs! They are packed full of amazing plants and animals. Many of these would die without the food, water, and shelter that wetlands provide. Wetlands can be large or small, hot or cold.
Life in the Wild: Observing the Mysterious Lives of 10 Real Animals
by Lizzie DalyWhat can 10 real-life and uniquely jaw-dropping animal journeys teach us about our world, and the ways in which it is changing?As a filmmaker and scientist, Lizzie Daly tells stories about the natural world and uncovers the hidden secrets of our planet. But despite huge advances in technology, there is still so much we don't know about what species get up to in the wild. However, sometimes—just sometimes—we get a small glimpse into what their lives are like.This book tells the tale of our planet's intriguing wildlife. Through 10 real stories, we follow in the footprints of polar bears, big cats, wolves, and jaguars, and explore oceans with whales, sharks, and seabirds. These tales of migration, mystery, and unique behaviors teach us new and exciting information about animal activity and ecology and give us access to some of the most inhospitable corners of our planet.
Life of Inland Waters: An Elementary Text Book of Fresh-Water Biology For Students
by James G. NeedhamThis work is a textbook of fresh-water life dealing with its forms, its conditions, its fitnesses, its associations, and its economic aspects. The ecologic side of fresh-water biology is emphasized. Due consideration is given to the educational, economic, sanitary, social, civic, and aesthetic aspects of the subject.Limnology in America today is in its infancy. The value of its past achievements is just beginning to be appreciated. The benefits to come from a more intensive study of water life arc just beginning to be disclosed. That there is a widespread interest is already manifest in the large number of biological stations at which limnological work is being done.We recommend this volume as a general introduction to all students and teachers of this subject.
Life on Surtsey: Iceland's Upstart Island (Scientists in the Field Series)
by Loree Griffin BurnsOn November 14, 1963, a volcano fifteen miles off the shore of Iceland exploded under the sea, resulting in a brand-new island. Scientists immediately recognized Surtsey for what it was: an opportunity to observe the way life takes hold. Loree Griffin Burns follows entomologist Erling Ólafsson on a five-day trip to Surtsey, where since 1970 he has studied the arrival and survival of insects and other species. Readers see how demanding conditions on Surtsey can be, what it’s like to eat and work while making the smallest impact possible, and the passion driving these remarkable scientists in one of the world’s most unique fields ever!
Life on the Rocks: Building a Future for Coral Reefs
by Juli BerwaldThe story of the urgent fight to save coral reefs, and why it matters to us allCoral reefs are a microcosm of our planet: extraordinarily diverse, deeply interconnected, and full of wonders. When they&’re thriving, these fairy gardens hidden beneath the ocean&’s surface burst with color and life. They sustain bountiful ecosystems and protect vulnerable coasts. Corals themselves are evolutionary marvels that build elaborate limestone formations from their collective skeletons, broker symbiotic relationships with algae, and manufacture their own fluorescent sunblock. But corals across the planet are in the middle of an unprecedented die-off, beset by warming oceans, pollution, damage by humans, and a devastating pandemic.Juli Berwald fell in love with coral reefs as a marine biology student, entranced by their beauty and complexity. Alarmed by their peril, she traveled the world to discover how to prevent their loss. She met scientists and activists operating in emergency mode, doing everything they can think of to prevent coral reefs from disappearing forever. She was so amazed by the ingenuity of these last-ditch efforts that she joined in rescue missions, unexpected partnerships, and risky experiments, and helped rebuild reefs with rebar and zip ties.Life on the Rocks is an inspiring, lucid, meditative ode to the reefs and the undaunted scientists working to save them against almost impossible odds. As she also attempts to help her daughter in her struggle with mental illness, Berwald explores what it means to keep fighting a battle whose outcome is uncertain. She contemplates the inevitable grief of climate change and the beauty of small victories.
Life's Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable
by Paul G. FalkowskiFor almost four billion years, microbes had the primordial oceans all to themselves. The stewards of Earth, these organisms transformed the chemistry of our planet to make it habitable for plants, animals, and us. Life's Engines takes readers deep into the microscopic world to explore how these marvelous creatures made life on Earth possible--and how human life today would cease to exist without them.Paul Falkowski looks "under the hood" of microbes to find the engines of life, the actual working parts that do the biochemical heavy lifting for every living organism on Earth. With insight and humor, he explains how these miniature engines are built--and how they have been appropriated by and assembled like Lego sets within every creature that walks, swims, or flies. Falkowski shows how evolution works to maintain this core machinery of life, and how we and other animals are veritable conglomerations of microbes.A vibrantly entertaining book about the microbes that support our very existence, Life's Engines will inspire wonder about these elegantly complex nanomachines that have driven life since its origin. It also issues a timely warning about the dangers of tinkering with that machinery to make it more "efficient" at meeting the ever-growing demands of humans in the coming century.
