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Galapagos: World's End
by William Beebe"Galápagos is a glorious book. It is high romance, exact science, fascinating history, wild adventure."--NationThe Galápagos Islands are famed for their remarkable wildlife, including land and marine iguanas, land tortoises, four-eyed fish, and flightless cormorants and albatross. In 1835, Charles Darwin observed variations among the islands' species that inspired him to formulate the theory of natural selection. Eighty-eight years later, in 1923, a scientific expedition sponsored by the New York Zoological Society followed in Darwin's wake. Led by renowned biologist and explorer William Beebe, the scientists visited the the islands to study and obtain specimens of indigenous plants and animals. This is Beebe's personal account of that fascinating expedition.Combining rare literary skill with careful research, Beebe produced an exceptionally readable volume, replete with youthful enthusiasm, a romantic's awe before the mysteries of nature, and a scientist's passion for accurate description. He recounts the expedition's enormously productive results, including specimens of 60 species previously unknown to science, and an unparalleled accumulation of data that stimulated many scientific papers and new avenues of naturalistic inquiry. Beebe's account is enhanced with more than 100 splendid illustrations, selected from hundreds of paintings, drawings, and photographs by expedition members. A classic of popular science, it is scientifically rigorous as well as exciting and accessible.
Galápagos: Islands of Change
by Leslie BulionA poetic introduction to a distinctive island ecosystem that is home to many species found nowhere else on Earth.Using the same poetry/science note format as Serengeti, Galápagos tells the complex story of a young volcanic ecosystem influenced by seasonal ocean currents, where food energy moves through integrated land and sea communities, each in its own season of growth and renewal.Millions of years ago, undersea volcanos in the eastern Pacific Ocean erupted, spewing up lava, rocks, and ash that eventually formed a cluster of islands: the archipelago known as the Galápagos Islands. Over time, castaway plants and animals from hundreds of miles away arrived on the rocky shores and adapted to each island&’s changing volcanic landscape and seasonal weather variations.In these isolated locations constantly affected by shifting winds and swift ocean currents, much of the wildlife evolved into species found nowhere else on Earth. Some of the many distinctive organisms featured include giant daisy trees, Galápagos penguins, marine iguanas, blue footed boobies, and Galápagos giant tortoises.The well-researched back matter includes poetry notes, a glossary, resources, and a list of the species from this remarkable ecosystem that are highlighted in the book.
Galapagos
by DKLearn all about one of the most unique places on the planet, the Galápagos islands, in this beautifully illustrated children&’s book.This is the ultimate book about the Galápagos for kids, covering the formation of the islands, the fascinating animals that live there, the evolutionary traits of the flora, the diverse climates, the brilliant conservation efforts and much more!This beautifully illustrated and photographic book provides a fascinating tour of the flora, fauna, and geology of the Galapágos islands. Children can learn about the unique and incredible wildlife, volcanoes, climate and Darwin&’s theory of evolution from his visit to the Galápagos. This educational book for children aged 7-11 features:- Pages on geology, evolution, flora and fauna – everything that makes the Galápagos islands incredible and unique- Educational content surrounding the Galapagos islands&’ conservation efforts, endemic species, incredible animals, evolution, geology, migration and much more- Beautiful and unique illustrations paired with expert-written textThe Galapágos islands is one of the most stunning, biologically diverse, nature-rich places on Earth – and this book covers everything that makes them one of the most unique places on the planet.
