Book Description

In its first three editions, edited by Robert and Nancy Dorfman, Economics of the Environment gained a tremendous readership in courses offered at hundreds of colleges and universities around the world. Now under the editorship of Robert N. Stavins, this Fourth Edition extends the tradition of excellence achieved by its predecessors, offering a new generation of students the strongest possible grounding in the primary literature. The readings in this volume, selected for their accessibility, coverage, and currency, span the full scope of environmental economics, and their authors comprise a veritable Who's Who of the field. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (3)

Used in UGA graduate class
This book is actually used as one of two required textbooks for my graduate-level Ecology class at the Institute of Ecology at The University of Georgia. It is a great collection of foundational papers in Ecology for anyone interested in this area of study. It is an excellent reference resource to have handy for any serious Ecology student, professor, fanatic, etc.

A Must Have for any serious student
Nearly a decade ago my colleague Bill Drury and I ran into each other in the hall, each of us waving this book & on the way to give it to the other. We had both been teaching out of endless stacks of xeroxes of xeroxes because neither of us had any time for conventioal textbooks. Bless Real & Brown for putting together not only some really key papers but also intelligent thoughtful commentary by some of the leading lights in the field. I have used the book ever since it came out & my students find it a valuable resource to take off to grad school. I must admit that while the selection is lovely there ARE some missing pieces & the xeroxes of xeroxes haven't altogether disappeared, but this is far and away the best out there to date. So, when can we expect the 2nd addition?

important contribution to theoretical ecology
there are not many books on the theoretical background of ecology available, yet. hence, "foundations of ecology" is a valuable contribution to the discussion on ecological (self-)identity. not only are the papers selected of great importance on their own, the additional introductory sequences also succeed to put pieces together, to display the broad horizont and context, in which they ought to be understood, and show the contemporary view of historical scientific work. a lot of my personal theoretical considerations would have been impossible without information and motivation this book offered. ... Read more

Book Description

This full-color, introductory environmental science text is known for being concise, conceptual and value-priced. The approach and reading level cover the basic concepts without overloading students with too much detail. The central theme throughout the text is interrelatedness. The authors identify major issues and give appropriate examples that illustrate the complex interactions that are characteristic of all environmental problems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Environmental Science
I have used this book in my Environmental Biology classes at Stanly Community College. It is well written, but at a reading level not beyond that of most high school graduates. It covers basic knowledge and current environmental problems. I really enjoy the Global Perspective sections. I highly recommend this book as a beginning environmental science book. ... Read more

Book Description

A strongly-argued critique of environmentalism from the right - the conservative's answer to Al Gore's Earth in the Balance.

Libertarian activist Peter Huber argues that liberal or "Soft Green" environmental policies do exactly the opposite of what they intend, and lays out the conservative or Hard Green approach to the problem. While both groups share the larger objectives, the Hard Greens disagree with and reject most of what the Softs diagnose as the source of despoliation and environmental decay, and accordingly reject most of the solutions that Softs prescribe. Chapter by chapter, Hard Green takes on the big issues of environmental discourse from scarcity and pollution to efficiency and waste disposal. Designed to radically change the terms of environmental debate, Hard Green will be a manifesto for every conservative who cares about the environment.

This book sets out the case for Hard Green, a conservative environmental agenda. Modern environmentalism, Peter Huber argues, destroys the environment. Captured as it has been by the Soft Green oligarchy of scientists, regulators, and lawyers, modern environmentalism does not conserve forests, oceans, lakes, and streams - it hastens their destruction. For all its scientific pretension, Soft Green is not green at all. Its effects are the opposites of green.

This book lays out the alternative: a return to Yellowstone and the National Forests, the original environmentalism of Theodore Roosevelt and the conservation movement. Chapter by chapter, Hard Green takes on the big issues of environmental discourse from scarcity and pollution to efficiency and waste disposal. This is the Hard Green manifesto: Rediscover T.R. Reaffirm the conservationist ethic. Expose the Soft Green fallacy. Reverse the Soft Green agenda. Save the environment from the environmentalists. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Why We Disagree About Hard Green
I'm not surprised that the reviewers appearing in Amazon.com disagree profoundly on the whether this is a "good" book. I've read "Hard Green" closely several times, discussed my likes and dislikes with its author, and have written three published reviews, and I'm still torn over whether I like or dislike this book.

Huber is simply magnificent at debunking the myths of radical environmentalism. If you are a "true believer" or a fan of Brown, Carson, Capra, Colburn, etc. etc. this book is a must read. It will challenge you to go beyond the fundraising letters and newsletters that often constitute "research" for most environmentalists.

Huber's achievement, though, is compromised by two things. The first is noted by several other reviewers: a writing style that is often "flippant" and "strident," and the absence of source citations or other evidence of careful research and fact checking. Most of us would have preferred more footnotes and a more nuanced writing style.

The second shortcoming, not mentioned yet by other reviewers, is Huber's unexplained dismissal of free-market environmentalism (FME), an important new movement inside the environmental movement that calls for greater attention to sound science and market-based, rather than government-based, solutions to environmental problems.

Huber doesn't mention a single scholar who has been active in this field -- Terry Anderson, Richard Stroup, Jane Shaw, Fred Smith, Bruce Yandle, etc. Worse, he makes sweeping concessions to anti-market environmentalists on issues such as public goods that reflect little awareness of the current state of the debate. And while he is careful to avoid explicitly advocating public ownership of open space and wilderness areas on a massive scale, many readers will come away from this book believing that is part of his agenda.

For advocates of a new kind of environmentalism based on sound science and private, voluntary action, Huber's book is both a blessing and a curse. Recognizing its limits, I still urge everyone to read it and make up their own minds.

Hard Green -- A Surprisingly Good Book
The issues addressed in this book gained popular attention with the publication of The Limits to Growth in 1972. Peter Huber begins by contrasting Theodore Roosevelt's concept of wilderness conservation with Al Gore's theory of a coming environmental "avalanche." Huber's assessment of the issues is incisive and the product of long deliberation by a very talented MIT engineering professor. Combined with his sophisticated knowledge of law, he writes analysis of the caliber that won Ronald Coase a Nobel Prize in economics. The reader is lead to a very convincing set of conclusions and gains confidence in reasonability. The material is suitable for either the environmental scientist with an advanced degree or the high school student wishing to read an informative and entertaining book. Peter Huber is such a good writer that no reader will wish to skip a single page.