Life's Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable (Princeton Science Library #137)
by Paul G. FalkowskiThe marvelous microbes that made life on Earth possible and support our very existenceFor almost four billion years, microbes had the primordial oceans all to themselves. The stewards of Earth, these organisms transformed the chemistry of our planet to make it habitable for plants, animals, and us. Life's Engines takes readers deep into the microscopic world to explore how these marvelous creatures made life on Earth possible—and how human life today would cease to exist without them.Paul Falkowski looks "under the hood" of microbes to find the engines of life, the actual working parts that do the biochemical heavy lifting for every living organism on Earth. With insight and humor, he explains how these miniature engines are built—and how they have been appropriated by and assembled like Lego sets within every creature that walks, swims, or flies. Falkowski shows how evolution works to maintain this core machinery of life, and how we and other animals are veritable conglomerations of microbes.A vibrantly entertaining book about the microbes that support our very existence, Life's Engines will inspire wonder about these elegantly complex nanomachines that have driven life since its origin. It also issues a timely warning about the dangers of tinkering with that machinery to make it more "efficient" at meeting the ever-growing demands of humans in the coming century.
Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Commercial Buildings: An Analysis for Green-Building Implementation Using A Green Star Rating System (Spon Research)
by Khoa N. Le Cuong N. Tran Vivian W. TamThis book develops a model to evaluate and assess life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions based on typical Australian commercial building design options. It also draws comparisons between some of the many green building rating tools that have been developed worldwide to support sustainable development. These include: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) by the Building Research Establishment, Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) by the Japanese Sustainable Building Consortium, and Green Star Environmental Rating System by the Green Building Council of Australia. Life-cycle assessment (LCA), life-cycle energy consumption, and life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions form the three pillars of life-cycle studies, which have been used to evaluate environmental impacts of building construction. Assessment of the life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of buildings is one of the significant obstacles in evaluating green building performance. This book explains the methodology for achieving points for the categories associated with reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the Australian Green Star rating system. The model for the assessment uses GaBi 8.7 platform along with Visual Basic in Microsoft Excel and shows the relationship between the building’s energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions released during the lifetime of the building. The data gathered in the book also illustrates that the green building design and specifications are becoming more popular and are being increasingly utilized in Australia. This book is important reading for anyone interested in sustainable construction, green design and buildings and LCA tools.
Life: A Journey through Science and Politics
by Paul R. EhrlichA renowned scientist and environmental advocate looks back on a life that has straddled the worlds of science and politics “Entirely entertaining.”—Kirkus Reviews Acclaimed as a public scientist and as a spokesperson on pressing environmental and equity issues, delivering his message from the classroom to 60 Minutes, Paul R. Ehrlich reflects on his life, including his love affair with his wife, Anne, his scientific research, his public advocacy, and his concern for global issues. Interweaving the range of his experiences—as an airplane pilot, a desegregationist, a proud parent—Ehrlich’s insights are priceless on pressing issues such as biodiversity loss, overpopulation, depletion of resources, and deterioration of the environment. A lifelong advocate for women’s reproductive rights, Ehrlich also helped to debunk scientific bias associating skin color and intelligence and warned some fifty years ago about a possible pandemic and the likely ecological consequences of a nuclear war. This book is a vital contribution to literature focused on the human predicament, including problems of governance and democracy in the twenty-first century, and insight into the ecological and evolutionary science of our day. It is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding global change, our planet’s wonders, and a scientific approach to the present existential threats to civilization.
LifePlace: Bioregional Thought and Practice
by Robert L. Thayer Jr.This is a passionately written advocacy of bioregionalism, the conviction that people should live, work, play, and consume locally, for the health of the environment and for society. The book is inspirational as well as educational, a combination of philosophy and practical suggestions for implementing bioregionalism in communities.