Galápagos: A Natural History Second Edition
by John C. Kricher Kevin LoughlinA richly illustrated nature tour of Galápagos—now expanded, thoroughly updated, and with more than 650 color photographsGalápagos is a comprehensive, up-to-date, and profusely illustrated natural history of this spectacular archipelago. Offering much more information than identification guides, the book provides detailed accounts and more than 650 color photographs of the islands’ habitats, marine life, reptiles, birds, mammals, and plants, making the book a virtual nature tour of Galápagos.Galápagos experts John Kricher and Kevin Loughlin have thoroughly revised the original text, bringing all the taxonomy up to date and adding a wealth of new information. Individual chapters cover geology, ecology, human history, Darwin’s finches and how Darwin came to his theory of natural selection from his visit to the islands, Galápagos tortoises, marine and land iguanas, mammals, seabirds, landbirds, marine life, and conservation challenges and initiatives. The concluding chapter covers each of the individual islands, including landing sites, unique plant and animal species, and points of interest, and serves as a wonderful guide for visitors as they move from island to island or plan a trip to Galápagos.With its combination of rich text and splendid photos, Galápagos is essential reading for the ecotraveler and nature enthusiast alike.Now with more than 650 color photographs, showing habitats, geology, marine life, and all the commonly encountered reptiles, birds, mammals, and plantsFeatures a detailed island-by-island guide, including landing sites and what visitors can expectEssential reading for the ecotraveler and nature enthusiast
The Galápagos: A Natural History
by Henry NichollsThe natural and human history of the Galapagos Islands--beloved vacation spot, fiery volcanic chain, and one of the critical sites in the history of science The Galapagos were once known to the sailors and pirates who encountered them as Las Encantadas: the enchanted islands, home to exotic creatures and dramatic volcanic scenery. In The Galapagos, science writer Henry Nicholls offers a lively natural and human history of the archipelago, charting its evolution from deserted wilderness to scientific resource (made famous by Charles Darwin) and global ecotourism hot spot. He describes the island chain’s fiery geological origins as well as the long history of human interaction with it, and draws vivid portraits of the Galapagos’ diverse life forms, capturing its awe-inspiring landscapes, its understated flora, its stunning wildlife and, crucially, the origin of new species. Finally, he considers the immense challenges facing the islands and what lies ahead. Nicholls shows that what happens in the Galapagos is not merely an isolated concern, but reflects the future of our species’ relationship with nature--and the fate of our planet.
Galapagos at the Crossroads: Pirates, Biologists, Tourists, and Creationists Battle for Darwin's Cradle of Evolution
by Carol Ann BassettAre the Galapagos really more special than other places? Or are they one example of many microcosms that exist on this fragile planet we call home? I had to conclude that they are unique. Scientists have now said farewell to the Holocene and have rung in a new epoch. They've dubbed it the Anthropocene--a human dominated age in which urban-industrial society has contributed to global warming, mass extinctions, the displacement of species and cultures, and the depletion of non-renewable resources. The impacts, they say, are permanent; the course of evolution itself has been thrust into the unknown.
Galapagos Islands: A Natural History Guide
by Pierre ConstantThe wildlife paradise of the Galapagos Islands, long regarded as a mysterious and desolate spot, is a showcase of evolution in action. A spawning ground for Charles Darwin's famous theory, the islands have become a National Park dedicated to the conservation of many unique species threatened with extinction. Pierre Constant provides detailed descriptions of the geology and natural history of the archipelago, the visitors' sites, as well as the spectacular sea and land birds, peculiar reptiles, playful mammals and amazing marine life that make their homes there.
Galileo and the Magic Numbers
by Sidney RosenSixteenth century Italy produced a genius who marked the world with his studies and hypotheses about mathematical, physical and astronomical truths. His father, musician Vincenzio Galilei said, &“Truth is not found behind a man&’s reputation. Truth appears only when the answers to questions are searched out by a free mind. This is not the easy path in life but it is the most rewarding.&” Galileo challenged divine law and the physics of Aristotle, and questioned everything in search of truths. And it was through this quest for truth that he was able to establish a structure for modern science.
Galileo and the Magic Numbers
by Sidney RosenThis &“enjoyable&” biography of the brilliant astronomer will intrigue young people who are &“bored with the textbook approach to science&” (The New York Times Book Review). Sixteenth century Italy produced Galileo, a genius who marked the world with his studies and hypotheses about mathematical, physical, and astronomical truths. His father, musician Vincenzio Galilei said, &“Truth is not found behind a man&’s reputation. Truth appears only when the answers to questions are searched out by a free mind. This is not the easy path in life but it is the most rewarding.&” Galileo challenged divine law and the physics of Aristotle, and questioned everything in search of truths. And it was through this quest for truth that he was able to establish a structure for modern science.