Neocon ramblings
Typical ramblings of a neocon internationalist. His shoddy arguments are easy to debunk, and reflect a poor understanding of the severity of the environmental crisis. Seek works by Pentti Linkola, Savitri Devi, and others for a more informed view of the roots of this crisis.

Not Very Good
This book is just cynical rambling. It reads like a very, very long editorial. There really is no value to this book. Huber may have some interesting ideas, but they are not truly explored in detail or with examples. In fact, most of the book is just attacking what he calls radical, ignorant environmentalists. His manifesto at the back of the book are simply summaries of conservative envionrmentalist ideals. If you are doing any kind of research, skip it. This will not help you. If you just want to read a representive of conservative, right wing environmentalism, this will introduce you to some ideas, but it really is just garbage. I suggest you pick up an older text called Environmental Overkill by Dixy Lee Ray. It presents a stronger, more in depth argument without the cynical attitude.

as reviewed in Environmental History, Jan. 2002
Since the mid-1970s there has been a movement to second-guess modern environmentalism. A recent book that makes extensive use of history in its critique is by Peter Huber, Hard Green: Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists, A Conservative Manifesto. Huber is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and writes regular columns for Forbes Magazine.

The title Hard Green comes from a basic distinction Huber makes between "hard green" and "soft green." Huber argues that environmentalism was invented by Teddy Roosevelt, who when
using the term "conservation" really meant "environmental policy." T.R. and his contemporaries had seen the loss of natural environments and the depletion of natural resources, and they experienced it as an aesthetic loss. This is hard green. Hard greens believe the only real scarcity results from loss of wilderness. Since humans live on the surface of the planet, conserving the surface is what counts, and human needs should be provided not by exploiting the surface but by mining materials from beneath the surface.

According to Huber, T.R.'s environmentalism was complete; nothing needed to be added. But then, according to Huber, there arose a new environmentalism in the late 1970s that is concerned
with invisible threats. This is soft green. Soft greens see threats in phenomena that are highly dispersed or distant in time, phenomena that can only be found by computer modeling. Soft greens follow the Precautionary Principle. They assume that if high doses of a substance are harmful, low doses must be harmful too.

However well intentioned it is, Huber argues, soft is not truly green, for it lacks a sense of proportion. Soft green programs are prescriptive and complex and must be administered by large bureaucracies. Soft green computer models over-predict harms. Soft green economic theories are unrealistic and conjectural. Soft green remedies, which spend resources to redress imaginary harms, do not in the end conserve wilderness; to the contrary, they reduce wealth, which is what truly produces green. Thus, ironically, soft green programs ultimately produce environmental degradation. Huber considers soft green morally corrupt, likening it to communism.

The hard green manifesto is to save the environment from the softs. In other words, the distinction Huber's makes is between 'right green' and 'wrong green.'

One of the pleasures in reading Hard Green is keeping up with Huber's hard-driving intellect. Huber offers very perceptive critiques of classic environmental theories, including Malthus'
population hypothesis, the tragedy of the commons, and the theory of externalities. Huber argues that these doctrines err, first by not recognizing that nature repairs itself, and second by not considering human adaptation through market processes. For these reasons, Huber argues, the projected environmental disasters have not occurred and will not in the future.

But Hard Green also contains unsettling discrepancies. For example, Huber presents the hard/soft distinction as a clean differentiation between traditional conservation and modern environmentalism. But this creates difficulty in knowing how to address modern environmental problems such as air pollution. Modern air pollution problems are categorically distinct in character from those that were recognized before the mid-20th Century. How does the hard green philosophy deal with modern air pollution? Not very well, actually. While Huber asserts that hard greens are concerned about pollution, he notes that their concern runs only to the aesthetics of pollution. That is, the reason pollution is unacceptable is that it is ugly. It also follows, taking his premise out to its logical extension, that unseen substances must be harmless. Thus, a hard green would be concerned about a visible smoke nuisance but not the toxicological effects of smoke's chemical constituents. Nor would a hard green be concerned about lead exhausted from leaded gasoline, toxic industrial emissions, or exposure to radiation, all of which have toxic properties that are not visible. All of these implications contradict what we have learned over the last fifty years.

To rescue the hard green concept from the observation that it is inapplicable to modern environmental problems, Huber admits that unseen substances might be harmful. But his rescue effort only digs itself deeper by arguing in addition that since one cannot know which substances are the harmful ones nothing should be done about them as a class and that their harm will be mitigated by dilution.

The only consistent thread running through this set of arguments is Huber's denial that modern environmental problems should be addressed as such. Taken literally, Huber's argument defines
them into nonexistence. Indeed, one gets the sense that since he doesn't like the remedies for modern environmental problems he has to deny their existence so that the remedies won't be
necessary. Defining away modern environmental problems makes it unnecessary to address the practical questions associated with them: how to determine the extent of such hazards? how to assign responsibilities? who shall be liable for breach of a responsibility? With modern environmental problems defined into non-existence, early 20th Century conservation approaches are all that is required.

And so, when one plays out Huber's argument one finds it difficult to accept for two fundamental reasons: (1) that modern environmental problems are categorically different in nature from early 20th Century conservation, and (2) that in consequence T.R. couldn't have meant "environmental policy" when he said "conservation" because the kind of problems that gave rise to environmental policy as we know the term now had not occurred yet. Thus, it is an anachronism for Huber to call T.R. an "environmentalist," at least as we use the term now, and that mistake leads to unwarranted inferences.

