Author: Miryam Glikson-Simpson
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030444724
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
This book focuses on the Permian time slice in the geological history of Gondwana, which includes Australia, India, South Africa, Antarctica and South America. Coal is an organic rock, the product of compressed and ‘cooked’ plants. The exact formation of coal via physicochemical reactions, burial and subsidence is the subject of numerous books. The vast thick coal deposits characterising Gondwana formed from special kind of trees termed the Glossopteris Flora. These trees shed their leaves in winter and with the rest of their remains decayed and through subsidence and burial formed the coal. Pollen preserved from these plant communities has been concentrated and isolated and is the focus of this book. The first plant communities as can be seen from the pollen graphs in this book were impoverished in species. The Permian era started with a very cold climate and as the climate warmed more and more diverse vegetation took hold. The emergence of different forms of pollen at certain times in the Permian is used as an indicator of climatic change. Furthermore, the predominance of algal spores in some samples and lack of representation by pollen of Glossopteris point to significant changes in the climate which led to the disappearance of their pollen and the accumulation of spores representing algal communities. These climate induced changes are noticed in their completed transformation after a long time span; small changes are evident during a lifetime of Earth’s inhabitants. Today, in our lifetime, we can see and witness the drying of many lakes across the Earth and their total disappearance from maps of only 50 years ago is a testimony to a climatic change taking place. The time of a ‘complete’ change in the Permian is possible to calculate. However, to determine the duration and maximum change in the climate of the earth today is impossible due to the apparent acceleration of the process by industrial activities of our species. Chapter 4 in the book deals with the special characteristics of the Permian coals of Gondwana and the special plant community which made them. The composition of these coals on a microscopic level shows them to be rich in hydrocarbons, more than other coals. The Permian coals of India and Australia generate ‘heavy’ oil which is retained within the coal matrix as bitumen and is a potential source of methane. This chapter demonstrates through a pilot study the potential for explosion in the Permian Gondwana coals through their propensity to spontaneous combustion and methane generation.
Coal—A Window to Past Climate and Vegetation
Author: Miryam Glikson-Simpson
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030444724
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
This book focuses on the Permian time slice in the geological history of Gondwana, which includes Australia, India, South Africa, Antarctica and South America. Coal is an organic rock, the product of compressed and ‘cooked’ plants. The exact formation of coal via physicochemical reactions, burial and subsidence is the subject of numerous books. The vast thick coal deposits characterising Gondwana formed from special kind of trees termed the Glossopteris Flora. These trees shed their leaves in winter and with the rest of their remains decayed and through subsidence and burial formed the coal. Pollen preserved from these plant communities has been concentrated and isolated and is the focus of this book. The first plant communities as can be seen from the pollen graphs in this book were impoverished in species. The Permian era started with a very cold climate and as the climate warmed more and more diverse vegetation took hold. The emergence of different forms of pollen at certain times in the Permian is used as an indicator of climatic change. Furthermore, the predominance of algal spores in some samples and lack of representation by pollen of Glossopteris point to significant changes in the climate which led to the disappearance of their pollen and the accumulation of spores representing algal communities. These climate induced changes are noticed in their completed transformation after a long time span; small changes are evident during a lifetime of Earth’s inhabitants. Today, in our lifetime, we can see and witness the drying of many lakes across the Earth and their total disappearance from maps of only 50 years ago is a testimony to a climatic change taking place. The time of a ‘complete’ change in the Permian is possible to calculate. However, to determine the duration and maximum change in the climate of the earth today is impossible due to the apparent acceleration of the process by industrial activities of our species. Chapter 4 in the book deals with the special characteristics of the Permian coals of Gondwana and the special plant community which made them. The composition of these coals on a microscopic level shows them to be rich in hydrocarbons, more than other coals. The Permian coals of India and Australia generate ‘heavy’ oil which is retained within the coal matrix as bitumen and is a potential source of methane. This chapter demonstrates through a pilot study the potential for explosion in the Permian Gondwana coals through their propensity to spontaneous combustion and methane generation.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030444724
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 149
Book Description
This book focuses on the Permian time slice in the geological history of Gondwana, which includes Australia, India, South Africa, Antarctica and South America. Coal is an organic rock, the product of compressed and ‘cooked’ plants. The exact formation of coal via physicochemical reactions, burial and subsidence is the subject of numerous books. The vast thick coal deposits characterising Gondwana formed from special kind of trees termed the Glossopteris Flora. These trees shed their leaves in winter and with the rest of their remains decayed and through subsidence and burial formed the coal. Pollen preserved from these plant communities has been concentrated and isolated and is the focus of this book. The first plant communities as can be seen from the pollen graphs in this book were impoverished in species. The Permian era started with a very cold climate and as the climate warmed more and more diverse vegetation took hold. The emergence of different forms of pollen at certain times in the Permian is used as an indicator of climatic change. Furthermore, the