The Gallatin Way to Yellowstone (Transportation)
by Duncan T. PattenThe Gallatin Way, a picturesque route heading south through the canyon to the west gate of Yellowstone, boasts a history covering more than a century of exploration, homesteading and development. Early pioneers and adventurers endured a rugged and unforgiving terrain where today's travelers speed along a modern highway. One might expect to see dramatic shifts, yet little change is evident in some areas, while others teem with contemporary luxuries. Pairing historic and modern photography of the same locations, Duncan T. Patten retraces the marvel of this iconic thoroughfare.
Galloway: Life In a Vanishing Landscape
by Patrick LaurieOn the land of his ancestors in Scotland, a young farmer struggles to find a balance between farming, the conservation of wild, and human culture as he establishes a herd of heritage cattle.Galloway, an ancient region in an obscure corner of Scotland, has a proud and unique heritage based on hardy cattle and wide moors. But as the twentieth century progressed, the people of Galloway deserted the land and the moors are transforming into a vast commercial forest. Desperate to connect with his native land, Patrick Laurie plunges into work on his family farm. Investing in the oldest and most traditional breeds of Galloway cattle, he begins to discover how cows—and the special care that this breed requires—once shaped people, places, and nature in this remote and half-hidden place. As the cattle begin to dictate the pattern of his life, Laurie stumbles upon another loss; the new forests have driven the catastrophic decline of the much-loved curlew, a bird that features strongly in Galloway's consciousness. The links between people, cattle, and wild birds become a central theme as Laurie begins to face the reality of life in a vanishing landscape. Exploring the delicate balance between farming and conservation while recounting an extraordinarily powerful personal story, Galloway delves into the relationship between people and places under pressure in the modern world.
Galveston: A History (Fred Rider Cotten Popular History Ser. #15)
by David G. MccombOn the Gulf edge of Texas between land and sea stands Galveston Island. Shaped continually by wind and water, it is one of earth's ongoing creations time is forever new. Here, on the shoreline, embraced by the waves, a person can still feel the heartbeat of nature. And yet, for all the idyllic possibilities, Galveston's history has been anything but tranquil. Across Galveston's sands have walked Indians, pirates, revolutionaries, the richest men of nineteenth-century Texas, soldiers, sailors, bootleggers, gamblers, prostitutes, physicians, entertainers, engineers, and preservationists. Major events in the island's past include hurricanes, yellow fever, smuggling, vice, the Civil War, the building of a medical school and port, raids by the Texas Rangers, and, always, the struggle to live in a precarious location. Galveston: A History is at the forefront of a trend in writing urban biographies emphasizing technology as the dynamic force in urban development. David McComb explores this often contradictory relationship between technology and the city, and provides a guide to both Galveston history and the dynamics of urban development.
Galveston's Summer of the Storm
by Julie LakeA fourteen-year-old girl from Austin spends the summer of 1900 at her grandmother's home in Galveston and is caught in the Great Hurricane of September 8, 1900.
Gambling on Ore: The Nature of Metal Mining in the United States, 1860-1910
by Kent CurtisGambling on Ore examines the development of the western mining industry from the tumultuous and violent Gold Rush to the elevation of large-scale copper mining in the early twentieth century, using Montana as representative of mining developments in the broader US mining west. Employing abundant new historical evidence in key primary and secondary sources, Curtis tells the story of the inescapable relationship of mining to nature in the modern world as the United States moved from a primarily agricultural society to a mining nation in the second half of the nineteenth century.In Montana, legal issues and politics--such as unexpected consequences of federal mining law and the electrification of the United States--further complicated the mining industry's already complex relationship to geology, while government policy, legal frameworks, dominant understandings of nature, and the exigencies of profit and production drove the industry in momentous and surprising directions. Despite its many uncertainties, mining became an important part of American culture and daily life. Gambling on Ore unpacks the tangled relationships between mining and the natural world that gave material possibility to the age of electricity. Metal mining has had a profound influence on the human ecology and the social relationships of North America through the twentieth century and throughout the world after World War II. Understanding how we forged these relationships is central to understanding the environmental history of the United States after 1850.