In all, Hard Green is a provocative work that because of its persistent application of central ideas to all manner of policy questions could become, as touted, a conservative manifesto. But
the historian is challenged to examine the quality of the factual premises upon which the whole construct is based. ... Read more

Book Description

Nowhere on Earth is the challenge for ecological understanding greater, and yet more urgent, than in those parts of the globe where human activity is most intense - cities. People need to understand how cities work as ecological systems so they can take control of the vital links between human actions and environmental quality, and work for an ecologically and economically sustainable future. An ecosystem approach integrates biological, physical and social factors and embraces historical and geographical dimensions, providing our best hope for coping with the complexity of cities. This book is the first of its kind to bring together leaders in the biological, physical and social dimensions of urban ecosystem research with leading education researchers, administrators and practitioners, to show how an understanding of urban ecosystems is vital for urban dwellers to grasp the fundamentals of ecological and environmental science, and to understand their own environment. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history and science of major air pollution issues. It begins with an introduction to the basic atmospheric chemistry and the history of discovery of chemicals in the atmosphere, and then moves on to a discussion of the evolution of the earth's atmosphere, and the structure and composition of the present-day atmosphere. It also offers a comprehensive and accessible discussion of the five major atmospheric pollution topics: urban outdoor air pollution, indoor air pollution, acid deposition, stratospheric ozone reduction, and global climate change. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces a novel synthetic paradigm of public health reasoning and epidemic modelling, and then implements it in the study of the infamous 14^th century AD Black Death disaster that killed at least one-fourth of the European population.

The book includes the most complete collection of interdisciplinary information sources available about the Black Death epidemic, each one systematically documented, tabulated, and analyzed. It also presents, for the first time, a series of detailed space-time maps of Black Death mortality, infected area propagation, and epidemic centroid paths throughout the 14^th century AD Europe. Preparation of the maps took into account the uncertain nature of the data and integrated a variety of interdisciplinary knowledge bases about the devastating epidemic. These maps provide researchers and the interested public with an informative and substantive description of the Black Death dynamics (temporal evolution, local and global geographical patterns, etc.), and can help one discover an underlying coherence in disease distribution that was buried within reams of contemporary evidence that had so far defied quantitative understanding. The book carefully analyzes the findings of synthetic space-time modelling that enlighten considerably the long-lasting controversy about the nature and origins of the Black Death epidemic. Comparisons are made between the spatiotemporal characteristics of Black Death and bubonic plague, thus contributing to the debate concerning the Black Death etiology. Since Black Death had grave societal, public health, and financial effects, its rigorous study can offer valuable insight into these effects, as well as into similar effects that could result from potential contemporary epidemics.

Reviews (10)

Excellent Buildup Of the History of Beef Culture
The first portion of Beyond Beef is a great description of the history of beef consumption and beef culture. Some of the more interesting parts to me were the sections dealing with the Brahmans in India as well as the near extinction of the American buffalo as a result of clearing the plains for bovine grazing.

After building the historical place of beef and cattle, Rifkin moves the story to present day and how beef is produced, butchered, packaged and shipped. Some of this section was particularly difficult to read during lunch, the descriptions of the slaughtering process are graphic and very detailed. Rifkin also explains the decreasing involvement of the USDA in the inspection of beef and the potential implications of this fact.

Other parts of the book which were informative to me were the chapters dealing with the destruction of the Brazilian rainforests. I, like most young Americans, have heard for years about the clear cutting and burning of the South American rainforests but never knew the details of this activity or exactly why the forests were being leveled. Rifkin explains this practice clearly and I am much more informed because of it.

Overall, Beyond Beef is an excellent read and if nothing else, will give you a great deal to ponder. It is clearly written with a slant against beef production and consumption and can come off a bit preachy at times. That being said, after you read this book, you will definitely want to pass it along to your friends and family, if for no other reason than to let them be informed when they bite into that burger.

Great Reasons to Say No to Beef!
This book was a great influence on me being a vegetarian. It helped me to look at beef in another way, and also to make me aware of the harm involved in cattle grazing. This book is educational, and also an eye-opener. Read it 10 times, and let your friends read it too!

Great book
There's not much to add to what's already been said. I just want to echo the praise... It's a formidable book - scholarly and persuasive; it's a fascinating history. It's also a very easy book to read, one you won't regret reading: it's eye-opening.

Oh Holy Cow!
There are more than 1.28 million cattle all over the planet, taking 24% of the land mass, consuming enough grain to feed 100s of millions of people & their combined weight exceeds that of humans.

This excellent volume was evidently composed to inform, enlighten, and alert us of the danger the cattle industry presents to humans and the environment. The ideas exposed here on this book help open our eyes to better understand what is really going on around this complex subject: the cattle and beef industry, and its destructive, impact on our Earth and its human inhabitants.

Beyond Beef is a well researched, and excellently written treatise written especially for those who are interested in protecting the environment, that have deep respect and appreciation for our fauna and flora, and a natural inclination toward vegetarianism.

This extraordinary publication of Jeremy Rifkin is worth its price

Beef facts you should know
It was in reading Beyond Beef : The Rise and Fall of the Cattle Culture by Jeremy Rifkin years ago that I had a better idea of what I was seeing around San Joaquin County in Northern California as I drove around the dairies that stood close to the San Joaquin River and reeked of ammonia and manure dust in the air on windy days that left ones car and lungs dusted with a fine film. The cattle and their massive manure piles , are less than 30 yards from the San Joaquin River. Now consider some basic facts. Cattle produce a large amount of urine as it is. Now take one cow and multiply it by 100, 200 even 500. Now visualize all that urine going into the ground, where when it rains it soaks deeper and in dispensed into the small leech veins in the ground that in turn hook up with larger areas that feed into ground water and the river. Then look at the massive manure piles that dots the area and hang a clean white piece of clothe on your car antenna as well as a tree branch or whatever in the back yard. Then after you have driven around check the antenna clothe. After its been breezy check the clothe in the back yard. Then if you have the micro filters on you home air conditioner recheck them as well. What you will discover is pollution that has literally changed the white clothe-filter to either a light brown or a dark brown. Now consider what this manure dust does to your lungs.

If you are reading this review then you have access to a computer. Take the time to do some honest unbiased research online and see how much water and grain it takes to produce one pound of meat. Then see how much better it would be if the land was used to produce better food for humans. Find out what pollution factory farms that raise cattle, chickens, pork, lamb etc produce as well as how inhumane the animals are treated. Also find out what drugs they use on the animals, that are then killed for food on your table. Be honest and ask yourself the hard questions. And if you must for whatever reason eat beef, chickens etc please buy organically grown ones that are not fed drugs and even byproducts of other animals. I am a realist and realize that we live in a meat eating society. So all I can do is ask that you know what you are buying and how it was raised and what the product has done to the earths ecosystem. ... Read more

Book Description

Measures of Success is a practical, hands-on guide to designing, managing, and measuring the impacts of community-oriented conservation and development projects. It presents a simple, clear, logical, and yet comprehensive approach to developing and implementing effective programs, and can help conservation and development practitioners use principles of adaptive management to test assumptions about their projects and learn from the results.

