The Environmental Brief

The built environment is responsible for an estimated forty-five per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions. As the greatest opportunities for reducing these emissions occur during the briefing and design processes, the pathway to better design lies in preparing environmental briefs, and using these to drive building design and produce buildings of high environmental performance. This process-driven book looks at the theoretical issues involved in an environmental brief, and outlines methods by which architects can approach the writing of a brief that considers all aspects of the natural and the built environment, and relates these concepts to a number of case studies from around the world.

Argues that driving building design from an environmental brief gives effective, high-quality results. This book looks at the theoretical issues involved in an environmental brief, and outlines methods by which architects can approach the writing of a brief that considers aspects of the natural and the built environment.

"First Along the River provides a concise, updated introduction to U.S. environmental history. An excellent supplement for any student of the subject."--"Bob Buerger, professor of environmental studies, University of North Carolina, Wilmington --

Here's the dilemma: while traditional agricultural systems appear to be unsustainable due to their environmental impact, transgenic production seems to be a solution that could help us to make agricultural production more sustainable. This work attempts to clarify some of the concepts -such as the Precautionary Principle- that seems to govern many field of scientific research especially transgenic crops and ultimately human development. Now more than ever before, we have to face ethical challenges arising from scientific and technological developments. The genomic intervention by humans in plants, animals and microorganisms involves risks for them and, consequently, for humankind. On the other hand, if people did not interfere in the genome of these living beings, human survival could be jeopardized and the environment could be further damaged. When assessing the risks of human intervention in other living organisms, it is also essential to explore the risk of not intervening. As we develop this issue further, one essential question arises: what offers greater risk, intervention or non-intervention? Safe food, drinking water and unpolluted air are basic human needs but, if they are contaminated, they can also become hazardous to human and animal health. The paradox is that the lack of precautionary guidelines and actions can result in irreversible or serious damage to ecosystems and human health. Similarly, the erroneous application of precautionary measures, based on suspected risk, might also result in these same problems. In this book, we will explore fields such as agriculture, human health, people's effect on the environment and the resulting effect of the environment on humans. In order to explore these areas, this book is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is on the origin of the Precautionary Principle (PP), the political and social need for a new concept to stop environmental damage. The second chapter presents the search for solutions to humankind's nutritional problems. The third chapter covers the environment, the ecosystem, biodiversity, air pollution and the ethical debate on humans and their relationship with the environment. Finally, the last chapter of this book presents the most relevant issues that arise from the PP.

Published to coincide with the Fourth United Nations Environmental Assembly, the Summary for Policymakers of the sixth Global Environment Outlook provides an evidence-based source of environmental information to help policymakers in government, local authorities and businesses achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Since the first edition in 1997, there have been many examples of environmental improvement, especially where problems have been well identified, manageable, and where regulatory and technological solutions have been readily available. Nevertheless, the overall condition of the global environment has deteriorated and urgent action, involving ambitious and effective policies, is necessary to arrest and reverse this situation. This Summary for Policymakers answers key policy questions by assessing the drivers of environmental change, the scale and effectiveness of policy responses, potential pathways for achieving sustainability goals in an increasingly complex world, and the data and information that can support the decision-making process. Also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

This summary of Canada's Green Plan describes the targets and schedules which the government hopes will reduce chemical wastes, and encourage environmental initiatives in air, water, and land. It briefly examines the various renewable resource industries (forests, agriculture, and fisheries) and the ways in which a viable environmental policy will ensure their survival. The Plan also looks at environmental issues which are more international in scope, namely, global warming, acid rain, ozone depletion, environmental emergencies.

The New York Times-bestselling "skeptical environmentalist" argues that panic over climate change is causing more harm than good Hurricanes batter our coasts. Wildfires rage across the American West. Glaciers collapse in the Artic. Politicians, activists, and the media espouse a common message: climate change is destroying the planet, and we must take drastic action immediately to stop it. Children panic about their future, and adults wonder if it is even ethical to bring new life into the world. Enough, argues bestselling author Bjorn Lomborg. Climate change is real, but it's not the apocalyptic threat that we've been told it is. Projections of Earth's imminent demise are based on bad science and even worse economics. In panic, world leaders have committed to wildly expensive but largely ineffective policies that hamper growth and crowd out more pressing investments in human capital, from immunization to education. False Alarm will convince you that everything you think about climate change is wrong -- and points the way toward making the world a vastly better, if slightly warmer, place for us all.

First Along the River: A Brief History of the U.S. Environmental Movement provides students with a balanced, historical perspective on the history of the environmental movement in relation to major social and political events in U.S. history, from the pre-colonial era to the present. The book highlights important people and events, places critical concepts in context, and shows the impact of government, industry, and population on the American landscape. Comprehensive yet brief, First Along the River discusses the religious and philosophical beliefs that shaped Americans' relationship to the environment, traces the origins and development of government regulations that impact Americans' use of natural resources, and shows why popular environmental groups were founded and how they changed over time. The fifth edition includes up-to-date coverage of the environmental movement and developments including an overview of environmental issues since 2012, environmental policies impacted by the Trump administration, the coronavirus pandemic, and the switch back to a more global perspective under the Biden administration.