Lifeblood: Oil, Freedom, and the Forces of Capital (A Quadrant Book)
by Matthew T. HuberIf our oil addiction is so bad for us, why don&’t we kick the habit? Looking beyond the usual culprits—Big Oil, petro-states, and the strategists of empire—Lifeblood finds a deeper and more complex explanation in everyday practices of oil consumption in American culture. Those practices, Matthew T. Huber suggests, have in fact been instrumental in shaping the broader cultural politics of American capitalism.How did gasoline and countless other petroleum products become so central to our notions of the American way of life? Huber traces the answer from the 1930s through the oil shocks of the 1970s to our present predicament, revealing that oil&’s role in defining popular culture extends far beyond material connections between oil, suburbia, and automobility. He shows how oil powered a cultural politics of entrepreneurial life—the very American idea that life itself is a product of individual entrepreneurial capacities. In so doing he uses oil to retell American political history from the triumph of New Deal liberalism to the rise of the New Right, from oil&’s celebration as the lifeblood of postwar capitalism to increasing anxieties over oil addiction.Lifeblood rethinks debates surrounding energy and capitalism, neoliberalism and nature, and the importance of suburbanization in the rightward shift in American politics. Today, Huber tells us, as crises attributable to oil intensify, a populist clamoring for cheap energy has less to do with American excess than with the eroding conditions of life under neoliberalism.
Lifeline Engineering Systems: Network Reliability Analysis and Aseismic Design
by Wei Liu Jie LiThis book, for the first time, introduces comprehensively all main topics of lifeline earthquake engineering, including the structure analysis, network evaluation, and network design. The distinctive features involved in this book are the construction of theories and methods for stochastic analysis of structures based the physical idea, probability analytical algorithms for network evaluation by employing Boolean Algebra, functional evaluation of water distribution networks using hydraulic analysis, and network design methods by employing genetic, simulated annealing, and hybrid algorithms.
Lifelines: The Case For River Conservation
by Tim Palmer"In Lifelines, Tim Palmer addresses the fate of our waterways. While proposals for gigantic federal dams are no longer common, and some of the worst pollution has been brought under control, myriad other concerns have appeared -- many of them more subtle and complex than the threats of the past.Palmer examines the alarming condition of rivers in today's world, reports on the success in restoring some of our most polluted streams and in stopping destructive dams, and builds the case for what must be done to avoid the collapse of riparian ecosystems and to reclaim qualities we cannot do without. He documents the needs for a new level of awareness and suggests ways to avert the plunder of our remaining river legacy.Lifelines offers a fresh perspective on: the values of natural rivers current threats to streams and possibilities for reform the continuing challenge of hydropower development water quality, instream flows, and riparian habitat ecosystem management and watershed protection the need for vision, hope, and action
Lifelong Learning for Green Skills and Sustainable Development: Southern European Perspectives
by Nikša Alfirević Jurica Pavičić Tihomir Žiljak Philippe RistordThis edited book analyses the implementation of green transformation policies and the UN Sustainable Development Goals across the European Union, in the context of lifelong learning and educational practices. The contributions examine how green skills became mainstreamed in member states’ education policies, as well as the social, economic and political circumstances contributing to this process. A focus on lifelong learning (from an early age to adulthood) is maintained throughout the volume, and the book will appeal to researchers, students, policy- and decision-makers in education, environmental and social studies.
Lifetime Environmental Impact of Buildings
by Marc Méquignon Hassan Ait HaddouThis work discusses the impact of the life of buildings on sustainable development methods The study of the lifespan of the building is used to assess and manage the environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product's life, from raw material extraction through to repair, maintenance and 'end of life' scenarios. While several papers have discussed the greenhouse gas emissions of buildings, less research has been done on how these are affected by the lifespan of the building. This book serves to highlight the pertinence of this factor and contributes to providing new ideas on efficiency within the life cycle assessment of a structure.
Light Scattering From Micrometric Mineral Dust and Aggregate Particles: Effects of Structure and Shape Applied to Paleoclimate Studies (Springer Theses)
by Llorenç CremonesiLight scattering from particles in the nanometric and micrometric size range is relevant in several research fields, such as aerosol science and nanotechnology. In many applications, the description of the optical properties of non-spherical, inhomogeneous particles is still inadequate or requires demanding numerical calculations. Lorenz–Mie scattering and effective medium approximations represent currently the main theoretical tools to model such particles, but their effectiveness has been recently called into question.This work examines how the morphology of a particle affects its scattering parameters from an experimental standpoint, supporting findings with extensive simulations. The dust content of Antarctic, Greenlandic, and Alpine ice cores is analysed with a particle-by-particle approach. Moreover, a study on colloidal aggregates shows that correlations among the fields radiated by primary particles are responsible for the poor agreement of effective medium approximations with experimental results. On the theoretical side, an interpretation in terms of the structure factor is given, which satisfactorily describes the data. The insights of this thesis are relevant for quantifying the contribution of mineral dust to the radiative energy balance of the Earth.