The book presents a systematic approach to improving the focus, effectiveness, and efficiency of projects with specific guidelines and advice on.

Book Description

This book is a study of the multi-faceted aspects of the physical and human geography of Sub-Saharan Africa. An introductory book, it is designed for those readers with little or no knowledge of geography to a variety of contemporary ideas, theories, and concepts in African geography, and their applicability to “real world” situations.Using extensive maps, photographs, and illustrations, this book covers such topics as the physical-environmental, socio-cultural, and developmental aspects of Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as the region's prospects for global integration.For anyone interested in African geography and its socio-political climate. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

One of the most comprehensive texts on Sub-Saharan Africa.
This is one of the most comprehensive books written onSub-Saharan Africa.It starts off with the spatial location of theregion and the physical aspects - Climate, Vegetation, Soils, and Drainage, that makes the region unique.The authors go on to discussing the human-environmental impacts, one of the most problematic of environmental activities in Sub-Saharan Africa.They discuss reasons for deforestation in Africa South of the Sahara, effects of forest degradation, and desertification a very real problem of desert encroachment that has turned productive lands in Sub-Saharan Africa into desert environments.One of the topics covered in this text that is absent in many textbooks is the Historical Background of Sub-Saharan Africa, especially when most of the old historical records are said to be "non-existent" because of the lack of a written language in the region.The authors have done a good job incorporating culture, conflict of culture and change in the face of cultural multiplicity of that exists in this region.Another important aspect of this book is the comprehensive coverage of gender and the roles of men and women in this part of the world.This book is interesting to read, it is informative and best of all, it is current. ... Read more

Book Description

The use of appropriate statistical methods is essential when working with environmental data. Yet, many environmental professionals are not statisticians. A ready reference guide to the most common methods used in environmental applications, Statistics for Environmental Science and Management introduces the statistical methods most frequently used by environmental scientists, managers, and students. Using a non-mathematical approach, the author describes techniques such as: environmental monitoring, impact assessment, assessing site reclamation, censored data, and Monte Carlo risk assessment, as well as the key topics of time series and spatial data. The book shows the strengths of different types of conclusions available from statistical analyses. It contains internet sources of information that give readers access to the latest information on specific topics.The author's easy to understand style makes the subject matter accessible to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of the basics of statistics while emphasizing how the techniques are applied in the environmental field. Clearly and copiously illustrated with line drawings and tables, Statistics for Environmental Science and Management covers all the statistical methods used with environmental applications and is suitable as a text for graduate students in the environmental science area. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

another nicely written elementary text by Manly
Bryan Manly has written several very nice elementary texts on statistical design and methodology for both statisticians and practitioners. He has introduced permutation, bootstrap and Monte Carlo methods in one of his bestselling books.

This text is designed to introduce the statistical methodology that is most used in environmental problems. It is intended for the practitioner and assumes little mathematics and only the very basics of probability and statistics. He makes the text self-contained by including an Appendix A that covers basic summary statistics, confidence intervals and hypothesis testing.

The book starts off with an overview of the role of statistics in environmental science and includes a number of real examples including the Exxon Valdez oil spill.

Chapter 2 covers the standard survey sampling techniques and includes unequal probability sampling that is specialized to sampling proportional to size (a very common technique with environmental data). The approaches are clearly explained along with the reasons for their use. Formulas for estimation of population means and the estimates of the variances of these estimators are provided.

Manly then provides in Chapter 3 on "Models for Data", descriptions of various discrete and continuous probability distributions along with their statistical properties. He carefully chooses those commonly used in environmental statistics (commonly called environmetrics these days). He then goes on to discuss linear regression, analysis of variance and generalized linear models.

Chapter 4 "Drawing Conclusions from Data" is rather unique. He talks about the difference between observational studies and experiments and also describes quasi-experiments where treatments or interventions are placed on an existing process and changes are looked for at the time of intervention. He also introduces randomization (also called permutation) methods and the bootstrap. He looks at randomization for hypothesis testing and the bootstrap for confidence intervals. The bootstrap percentile t method is illustrated to obtain an approximate 95% confidence interval for the distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations in 25 lakes. The data is very non-normal and hence bootstrap analysis is more suitable than applying the normal approximation intervals. Other interesting topic in this chapter include meta-analysis, Bayesian methods and multiple testing issues.

Chapter 5 deals with environmental monitoring where change-points can be detected through various types of control charts. Each technique is illustrated with several real examples.

Chapter 6 deals with impact assessment where before-and-after control impact designs are decribed. In these designs a site is chosen for an intervention and another similar site is picked for a control. The process is charted for both sites from before and after the intervention. Various designs are given along with examples.

Chapter 7 deals with the assessment of site reclamation. Here the tricky topic of bioequivalence is explained very well including the sometimes confusing two one-sided t tests due to Schuirmann. Software packages to perform these tests including EquivTest and PASS are mentioned. The package nQuery produced by Statistical Solutions the company that also distributes EquivTest provides sample size determination for equivalence testing.

Time Series analysis is introduced gently in Chapter 8. Manly concentrates on simple useful models and provides tests for serial correlation including the Durbin-Watson test.

Especially important in environmental analysis is the analysis of spatial data. This is also covered rather gently in Chapter 9 concentrating on Kriging methods and the variogram in the examples.

The remaining two chapters cover censored data and Monte Carlo Risk Assessment. By censoring Manly means that the values are truncated if they are above the upper limit of the measurement device (right censoring) or they are left censored if the measurement is below the smallest scale unit. In survival analysis, these same concepts are applied, but refer to time to event data where right censoring predominates. In the Monte Carlo Risk Assessment Chapter, Manly describes two software packages that provide add-ons to spreadsheets to do the Monte Carlo repetition within the spreadsheet and provide sumamry information using bar charts and tables from the spreadsheet software itself. This is a macro-type application in a spreadsheet. Manly illustrate the results for one example using one of these tools.

This book is an excellent reference and could also be used for an introductory course either undergraduate or graduate. However as a text it does not contain any homework exercises.

