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Black Hills National Forest: Harney Peak and the Historic Fire Lookout Towers
by Jan Cerney Roberta SagoOnce vital to fire prevention and detection, most of the Black Hills National Forest historic lookout towers now serve primarily as hiking destinations. The first crude lookout structures were built at Custer Peak and Harney Peak in 1911. Since that time, more than 20 towers have been constructed in the area. The first lookout towers were built of wood, most replaced by steel or stone. The Civilian Conservation Corps was instrumental in constructing fire towers during the 1930s and 1940s. One of the most famous and architecturally and aesthetically valued towers is the Harney Peak Fire Lookout--situated on the highest point east of the Rocky Mountains. Harney Peak is among a number of Black Hills towers listed on the National Historic Lookout Register. Over 200 vintage images tell the story of not only the historic fire towers but those who manned them. Perched atop high peaks in remote locations, fire lookout personnel spent countless hours scanning the forest, pinpointing dangers, often experiencing the powerful wrath of lightning strong enough to jolt them off their lightning stools.
Black Objects in Supergravity: Proceedings of the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School 2011 (Springer Proceedings in Physics #144)
by Stefano BellucciThis is the sixth volume in a series of books on the general topics of supersymmetry, supergravity, black holes and the attractor mechanism. The present volume is based upon lectures held in May 2011 at the INFN-Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati School on Black Objects in Supergravity (BOSS2011), directed by Stefano Bellucci, with the participation of prestigious lecturers, including G. Lopes Cardoso, W. Chemissany, T. Ortin, J. Perz, O. Vaughan, D. Turton, L. Lusanna and S. Ferrara. All lectures were at a pedagogical, introductory level, a feature which is reflected in the specific "flavor" of this volume, which also benefited greatly from extensive discussions and related reworking of the various contributions.
Black Rice: Research, History and Development
by U. K. S. KushwahaThe main purpose of this book is to introduce black rice to a wider circle of people. Although there has been research on different aspects of black rice, the information is scattered and not easily accessible to laypersons. The book intends to cover all aspects of black rice; from research, history, to its development. As such, the book will be suitable for both rice researchers and non-professionals who want to know more about this unique rice crop.
Black Rice: The African Origins Of Rice Cultivation In The Americas
by Judith A. CarneyFew Americans identify slavery with the cultivation of rice, yet rice was a major plantation crop during the first three centuries of settlement in the Americas. Rice accompanied African slaves across the Middle Passage throughout the New World to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. By the middle of the eighteenth century, rice plantations in South Carolina and the black slaves who worked them had created one of the most profitable economies in the world. Black Rice tells the story of the true provenance of rice in the Americas. It establishes, through agricultural and historical evidence, the vital significance of rice in West African society for a millennium before Europeans arrived and the slave trade began. The standard belief that Europeans introduced rice to West Africa and then brought the knowledge of its cultivation to the Americas is a fundamental fallacy, one which succeeds in effacing the origins of the crop and the role of Africans and African-American slaves in transferring the seed, the cultivation skills, and the cultural practices necessary for establishing it in the New World. In this vivid interpretation of rice and slaves in the Atlantic world, Judith Carney reveals how racism has shaped our historical memory and neglected this critical African contribution to the making of the Americas.
Blackhearts: Ecology in Outback Australia
by Richard SymanskiThis fascinating book is a firsthand account of the adventures of an ornithological field team studying long-tailed finches in outback Australia. In 1991, Nancy Burley, a noted behavioral ecologist, and her husband, Richard Symanski, went to Australia with their one-year-old son and four American students hired as field assistants and babysitter. The social relationships and problems that developed among these individuals in confined and exotic settings and the scientific discoveries that did -- and did not -- take place form the heart of the book. Symanski begins by telling how he and his wife set up this elaborate field expedition -- including the hiring of what seemed to be qualified, compatible, and knowledgeable field assistants. He then describes the harsh realities of their circumstances in Australia: primitive living conditions on an outback cattle station; field sites and subjects for study that were not as expected; and students who were not prepared for the rigors of field life and who became unenthusiastic about the work for which they had been hired. And he tells how he and his wife strove to overcome all the different challenges with which they were confronted. The book provides insight into the demands of professor-student-based fieldwork, particularly when generational conflicts, differing expectations, and culture shock complicate the "business" of doing science.
