Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea

Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea PDF Author: Marilena Streit-Bianchi
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030389456
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
This book, written by a multidisciplinary team of authors comprising scientists, artists and communicators, explores one of the most pressing issues of our time – the menace plastics pose to marine environments and organisms. It takes readers on a journey that begins on the beaches of Galicia, where the beach litter formed the starting point for an exhibition that combines art and science to alert the audience to the urgent need for action. The journey culminates with a short “plastic story”, which reveals a disturbing vision of the future significance of plastics for humans, and an example of how comics can deliver information to a younger audience. Along the way there is plenty of fascinating science, such as insights into the impacts of plastics and microplastics; the new marine ecosystem, known as the “plastisphere”; and the current status of the oceans, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. The book also explores the historical developments; sustainable solutions, including the use of circular economy methodologies; and protective measures, like those being tried in China and the Far East. Lastly, it describes the role played by rivers as transport vectors for plastic, with special reference to the Danube, and to complete the picture, since most of the plastic is of terrestrial origin, it investigates problems related to microplastics in soils.

Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea

Mare Plasticum - The Plastic Sea PDF Author: Marilena Streit-Bianchi
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030389456
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 261

Get Book Here

Book Description
This book, written by a multidisciplinary team of authors comprising scientists, artists and communicators, explores one of the most pressing issues of our time – the menace plastics pose to marine environments and organisms. It takes readers on a journey that begins on the beaches of Galicia, where the beach litter formed the starting point for an exhibition that combines art and science to alert the audience to the urgent need for action. The journey culminates with a short “plastic story”, which reveals a disturbing vision of the future significance of plastics for humans, and an example of how comics can deliver information to a younger audience. Along the way there is plenty of fascinating science, such as insights into the impacts of plastics and microplastics; the new marine ecosystem, known as the “plastisphere”; and the current status of the oceans, from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. The book also explores the historical developments; sustainable solutions, including the use of circular economy methodologies; and protective measures, like those being tried in China and the Far East. Lastly, it describes the role played by rivers as transport vectors for plastic, with special reference to the Danube, and to complete the picture, since most of the plastic is of terrestrial origin, it investigates problems related to microplastics in soils.

The Beachcomber’s Guide to Marine Debris

The Beachcomber’s Guide to Marine Debris PDF Author: Michael Stachowitsch
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 331990728X
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
This richly illustrated book serves as the ideal guide to the items that litter the world’s beaches. Forget sea shells and other fauna and flora. Here, you will find what a beachcomber is actually most likely to encounter these days: glass, plastic, wood, metal, paper, oil, and other sources of marine pollution! Complete with nearly 700 photographs, this guide shows the full range of marine debris items, each presented with insight and a pinch of humor. In addition, the author provides full details about these items. You will learn everything worth knowing about them. This includes not just their sources and decomposition stages. Discover the threat each item poses to these beautiful environments as well as prevention strategies, clean-up recommendations, alternative products, and recycling and upcycling ideas. Beyond the aesthetic issue, marine debris poses a threat to wildlife, human health, and economic welfare. This book arms you with the knowledge you need to combat these disgraceful and often hazardous eyesores. Become a beach detective! Travel the world’s most beloved tourist destinations with this ultimate beach read and help restore these fascinating environments to their natural beauty.

Plastic Soup

Plastic Soup PDF Author: Michiel Roscam Abbing
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1642830089
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 138

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Book Description
Plastics have transformed every aspect of our lives. Yet the very properties that make them attractive—they are cheap to make, light, and durable—spell disaster when trash makes its way into the environment. Plastic Soup: An Atlas of Ocean Pollution is a beautifully-illustrated survey of the plastics clogging our seas, their impacts on wildlife and people around the world, and inspirational initiatives designed to tackle the problem. In Plastic Soup, Michiel Roscam Abbing of the Plastic Soup Foundation reveals the scope of the issue: plastic trash now lurks on every corner of the planet. With striking photography and graphics, Plastic Soup brings this challenge to brilliant life for readers. Yet it also sends a message of hope; although the scale of the problem is massive, so is the dedication of activists working to check it. Plastic Soup highlights a diverse array of projects to curb plastic waste and raise awareness, from plastic-free grocery stores to innovative laws and art installations. According to some estimates, if we continue on our current path, the oceans will contain more plastic than fish by the year 2050. Created to inform and inspire readers, Plastic Soup is a critical tool in the fight to reverse this trend.

Freshwater Microplastics

Freshwater Microplastics PDF Author: Martin Wagner
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319616153
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 309

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Book Description
This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This volume focuses on microscopic plastic debris, also referred to as microplastics, which have been detected in aquatic environments around the globe and have accordingly raised serious concerns. The book explores whether microplastics represent emerging contaminants in freshwater systems, an area that remains underrepresented to date. Given the complexity of the issue, the book covers the current state-of-research on microplastics in rivers and lakes, including analytical aspects, environmental concentrations and sources, modelling approaches, interactions with biota, and ecological implications. To provide a broader perspective, the book also discusses lessons learned from nanomaterials and the implications of plastic debris for regulation, politics, economy, and society. In a research field that is rapidly evolving, it offers a solid overview for environmental chemists, engineers, and toxicologists, as well as water managers and policy-makers.