A nice feature is a summary reminder of the important points covered in each chapter. In each chapter these points are listed as bullet points in the last section titled "Chapter Summary".

Sometimes when studying time series for environmental factors, we are interested in minimum or maximum levels(or extreme order statistics). Maximum levels are important when looking at exposure to pollutants. For climate changes we might be interested in the minimum or maximum temperatures observed in a particular region. Manly uses data on minimum temperatures in Uppsala Sweden during the month of July for the years from 1900 to 1981. He uses a runs test to see if the behavior is random versus the alternative of an increasing trend.

More detailed analyses of these extreme order statistics can be done based on the asymptotic theory for extremes for stationary stochastic processes. Such material can be found in specialized texts such as the one by Leadbetter, Lindgren and Rootzen that Manly cites.

Environmental statistics has been a topic of research since at least the early 1970s. Back then, I was doing my thesis on extreme values based on research work to control pollutants, particularly those emitted from automobiles. There is now a wealth of research articles, particularly on spatial data analysis (which is also studied for geological or astronomical applications). Manly's book is the first statistics text that provides a good overview of environmetrics. He also has references to the related specialized journals that cover it including the Journal of Agricultural Biological and Environmental Statistics that he edits. Chapter 12 is a brief one page summary where Manly describes general references including the Encyclopedia of Environmetrics and the Handbook of Statistics Volume 12 Environmental Statistics. There he also speculates on future research directions.

An excellent text on spatial data analysis is the text by Noel Cressie that Manly does not cite. ... Read more

Book Description

Twenty-five years ago, when Hans Morsbach became interested in cultivating trees and managing small woodlands, he searched for a good how-to manual. He never found one, so he decided to write his own someday. Based on his subsequent experience, combining deep research into the academic literature on forestry with his successes and failures as a small-scale commercial tree farmer, the result is Common Sense Forestry, an indispensable reference for anyone who owns or wants to own wooded property.

Morsbach is an unabashed nature lover as well as a businessman, and well understands the essential importance of a long-term approach to sustainable forest management. In this highly readable and entertaining text, the author offers a comprehensive look at managing existing woodlands by creating, and later maintaining, forests that promote biodiversity while providing harvestable timber.

Information includes:
- Choosing land
- Seeding and transplanting
- Pruning and thinning
- Harvesting trees
- Using (or choosing not to use) herbicides
- Working with professional foresters
- Establishing business strategies
- Tax planning ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A gift to woodland owners
Bless Hans for the oodles of practical hands on advice he offers for the private woodland owner. He has helped me feel less dumb & scared about the 680 acres I own in N.C. Wisconsin. I find that on the one hand the woods is a restoration of my soul & on the other hand a burden of responsibility. For me, Common Sense Forestry has been way better than a university extension short course in forestry.

very helpful & practical
I purchased 23 acres of worn out farmland that I wanted to make into a productive forest. Most of the books I found discussed things from a commerical/industrial scale, and seemed to discourage innovation and experimentation. Mr. Morsbach's book discusses the experiences of someone who has 'been and done' over the last thirty years, with notable sucesses and honest appraisal of failures & setbacks. I especially like how he shows how 'experts' can have different opinions and even be quite wrong! His ideas about mixing species and direct seeding are very interesting, and have changed my approach to planting. I would certainly advise anyone who is planning to raise trees and is interested in woodland stewardship.

The Bible for the Hobby Tree Farmer
An easy and witty prose makes this book a welcome relief from other books on the subject. The extensive Index makes it easy to find subjects scattered across chapters.

A very comprehensive treatment of Direct Seeding, which is the low-cost approach to establishing a forest and very suitable to the small woodland owner.

The Economic Analysis chapter is quite useful and an eye opener.

This book will give you a second opinion on what is recommended by professional foresters and the DNR (Amazing fact: they are not always right !) Required reading for anybody that is looking into starting tree farming on a small scale.

Straight talk about managing your woodland
I started my own tree-planting at about the same time the author did, in the early 70s, and I wish I had his insights. (I'm sure he wishes he had them then, too!) Not that it's ever too late. I'm going to gather some nuts this fall and try his direct seeding technique. I generally admire his independent approach. While I don't agree with everything he writes (he's a little too cavalier about the Lord!), I believe this book is one of the best around for the amateur landowner. It made me excited about my land again.

Common Sense Forestry Review
"Common Sense Forestry" may be a unique concept on the silviculture shelves. It most certainly is a welcome rarity: both an entertaining read and a mother lode of basic, practical information.
Morsbach has selected with a critical eye items of conventional forestry gospel and subjected them to empirical scrutiny. The survivors of these tests, as well as his own ideas and those gleaned from his "Mavericks of Forestry" circle are included in this common sense (no nonsense) treatise on growing trees.
He seems to have given most ideas a fair look and a field test before he bestows his imprimatur. The many illustrations are well conceived and executed and are a helpful adjunct.
Morsbach offers strong arguments on biodiversity (imperative), clearcutting (a no-no), herbicides (a last resort) and the economics of it all.
I wish I could have read it during my woodland years, but it's here now to enjoy and benefit from. Thanks, Hans.

Don Mulcahy
Buffalo County, Wisconsin ... Read more

Book Description

Imagine you are first in line at a potluck buffet. The spread includes not just food and water, but all the materials needed for shelter, clothing, healthcare, and education. How do you know how much to take? How much is enough to leave for your neighbors behind you_not just the six billion people, but the wildlife, and the as-yet-unborn?

In the face of looming ecological disaster, many people feel the need to change their own lifestyles as a tangible way of transforming our unsustainable culture. Radical Simplicity is the first book that guides the reader to a personal sustainability goal, then offers a process to monitor progress to a lifestyle that is equitable amongst all people, species, and generations. It employs three tools to help readers begin their customized journey to simplicity:

>It builds on steps from Your Money or Your Life so readers can design their own personal economics to save money, get free of debt, and align their work with their values.
It uses refined tools from Our Ecological Footprint so readers can measure how much nature is needed to supply all they consume and absorb their waste.
Combining lyrical narrative, compassionate advocacy, and absorbing science, Radical Simplicity is a practical, personal answer to twenty-first century challenges that will appeal as much to Cultural Creatives and students as to spiritual seekers, policy makers, and sustainability professionals.