predominance of algal spores in some samples and lack of representation by pollen of Glossopteris point to significant changes in the climate which led to the disappearance of their pollen and the accumulation of spores representing algal communities. These climate induced changes are noticed in their completed transformation after a long time span; small changes are evident during a lifetime of Earth’s inhabitants. Today, in our lifetime, we can see and witness the drying of many lakes across the Earth and their total disappearance from maps of only 50 years ago is a testimony to a climatic change taking place. The time of a ‘complete’ change in the Permian is possible to calculate. However, to determine the duration and maximum change in the climate of the earth today is impossible due to the apparent acceleration of the process by industrial activities of our species. Chapter 4 in the book deals with the special characteristics of the Permian coals of Gondwana and the special plant community which made them. The composition of these coals on a microscopic level shows them to be rich in hydrocarbons, more than other coals. The Permian coals of India and Australia generate ‘heavy’ oil which is retained within the coal matrix as bitumen and is a potential source of methane. This chapter demonstrates through a pilot study the potential for explosion in the Permian Gondwana coals through their propensity to spontaneous combustion and methane generation.
How to Avoid a Climate Disaster
Author: Bill Gates
Publisher: Knopf Canada
ISBN: 0735280452
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this urgent, singularly authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical--and accessible--plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid an irreversible climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help and guidance of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science and finance, he has focused on exactly what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide toward certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only gathers together all the information we need to fully grasp how important it is that we work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases but also details exactly what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. He describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions; where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively; where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions--suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but by following the guidelines he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
Publisher: Knopf Canada
ISBN: 0735280452
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 240
Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NATIONAL BESTSELLER In this urgent, singularly authoritative book, Bill Gates sets out a wide-ranging, practical--and accessible--plan for how the world can get to zero greenhouse gas emissions in time to avoid an irreversible climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help and guidance of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science and finance, he has focused on exactly what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide toward certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only gathers together all the information we need to fully grasp how important it is that we work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases but also details exactly what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. He describes the areas in which technology is already helping to reduce emissions; where and how the current technology can be made to function more effectively; where breakthrough technologies are needed, and who is working on these essential innovations. Finally, he lays out a concrete plan for achieving the goal of zero emissions--suggesting not only policies that governments should adopt, but what we as individuals can do to keep our government, our employers and ourselves accountable in this crucial enterprise. As Bill Gates makes clear, achieving zero emissions will not be simple or easy to do, but by following the guidelines he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
Coal
Author: Mark C. Thurber
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 150951404X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 117
Book Description
By making available the almost unlimited energy stored in prehistoric plant matter, coal enabled the industrial age – and it still does. Coal today generates more electricity worldwide than any other energy source, helping to drive economic growth in major emerging markets. And yet, continued reliance on this ancient rock carries a high price in smog and greenhouse gases. We use coal because it is cheap: cheap to scrape from the ground, cheap to move, cheap to burn in power plants with inadequate environmental controls. In this book, Mark Thurber explains how coal producers, users, financiers, and technology exporters drive this supply chain, while fragmented environmental movements battle for full incorporation of environmental costs into the global calculus of coal. Delving into the politics of energy versus the environment at local, national, and international levels, Thurber paints a vivid picture of the multi-faceted challenges associated with continued coal production and use in the twenty-first century.
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 150951404X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 117
Book Description
By making available the almost unlimited energy stored in prehistoric plant matter, coal enabled the industrial age – and it still does. Coal today generates more electricity worldwide than any other energy source, helping to drive economic growth in major emerging markets. And yet, continued reliance on this ancient rock carries a high price in smog and greenhouse gases. We use coal because it is cheap: cheap to scrape from the ground, cheap to move, cheap to burn in power plants with inadequate environmental controls. In this book, Mark Thurber explains how coal producers, users, financiers, and technology exporters drive this supply chain, while fragmented environmental movements battle for full incorporation of environmental costs into the global calculus of coal. Delving into the politics of energy versus the environment at local, national, and international levels, Thurber paints a vivid picture of the multi-faceted challenges associated with continued coal production and use in the twenty-first century.
