Биология
Различные книги в жанре БиологияLARB Digital Edition: A Legible Science
We’re all prone to excess, even in discussions of excess, observes biologist and science writer Marlene Zuk. This year has been marked by another rainfall of books about humans destroying the environment in which they evolved, a few about the a priori Darwinian mismatch between humans and their so-called “natural” environments, and a great many more about the even greater mismatch between humans and their constructed environments.This month's Digital Edition gathers some of the best essays and reviews from LARB's Science Section that deal with aspects of the mismatch, and how scientific discoveries and agendas are changing how we think about them. Several also deal with issues of legibility — how science goes about making legible human experience, not to mention environmental impacts. From the exploding fields of neuroscience and genetics to reading the movement of glaciers, this month's selection of articles is the perfect match for readers in search of a legible science.
Green Washed
The message that our environment is in peril has filtered from environmental groups to theAmerican consciousness to our shopping carts. Every day, millions of Americans dutifully replace conventional produce with organic, swap Mr. Clean for Seventh Generation, and replace their bottled water with water bottles. Many of us have come to believe that the path to environmental sustainability is paved by shopping green. Although this green consumer movement certainly has many Americans consuming differently, it raises an important and rarely asked question—"is this consumption really any better for the planet?" By examining the major economic sectors of our society, including infrastructure (green housing), consumer goods (green clothing and jewelry), food (the rise of organic), and energy (including solar power and the popularity of the hybrid car), Green Washed: Why We Can't Buy Our Way to a Green Planet explains that, though greener alternatives are important, we cannot simply buy our way to sustainability. Rather, if it is the volume of our consumption that matters, can we as a society dependent on constantly consuming ever be content with buying less? A new and unique take on green consumption, Green Washed shows how buying better is only the first step toward true sustainability. Kendra Pierre-Louis is the sustainable development editor for Justmeans.com. She holds a master's degree in sustainable development from the SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont. She has created outreach material for the United Nations Environment Programme's Convention on Biological Diversity and worked as a researcher for Terrapin Bright Green, an environmental consulting and strategic planning firm.
A Roadmap to Green Supply Chains
This book shows the relationship between the sustainability movement and supply chains. It provides a guide for supply chain professionals, as well as government officials, corporate executives, and institutional leaders on how to direct their purchasing power so that they source products that not only fill the needs of their organizations, but that also contribute to the health and well-being of the planet. The author, Dr. Kevin Lyons, Ph.D., combined his experiences as the Chief Procurement Officer at Rutgers University with his own unique supply chain archeology. His archeological research involved sifting through garbage dumps where he examined the discarded products he procured for the university. Working backwoods, he developed systems and techniques for making sure sustainable products entered the supply chain from the start. And once they no longer served their intended purpose, they were recycled or reused.FEATURES *Complimentary Green Readiness Guide (Various Calculators to assess your green readiness level and other useful materials) re available for download. * Plans for helping any organization that develops green supply chains. * Case studies that show how corporation and governments have gone green. * Using weather data to plan for disruptions in the supply chain.
Optical Manipulation of Arthropod Pests and Beneficials
Arthropods as pests in crops, vectors of diseases, pollinators, and natural enemies of pests are of huge economic importance. They affect livestock, human health and food supplies around the world. This unique book examines and reviews how light and colour can be used to enhance pest management in agricultural and medical applications by manipulating the optical responses of arthropods. Arthropods use optical cues to find food, oviposition sites and to navigate. Light also regulates their diurnal and seasonal activities. Plants use optical cues to attract or deter various species of arthropod. In this book, an international team of experts show how light can be used successfully to attract, arrest, confuse and deter arthropods as well as to disrupt their biological clocks. The book: Presents an up-to-date and thorough summary of what is known about how arthropods of agricultural and medical importance respond to visual cues. Describes techniques that use light to manipulate pests and beneficial insects and mites. Presents a broad discussion of the potential use of optical manipulation of arthropods to improve the health of plants, domestic animals and humans.