Jim Merkel quit his job as a military engineer following the Exxon Valdez disaster and has since worked to develop tools for personal and societal sustainability. He founded the Global Living Project to further this work and conducts workshops around North America on this topic.

Reviews (2)

The Wiseacre Challenge
In the words of author Jim Merkel, this book acts as a kind of "monthly Earth checkbook balance statement, a method to measure just how much nature was needed to supply all you consume and absorb your effluent." But why would anyone want to do that? you may be wondering. Because currently the world's wealthiest one billion people alone consume the equivalent of the Earth's entire sustainable yield. All together, humanity consumes 20 percent more than the earth's sustainable yield.

"Well hold on," you might ask, "why haven't we begun to experience ecological collapse? Why aren't people and animals starving to death by the millions?"

The short answer is that they are, although the word collapse is a bit misleading. Over the last century, wars have claimed 175 million lives. And if you know your history, you would also know that most, if not all, of those wars were fought to eliminate other humans, gain land and resources, or maintain geopolitical and economic security. As for hunger and starvation, in 1998 half of the 1.3 billion people who lived on less than $110 per year have stunted growth or mental retardation from insufficient caloric intake. The poorest 3.6 billion - 60 percent of humanity - live on less than $520 per year. A third of the world's children suffer from malnutrition, of which tens of thousands die every day. Of course, we have the food to feed these children, which makes the problem of starvation one of distribution not want; but the land agriculture has usurped from nature in order to support (or not support, as it were) our six billion person plus population is starving out animals and overburdening the landscape. Scientists estimate that between 1,000 and 100,000 species of life become extinct every 24 hours, a rate 100 to 1,000 times faster than the natural rate, mostly due to habitat loss.

In order to talk about sustainability, says Merkel, we have to talk about ecological footprints. Your ecological footprint is "the amount of bioproductive land and sea area in continuous production to supply all you use and to absorb your wastes, using prevailing technology." Sustainability, then, is an overall social pattern in which the combined ecological footprint of humanity does not tax the planetary yield faster than it can regenerate. When humanity drains the bioproductivity of Earth faster than it replenishes, we see ecological damage: fisheries collapse, forests shrink, rangelands deteriorate, soils erode, species vanish, temperatures rise, rivers run dry and water tables fall - in other words, the kind of stuff we read about in the morning newspaper. Scientists call this ecological overshoot, and it has been happening for some time.

"The year 1978" says Merkel, "was a special year in both Earth's history and human history, and it passed without notice. It was the year humans claimed the entire sustainable yield of Earth." But now it is 2004, and the stakes have risen. Humanity now gobbles up some 20 percent more than is produced, thus wearing down the Earth's system. If humanity continues to overexploitation the bioproductivity of Earth, it will lose the capacity to support life. That is a simple fact. Thus, ecological footprinting is the best way to take the guesswork out of sustainability. In Merkel's words, "It allows us to measure our progress."

But then, what is progress? Progress for who? Sustainability, you ask? Sure, but at what cost?

To some, paving over the entire world and covering it with skyscrapers, channeling every brook and stream to flow through culverts, and relying on large multinational corporation synthesize our food from genetically-modified seeds sounds appealing, perhaps even sustainable. To others, sustainability entails reverting to something like the Stone Age and hunting in the forest with blunt instruments for wild game. Acknowledging this diverse range values, Merkel takes the middle path. He merely asks us discover and then live according to our own values.

"What is your worldview?" he asks. The bottom line is "that there are 28.2 billion acres of bioproductive land on Earth - the total surface area minus the deep oceans, deserts, icecaps and built-up land. When divided between six billion people, each person gets a 4.7-acre share - we'll call this area each person's 'personal planetoid.' But this assumes that humanity uses the entire planet's annual production. The question then becomes 'How much of my 4.7-acre share do I want to use for myself and how much do I want to leave fore other life forms?'"

After quizzing you about your preferred tax on the planet's bioproductivity, desired world population, and desired equity among other human inhabitants, he then shows you how many acres of land you can optimally utilize while keeping in line with your values. This is your "sustainability goal." For example, my desired sustainability goal was absolute equity among humans, with 90% of Earth left untouched and wild and a two-child family, thus leaving humanity with a remainder of only 10% of bioproductive land base and me personally a mere 1.45794 acres. (Radical simplicity indeed! Looks like I'll have to ditch a kid or two.) Recognition of your goal is the first step. The next step involves working to attain your sustainability goal in action. Merkel calls this the "Wiseacre Challenge."

All of this might seem a bit anal for some, but the point is to gain a balanced, objective picture of our individual impact on the biosphere. Once we have that, we can start simplifying our life; and if you have read Your Money or Your Life you know that simple living actually saves money, time and a whole lot of headache. Living 'closer to the bone' turns out to be more carefree and fun than, say, the daily corporate grind. And Merkel is an example here. Although he has managed to live on an annual budget of merely 5,000 dollars (to avoid supporting the military industrial complex via taxation) for the last 20 years, his life has been full of adventure, relaxation, and a certain joy de vivre many of us have never known. Along with the charts, mathematical formulas and statistics, this book is peppered with interesting anecdotes about those twenty years, proving just how fun and fulfilling simple living can be.

Engaging, insightful, and profoundly transformative, this book should not be overlooked

Let's Get Radical!
I have been waiting for this book for a long time. Seriously, there is a hole in western consciousness and in our publications about REALITY---the fact that western culture is ruining the planet, and how do we as individuals make a new way? With more calculaton tables than I liked, but interspersed with interesting, inspiring, thought-provoking world experience, philosophical musings and present-day challenges in carving a sustainable lifestyle, Merkel's book arrests the imagination of the reader. I think about this subject every day and I have Merkel to thank for pointing me toward concrete ways to `live as if life truly matters.' If you're looking for related hardcore simplicity (which isn't really so simple in this culture, is it?) check out www.myfootprint.org (more of Merkel's work) and Primal Conscious Living on the web---a couple in Georgia making sustainability real in their daily lives: http://geocities.com/newlibertyvillage/earthstar.htm ... Read more

