Ecos 2010

The 8-volume set contains the Proceedings of the 25th ECOS 2012 International Conference, Perugia, Italy, June 26th to June 29th, 2012. ECOS is an acronym for Efficiency, Cost, Optimization and Simulation (of energy conversion systems and processes), summarizing the topics covered in ECOS: Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Exergy and Second Law Analysis, Process Integration and Heat Exchanger Networks, Fluid Dynamics and Power Plant Components, Fuel Cells, Simulation of Energy Conversion Systems, Renewable Energies, Thermo-Economic Analysis and Optimisation, Combustion, Chemical Reactors, Carbon Capture and Sequestration, Building/Urban/Complex Energy Systems, Water Desalination and Use of Water Resources, Energy Systems- Environmental and Sustainability Issues, System Operation/ Control/Diagnosis and Prognosis, Industrial Ecology.

Today marks the release of the controversial book "Commodities: Switzerland's Most Dangerous Business". The fact-filled and groundbreaking analysis of the industry, as powerful as it is unknown, shows why resource-rich developing countries remain poor while Switzerland-based commodity companies rake in profits in the billions. And it illustrates the gray areas of a business model whose risks are becoming increasingly apparent. Unnoticed by the public and politicians, Switzerland has become the world's most important commodities hub. Trade in oil, gas, coal, metals and agricultural products - particularly via deals made in Geneva and Zug - has grown by an incredible 1,500 percent since 1998, according to BD investigations. The result: Seven of the twelve corporations with the highest turnover in Switzerland trade in, and/or mine, commodities. Switzerland has become a global commodity hub thanks to its mix of tax privileges, a strong financial sector, weak regulation and lax embargo policy. The Swiss commodities business is dangerous for developing countries that are blessed with natural resources but that suffer from weak governance. The business is life-threatening for all those who must live amid the filth and toxins of the mines and facilities. The extensive misery of entire countries and the fairytale wealth of a few Swiss top traders are causally related. The book "Commodities: Switzerland's Most Dangerous Business" shows how. The richly-illustrated reference work offers a portrait of the key firms and people behind the discreet deals, provides insight into the social and ecological consequences for the producing countries, analyzes the practices and repercussions of tax avoidance and speculation, and offers proposals for achieving more justice in a multi-billion-dollar business that affects everyone.

Prior to the Nixon administration, environmental policy in the United States was rudimentary at best. Since then, it has evolved into one of the primary concerns of governmental policy from the federal to the local level. As scientific expertise on the environment rapidly developed, Americans became more aware of the growing environmental crisis that surrounded them. Practical solutions for mitigating various aspects of the crisis - air pollution, water pollution, chemical waste dumping, strip mining, and later global warming - became politically popular, and the government responded by gradually erecting a vast regulatory apparatus to address the issue. Today, politicians regard environmental policy as one of the most pressing issues they face. The Obama administration has identified the renewable energy sector as a key driver of economic growth, and Congress is in the process of passing a bill to reduce global warming that will be one of the most important environmental policy acts in decades. The Oxford Handbook of U.S. Environmental Policy will be a state-of-the-art work on all aspects of environmental policy in America. Over the past half century, America has been the world's leading emitter of global warming gases. However, environmental policy is not simply a national issue. It is a global issue, and the explosive growth of Asian countries like China and India mean that policy will have to be coordinated at the international level. The book will therefore focus not only on the U.S., but on the increasing importance of global policies and issues on American regulatory efforts. This is a topic that will only grow in importance in the coming years, and this will serve as an authoritative guide to any scholar interested in the issue.

Peacemaking and the Extractive Industries addresses a significant gap in research on the political and diplomatic role of multinational corporations in peace processes in intrastate conflict: Corporate Peacemaking. The author focuses on corporations in the oil and mining sectors, supporting or participating in peace negotiations and mediation. The chapters explore national-level peace processes, as well as those at community and global levels. While the focus is on extractive companies, the findings are valuable to companies from all industries looking at peace-related processes. This ground-breaking book gives a comprehensive picture of how Corporate Peacemaking currently works, how it can be developed and implemented, and how it is likely to impact global governance and corporate culture in the future. The book demonstrates that Corporate Peacemaking has the potential to be a powerful element in international governance and peace efforts; and Ralph shows through the business case that companies, as well as communities, will benefit. Ralph presents a new framework for Corporate Peace that will assist companies from all sectors in countries experiencing violent conflict, in addition to instability, human rights abuses and poor governance. Based on rigorous academic research with practical case studies, it is essential reading for practitioners, academics, policy-makers and NGOs.

Mercury pollution and contamination are widespread, well documented, and continue to pose a public health concern in both developed and developing countries. In response to a growing need for understanding the cycling of this ubiquitous pollutant, the science of mercury has grown rapidly to include the fields of biogeochemistry, economics, sociology, public health, decision sciences, physics, global change, and mathematics. Only recently have scientists begun to establish a holistic approach to studying mercury pollution that integrates chemistry, biology, and human health sciences. Mercury in the Environment follows the process of mercury cycling through the atmosphere, through terrestrial and aquatic food webs, and through human populations to develop a comprehensive perspective on this important environmental problem. This timely reference also provides recommendations on mercury remediation, risk communication, education, and monitoring.

Desalination is a dynamically growing field with more research, more engineering, more applications, more countries, more people, and with more training programs. This book provides high quality invited reviews on progress in various aspects of the desalination field. It features comprehensive coverage of desalination science, technology, economics, markets, energy considerations, environmental impact, and more. It is a key guide for professionals and researchers in water desalination and related areas including chemical, mechanical, and civil engineers, chemists, materials scientists, manufacturers of desalination membranes, water reuse engineers, and water authorities, as well as students in these fields.

Details energy and exergy efficiencies of all major aspects of bioenergy systems Covers all major bioenergy processes starting from photosynthesis and cultivation of biomass feedstocks and ending with final bioenergy products, like power, biofuels, and chemicals Each chapter includes historical developments, chemistry, major technologies, applications as well as energy, environmental and economic aspects in order to serve as an introduction to biomass and bioenergy A separate chapter introduces a beginner in easy accessible way to exergy analysis and the similarities and differences between energy and exergy efficiencies are underlined Includes case studies and illustrative examples of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation biofuels production, power and heat generation (thermal plants, fuel cells, boilers), and biorefineries Traditional fossil fuels-based technologies are also described in order to compare with the corresponding bioenergy systems

Sustainable Desalination Handbook: Plant Selection, Design and Implementation provides the comprehensive knowledge base required for efficient and sustainable process design for existing and new desalination plants around the world. This valuable resource for understanding and utilizing the most recent developments in desalination technologies and methods addresses the necessary components, including process design and implementation, operational strategies, and novel discoveries that minimize environmental impacts. In addition, the book features essential illustrations, operational details, issues and potential solutions and sustainable management strategies for present and future desalination plants. Explains plant design and process selection criteria for each desalination process Presents international regulations and permitting for intake and discharge locations, design and disposal Provides energy recovery schemes, optimization and process controls Covers renewable energy sources, such as nuclear, geothermal, solar and wind powered desalination, energy storage and optimization Includes case studies of recent desalination projects and process design