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Perspectives on Integrated Coastal Zone Management (Environmental Science)
Manufacturer: Springer ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover ASIN: 3540655654 |
Book Description
All coastal areas are facing a growing range of stresses and shocks, the scale of which now poses threats to the resilience of both human and environmental coastal systems. Responsible agencies are seeking better ways of managing the causes and consequences of the environmental change process in coastal zones. This volume discusses the basic principles underpinning a more integrated approach to coastal management and highlights the obstacles that may be met in practice in both developed and developing countries. Successful strategies will have to encompass all the elements of management, from planning and design through financing and implementation, as highlighted in this book. This book includes a CD-ROM with computer visualisation of field data and water quality modelling. There are also movie clips of spectacular scenes.
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Venice Against the Sea: A City Besieged
John Keahey Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0312265948 |
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"Venice is in trouble," writes John Keahey. The city is sinking into the sea. It has lost six feet over the last millennium and soon will lose more. The problem has become so bad that hotel concierges routinely distribute rubber boots to guests, and tourists cross historic squares on elevated boardwalks. Long-time residents flee not only the rising water, but also the rising cost-of- living and the rising industrial pollution. Venice, according to Keahey, "is evolving into a crumbling museum." Once, of course, it was an economic powerhouse with global reach; later it became the repository of some of the finest art and architecture in the world. Now it's sinking, largely due to the remorseless facts of geography, but also because the city's residents have abused their underground water resources. In Venice Against the Sea, Keahey offers a detailed description of what's gone wrong--and explores how the city might be saved, at least temporarily, through innovative engineering. This is a book anybody who has fallen in love with Venice will want to read, yet it issues a stark warning for people in coastal cities all over the world. If sea levels continue to rise, Venice's bleak fate may also be their own. --John MillerBook Description
Venice is sinking - six feet over the past 1,000 years.The reasons for this are many.Although there is a natural geologic tendency for some sinking, humans have exacerbated the problem by exploiting on a massive scale underground water resources for industrial purposes.Coupled with these events - and perhaps most significant - are climatic changes all over the globe.The heating of the atmosphere after the last ice age, dramatically speeded up by humans, has led to a steady, continuing rise in sea level.This global warming is likely to persist beyond human control for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.Venetians, other Italians, and many in the world community are locked in debate over Venice's plight. Venice Against the Sea explains how the city and its 177 canals were built and what has led up to this long-foreseen crisis.It explores the various options currently being considered for "solving" this problem and chronicles the ongoing debate among scientists, engineers, and politicians about the pros and cons of each potential solution.Through extensive research and interviews, award-winning journalist John Keahey has written the definitive book on this fascinating problem. No matter what the experts decide to do, one thing is for certain - Venice's art, its buildings, and its history are too important to the planet's cultural identity to let it slip beneath the rising waters of the Adriatic.AUTHORBIO: John Keahey, a veteran newspaper journalist, is an Idaho native raised in Nampa, Idaho. He has degrees from the University of Utah, and lives in Salt Lake City with his wife, book designer Connie Disney.He is also the author of A Sweet and Glorious Land.Customer Reviews:
Very good, gets a little technical towards the end.......2002-07-24
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Against the Tide
Cornelia Dean Manufacturer: Columbia University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0231084196 |
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Castles built on sand are doomed, they say. But in our hunger for an ocean view from the living-room window, we keep building things we expect to last on beaches that never stay still. In Against the Tide, Cornelia Dean, science editor of The New York Times, outlines the global coastal management crisis and all the elaborate engineering methods developed to stave off erosion--revetments, sand-trapping devices, seawalls, groins and jetties, even artificial seaweed beds. In clear, journalistic style, she explains how all of these devices have failed to stop the inexorable march of coastal erosion. And they've failed at a staggering cost to taxpayers, despite the fact that they're usually deployed to protect private property. The world's sandy beaches continue eroding, and nowhere is this more visible than in the U.S., where oceanfront construction has been proceeding at a fast and furious pace for decades. Of course, the perfectly natural process of erosion is only considered a "problem" if it threatens buildings or property. Dean writes: "There is a kind of constituency of ignorance, people who have so much invested in coastal real estate that they do not want to hear how vulnerable it is."Using examples from Galveston to Cape Cod, and a few places on the West Coast, Dean shows how building each "protective" structure has led to the need for more protection in a game humans are destined to lose to the ocean. "American political institutions," she writes, "are ill-suited to the indeterminacy and elasticity of nature." Part of the problem is that people are reluctant to admit that natural processes threatening our carefully planned and paid-for civilization are good and necessary parts of a dynamic ecosystem, and our efforts to prevent them will invariably buy us more trouble. Dean believes that it's time to make peace with the rising sea level and stop fighting nature. Against the Tide should be required reading for waterfront property owners, coastal zone managers, the Army Corps of Engineers, and beach lovers everywhere. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
Americans love to colonize their beaches. But when storms threaten, high-ticket beachfront construction invariably takes precedence over coastal environmental concerns -- we rescue the buildings, not the beaches. As Cornelia Dean explains in Against the Tide, this pattern is leading to the rapid destruction of our coast. But her eloquent account also offers sound advice for salvaging the stretches of pristine American shore that remain.