Book Description

Set among the ruins of the Soviet empire, this darkly comic true-crime thriller involves environmental disaster, international intrigue, and an unsolved murder. In January 2000, Rob Ferguson went to Uzbekistan to work on a project designed to save the shrinking Aral Sea. By the time he left a year later, he was under suspicion for murder, and the project had achieved almost nothing: once the world's third largest lake, researchers warn the Aral may be gone by 2020. The Devil and the Disappearing Sea is the true story of a well-meaning man who travels to one the earth's poorest regions in the hopes of staving off an environmental tragedy. Instead, he encounters corrupt officials, bumbling bureaucrats, anti-Western hostility, and a slew of insurmountable problems. As the project grinds to a halt, only the ancient cities, friendly people, and a sharp sense of humor keep Ferguson on the right side of sanity. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Limits ofoptimism
Truth is stranger than fiction - This age-old adage could not more aptly describe the amazing tale of a Canadian trying to bring his communications skills to the political quagmire in Central Asia.The reason is the disappearing Aral Sea and the urgent need to face the threat and, hopefully, launch a regional campaign to reverse the dangerous trend. The story is also about the politicians who have taken(or maintained control) over the running of the five neighboring states after the collapse of the Soviet system, their politics now and then to plan away this precious water and biodiversity resource.Add to that situation the ambitions of the World Bank and international consultants to guide the process you get a dangerous mix. Ferguson's account of his one-year stint in Tashkent is a fascinating read that brings to light scenarios that are as hilarious as they are infuriating.

It is not giving anything away to hint at the danger to persons: the author gets under suspicion to have been involved in the murder of one of the local recruits. As the story unfolds one can understand why - and it is a lot more complex than it appears on the surface. One major thread is the interaction of the team of local bureaucrats and experts with the international group brought in to work with them.Ferguson's characterization of the people involved is excellent. They come alive off the page, in particular those of"the other side". The sides of friend and foe are not always clear and can change more or less overnight. All the main characters are engaged in this World Bank-financed grand scheme to save the Aral Sea. It should be added that the Aral Sea once was the world's fourth largest inland body of water. Now only 20% of its 1960 size, experts fear that it will have disappeared by 2020.Urgent action was required and the Bank, with a team of foreign experts, stepped in to move the program forward. How much the local water leadership has been behind the project is another question to explore. Ferguson was hired to advise the public education component, meaning to get the publics to understand the dangers of the disappearing water and to engage them in possible remedies. Following him on his mission to connect with the five public education teams, to share ideas and to get them moving towards the common goal, the reader is drawn into mesh of intrigue, suspicion, greed and much more.

On his travels, Ferguson takes time out to visit historic cities like Samarkand and Bukhara (both in Uzbekistan), major centres on the ancient Silk Road from China to the West. His knowledge of the region's fascinating history is solid and he conveys what is useful without overburdening the reader. He has a gift for observation of places and ambiance just as much as of people. Having visited these cities many years ago and forgotten many details, I found Ferguson's vivid description brought them all back with ease. Whether he explores more remote spaces, climbs mountains or drinks tea with village elders; his astute observations and ability to put his impressions into words make this also a reliable travel guide.

Rich in culture and tradition based on a long and multifarious history of Kyrgyz, Kazakh, Tajik, Turkmen and Uzbek peoples, this region was artificially divided into five states by the Soviet regime in disregard of where the different peoples lived.The underlying regional rivalries and resentments have remained major traits of their relationships, at least as far as the soviet-style bureaucrats are concerned who still are in control of the water management systems.

Yet, the real and underlying issue of this book are the dangers to the region's fragile ecosystems. Exacerbated by Soviet-controlled industrial development paralleled by mismanagement of its water resources, the dangers to the Aral Sea and its environment have been ignored for decades. The region is fast running out of water to sustain its growing population. It is an object lesson for similar emerging crises elsewhere. Yet, politics and power games continue to overrule environmental protection requirements. Increased international interests in the region, not only due to its position close to Afghanistan but also because of its natural gas reserves, have brought international agencies like the World Bank on the scene. Reading Ferguson's honest account of their involvement raises important questions and one has to wonder whether this venture was a good choice. [Friederike Knabe, Ottawa Canada]

Fascinating story,well-constucted and believable
A well-written account of one Canadian's attempt to cut through the left-over soviet-style bureaucracies of five Central Asian countries. Ferguson was employed by the World Bank to develop a PR strategy to convince wasteful water users on the Aral Sea's two main feeder rivers to change their practises, which are dooming the once-massive inland sea to eventual disappearance. However, his project is locally headed by the man who was originally responsible for the Soviet's collosal irrigation schemes that caused the problem. The book is an entertaining, and suspenseful, account of the intricate scheming and nationalist jockeying amongst the nnumerable teams and factions trying to either save or undermine the whole PR project, while skimming off as much of the project money as they can. The struggle finally results in a murder which forces Ferguson to flee the region. Ferguson gives lively descriptions of the character of the people he works with, or against, as well as providing a wry historical and travel commentary for the whole region. His text is filled with verbatim dialogue and he uses no fictional names. The whole account is very believable, and completely damning to the autocratic regimes that rule the five countries where he worked. After this book, it is unlikely Ferguson will be visiting Central Asia again any time soon.

The Aral Sea- A Catastrophe!
It is difficult to imagine that at one time the Aral Sea, once the world's fourth largest inland water body, after the Caspian Sea, Lake Superior and Lake Victoria, will, according to some experts, be gone by 2020.

The Aral Sea is located in Central Asia in the lowlands of Turan., near the ancient Silk Road cities of Samarkand and Bukhara.

What is noteworthy is that at one time it had abundant resources of fish, a very active shipping trade between its northern port of Aralsk and the river ports of Amu-Darja, and even some as far as Tajikistan.
Several hundred thousand people were given the opportunity to earn a good livelihood.

Unfortunately, during the 1960s the Sea's water flow began to drop dramatically.
The cause of the disaster has been attributed to many factors as pointed out by Rob Ferguson, author of The Devil And The Disappearing Sea: A True Story About The Aral Sea Catastrophe.
"Hubris, greed, short-sighted autocratic planning, human folly, cotton, Russian colonialism, the Cold War, inappropriate cost-benefit analyses, a controlled news media, ignorance of the laws of nature, ignorance of scientific warnings, misguided technocratic engineering and patriotic sloganeering. These charges all have degrees of truth. But beyond the finger-pointing, the disaster was ultimately caused by the sort of mad obsession that lays claim to human conscience when it plots and carries out a murder."