Blackout: Coal, Climate and the Last Energy Crisis
by Richard HeinbergCoal fuels about 50 percent of US electricity production and provides a quarter of the country's total energy. China and India's ferocious economic growth is based almost entirely on coal-generated electricity.Coal currently looks like a solution to many of our fast-growing energy problems. However, while coal advocates are urging full steam ahead, increasing reliance on the dirtiest of all fossil fuels has crucial implications for the global climate, energy policy, the world economy, and geopolitics.Drawbacks to a coal-based energy strategy include:Scarcity – new studies suggest that the peak of world coal production may actually be less than two decades away.Cost – the quality of produced coal is declining, while the expense of transport is rising, leading to spiraling costs and increasing shortages.Climate impacts - our ability to deal with the historic challenge of climate change will hinge on reducing our coal consumption in future years.Blackout goes to the heart of the tough energy questions that will dominate every sphere of public policy throughout the first half of this century, and is a must-read for planners, educators, and anyone concerned about energy consumption, peak oil and climate change.
Blasting Technology for Underground Hard Rock Mining
by Vivek Kumar Himanshu A. K. Mishra M. P. Roy P. K. SinghThis book presents the principles and practices of rock blasting for underground hard rock mining. It covers a theoretical background of the rock blasting technology and comprehensive case studies on different stages of rock blasting for underground metalliferous mining. It includes the discussions on burn-cut face blasting pattern, slot raise excavation methodology, and ring blasting methods. It further discusses different practical challenges associated with underground blasting, viz. ore dilution, ground vibration, wall instability, etc., and their possible solutions. The book also covers the recent advancements in methodologies to predict blasting outcomes and instrumentations for monitoring rock blasting operations. The book is a useful reference for rock blasting practitioners, mining engineers, professionals, and researchers. It is also a valuable reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Blasting in Mining - New Trends
by Ajoy K. Ghose Akhilesh JoshiBlasting practices in mines have undergone many changes in the recent past and continue to be honed and reconfigured to meet the demands of today�s mining needs. This volume compiles papers of the workshop Blasting in Mines � New Trends, hosted by the Fragblast 10 Symposium . The 17 papers provide a mix which highlight the evolving trends in blasti
Bless Ye the Lord: Praise Song of the Three Holy Children
by Frances TyrrellHere is the song of three children who are calling upon all of creation—the angels, heavenly bodies, seasons, waters, hills, plants, animals, birds, and men—to exalt and glorify the Lord. &“Bless ye the Lord; praise Him, and magnify Him forever . . .&” Their lyrical song of praise and gratitude—reminiscent of St. Francis of Assisi's &“Canticle of the Sun&”—appears in the Book of Daniel in the oldest versions of the Christian Bible, and in the Apocrypha of later editions. Their Hebrew names were Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, and they were also known by their Babylonian names of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Radiant illustrations by artist Frances Tyrrell show scenes of their idyllic childhood days, when the three children were free to explore the hills, fields, and streams of their homeland.
Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World
by June Cotner Nancy Tupper LingA beautifully illustrated collection of poems and prayers to help children develop an appreciation for the natural worldBless the Earth, our faithful friend,her mountain range and river bend,her forest green and canopy,the hidden world of bended trees. Bless the Earth shows the miracle of our planet Earth through beautiful imagery and delightful poetry, calling all people, young and old, to care for our wonderful world. This sweet and welcoming anthology for children ages 3-7 knits together our common humanity and the natural world in an engaging way that is simple for young readers to understand.Bless the Earth contains approximately sixty selections of original as well as classic poems, divided into five chapters each:Dreams for My WorldEarth and SkyAll Creatures, Big and SmallSeasonsCaring for Our World Bless the Earth calls us again and again to understand how important it is to care for our world, respect our neighbors—humans, plants, and animals alike—and reimagine a world that is healthy and whole.
Blessed Unrest
by Paul HawkenOrganizations working to restore the environment and foster social justice collectively comprise the largest movement on earth. This movement with no name, leader, or location is a creative expression of people's needs worldwide.
Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic
by Emily MonossonWinner of the 2024 Phi Beta Kappa Award for Science A New York Times Editors' Choice A Science News Favorite Book of 2023 "Fungi sicken us and fungi sustain us. In either case, we ignore them at our peril." —Elizabeth Kolbert, New York Review of Books A prescient warning about the mysterious and deadly world of fungi—and how to avert further loss across species, including our own. Fungi are everywhere. Most are harmless; some are helpful. A few are killers. Collectively, infectious fungi are the most devastating agents of disease on earth, and a fungus that can persist in the environment without its host is here to stay. In Blight, Emily Monosson documents how trade, travel, and a changing climate are making us all more vulnerable to invasion. Populations of bats, frogs, and salamanders face extinction. In the Northwest, America’s beloved national parks are covered with the spindly corpses of whitebark pines. Food crops are under siege, threatening our coffee, bananas, and wheat—and, more broadly, our global food security. Candida auris, drug-resistant and resilient, infects hospital patients and those with weakened immune systems. Coccidioides, which lives in drier dusty regions, may cause infection in apparently healthy people. The horrors go on. Yet prevention is not impossible. Tracing the history of fungal spread and the most recent discoveries in the field, Monosson meets scientists who are working tirelessly to protect species under threat, and whose innovative approaches to fungal invasion have the potential to save human lives. Delving into case studies at once fascinating, sobering, and hopeful, Blight serves as a wake-up call, a reminder of the delicate interconnectedness of the natural world, and a lesson in seeing life on our planet with renewed humility and awe.
Blitzed by a Blizzard! (Disaster Survivors)
by Joyce MarkovicsOn December 29, 2007, a fierce blizzard hit Olympia National Park in Washington State. Cross-country skier Randy Kraxberger, traveling alone, was caught by himself in the severe winter storm. Park rangers knew they had to save the lost skier. Could their daring rescue effort succeed through blinding snow, high winds, freezing temperatures, and the threat of avalanches? Safety tips show young readers how to stay out of harms way during a blizzard.
Blizzard! The Storm That Changed America
by Jim MurphySnow began falling over New York City on March 12, 1888. All around town, people struggled along slippery streets and sidewalks -- some seeking the warmth of their homes, some to get to work or to care for the less fortunate, and some to experience what they assumed would be the last little snowfall of one of the warmest winters on record. What no one realized was that in a very few hours, the wind and snow would bury the city in nearly 21 inches of snow and bring it to a ferocious standstill.<P><P> Winner of the Sibert Honor
Blizzards (Dangerous Weather)
by Michael AllabyRemain where you are . . . Dig a cave in the snow and shelter in it until conditions improve"-- this is Michael Allaby's advice to anyone caught outdoors in severe blizzard conditions known as "whiteouts." Wandering in search of shelter in such a storm would subject the pursuer to a featureless, disorienting whiteness, rendering senses useless and familiar landmarks unidentifiable. Blizzards describes what distinguishes a blizzard from an ordinary snowstorm, explains how blizzards develop and how they can deliver building-crushing volumes of snow, and chronicles dramatic blizzards of the past and the peculiar counter-intuitive measures required to survive these great white storms. The Dangerous Weather series imparts fundamental weather science to readers through author Michael Allaby's vivid descriptions of extreme weather systems. The series focuses on the five most dangerous kinds of weather activity; diagrams related meteorological, climatological, and environmental basics in clear, compelling language; chronicles the history of each form of dangerous weather; and offers safety precautions for extreme weather conditions. Fully illustrated and indexed, the Dangerous Weather series is an invaluable tool for student research. Other volumes include: hurricanes, tornadoes, floods droughts. Michael Allaby is the author of more than 40 books, mainly on science, natural environmental topics. A few of his previous works include Basics of Environment, The Weather: How It Works, The Environment, and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ecology.
Blizzards (Learn About)
by Natasha VizcarraLearn about wild weather events, including how to prepare for them, with this new series of fascinating books! A blizzard is a storm with high winds that blow snow around. It lasts for more than three hours. Experts say climate change is making these storms even fiercer. Discover why blizzards happen, how they are measured, and how we can prepare for them in Blizzards, a perfect first introduction to the topic for young readers.About This Series:In the era of climate change, wild weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, and blizzards are becoming more frequent and more destructive. Now more than ever, education around these topics is essential. Using age-appropriate language and easy-to-understand science, the books in this series will offer a first exploration of different wild weather events that can be unleashed on Earth: why they happen, how they are measured, and how we can prepare for them. Illustrated with arresting full-color photography and sprinkled with fascinating facts, these books will follow pioneering climate change curricula for early elementary grades across the United States.