The story begins with the tale of the devastating hurricane that struck Galveston, Texas, in 1900 -- the deadliest natural disaster in American history, which killed some six thousand people. Misguided residents constructed a wall to prevent another tragedy, but the barrier ruined the beach and ultimately destroyed the town's booming resort business.
From harrowing accounts of natural disasters to lucid ecological explanations of natural coastal processes, from reports of human interference and construction on the shore to clear-eyed elucidation of public policy and conservation interests, this book illustrates in rich detail the conflicting interests, short-term responses, and long-range imperatives that have been the hallmarks of America's love affair with her coast.
Intriguing observations about America's beaches, past and present, include discussions of Hurricane Andrew's assault on the Gulf Coast, the 1962 northeaster that ravaged one thousand miles of the Atlantic shore, the beleaguered beaches of New Jersey and North Carolina's rapidly vanishing Outer Banks, and the sand-starved coast of southern California. Dean provides dozens of examples of human attempts to tame the ocean -- as well as a wealth of lucid descriptions of the ocean's counterattack. Readers will appreciate Against the Tide's painless course in coastal processes and new perspective on the beach.
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The Science Editor of the New York Times issues a call to arms for beach lovers and environmentalists in a beautifully written book that covers the ecology of the coast, as well as the hubris-filled history of Americans' efforts to hold back the sea.Customer Reviews:
Mandatory Reading.......2007-02-16
Interesting but unfair.......2001-04-20
Another Sad Tale of How Humans Foul Their Nests.......1999-11-08
The truly sad part of this book is not just that we have destroyed thousands of miles of our beaches, but that we are led by ignorant, self-serving politicians and greedy commercial and private interests to build even more damaging structures on what's left of our shores. To add insult to injury the taxpayer continues to be dunned for the money to pay for continued "beach management" (read: mismanagement), and for rebuilding destroyed structures in areas where nothing should be built. I no longer have the slightest sympathy for people whose shorefront homes are destroyed by storms. Move inland where you belong.
A must read for the concerned citizen.
Cornelia Dean Deserves The Pulitzer Prize!.......1999-09-03
Beautifully written and explained........1999-08-18
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Saving Louisiana? The Battle for Coastal Wetlands
Bill Streever Manufacturer: University Press of Mississippi ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 1578063485 |
Book Description
Salt water is inundating coastal Louisiana, transforming precious wetlands into backwaters of the Gulf of Mexico. Science may hold the key to reversing the problem. But what will the cost be? And will the plan work? These are the quandaries reported in Saving Louisiana? The Battle for Coastal Wetlands.In what is unquestionably the most ambitious ecosystem management and restoration program ever proposed, calls have been made to save the Louisiana coast, with a price tag of fourteen billion dollars. And how can science contribute to the rescue?
