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This book marks a watershed in the social sciences. The qualitative, critical perspective of sociology and allied disciplines challenges the technocentric `managerialism' which dominates environmental policy, its discourse and its impact. The authors explore the relationship between social theory and sustainability in an attempt to transend technical rhetoric and embrace a broader understanding of `nature'. ... Read more

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Geosphere-biosphere interaction of certain elements and compounds is a major factor in global environmental change. This guide to the role of geographical monitoring in ecosystem modelling contains papers presented at the International Geographical Union Seminar on monitoring geosystems. ... Read more

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Major international, interdisciplinary research programmes arenow underway to increase our understanding of how the Earth Systemoperates and how it is changing through the effects of humanactivities. Although understanding and predictive capacity are stilllimited, scientists already agree that significant global changes mustbe expected in the next 50 years that will affect the capacity of theEarth to sustain life. Governments, business and industry have, therefore, come to recognizethat scientific knowledge about the changing global environment-- as yet incomplete but rapidly evolving -- is becomingindispensable for wise long-term policy making, the goal being todesign preventive, adaptive and remedial measures. Thus global change science and policy making are engaged in a processof forming a new partnership that is taking shape as further insightsevolve. Effective continuous interactions between the partnersrequires mutual understanding: decision-makers need to understand theunique potential but also the limitations of the results of scientificresearch in progress while scientists must take into account thepriorities and constraints of policy-makers in designing andimplementing policies that will promote long-term sustainability oflife on this planet. This book contributes in a unique manner to this mutual understanding:It gives an overview of the ongoing relevant research focusing on thetwo major international programmes, the InternationalGeosphere-Biosphere Programme and the World Climate ResearchProgramme. These are described in terms understandable to theinterested lay reader. The results of the latest review of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are included. This isfollowed by an analysis of the response process that is in progresswith respect to governments -- singly and multilaterally-- by business and industry and by public interest groups. Thisprocess is leading to interactive structures, assessment proceduresand legislation, nationally and internationally. Business and industryare changing from mere watchfulness to recognition of newopportunities for products and processes. Six interviews withprominent figures from business and government circles in theNetherlands provide a vivid illustration of the questions at issue.The appendices provide overviews of methods for incorporating theresults of global change science into policy-making and development oflong lasting projects. Adaptation to climate change serves as anexample. Thus, for the first time, one book describes both ongoingresearch work in global change and the response processes that theresearch results are evoking. It is of interest to all stake-holdersin the scientific community as well as to decision-makers in industry,business and government. ... Read more

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The Reader is the first comprehensive history of the noosphere and biosphere. Drawing on classical influences, modern parallels, and insights into the future, the Reader traces the emergence of noosphere and biosphere concepts within the concept of environmental change. Reproducing material from seminal works, both past and present, key ideas and writings of prominent thinkers are presented, including Bergson, Vernadsky, Lovelock, Russell, Needham, Huxley, Medawar, Toynbee and Boulding, and extensive introductory pieces by the editors draw attention to common themes and competing ideas.
The Biosphere and Noosphere Reader includes an introduction by former Sovier Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Vindicating Teilhard
Coined in 1922 by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin SJ (1881-1955), in association with Edouard Le Roy and Vladimir Vernadsky, the word and notion of the NOO-SPHERE were introduced to the English-speaking world by Vernadsky's paper on "The Biosphere and the Noosphere" published in 1945 in "American Scientist" (Vol.33, pp.1-12).In "Fundamentals of Ecology" (1962:26; 1971:35) Eugene Odum said, "This is dangerous philosophy, because it is based on the assumption that mankind is now wise enough to safely take over the management of everything!"In fact, Teilhard assumed nothing about the wisdom of HOMO SAPIENS.But, whether we like it or not, we ARE increasingly responsible and accountable for the management and husbandry of everything, starting with Planet Earth but already extending to the nearest "islands" of outer space.As Mikhail Gorbachev said in 1999 in his foreword to this Reader, "We have reached the phase in cultural evolution where we must assume full responsibility for our power... Knowing and reaching our fullest potential within the constraints of the BIOSPHERE must be the ultimate goal - the driving vision of the 21st century.And the NOOSPHERE concept suggests a philosophy for such a necessary balance" (p.x).

With the possible exception of Blessed John Duns Scotus, no one since St John of Damascus has surpassed Teilhard in his reverence for the "stuff" of creation and of our incarnation.He was fascinated at the many forms of matter, culminating thus far in our genes and the brains that stem thereform.In the known {and knowable?) universe, they are unsurpassed in molecular complexity and reflective competence.Potentially linked together globally by a world-wide-web or internet of communications media, our brains constitute that form of reflective or "thinking" matter that Teilhard called "the NOO-SPHERE."It is concentric with the solid, liquid, gaseous and reproductive or "living" forms of matter, which Edward Suess described as Earth's lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

In this excellent collection of readings, Paul Samson and David Pitt have largely vindicated Teilhard's vision of the NOOSPHERE and will have opened the eyes of many to the depths that are yet to be seen in the mysteries of the universe.

A great contribution
This book has come to fill a gap and to present to students and lecturersan excellent tool for the handling of this subject in a serious andresponsible way. I strongly recommend the book, particularly for ecologyand environment courses in the social sciences. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on January 29, 2006. The length of the article is 2261 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The warm winds of change.(Environment)(Global climate change may have a lasting impact on the Lane County landscape)
Publication: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: January 29, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: G1

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Covering both the developing and developed world, this book identifies important new policies to foster effective agreements in emissions and prevent global warming: realistic policies which should receive international and domestic support. ... Read more

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This digital document is a journal article from Environment International, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
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This digital document is a journal article from Resource and Energy Economics, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Global climate change is rife with uncertainties. Yet, we can expect to resolve much of this uncertainty in the next 100 years or so. Therefore, current actions should reflect the value of flexibility. Nevertheless, most models of climate change, particularly game-theoretic models, abstract from uncertainty. A model of the impacts of uncertainty and learning in a non-cooperative game shows that the level of correlation of damages across countries is crucial for determining optimal policy. ... Read more

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THe proceedings of a conference held in the Nathional University of Ireland, Maynooth in 1995. The papers given consider the impact of global environmental changes projected for the first few decades in the 21st century. ... Read more

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A definitive examination from a distinguished array of scholars.

Is humankind on a fast track to self-destruction? Can society develop ways to live in concert with the environment? Are our environmental problems as grave as they seem? The included essays address these issues and much more. 57 b/w illustrations. ... Read more