Oil Shales
Author: Miryam Glikson-Simpson
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030606759
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
This book provides thorough knowledge and detailed information of oil shales using a range of conventional and unconventional techniques and methodologies combined to elucidate the composition of oil shale deposits. As these rocks are mined for energy production their composition and mineral constituents are of special interests to individuals and communities that are likely to be effected by these resources when mined and processed. The book highlights the environmental and health hazards of the spent shales after processing. These are significantly greater in volume than the rocks originally mined before processing. Toxic metals tend to double and triple their concentrations in the spent shales and will be leached into water sources and soils.Since oil shales as an energy resource are totally uneconomical; all oil shales, their mining and processing are heavily subsidised by governments and institutions using taxpayers money.
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030606759
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
This book provides thorough knowledge and detailed information of oil shales using a range of conventional and unconventional techniques and methodologies combined to elucidate the composition of oil shale deposits. As these rocks are mined for energy production their composition and mineral constituents are of special interests to individuals and communities that are likely to be effected by these resources when mined and processed. The book highlights the environmental and health hazards of the spent shales after processing. These are significantly greater in volume than the rocks originally mined before processing. Toxic metals tend to double and triple their concentrations in the spent shales and will be leached into water sources and soils.Since oil shales as an energy resource are totally uneconomical; all oil shales, their mining and processing are heavily subsidised by governments and institutions using taxpayers money.
Earth History and Palaeogeography
Author: Trond H. Torsvik
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107105323
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
This book provides a complete Phanerozoic story of palaeogeography, using new and detailed full-colour maps, to link surface and deep-Earth processes.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107105323
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 329
Book Description
This book provides a complete Phanerozoic story of palaeogeography, using new and detailed full-colour maps, to link surface and deep-Earth processes.
The Vegetation of Antarctica through Geological Time
Author: David J. Cantrill
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113956028X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
The fossil history of plant life in Antarctica is central to our understanding of the evolution of vegetation through geological time and also plays a key role in reconstructing past configurations of the continents and associated climatic conditions. This book provides the only detailed overview of the development of Antarctic vegetation from the Devonian period to the present day, presenting Earth scientists with valuable insights into the break up of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Details of specific floras and ecosystems are provided within the context of changing geological, geographical and environmental conditions, alongside comparisons with contemporaneous and modern ecosystems. The authors demonstrate how palaeobotany contributes to our understanding of the paleoenvironmental changes in the southern hemisphere during this period of Earth history. The book is a complete and up-to-date reference for researchers and students in Antarctic paleobotany and terrestrial paleoecology.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 113956028X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 489
Book Description
The fossil history of plant life in Antarctica is central to our understanding of the evolution of vegetation through geological time and also plays a key role in reconstructing past configurations of the continents and associated climatic conditions. This book provides the only detailed overview of the development of Antarctic vegetation from the Devonian period to the present day, presenting Earth scientists with valuable insights into the break up of the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Details of specific floras and ecosystems are provided within the context of changing geological, geographical and environmental conditions, alongside comparisons with contemporaneous and modern ecosystems. The authors demonstrate how palaeobotany contributes to our understanding of the paleoenvironmental changes in the southern hemisphere during this period of Earth history. The book is a complete and up-to-date reference for researchers and students in Antarctic paleobotany and terrestrial paleoecology.
The New Climate War
Author: Michael E. Mann
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1541758226
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year award A renowned climate scientist shows how fossil fuel companies have waged a thirty-year campaign to deflect blame and responsibility and delay action on climate change, and offers a battle plan for how we can save the planet. Recycle. Fly less. Eat less meat. These are some of the ways that we've been told can slow climate change. But the inordinate emphasis on individual behavior is the result of a marketing campaign that has succeeded in placing the responsibility for fixing climate change squarely on the shoulders of individuals. Fossil fuel companies have followed the example of other industries deflecting blame (think "guns don't kill people, people kill people") or greenwashing (think of the beverage industry's "Crying Indian" commercials of the 1970s). Meanwhile, they've blocked efforts to regulate or price carbon emissions, run PR campaigns aimed at discrediting viable alternatives, and have abdicated their responsibility in fixing the problem they've created. The result has been disastrous for our planet. In The New Climate War, Mann argues that all is not lost. He draws the battle lines between the people and the polluters-fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. And he outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including: A common-sense, attainable approach to carbon pricing- and a revision of the well-intentioned but flawed currently proposed version of the Green New Deal; Allowing renewable energy to compete fairly against fossil fuels Debunking the false narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate and driven a wedge between even those who support climate change solutions Combatting climate doomism and despair-mongering With immensely powerful vested interests aligned in defense of the fossil fuel status quo, the societal tipping point won't happen without the active participation of citizens everywhere aiding in the collective push forward. This book will reach, inform, and enable citizens everywhere to join this battle for our planet.