From the Mississippi River's Old River Control Structure to the pipeline canals of the Gulf's oil fields to the capitol in Baton Rouge, Saving Louisiana? follows scientists, conservationists, and politicians, as they persistently ask the same question: Can Louisiana's coastline be saved? For some experts, technical uncertainty impedes progress. For others, bureaucracy and special interests block what they see as the right path. Still others believe that the real challenge lies in determining what society really wants, so that ecosystem restoration becomes a balance of dollars against choices.
Saving Louisiana? builds a story of doubt and discord that captures the technical and human drama of ecosystem restoration and management. Anyone intrigued by the big ecosystem restoration projects underway in the Florida Everglades, the Chesapeake Bay, the Puget Sound, and elsewhere will find this account of Louisiana's morass compelling and cautionary.
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Coastal-Marine Conservation: Science and Policy
G. Carleton Ray , and Jerry McCormick-Ray Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0632055375 |
Book Description
The coastal-marine realm is where land, sea, and air exchange energy and materials, and where the greatest biological diversity on Earth exists. This realm is also where most people live, but where conservation has been most neglected. Species loss, over-abundance, ill-health, abnormal behavior, and deteriorating habitats mount in the face of human extractions, additions, and physical alterations. Of even greater concern are the rates and magnitude of environmental change and an environmental debt that has resulted from centuries of human development.This book provides a window into the complex world of coastal-realm conservation science and policy. Conservation issues and mechanisms begin the text, followed by a characterization of the coastal-marine realm and a review of natural history concepts. Three cases ¾ the temperate Chesapeake Bay, the sub-arctic Bering Sea, and the tropical Bahamas ¾ illustrate real-world conservation issues. An analysis of the effects of human activities on coastal-marine ecosystems highlights increasing rates of change and fragmented governance. The book concludes with a synthesis of the major challenges for conservation and strategies for the future.The book is intended for undergraduates and graduates taking courses in coastal and marine conservation and management, as well as for those actively engaged in coastal-marine conservation activities.
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Looking for Longleaf: The Fall and Rise of an American Forest
Lawrence S. Earley Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items:
ASIN: 0807856991 |
Book Description
Covering 92 million acres from Virginia to Texas, the longleaf pine ecosystem was, in its prime, one of the most extensive and biologically diverse ecosystems in North America. Today these magnificent forests have declined to a fraction of their original extent, threatening such species as the gopher tortoise, the red-cockaded woodpecker, and the Venus fly-trap. Conservationists have proclaimed longleaf restoration a major goal, but has it come too late?In Looking for Longleaf, Lawrence S. Earley explores the history of these forests and the astonishing biodiversity of the longleaf ecosystem, drawing on extensive research and telling the story through first-person travel accounts and interviews with foresters, ecologists, biologists, botanists, and landowners. For centuries, these vast grass-covered forests provided pasture for large cattle herds, in addition to serving as the world's greatest source of naval stores. They sustained the exploitative turpentine and lumber industries until nearly all of the virgin longleaf had vanished.
Looking for Longleaf demonstrates how, in the twentieth century, forest managers and ecologists struggled to understand the special demands of longleaf and to halt its overall decline. The compelling story Earley tells here offers hope that with continued human commitment, the longleaf pine might not just survive, but once again thrive.
Customer Reviews:
Superb book on several fronts..........2007-10-16
complete book about longleaf pines.......2006-11-19
Best book on longleaf yet........2005-09-08
America's Rain Forest.......2004-11-23
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America's Wetland: Louisiana's Vanishing Coast
Mike Dunne , and Bevil Knapp Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0807131156 |
Book Description
With America's WETLAND, award-winning photographer Bevil Knapp and veteran reporter Mike Dunne sound the clarion call of the catastrophic effects of Louisiana's vanishing coastlinenot just for Louisiana but for the nation and the world. This vital landscape known as America's Wetland is currently disappearing at a rate of twenty-four square miles per year and could lose another five to seven hundred square miles in the next fifty years if no action is taken. New Orleans could become "America's Atlantis," one of the country's unique cultures lost forever. Knapp's beautiful, sometimes startling photographs and Dunne's incisive commentary bring the urgency of this problem into full view.Documented here is a way of life that is quickly waning. Fishermen, oyster farmers, cattle ranchers, oil industry workers, shipbuilders, and tugboat captains are all heavily dependent on Louisiana's coastal territory in bringing the people of the United States a host of products and services sometimes taken for granted. Home to nearly two million residents, the state's wetland serves as protection from hurricanes and storm surges and acts as a buffer for the city of New Orleans, identified by the National Hurricane Center as the city most threatened by the loss of America's Wetland.