Blizzards (World Book's Library of Natural Disasters)
by Philip Steele"A discussion of a major type of natural disaster, including descriptions of some of the most destructive; explanations of these phenomena, what causes them, and where they occur; and information about how to prepare for and survive these forces of nature. Features include an activity, glossary, list of resources, and index"--Provided by publisher. This is the second edition.
Blockchain Technologies in the Textile and Fashion Industry (Textile Science and Clothing Technology)
by Subramanian Senthilkannan MuthuThis book presents applications of blockchain technologies to foster sustainable development in the textile and clothing supply chain. The concept of Textiles and Fashion Sustainability has grown to a wider extent today. Among the list of items to achieve Sustainability in Textiles and Fashion, the key element is the traceability of supply chains in terms of mapping and tracing the entire supply chain to ensure sustainable supply chain management. Reliable and transparent, efficient data is one of the crucial requirements for Textiles and Fashion Sustainability in today’s advanced industrial context and this is possible in this advanced era by various technological advancements such as Block chain technologies. These days one can see a widespread application of blockchain technology in the Textiles and Clothing sector. The core competencies of blockchain technology namely transparency, data auditability, privacy, value transfer, and process efficiency and automation are very much essential for achieving the multifold objectives under the theme Textiles and Fashion Sustainability.
Blockchain for Business: A Practical Guide for the Next Frontier
by Yannis KalfoglouThis book sets out to explain blockchain for the non-technical expert, to decipher the dense technicalities that dominate the field and to present the opportunities for busy professionals using practical applications and case studies. Presented in a clear and structured way and with documented real-world cases, the book is a practical reference guide that can be used across different industries. It offers both a constructive and critical review of the pain points blockchain is facing today, illustrates the pitfalls as well as the opportunities for business and describes the steps towards overcoming them. It also aims to provide a unique view of both the intersection and synergy of blockchain with other emerging technologies and the wider digital ecosystem, as we see increasingly that blockchain alone won’t be able to deliver business solutions. Most important, the book identifies trends and a path for the future of blockchain and its impact on society as a whole. The book is written for business audiences across all sectors. It is not a technical guide to blockchain, but it enables businesspeople to be better informed and prepared to plan ahead and develop strategies using blockchain.
Blockchain: Transforming Your Business and Our World
by Mark Van Rijmenam Philippa RyanThe internet was envisaged as a decentralised global network, but in the past 25 years it has come to be controlled by a few, very powerful, centralised companies. Blockchain is a technological paradigm shift that allows secure, reliable, and direct information transfer between individuals, organisations, and things, so that we can manage, verify, and control the use of our own data. Blockchain also offers a new opportunity for humanity to fix some major problems. It can authenticate data, manage its analysis, and automate its use. With better data comes better decision-making. In this way, Blockchain can contribute to solving climate change, reduce voting fraud, fix our identity systems, improve fair trade, and give the poor an opportunity to improve their lives by monetising their (digital) capital. A world built upon peer-to-peer transactions and smart contracts can empower individuals and communities. This book offers a fresh perspective with which to consider this transformative technology. It describes how Blockchain can optimise the processes that run our society. It provides practical solutions to global problems and offers a roadmap to incorporate Blockchain in your business. It offers a blueprint for a better world. Filled with easy-to-understand examples, this book shows how Blockchain can take over where the internet has fallen short.
Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Deadly Path of the World's Most Precious Stones
by Greg CampbellFirst discovered in 1930, the diamonds of Sierra Leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. These "blood diamonds" are smuggled out of West Africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in London, Antwerp, and New York, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. Eventually, these very diamonds find their way into the rings and necklaces of brides and spouses the world over. Blood Diamonds is the gripping tale of how the diamond smuggling works, how the rebel war has effectively destroyed Sierra Leone and its people, and how the policies of the diamond industry - institutionalized in the 1880s by the De Beers cartel - have allowed it to happen. Award-winning journalist Greg Campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds, many of which are brought to the world market by fanatical enemies. These repercussions of diamond smuggling are felt far beyond the borders of the poor and war-ridden country of Sierra Leone, and the consequences of overlooking this African tragedy are both shockingly deadly and unquestionably global. Updated with a new epilogue.