Game Changers: Energy on the Move
by Edited by George Shultz and Robert ArmstrongIt is becoming increasingly obvious that the United States needs reliable and inexpensive energy to propel our economy and protect our national security interests. Game Changers presents five research and development efforts from American universities that offer a cheaper, cleaner, and more secure national energy system. Drawing from the efforts of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and other leading university research centers, the book describes some of the energy innovations that will transform our future: natural gas from shales, solar photovoltaics, grid-scale electricity storage, electric cars, and LED lighting. For each of these innovations, the authors detail what is available today, what is near at hand, and what is on the horizon. In addition, they show how extreme energy reliability and performance demands put the United States military at the leading edge of driving energy innovations, and survey potentially game-changing energy technologies currently being put into use by the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, on base and in forward deployment. The more choices our laboratories put on the table, the less constrained we are in using them to reach the things we really care about—health, family, business, culture, faith, and delight. This is what game changers are ultimately about.
A Game of Golf: A Book of Reminiscence (The\sportstown Ser.)
by Francis OuimetFrancis Ouimet (1893-1967) was an unknown twenty-year-old amateur when he upset famed British golfers Harry Vardon and Ted Ray to win the 1913 U.S. Open. That spectacular victory at The Country Club (TCC) made him America’s first golf hero, drew new fans to the sport, and forever altered the image of golf as a stuffy, rich man’s game dominated by British and Scottish players.In this engaging memoir, first published in 1932, Ouimet reminisces about his life in golf and gives sage advice on playing the game. He vividly chronicles the boyhood he spent at his modest home across the street from The Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts. With charm and wit he recalls how he scavenged for golf balls and clubs, learned to play on a homemade, three-hole course in his backyard, and sneaked onto The Country Club’s fairways to practice in the early morning hours. He recounts his caddying years, starting at age nine, the early amateur competitions, and the momentous 1913 U.S. Open tournament on his neighborhood course.Legendary is the story of Ouimet and his caddy, Eddie Lowery. Ouimet refused an experienced TCC member’s offer to carry his clubs during the 1913 playoff in favor of the ten-year-old boy.Ouimet’s illustrious amateur career journeys across the fairways of Hoylake, St. Andrews, Garden City, and Pebble Beach, and concludes with his victory in the 1931 U.S. National Amateur at Beverly Hills in Chicago.Brimming with exciting matches and great players such as Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen, these humble reminiscences of the working-class kid who changed the game of golf will inspire golf enthusiasts and general readers alike.
Game Theory and Climate Change
by Parkash ChanderDespite the growing consensus on the need for action to counteract climate change, complex economic and political forces have so far prevented international actors from making much headway toward resolving the problem. Most approaches to climate change are based in economics and environmental science; in this book, Parkash Chander argues that we can make further progress on the climate change impasse by considering a third approach—game theory.Chander shows that a game-theoretic approach, which offers insight into the nature of interactions between sovereign countries behaving strategically and the kinds of outcomes such interactions produce, can illuminate how best to achieve international agreements in support of climate-change mitigation strategies. Game Theory and Climate Change develops a conceptual framework with which to analyze climate change as a strategic or dynamic game, bringing together cooperative and noncooperative game theory and providing practical analyses of international negotiations. Chander offers economic and game-theoretic interpretations of both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement and argues that the Paris Agreement may succeed where the Kyoto Protocol failed. Finally, Chander discusses the policy recommendations his framework generates, including a global agreement to support development of cleaner technologies on a global scale.
Game Theory and Fisheries Management: Theory and Applications
by Lone Grønbæk Marko Lindroos Gordon Munro Pedro PintassilgoThis book is the first to present in a systematic manner the application of game theory to fisheries management at both international and national levels. Strategic interaction among fishers and nations exploiting fishery resources is an inescapable fact of life. This has long been recognized at the international level, and is becoming increasingly recognized at the national/regional level. It follows, therefore, that, in order to be able to analyse effectively the management of these resources, the theory of strategic interaction ̶ game theory ̶ must be brought to bear. In this book the step-by-step development of the game theory is accompanied by numerous applications to the real world of fisheries management policy. As such, it is designed to appeal to policy makers and stakeholders, as well as to graduate students in Economics.