Art, Life & Nature in Japan
The artistic and philosophical heritage of Japan has a special meaning for the modern world. During the present century, Japanese thought and Japanese art have exerted a strong influence on the western mind. Art, Life, and Nature in Japan takes us to the roots of Japanese culture and the origins of this influence.In this brief but deeply meaningful book Masaharu Anesaki provides a panoramic view of Japanese culture, with particular emphasis on the spirit of Japanese art. The book has, in fact, established itself as a classic, and it ranks with such other valuable works of its time as The Book of Tea, in which Kakuzo Okakura deals with a similar theme.Anesaki expresses himself in crystal-clear English to convey a message that is significant today as it was before World War II, when his book first appeared. He advocates peace and a turning inward to the beauty of art and nature. He is as familiar with the Zen philosophy of the samurai and the tea master as with sentiments of ancient court noblemen and the quiet thought of a humble peasant.
Ecology of Kalimantan
The Ecology of Kalimantan is a comprehensive ecological survey of one of Indonesia's largest and most diverse islands.This book presents a complete summary of our current scientific knowledge about Borneo including the rainforest and riverine habitats that are endangered by logging and industrial development, along with a discussion of land use patterns and current problems.Kalimantan is the Indonesian portion of the huge island of Borneo. Kalimantan has played a key role in Indonesia’s economic development and is a major earner of foreign revenue due to the island's rich natural resources: forests, oil, gas, coal, and other minerals. In this book the authors argue that Kalimantan can be developed, but within tight ecological constraints and with great care. This book remains a standard reference for scientists, anthropologists, writers, and anyone interested in the region.
Ecology of Java & Bali
The Ecology of Java and Bali is a comprehensive ecological survey of two of the most ecologically diverse islands in the Pacific.It also contains the results of original research, interviews and personal experience. It will be useful to resource managers, ecologists and government planners, as well as to all others interested in the region.Java and Bali are the best known of all the islands in the Indonesian archipelago. Nowhere else in the country are ecological issues of such importance, and nowhere else is there a better chance of the major development problems being solved. This is because Java has the greatest concentration of development projects, the densest population, excellent human resources, and the interest of many of the most powerful decision makers. Bali, meanwhile, has the eyes of the world on it as an important tourist destination enjoyed by both domestic and foreign visitors.
Ecology of the Indonesian Seas Part 2
The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas distills for the first time the information found in thousands of scholarly works relevant to an understanding of the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources in these islands&8212;many of them available up to now only in Dutch, German or Indonesian. It is an invaluable tool for government planners, resource managers, ecologists, university students, scuba divers, and all those with an interest in the sea.The second volume discusses the origins, formation and distribution of various reef types in the Indonesian Archipelago, and provides new estimates on their extent. The second volume also provides a review of the ecology of Indonesian seagrass, mangrove and open-ocean ecosystems. The chapter on marine biodiversity focuses on a number of marine and coastal habitats and threatened marine organisms. The final two chapters discuss what recent effects the human race has had on marine resources, and what we can do to protect and preserve our marine and coastal zones for generations to come.
Ecology of the Indonesian Seas Part 1
The Ecology of the Indonesian Seas distills for the first time the information found in thousands of scholarly works relevant to an understanding of the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources in these islands—many of them available up to now only in Dutch, German or Indonesian. It is an invaluable tool for government planners, resource managers, ecologists, university students, scuba divers, and all those with an interest in the sea. The first volume provides a review of the geology, physical oceanography and meteorology of the archipelago. Coral reefs, one of the most important, yet least known ecosystems in Indonesia, are introduced in this volume through discussions of the geologic history of reefs, followed by a review of the major theories of coral reef formation, development and their world distribution. Corals and other reef-associated organisms are then examined. The chapter on foraminifera, major producers of the present and past carbonate deposits, presents some little-known Indonesian assemblages. Next, the authors look at the natural environmental factors that affect coral reef development and survival. A chapter on coral reef growth and development concludes the first volume.
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Indonesia
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Indonesia is the best, most comprehensive photographic guide to the birds of Indonesia. Because of its vast size and geographical location, Indonesia has the world's most diverse avifauna. It boasts of more than 1,600 species—of which 235 rare birds are only found in Indonesia—making it the world's number one travel destination for bird-watching.This bird field guide covers a total of 912 species, including most of the non-migratory and endemic species that are seen only in Indonesia and a number of threatened and endangered species. A photograph and distribution map is given for each bird. Many new photographs of Indonesian birds appear in this volume for the first time and have been carefully selected to show the important characteristics of each bird. The concise text provides vital information, and an index of common names is provided at the back of the book.