Climate Change and Sustainability

This edited book is a collection of essays presented at the 2nd annual Integrity of Creation Conference at Duquesne University, USA, and thus represents the 2nd Conference Proceedings of an annual endowed series.
The title of this conference was “Protecting Our Common Home,” adopted in the title of this volume. The concept of Integral Ecology conveys the indispensable inter-relation of topics, expertise, and specialties in the quest to protect the planet whose environment may face catastrophic threat. A leitmotif throughout the book is the ecological encyclical of Pope Francis called Laudato Si’: On Care for our Common Home, published in 2015. Indeed, the title of the volume refers to the phrase “integral ecology” and the challenge to “protect our common home."

The Urgency of Climate Change addresses a pivotal challenge for the sustainability of our planet. This topic was selected for the inaugural conference in 2015 of an annual series on the Integrity of Creation.
The essays in this collection were selected in a peer-reviewed manner and appeal to a general audience. The chapters move from general to more specific points of view, with a discussion at the end of each section addressing the global impact of climate change.

The first section sets the Context for the discussion, explaining that the climate is an indispensable common good. The part on Science emphasises that empirical reality must guide any analysis of the climate as a matter of basic knowledge and comprehension.

Face the truth of climate change, accept your fears, and become the hero that humanity needs. Facing the Climate Emergency gives people the tools to confront the climate emergency, face their negative emotions, and channel them into protecting humanity and the natural world.

Researchers, politicians and lay persons around the world agree that renewable energy technologies will play an increasingly important role in strengthening national economies in the future. The renewable energy industry has the potential to significantly increase power capacity of several countries and subsequently create many jobs.This book examines recent advances in specific renewable energy systems. Readers will learn about theoretical and applied perspectives which are key to addressing the major issues associated with such systems. Chapters cover solar energy systems, thermal energy storage, bioenergy, hydrogen production, geothermal energy and measurement techniques for these energy systems. Students in engineering programs, and engineers working in academia and the renewable energy sector will be able to broaden their understanding of complex renewable energy projects through the comprehensive overview of both the fundamental concepts and the technical issues covered in the text.

The limitations of natural resources and the threat of global warming could become the most powerful driver of growth, employment, and innovation within just one generation'but to be successful, the Green Revolution will depend on the initiatives of proactive governments. By not admitting the State's role in economic and technological progress, we are socializing only the risks of investing in innovation, while privatizing the rewards in the hands of only a few businesses. This, Mazzucato argues, hurts both future of innovation and equity in modern-day capitalism. For policy-makers, Silicon Valley start-up founders, venture-capitalists, and economists alike, The Entrepreneurial State stirs up much needed debate and offers up a brilliant corrective to spurious beliefs: to thrive, American businesses have always and will need to depend on the support of our country's most audacious entrepreneur, the state.

Water scarcity is spreading and intensifying in many regions of the world, with dire consequences for local communities, economies, and freshwater ecosystems. Current approaches tend to rely on policies crafted at the state or national level, which on their own have proved insufficient to arrest water scarcity. To be durable and effective, water plans must be informed by the culture, economics, and varied needs of affected community members.   International water expert Brian Richter argues that sustainable water sharing in the twenty-first century can only happen through open, democratic dialogue and local collective action. In Chasing Water, Richter tells a cohesive and complete story of water scarcity: where it is happening, what is causing it, and how it can be addressed. Through his engaging and nontechnical style, he strips away the complexities of water management to its bare essentials, providing information and practical examples that will empower community leaders, activists, and students to develop successful and long-lasting water programs.   Chasing Water will provide local stakeholders with the tools and knowledge they need to take an active role in the watershed-based planning and implementation that are essential for water supplies to remain sustainable in perpetuity.

World human population is expected to reach upwards of 9 billion by 2050 and then level off over the next half-century. How can the transition to a stabilizing population also be a transition to sustainability? How can science and technology help to ensure that human needs are met while the planet's environment is nurtured and restored?

Fundamentals of Ocean Renewable Energy: Generating Electricity from the Sea presents the basic concepts of mechanics and introduces the various technical aspects of ocean renewable energy. Contents follow a logical sequence, starting with hydrodynamics and then separately examining each conversion technology, with special focus on tidal energy, offshore wind and wave energy, as well as current and ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). The authors explore key topics for resource characterization and optimization, such as monitoring and measurement methods and ocean modeling. They also discuss the sustainability, planning, integration and distribution challenges for the implementation of these technologies, including co-location with other systems. Finally, case studies of ocean energy sites and devices allow for a better understanding of how ocean energy conversion works in real-world settings. This book is an invaluable resource for students at graduate and senior undergraduate level engineering (ocean, mechanical, and civil) and oceanography with prior knowledge of fluid mechanics and mechanics of materials. Presents the fundamental physics and theory behind ocean energy systems, covering both oceanographic and engineering aspects of ocean energy Explores the most widely adopted conversion technologies, including tidal, wave, offshore wind, ocean thermal and currents