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1541758226
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 272
Book Description
Shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey Business Book of the Year award A renowned climate scientist shows how fossil fuel companies have waged a thirty-year campaign to deflect blame and responsibility and delay action on climate change, and offers a battle plan for how we can save the planet. Recycle. Fly less. Eat less meat. These are some of the ways that we've been told can slow climate change. But the inordinate emphasis on individual behavior is the result of a marketing campaign that has succeeded in placing the responsibility for fixing climate change squarely on the shoulders of individuals. Fossil fuel companies have followed the example of other industries deflecting blame (think "guns don't kill people, people kill people") or greenwashing (think of the beverage industry's "Crying Indian" commercials of the 1970s). Meanwhile, they've blocked efforts to regulate or price carbon emissions, run PR campaigns aimed at discrediting viable alternatives, and have abdicated their responsibility in fixing the problem they've created. The result has been disastrous for our planet. In The New Climate War, Mann argues that all is not lost. He draws the battle lines between the people and the polluters-fossil fuel companies, right-wing plutocrats, and petrostates. And he outlines a plan for forcing our governments and corporations to wake up and make real change, including: A common-sense, attainable approach to carbon pricing- and a revision of the well-intentioned but flawed currently proposed version of the Green New Deal; Allowing renewable energy to compete fairly against fossil fuels Debunking the false narratives and arguments that have worked their way into the climate debate and driven a wedge between even those who support climate change solutions Combatting climate doomism and despair-mongering With immensely powerful vested interests aligned in defense of the fossil fuel status quo, the societal tipping point won't happen without the active participation of citizens everywhere aiding in the collective push forward. This book will reach, inform, and enable citizens everywhere to join this battle for our planet.
Global Resources and the Environment
Author: Chadwick Dearing Oliver
Publisher:
ISBN: 1107172934
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 547
Book Description
An illustrated overview of the sustainability of natural resources and the social and environmental issues surrounding their distribution and demand.
Publisher:
ISBN: 1107172934
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 547
Book Description
An illustrated overview of the sustainability of natural resources and the social and environmental issues surrounding their distribution and demand.
False Alarm
Author: Bjorn Lomborg
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541647483
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
An “essential” (Times UK) and “meticulously researched” (Forbes) book by “the 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.
Publisher: Basic Books
ISBN: 1541647483
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 347
Book Description
An “essential” (Times UK) and “meticulously researched” (Forbes) book by “the 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.
Coal and Coalbed Gas
Author: Romeo M. Flores
Publisher: Newnes
ISBN: 0123972817
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 717
Book Description
Bridging the gap in expertise between coal and coalbed gas, subfields in which opportunities for cross training have been nonexistent, Coal and Coalbed Gas sets the standard for publishing in these areas. This book treats coal and coalbed gas as mutually inclusive commodities in terms of their interrelated origin, accumulation, composition, distribution, generation, and development, providing a balanced understanding of this energy mix. Currently considered a non-renewable energy resource, coalbed gas, or coalbed methane, is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent years, countries have begun to seek and exploit coal for its clean gas energy in an effort to alleviate environmental issues that come with coal use, making a book on this topic particularly timely. This volume takes into account processes of coalification, gasification, and storage and reservoir characterization and evaluation and looks at water management and environmental impacts as well. - Covers environmental issues in the development of coalbed gas - Includes case studies, field guides and data, examples, and analytical procedures from previous studies and investigations - Accessible by a large multidisciplinary market by one of the world's foremost experts on the topic
Publisher: Newnes
ISBN: 0123972817
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 717
Book Description
Bridging the gap in expertise between coal and coalbed gas, subfields in which opportunities for cross training have been nonexistent, Coal and Coalbed Gas sets the standard for publishing in these areas. This book treats coal and coalbed gas as mutually inclusive commodities in terms of their interrelated origin, accumulation, composition, distribution, generation, and development, providing a balanced understanding of this energy mix. Currently considered a non-renewable energy resource, coalbed gas, or coalbed methane, is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent years, countries have begun to seek and exploit coal for its clean gas energy in an effort to alleviate environmental issues that come with coal use, making a book on this topic particularly timely. This volume takes into account processes of coalification, gasification, and storage and reservoir characterization and evaluation and looks at water management and environmental impacts as well. - Covers environmental issues in the development of coalbed gas - Includes case studies, field guides and data, examples, and analytical procedures from previous studies and investigations - Accessible by a large multidisciplinary market by one of the world's foremost experts on the topic