As a result of the dying out of the sea there has been a very profound climatic change in the region, degeneration of the delta ecosystems, increase of serious diseases such as cholera, typhus, gastritis, cancer, respiratory system diseases, total collapse of the fishing industry, birth defects, high infant mortality, and decreases in the productivity of agricultural fields.

In January of 2000, Canadian communication specialist Rob Ferguson embarked on a venture that he believed would aid in saving the Aral Sea.
Ferguson joined a team of communication specialists, who traveled to Central Asia in order to educate people residing in the area about the catastrophe that was happening and why it was happening.
Unfortunately, Ferguson returned home to Toronto, very disappointed and disillusioned.
Perhaps, the task was foolhardy to begin with, when you consider that the Aral Sea Project Organization consisted of several layers of administrative bodies and many players, who were very often at odds with one another.
Five different areas of Central Asia were represented, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The training team consisted of members of the BDPA, a Paris-based international consultancy group, of which the author was one of its members.

The principal objectives of the training group were to develop "communications capacity, undertake opinion research and analysis, build a long-term communications strategy, and advise upon and help implement critical public awareness activities."
Perhaps, they forgot to tell the team that the head of all of the components of the project was set in his old ways of acting like a dictator, who was also not immune to accepting bribes. Moreover, it is highly doubtful if the communications team were prepared to deal with the profound clash of cultures that they would face, and the in fighting among the various groups involved.

Ferguson tells a good story, however, I would have liked to have seen more maps scattered throughout the pages in order to grasp where he was traveling. The black and white photos of his team were useless, and I believe this space should have been devoted to more photos of the places he had visited.
At times, I also felt that the story dragged on and on with names and incidents that frankly turned me off.
Nonetheless, the book has merit in that it calls attention to a disaster that many in the Western world have little knowledge. Lets hope the book will make people more aware of this tragedy.

This review first appeared on reviewer's own site:
www.bookpleasures.com

intriguing and original book!
Not long ago I would have had to think about just where in the world the Aral Sea was and why I should care. Not a fan of serious works on the destruction of earth's landforms at the hands of humans - they make me feel guilty - I wasn't sure that this book was for me. But what a surprise. I was drawn in immediately to this tale of corruption in central Asia. Ferguson can write - thinkof a mix of Le Carre, Bill Bryson and Wade Davis. He is a natural storyteller with a gift for showing us both comedy and tragedy, the fools, the innocents and the villains. Himself an innocent, Ferguson lands in Tashkent ready to play his role to help 'save the Aral Sea.' On a year's contract to co-ordinate a public awareness program, funded by the World Bank and managed by a PR company in France, he no sooner finds an office and an apartment than the games begin.

Mr. G, the villain, is a scary guy and Tashkent feels like lonely post for a foreign aid specialist from Canada. Ferguson writes with just the right mixture of humility, wit and bravado - we can really believe that we are there with him. He has a fascinating story to tell - one filled with mystery and intrigue, and set in exotic places - Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Samarkand. But there is nothing exotic about the Soviet landscapes imposed upon the cities and countryside that Ferguson visits or his role as suspect in the messy murder of an attractive office manager.

I learned something about the Aral Sea and its plight from this book. I even learned a little about foreign aid, how it is spent and why - and who sometimes ends up with the money. But what makes this book so good is Ferguson's affection for the places he visits and the people he meets there. He also has the healthy cynicism of one that knows that the world's great ecological disasters are not going to be corrected by good intentions alone. He at once informs and entertains. I hope that he has another book in the works.

'Stan-tastic
Grim topic, great book. The tale of Ferguson's year of living dangerously as an environmentalist in post-Communist (but not post-corruption) Uzbekistan is part thriller, part work of reportage and part gripping traveller's tale.

Ferguson's witty, sardonic and humane narrative exposes both the environmental devastation wrought on the Aral Sea by corruption, greed and bad planning and the tragicomic realpolitik involved in international development projects.

Despite the mounting frustrations of his stymied job and the corruption and crime he recounts -- including a brutal murder -- Ferguson writes with real affection for Central Asia and its people. The characters are vividly drawn, and the book is dotted with sharp vignettes of the fabled cities of the Silk Road. I hope a British edition is available soon. ... Read more

Book Description

By retaining a strong focus on policy and real-world issues, Environmental Economics and Management: Theory, Policy and Applications, provides an applied, practical approach to environmental economic theory accessible to students with minimal or more advanced economic exposure.The text has a modular structure, which not only organizes the presentation, but also provides a format that allows instructors flexibility and preference in designing material for the course.The presentation does not compromise economic theoretical concepts, but it does complement economic theory with timely, real-world applications. This text is intended to give undergraduate and MBA students a clear perspective of the relationship between market activity and the environment.The text integrates the business perspective in the development of environmental decision-making - a vantage point often overlooked in more conventional treatments. The general approach uses economic analytical tools such as market models, benefit-cost analysis, and risk analysis to assess environmental problems and to evaluate policy solutions. ... Read more

Book Description

The #1 guide to aerosol science and technology -now better than ever

Since 1982, Aerosol Technology has been the text of choice among students and professionals who need to acquire a thorough working knowledge of modern aerosol theory and applications. Now revised to reflect the considerable advances that have been made over the past seventeen years across a broad spectrum of aerosol-related application areas - from occupational hygiene and biomedical technology to microelectronics and pollution control -this new edition includes:
* A chapter on bioaerosols
* New sections on resuspension, transport losses, respiratory deposition models, and fractal characterization of particles
* Expanded coverage of atmospheric aerosols, including background aerosols and urban aerosols
* A section on the impact of aerosols on global warming and ozone depletion.

Aerosol Technology, Second Edition also features dozens of new, fully worked examples drawn from a wide range of industrial and research settings, plus new chapter-end practice problems to help readers master the material quickly. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The essential work to understanding aerosols
As the New Testament is to Christians and the Torah is to Jews, this work is the essential literature to understanding aerosols and aerosol technology. You enter as a novice with human explanations of terms, proceed through most of the mundate and requisite statistics, and then are allowed to explode through the fascination that is aerosols. Through comprehensive, yet compr