The Game Warden's Son
by Steven T. CallanA game warden’s “dynamic and authoritative” memoir of protecting the wild, named Best Outdoor Book of 2016 by the Outdoor Writers Association of California (New York Daily News). Retired game warden Steven T. Callan’s love of nature and passion for protecting wildlife took root long before the adventures he describes in his acclaimed memoir, Badges, Bears, and Eagles. In this follow up, he intertwines more than a half-century of adventures and investigations with stories of his relationship with his father. After an idyllic boyhood spent riding on patrol with his father in the canyons and beaches of California, Steven himself became a game warden in the early 1970s, joining the “desert rats” who patrolled the counties along the Colorado River. With wry humor, Callan tells how he and fellow officers outwitted perpetrators—most of them crafty, some of them hilariously foolish—who poached deer, lobsters, and abalone, baited bears, shot wild ducks to supply restaurants, and killed songbirds for epicurean dinner tables. Their cases took them across the Channel Islands, through the back alleys of San Francisco, into the Sierras, and along California’s pristine North Coast—all to protect California’s natural resources for future generations. “Callan’s writing is dynamic and authoritative, with an episodic structure that will keep experts and novice readers turning the pages” (New York Daily News).
Games and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City (Routledge Research in Sustainable Urbanism)
by Dale Leorke Marcus OwensThis book explores what games and play can tell us about contemporary processes of urbanization and examines how the dynamics of gaming can help us understand the interurban competition that underpins the entrepreneurialism of the smart and creative city. Game and Play in the Creative, Smart and Ecological City is a collection of chapters written by an interdisciplinary group of scholars from game studies, media studies, play studies, architecture, landscape architecture and urban planning. It situates the historical evolution of play and games in the urban landscape and outlines the scope of the various ways games and play contribute to the city’s economy, cultural life and environmental concerns. In connecting games and play more concretely to urban discourses and design strategies, this book urges scholars to consider their growing contribution to three overarching sets of discourses that dominate urban planning and policy today: the creative and cultural economies of cities; the smart and playable city; and ecological cities. This interdisciplinary work will be of great interest to students and scholars of game studies, play studies, landscape architecture (and allied design fields), urban geography, and art history.
The Ganga
by Pranab Kumar ParuaThe geo-hydro-morphometry of the river Ganges has a history of long and wide variations as the river is continuously fed by the high Himalayas hill ranges, the highest in the world. The river is categorized as an international one, passing through several independent countries. The major flow of the river used to flow through the branch river, Bhagirathi-Hooghly on the banks of which both city and port of Calcutta (now renamed Kolkata) are situated. However, due to massive tectonic and morphological changes, the flow through the branch river has gradually decreased resulting in enormous damages to the port and the city. After more than a century of investigations on the probable causes of deterioration and its remedies, a barrage across the river had been constructed near a place called Farakka in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India for diversion of a part of lean season flow (40,000 cu secs) from the parent river to the branch river for the resuscitation of the branch river and revitalization of the port of Calcutta. The turmoil started since the construction of barrage between 1965-1975 and the major neighbouring countries, India and Bangladesh, were locked in the dispute over sharing the water of the parent river. After several rounds of discussions at different levels between the two countries, short-term agreements were signed two times, one in 1977 and the other in 1985, and finally one long term Treaty was signed in 1996 between the two countries in an atmosphere of peaceful co-existence. Audience: The book will be of interest to researchers and scientists, professionals and policymakers in water resources management and environmental science, conservation policy and development research.
Ganges: The Many Pasts of an Indian River
by Sudipta SenA sweeping, interdisciplinary history of the world’s third-largest river, a potent symbol across South Asia and the Hindu diaspora Originating in the Himalayas and flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the Ganges is India’s most important and sacred river. In this unprecedented work, historian Sudipta Sen tells the story of the Ganges, from the communities that arose on its banks to the merchants that navigated its waters, and the way it came to occupy center stage in the history and culture of the subcontinent. Sen begins his chronicle in prehistoric India, tracing the river’s first settlers, its myths of origin in the Hindu tradition, and its significance during the ascendancy of popular Buddhism. In the following centuries, Indian empires, Central Asian regimes, European merchants, the British Empire, and the Indian nation-state all shaped the identity and ecology of the river. Weaving together geography, environmental politics, and religious history, Sen offers in this lavishly illustrated volume a remarkable portrait of one of the world’s largest and most densely populated river basins.
