Arctic And Mountain Environments Symposium

Once thought of as a pristine environment, it is now all too apparent that the Arctic is a sink for pollutants transported northwards over long distances in the atmosphere and oceans, and is also likely to be subject to major climate change as a result of global warming. Many ecologists are currently seeking to further our understanding of how arctic ecosystems function, and to detect and predict anthropogenic changes which may occur within them. This book, resulting from a British Ecological Society Special Symposium, addresses these issues.

This second edition of “Sustainable Mountain Development” is a history of the development of mountain environmental awareness from its origins during the Stockholm Conference on the Environment in 1973. This provided intellectual input into UNESCO’s MAB Programme, especially MAB-6 (Impact of Human Activities on Mountain Environments), The International Geographical Union’s commission on mountains, and The United Nations University’s (UNU) mountain project, the latter initiated in 1978. All this research and intellectual activity saw its maturation during the 1992 Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro. The major document universally agreed upon was AGENDA 21, with Chapter 13 concentrating on mountain environmental problems which led to 2002 being dedicated as The International Year of Mountains, and December 17th as International Mountain Day. The research that inspired this book, accompanied by intensive environmental and political activity, was initially propagated by a small group of colleagues that ultimately expanded to a world-wide endeavour. The work was recognised by three awards of the King Albert Gold Medal, two RGS Gold Medals, approved by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and countless other awards. It led to the founding of the International Mountain Society in 1980 and its quarterly journal “Mountain Research and Development” (1981). The work expanded into subsequent research efforts, including specific assessments of projected major catastrophes such as the status of the potential outbreak of glacier lakes (GLOFs), the impacts of climate warming, and incorporation of the mountain subsistence men and women whose environmental knowledge was enthusiastically recognized. This edition provides a new epilogue, which outlines the considerable changes to world environmental assessment since the establishment of 2002 as the International Year of Mountains, and notes that 2022 has been designated as the International Year of Sustainable Mountain Development.

Representatives of 111 nations gathered in Stockholm in May 2001 to sign a legally binding convention to eliminate or reduce emissions of pesticides, insecticides, and other industrial combustion by-products. Long-range transport by air and water carries many of these pollutants to the circumpolar north, where they threaten the health and cultural survival of Inuit and other northern Indigenous peoples.

The management of rights-of-way by electric and telephone utilities, highway departments, gas pipeline companies, and railroads around the world is guided and constrained by policies and regulations to protect the environment. Companies that manage rights-of-way are required to comply with these regulations, and are seeking the most cost-effective management practices that, at the same time, demonstrate stewardship of the environment. Protection of biodiversity and sustainable development are especially important as national goals in many countries, and rights-of-way managers are seeking practical ways to include public participation in their operations. * Addresses environmental issues in rights-of-way planning and management * Provides a forum for information exchange among various agencies, industries, environmental consultants, and academic organizations * Presents peer-reviewed papers to help achieve a better understanding of current environmental issues involved in rights-of-way management