The book makes clear that as coastal erosion in Louisiana worsens at an alarming rate, the nation's economic and energy security is put at ever-higher risk and the environmental repercussions become unthinkable. Aerial photographs show how the oil and gas infrastructure is becoming increasingly exposed to the Gulf. Wells, pipelines, ports, roads, and levees that are key to delivering energy to the nation have been made vulnerable. Louisiana wetlands are the natural nursery ground for much of the country's seafood and the wintering habitat for more than five million waterfowl and migratory birds. Stunning photographs of owls, pelicans, egret, crab, crawfish, and alligators illustrate the vast array of wildlife whose homeif not very survivalis endangered by the possible collapse of this intricate ecosystem.
America's WETLAND not only maps the causes and effects of Louisiana's diminishing coast but also outlines restorative and conservation initiatives such as tree planting, rebuilding fisheries, and setting aside wildlife refuges. With the active support of all Americans, there is still hope that this imperiled border of the country can be saved.
Customer Reviews:
A Wonderful Read.......2006-01-25
An important book at a critical time!.......2006-01-24
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Living with the Changing California Coast
Manufacturer: University of California Press ProductGroup: Book Binding: Paperback Similar Items: ASIN: 0520244478 |
Book Description
Crowded into the beautiful, narrow strip at the edge of the ocean, the large number of people who live near California's dynamic coastline often have little awareness of the hazards--waves, tides, wind, storms, rain, and runoff--that erode and impact the coast and claim property on a regular basis. This up-to-date, authoritative, and easy-to-use book, a geological profile of the California coast from Mexico to the Oregon border, describes the landforms and processes that shape the coastline and beaches, documents how erosion has affected development, and discusses the options that are available for dealing with coastal hazards and geologic instability.Customer Reviews:
Appreciation.......2006-01-16
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Beach Nourishment: Theory and Practice (Advanced Series on Ocean Engineering)
Robert G. Dean Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 9810215479 |
Book Description
This book is written for engineers, students of coastal processes and laypersons interested in beach nourishment, which consists of the placement of large quantities of good quality sediment on the beach to advance the shoreline seaward. The improvement of project performance through proper design and the predictability of performance are emphasized. The overall longevity of a project is addressed as are local erosional areas. The roles which wave height, project length and sediment quality play in project performance are addressed quantitatively. The results are illustrated through reference to a number of monitored nourishment projects. Biological and economic aspects of beach nourishment are addressed.
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Handbook of Coastal Engineering
John B. Herbich Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Professional ProductGroup: Book Binding: Hardcover Similar Items:
ASIN: 0071344020 |
Book Description
Wide-ranging, state-of-the-art guide to coastal engineering. The first comprehensive guide to the preservation and maintenance of coastal areas in a decade, Handbook of Coastal Engineering features state-of-the-art practice and research methods. Editor John B. Herbich, one of the world's leading experts in coastal engineering and research, has brought together 23 specialists to discuss: *Coastal wave equations. The design of dikes, revetments, seawalls, breakwaters and related structures for coastline protection, highlighting Dutch, British, and U.S. practices *Sediment transport and beach profile change, and Japanese and U.S. erosion protection methods *Maintenance of navigational channels and harbor basins *Dredging and dredged material disposal, with computer models *Removal of contaminated material by dredging *More A valuable Appendix provides authorization, funding, and implementation information for U.S. Army projects; regulatory program applicant information; a computer program; and useful reference tables.Customer Reviews:
One of those bricks to support your career.......2005-02-26
Good Book.......2000-10-19
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