More than two decades of deconstruction, renovation, and reconstruction have left the urban environments in the former German Democratic Republic completely transformed. This volume considers the changing urban landscapes in the former East — and how the filling of previous absences and the absence of previous presence — creates the cultural landscape of modern unified Germany. This broadens our understanding of this transformation by examining often-neglected cities, spaces, or structures, and historical narration and preservation.
Jellyfish are one of the most conspicuous animals in our oceans and are renowned for their propensity to form spectacular blooms. The unique features of the biology and ecology of jellyfish that enable them to bloom also make them successful invasive species and, in a few places around the world, jellyfish have become problematic. As man increasingly populates the world’s coastlines, interactions between humans and jellyfish are rising, often to the detriment of coastal-based industries such as tourism, fishing and power generation. However we must not lose sight of the fact that jellyfish have been forming blooms in the oceans for at least 500 million years, and are an essential component of normal, healthy ocean ecosystems. Here many of the world’s leading jellyfish experts explore the science behind jellyfish blooms. We examine the unique features of jellyfish biology and ecology that cause populations to ‘bloom and bust’, and, using case studies, we show why jellyfish are important to coastal and ocean ecosystem function. We outline strategies coastal managers can use to mitigate the effects of blooms on coastal industries thereby enabling humans to coexist with these fascinating creatures. Finally we highlight how jellyfish benefit society; providing us with food and one of the most biomedically-important compounds discovered in the 20th century.
Starting from the botanical crazes inspired by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century, and exploring the variations it spawned--natural history, landscape architecture, polemical battles over botany's prurience--this study offers a fresh, detailed reading of the courtship novel from Jane Austen to George Eliot and Henry James. By reanimating a cultural understanding of botany and sexuality that we have lost, it provides an entirely new and powerful account of the novel's role in scripting sexualized courtship, and illuminates how the novel and popular science together created a cultural figure, the blooming girl, that stood at the center of both fictional and scientific worlds.
The events of 2008 were not a financial blip. Modern civilisation has reached a climax. Unless humans lighten their demands on the Earth, the next 20 years will be filled with horror stories of energy, food and water shortages. If we do nothing, global civilisation will continue to collapse economically and socially to the point of no return. Bloom or Bust is an epic and exhilirating account of the human journey from the end of the last ice age into the 21st Century. It tells the story of how humans have repeatedly over-exploited their natural surroundings to build complex civilisations and empires, which time and time again have collapsed because of environmental ignorance, political egotism and religious delusion. In the next 10 to 20 years, fossil fuel demand will outstrip supplies significantly, there will be water shortages in the most populated places and crop yields will fail to meet the demands of modern eating habits. Then it will be a Mad Max scenario, where everyone is fighting over food and the last drop of oil. We can and must do better. This book looks at the serious challenges ahead and puts forward radical solutions.
Environmental Nanotechnology is the first book to assist you in both understanding the properties of new nanomaterial-centered technology and assessing the potentially harmful effects these materials may have on the environment. The rapid pace of innovation in nanotechnology has posed a greater risk over health and environment demanding a need for responsible development, relevant policy framework and risk assessment guidelines. This book offers a comprehensive ovcerview of this challenging, inter-disciplinary research area. This book is an authoritative, in-depth exploration of the environmental consequences of nanotechnology. It provides a detailed account of the potential environmental benefits of nanotechnology, describing environmental technologies as well as other applications that can foster sustainable use of resources. The book will make fascinating and useful reading for engineers, scientists, administrators, environmental regulatory officials, public policy makers, and students in a range of science and engineering disciplines.
This is not your grandmother's gardening book. You Grow Girl is a hip, humorous how-to for crafty gals everywhere who are discovering a passion for gardening but lack the know-how to turn their dreams of homegrown tomatoes and fresh-cut flowers into a reality. Gayla Trail, creator of YouGrowGirl.com, provides guidance for both beginning and intermediate gardeners with engaging tips, projects, and recipes -- whether you have access to a small backyard or merely to a fire escape. You Grow Girl eliminates the intimidation factor and reveals how easy and enjoyable it can be to cultivate plants and flowers even when resources and space are limited. Divided into accessible sections like Plan, Plant, and Grow, You Grow Girl takes readers through the entire gardening experience: Preparing soil Nurturing seedlings Fending off critters Reaping the bounty Readying plants for winter Preparing for the seasons ahead Gayla also includes a wealth of ingenious and creative projects, such as: Transforming your garden's harvest into lush bath and beauty products Converting household junk into canny containers Growing and bagging herbal tea Concocting homemade pest repellents ...and much, much more. Witty, wise, and as practical as it is stylish, You Grow Girl is guaranteed to show you how to get your garden on. All you need is a windowsill and a dream!
This study presents the findings of original field research into the design, practice, and varied outcomes of industrial policy in three sectors in Ethiopia: cement, leather and leather products, and floriculture. Given that there is a single industrial strategy, why do its outcomes vary across sectors? To what extent is this a function of the specific market and political economy features of each sector? The book examines industrial structures and associated global value chains to demonstrate the challenges faced by African firms in international markets.