Light and Waves: A Conceptual Exploration of Physics
by Steven S. AndrewsThis book explores light and other types of waves, using this as a window into other aspects of physics. It emphasizes a conceptual understanding, using examples chosen from everyday life and the natural environment. For example, it explains how hummingbird feathers create shimmering colors, how musical instruments produce sound, and how atoms stick together to form molecules. It provides a unique perspective on physics by emphasizing commonalities among different types of waves, including string waves, water waves, sound waves, light waves, the matter waves of quantum mechanics, and the gravitational waves of general relativity. This book is targeted toward college non-science majors, advanced high school students, and adults who are curious about our physical world. It assumes familiarity with algebra but no further mathematics and is classroom-ready with many worked examples, exercises, exploratory puzzles, and appendices to support students from a variety of backgrounds.
Light in Architecture: The Intangible Material
by Elisa Valero RamosLight in Architecture explores the role and use of light in and around buildings from the time that Stonehenge was built through to the present day, illustrating how a greater understanding of this intangible and free material will lead us to better architecture and, ultimately, improve our quality of life. Translated and carefully updated from the best-selling Spanish book, La Materia Intangible, this full colour edition explains why light is so fundamental to human perception, how its nature and use are influenced by time and place, and how it has come to be used as a tool for abstract architectural design. Drawing on centuries of thinking and over 40 real-life, international exemplars, the book explores the different ways that light can be harnessed and manipulated to achieve particular objectives, emotions or experiences, as well as how the technologies and techniques for doing so have developed over time.
Light to Life: The miracle of photosynthesis and how it can save the planet
by Raffael Jovine"Read this book and you will learn how photosynthesis was discovered, how it works, and how we can produce more food to feed the world." - PAUL NURSE, Nobel Prize winner and author of What is Life?In Light to Life, biologist Raffael Jovine takes us on a journey of discovery into the intricate, beautiful and often surprising processes that convert energy from the sun into life and how all-important these are to our survival.Despite the unprecedented challenges the Earth faces from global warming, habitat loss, air pollution and population growth; Jovine shows us that there is hope to be found. Photosynthesis is the very source of life: it has the power not just to produce food, but to reshape continents, drive biogeochemical cycles, stabilise the climate and regulate weather.In this exciting, revelatory book, Jovine unveils a blueprint for the future: greening the desert, bringing the ocean on land, planting mangrove forests and oyster banks, growing algae for animal feed, human food and soil carbon... He demonstrates how by harnessing photosynthesis we can regenerate the planet and revise the way we human beings interact with it.This book will help you to see the world in a different way, in all its wonderful detail - through the photosynthetic pigments in your eyes.
Light-Induced Processes in Optically-Tweezed Aerosol Droplets
by Kerry J. KnoxAerosols play a critical role in a broad range of scientific disciplines, such as atmospheric chemistry and physics, combustion science, drug delivery and human health. This thesis explores the fundamentals of a new technique for capturing single or multiple particles using light, and for characterising these particles by Raman or fluorescence spectroscopy. The outcome of this research represents a significant development in optical manipulation techniques, specifically in optical tweezing. These findings can be applied to studies of the mass accommodation of gas-phase water molecules adsorbing onto a water surface. Not only is this a fundamental process of interest to physical chemists, but it is important for understanding the role of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, including their ability to become cloud droplets. This new strategy for investigating aerosol dynamics is fundamental in helping us understand the indirect effect of aerosols on the climate.
Lighting Design: A Perception-Based Approach
by Christopher CuttleBy reading this book, you will develop the skills to perceive a space and its contents in light, and be able to devise a layout of luminaires that will provide that lit appearance. Written by renowned lighting expert Christopher (Kit) Cuttle, the book: explains the difference between vision and perception, which is the distinction between providing lighting to make things visible, and providing it to influence the appearance of everything that is visible; demonstrates how lighting patterns generated by three-dimensional objects interacting with directional lighting are strongly influential upon how the visual perception process enables us to recognize object attributes, such as lightness, colourfulness, texture and gloss; reveals how a designer who understands the role of these lighting patterns in the perceptual process may employ them either to reveal, or to subdue, or to enhance the appearance of selected object attributes by creating appropriate spatial distributions of light; carefully explains calculational techniques and provides easy-to-use spreadsheets, so that layouts of lamps and luminaires are derived that can be relied upon to achieve the required illumination distributions. Practical lighting design involves devising three-dimensional light fields that create luminous hierarchies related to the visual significance of each element within a scene. By providing you with everything you need to develop a design concept - from the understanding of how lighting influences human perceptions of surroundings, through to engineering efficient and effective lighting solutions – Kit Cuttle instills in his readers a new-found confidence in lighting design.