Sky Tree

Sky Tree PDF Author: Thomas Locker
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0064437507
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description
A tree stands on a hill by a river. As the sky changes, so does the tree, its branches filling with clouds, stars, snow, birds, mists, and the golden spring sun. One tree can mean many things. Thomas Locker's lyrical text records the changes in the tree's world just as simply as a child might observe them, and his magnificent paintings crystallize the natural phenomena that embellish the tree on each page. Questions at the bottom of each page lead to a unique discussion in the back of the book, where art and science are intertwined, and further depth is added to the wonder of Sky Tree.

Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes

Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes PDF Author:
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 0323983138
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 320

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Book Description
Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes: Algae Based Renewable, Sustainable, Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials explains how and why bio-based materials, specifically algae, will change the polymer industry. The book provides background on algae, polyurethanes (PUs), and their everyday use. It covers the biology and chemistry behind how and why these materials are engineered to be both biodegradable and, through the process of depolymerization, fully recyclable. Chapters cover Re-evaluating the Sources, Redefining the Analytics, Reformulating Polyester Polyurethanes, and The Future. The latter part of the book describes the landscape of bio-based materials, the eco-consumer, and insights into the industry problem of "greenwashing. This book is a valuable resource for industry professionals who use polyurethanes in the supply chain for manufactured products, those in sales and marketing or regulatory roles who wish to better understand the unique advantages of bio-based materials, and researchers studying R&D of biobased polyurethanes or remediation of microplastics pollution on land and in bodies of fresh and saltwater worldwide. - Builds on the foundation of sustainable, renewable, biodegradable, recyclable microplastics, with lifecycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and the green premium - Clarifies the true economics—if we were to go back to initial development of the plastics industry, what would we do differently? - Covers the basic science—the knowledge required to effectively communicate the use of materials that are on first examination more expensive, but on closer examination less expensive when environmental consequences are factored

Sustainable Economic Development

Sustainable Economic Development PDF Author: Giorgos Meramveliotakis
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1040184138
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 283

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Book Description
Drawing on political economy and economic pluralism, this book explores issues in sustainable economic development from a macro perspective. In contrast to the vast majority of studies on contemporary development problems, which are focused on micro-level theory, method, and policy, this volume brings together both heterodox and mainstream perspectives. The international cast of contributors thus brings a pluralistic approach to core contemporary topics including digital transformation, climate change, degrowth and the effects of the pandemic crisis. Methods range from frameworks used to analyse public policy and institutional change, to modes of analyses including historically grounded narratives and conceptualisations of grand theories. Each chapter surveys the origins, development, key features, applications, and frontiers of a particular viewpoint, framework, or mode of analysis. This book makes a vital contribution to the literature on economic development, sustainable development, capitalism, and sustainability more broadly.

Toxic Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics

Toxic Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics PDF Author: Inamuddin
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1394238126
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 612

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Book Description
This book provides in-depth coverage of the sources, dispersion, life cycle assessment strategies, physico-chemical interactions, methods of analysis, toxicological investigation, and remediation strategies of micro and nanoplastics. Micro and nanoplastics are the degradation products of large plastic compounds. These degraded polymers enter into the natural environment, including air, water, and food, which leads to various significant threats to human health. The nature of these micro and nanoplastics is persistent and consequently accumulates in the exposed person’s body. Research into microplastics has shown that these particles accumulate in various human organs and impart detrimental effects on humans. To safeguard human health, analysis and remediation strategies are necessary. This book provides a comprehensive overview in 24 chapters on the source, distribution, life cycle assessment strategies, physico-chemical interactions, methods of analysis, toxicological investigation, and remediation strategies of micro and nanoplastics. Audience This book is a valuable resource for chemists and polymer scientists in various industries including plastics, fisheries, food and beverages, environmental sciences, agriculture, and medicine, as well as government policymakers.

Planetary Hinterlands

Planetary Hinterlands PDF Author: Pamila Gupta
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3031242432
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
This open access book considers the concept of the hinterland as a crucial tool for understanding the global and planetary present as a time defined by the lasting legacies of colonialism, increasing labor precarity under late capitalist regimes, and looming climate disasters. Traditionally seen to serve a (colonial) port or market town, the hinterland here becomes a lens to attend to the times and spaces shaped and experienced across the received categories of the urban, rural, wilderness or nature. In straddling these categories, the concept of the hinterland foregrounds the human and more-than-human lively processes and forms of care that go on even in sites defined by capitalist extraction and political abandonment. Bringing together scholars from the humanities and social sciences, the book rethinks hinterland materialities, affectivities, and ecologies across places and cultural imaginations, Global North and South, urban and rural, and land and water.

Theorizing Ocean Governance: A Framework Combining Governance, Science, and Law

Theorizing Ocean Governance: A Framework Combining Governance, Science, and Law PDF Author: Lena Schøning
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 900472026X
Category : Law
Languages : en
Pages : 101

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Book Description
Ocean governance is emerging as a field of study drawing on and combining different knowledge domains, including governance, science, and law. Assumptions of these three knowledge domains and their relationships are rarely discussed. This study attempts to contribute to such discussion by theory-building: investigating the governance-science and governance-law interfaces in an ocean governance context. The investigations form the basis for offering some perspectives concerning key topics of ocean governance: cross-sectoral, holistic, and integrated approaches, science-based decision-making, adaptation, the ecosystem approach, and ocean governance as an emerging field of study.