The Ganges River Basin: Status and Challenges in Water, Environment and Livelihoods (Earthscan Series on Major River Basins of the World)
by Luna Bharati Bharat R. Sharma Vladimir SmakhtinThe Ganges is one of the most complex yet fascinating river systems in the world. The basin is characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity from climatic, hydrological, geomorphological, cultural, environmental and socio-economic perspectives. More than 500 million people are directly or indirectly dependent upon the Ganges River Basin, which spans China, Nepal, India and Bangladesh. While there are many books covering one aspect of the Ganges, ranging from hydrology to cultural significance, this book is unique in presenting a comprehensive inter-disciplinary overview of the key issues and challenges facing the region. Contributors from the three main riparian nations assess the status and trends of water resources, including the Himalayas, groundwater, pollution, floods, drought and climate change. They describe livelihood systems in the basin, and the social, economic, geopolitical and institutional constraints, including transboundary disputes, to achieving productive, sustainable and equitable water access. Management of the main water-use sectors and their inter-linkages are reviewed, as well as the sustainability and trade-offs in conservation of natural systems and resource development such as for hydropower or agriculture.
Gap Gardening: Selected Poems
by Rosmarie WaldropAn essential edition of a major avant-garde poet: “Waldrop compels us to seek out new superlatives” (Ben Lerner, Jacket) Rosmarie Waldrop says Gap Gardening “spans forty years of exploring the language I breathe and move in and that continues to condition me even while I try to contribute to it. It tracks my turn from verse to prose poems, to focusing on the sentence and its boundaries, my increasing reliance on collage and source texts as a way of engaging with other voices, of being in dialogue.” Gap Gardening also traces Waldrop’s growing sense of writing as an exploration of what happens in between. Between words, sentences, people, cultures. Between fragment and flow, thinking and feeling, mind and body. For the first time, we have a complete and clear view of the work of a great and inquiring, brave and indispensable poet.
Garbage In, Garbage Out: Solving the Problems with Long-distance Trash Transport
by Vivian E. ThomsonYour garbage is going places you'd never imagine. What used to be sent to the local dump now may move hundreds of miles by truck and barge to its final resting place. Virtually all forms of pollution migrate, subjected to natural forces such as wind and water currents. The movement of garbage, however, is under human control. Its patterns of migration reveal much about power sharing among state, local, and national institutions, about the Constitution's protection of trash transport as a commercial activity, and about competing notions of social fairness. In Garbage In, Garbage Out, Vivian Thomson looks at Virginia's status as the second-largest importer of trash in the United States and uses it as a touchstone for exploring the many controversies around trash generation and disposal.Political conflicts over waste management have been felt at all levels of government. Local governments who want to manage their own trash have fought other local governments hosting huge landfills that depend on trash generated hundreds of miles away. State governments have tried to avoid becoming the dumping grounds for cities hundreds of miles away. The constitutional questions raised in these battles have kept interstate trash transport on Congress's agenda since the early 1990s. Whether the resulting legislative proposals actually address our most critical garbage-related problems, however, remains in question.Thomson sheds much-needed light on these problems. Within the context of increased interstate trash transport and the trend toward privatization of waste management, she examines the garbage issue from a number of perspectives--including the links between environmental justice and trash management, a critical evaluation of the theoretical and empirical relationship between economic growth and environmental improvement, and highlighting the ways in which waste management practices in the US differ from those in the European Union and Japan. Thomson then provides specific, substantive recommendations for our own policymakers.Everything eventually becomes trash. As we explore the long, often surprising, routes our garbage takes, we begin to understand that it is something more than a mere nuisance that regularly "disappears" from our curbside. Rather, trash generation and management reflect patterns of consumption, political choices over whether garbage is primarily pollution or commerce, the social distribution of environmental risk, and how our daily lives compare with those of our counterparts in other industrialized nations.