Greening Through It

How the tools of information technology can support environmental sustainability by tackling problems that span broad scales of time, space, and complexity. Environmental issues often span long periods of time, far-flung areas, and labyrinthine layers of complexity. In Greening through IT, Bill Tomlinson investigates how the tools and techniques of information technology (IT) can help us tackle environmental problems at such vast scales. Tomlinson describes theoretical, technological, and social aspects of a growing interdisciplinary approach to sustainability, “Green IT,” offering both a human-centered framework for understanding Green IT systems and specific examples and case studies of Green IT in action. Tomlinson descrobes many efforts toward sustainability supported by IT—from fishers in India who maximized the sales potential of their catch by coordinating their activities with mobile phones to the installation of smart meters that optimize electricity use in California households—and offers three detailed studies of specific research projects that he and his colleagues have undertaken: EcoRaft, an interactive museum exhibit to help children learn principles of restoration ecology; Trackulous, a set of web-based tools with which people can chart their own environmental behavior; and GreenScanner, an online system that provides access to environmental-impact reports about consumer products. Taken together, these examples illustrate the significant environmental benefits that innovations in information technology can enable.

It is difficult to turn on the television or read a news story today without learning about how green and sustainable practices are being implemented throughout society. Libraries are not exempt from these broader trends. In some cases, libraries and librarians have been at the forefront of these efforts. Greening Libraries provides library professionals with a collection of articles and papers that serve as a portal to understanding a wide range of green and sustainable practices within libraries and the library profession. The book's articles come from a variety of perspectives on a wide range of topics related to green practices, sustainability and the library profession. Greening Libraries offers an overview of important aspects of the growing green library movement, including, but not limited to, green buildings, alternative energy resources, conservation, green library services and practices, operations, programming, and outreach.

“Ultimately, this is a remarkable book, a practical testimonial, and a comprehensive bibliography rolled into one. It is a single, bright sword cut across the various murky green IT topics. And if my mistakes and lessons learned through the green IT journey are any indication, this book will be used every day by folks interested in greening IT.” — Simon Y. Liu, Ph.D. & Ed.D., Editor-in-Chief, IT Professional Magazine, IEEE Computer Society, Director, U.S. National Agricultural Library This book presents a holistic perspective on Green IT by discussing its various facets and showing how to strategically embrace it Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices examines various ways of making computing and information systems greener – environmentally sustainable -, as well as several means of using Information Technology (IT) as a tool and an enabler to improve the environmental sustainability. The book focuses on both greening of IT and greening by IT – complimentary approaches to attaining environmental sustainability. In a single volume, it comprehensively covers several key aspects of Green IT - green technologies, design, standards, maturity models, strategies and adoption -, and presents a clear approach to greening IT encompassing green use, green disposal, green design, and green manufacturing. It also illustrates how to strategically apply green IT in practice in several areas. Key Features: Presents a comprehensive coverage of key topics of importance and practical relevance - green technologies, design, standards, maturity models, strategies and adoption Highlights several useful approaches to embracing green IT in several areas Features chapters written by accomplished experts from industry and academia who have first-hand knowledge and expertise in specific areas of green IT Presents a set of review and discussion questions for each chapter that will help the readers to examine and explore the green IT domain further Includes a companion website providing resources for further information and presentation slides This book will be an invaluable resource for IT Professionals, academics, students, researchers, project leaders/managers, IT business executives, CIOs, CTOs and anyone interested in Green IT and harnessing it to enhance our environment.

This major collection examines both the human resource dimensions of environmental management and how environmental management impacts on human resource departments. Contributions from international experts in both academia and business look at current theory and best practice in environmental TQM, education, training and communications. Greening People argues that, if a company is to adopt an environmentally-aware approach to its activities, the employees are the key to success or failure. Realistically, it is only through the energy, performance and personal commitment of each employee within an organization that business will move towards sustainable industrial development. This book provides an important angle on the new complexities faced by environmental managers and human resource professionals and offers practical solutions drawn from some of the leading lights in the corporate environmental revolution. Greening People is divided into four parts. Part 1 demonstrates the relationship between human resource management and environmental management. Part 2 provides insight into the psychological make-up of contemporary staff that may foster or hinder company-wide implementation of environmental measures, and Part 3 addresses the shortcomings of current management training programmes and suggests new approaches for effective implementation of environmental human resource management. Finally, a selection of excellent case studies demonstrates how the concepts are being implemented in companies and local authorities.

Superstorm Sandy sent a strong message that a new generation of urban development and infrastructure is desperately needed, and it must be designed with resilience in mind. As cities continue to face climate change impacts while growing in population, they find themselves at the center of resilience and green city solutions, yet political and budgetary obstacles threaten even the best-planned initiatives. In The Guide to Greening Cities, seasoned green city leaders Sadhu Johnston, Steven Nicholas, and Julia Parzen use success stories from across North America to show how to turn a green city agenda into reality. The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book written from the perspective of municipal leaders with successful, on-the-ground experience working to advance green city goals. Through personal reflections and interviews with leading municipal staff in cities from San Antonio to Minneapolis, the authors share lessons for cities to lead by example in their operations, create programs, implement high-priority initiatives, develop partnerships, measure progress, secure funding, and engage the community. Case studies and chapters highlight strategies for overcoming common challenges such as changes of leadership and fiscal austerity. The book is augmented by a companion website, launching with the publication of the book, which offers video interviews of municipal leaders, additional case studies, and other resources. Rich in tools, insights, and tricks of the trade, The Guide to Greening Cities helps professionals, policymakers, community leaders, and students understand which approaches have worked and why and demonstrates multidisciplinary solutions for creating healthy, just, and green communities.

This is the academic Age of the Neoliberal Arts. Campuses—as places characterized by democratic debate and controversy, wide ranges of opinion typical of vibrant public spheres, and service to the larger society—are everywhere being creatively destroyed in order to accord with market and military models befitting the academic-industrial complex. While it has become increasingly clear that facilitating the sustainability movement is the great 21st century educational challenge at hand, this book asserts that it is both a dangerous and criminal development today that sustainability in higher education has come to be defined by the complex-friendly “green campus” initiatives of science, technology, engineering and management programs. By contrast, Greening the Academy: Ecopedagogy Through the Liberal Arts takes the standpoints of those working for environmental and ecological justice in order to critique the unsustainable disciplinary limitations within the humanities and social sciences, as well as provide tactical reconstructive openings toward an empowered liberal arts for sustainability. Greening the Academy thus hopes to speak back with a collective demand that sustainability education be defined as a critical and moral vocation comprised of the diverse types of humanistic study that will benefit the well-being of our emerging planetary community and its numerous common locales.

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. Transform brownfields into green development projects This forward-looking resource discusses sustainable remediation methods for converting a land liability into a high-value asset. Greening Brownfields presents best practices and creative thinking on how to increase property value by viewing contaminated sites as lucrative opportunities. The book covers global trends and business drivers related to brownfields and green development, and outlines U.S. and international guidelines and incentive programs. Detailed case studies of worldwide brownfield redevelopment initiatives are included. Greening Brownfields covers: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) Regulations and financial incentives Frameworks for integrating all phases of brownfield redevelopment Sustainable land planning and land use One Planet Living Green building

"Many of the papers included in this volume were first presented and discussed in the Spring of 2000 at a conference on lessons from the NAFTA for the FTAA"--Pref.