Blood Memory: The Tragic Decline and Improbable Resurrection of the American Buffalo
by Ken Burns Dayton DuncanThe epic story of the buffalo in America, from prehistoric times to today—a moving and beautifully illustrated work of natural historyThe American buffalo—our nation&’s official mammal—is an improbable, shaggy beast that has found itself at the center of many of our most mythic and sometimes heartbreaking tales. The largest land animals in the Western Hemisphere, they are survivors of a mass extinction that erased ancient species that were even larger. For nearly 10,000 years, they evolved alongside Native people who weaved them into every aspect of daily life; relied on them for food, clothing, and shelter; and revered them as equals.Newcomers to the continent found the buffalo fascinating at first, but in time they came to consider them a hindrance to a young nation&’s expansion. And in the space of only a decade, they were slaughtered by the millions for their hides, with their carcasses left to rot on the prairies. Then, teetering on the brink of disappearing from the face of the earth, they would be rescued by a motley collection of Americans, each of them driven by different—and sometimes competing—impulses. This is the rich and complicated story of a young republic's heedless rush to conquer a continent, but also of the dawn of the conservation era—a story of America at its very best and worst.
Blood of the Tiger
by J. A. MillsBlood of the Tiger takes readers on a wild ride to save one of the world's rarest animals from a band of Chinese billionaires. Many people think wild tigers are on the road to recovery, but they are in greater danger than ever--from a menace few experts saw coming. There may be only three thousand wild tigers left in the entire world. More shocking is the fact that twice that many--some six thousand--have been bred on farms, not for traditional medicine but to supply a luxury-goods industry that secretly sells tiger-bone wine, tiger-skin décor, and exotic cuisine enjoyed by China's elite. Two decades ago, international wildlife investigator J. A. Mills went undercover to expose bear farming in China and discovered the plot to turn tigers into nothing more than livestock. Thus begins the story of a personal crusade in which Mills mobilizes international forces to awaken the world to a conspiracy so pervasive that it threatens every last tiger in the wild. In this memoir of triumph, heartbreak, and geopolitical intrigue, Mills and a host of heroic comrades try to thwart a Chinese cadre's plan to launch billion-dollar industries banking on the extinction of not just wild tigers but also elephants and rhinos. Her journey takes her across Asia, into the jungles of India and Nepal, to Russia and Africa, traveling by means from elephant back to presidential motorcade, in the company of man-eaters, movie stars, and world leaders. She finds reason for hope in the increasing number of Chinese who do not want the blood of the last wild tigers to stain their beloved culture and motherland. Set against the backdrop of China's ascendance to world dominance, Blood of the Tiger tells of a global fight to rein in the forces of greed on behalf of one of the world's most treasured and endangered animals. From the Hardcover edition.
Blood on the Coal: The True Story of the Great Springhill Mine Disaster
by Ken CuthbertsonThe riveting true story of one of Canada’s worst mining disasters, told in the voices of the men who survived itThey said it was the world’s deepest and most dangerous coal mine. Those who made that claim were probably correct. What is certain is that in October 1958, the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation’s No. 2 colliery at Springhill, Nova Scotia, was a leading candidate for both those dubious distinctions. The mine was the proverbial “disaster waiting to happen.” And it did. Springhill was the quintessential one-industry town, whose existence depended on coal, a commodity with a dying market. And yet something far worse was soon to come. On the night of October 23, 1958, a “bump” in the mine—actually a small earthquake—shook the ground beneath the town. Seventy-five miners died and scores more were injured in what remains one of Canada’s worst underground disasters. The lives of the survivors were shattered, and Springhill would never be the same again. In compelling detail, Ken Cuthbertson tells the stories of three of the miners and one of the doctors who cared for them following the disaster. This remarkable book is based on historical documents and interviews, as well as new interviews with the last of the surviving miners and their loved ones. It is a story of heroism, sacrifice and the indomitable strength of the human spirit.
Blowholes, Book Gills, and Butt-Breathers: The Strange Ways Animals Get Oxygen (How Nature Works #0)
by Doug WechslerSpectacular nature photography: Weird and wonderful, as only nature can be! Explores a question unasked by any other book for young readers: What can we learn about nature and evolution from the bizarre and exotic ways some animals have evolved to get life-giving oxygen? An inquiry-based book designed to stimulate active minds; a STEM standout from a celebrated nature photographer and writer.