From frozen deserts to steaming jungles, our planet is amazingly rich and varied. But it is also under threat. Take a closer look at the challenges facing planet Earth today and discover what we can all do to make a difference.
The #1 international bestseller: An astronaut's tour of our planet from the heavens, featuring 150 mesmerizing photographs (with commentary) from the International Space Station. During his six-month mission to the International Space Station, astronaut Tim Peake became the first British astronaut to complete a spacewalk -- and, perhaps more astonishingly, the first to run an entire marathon in space. During his historic mission, he captured hundreds of dazzling photographs, the very best of which are collected here. Tim captures the majesty of the cosmos and of the planet we call home: breath-taking aerial photos of the world's cities illuminated at night, the natural beauty of the northern lights, and unforgettable views of oceans, mountains, and deserts. Tim's lively stories about life in space appear alongside these photographs, including the tale from which the title is taken: his famous wrong number dialed from space, when he accidentally called a stranger and asked: "Hello, is this planet Earth?" With this truly unique perspective on the incredible sights of our planet, Tim demonstrates that while in space, hundreds of miles above his friends and family, he never felt closer to home.
" ... Concise explanations and descriptions - easily read and readily understood - of what we know of the chain of events and processes that connect the Sun to the Earth, with special emphasis on space weather and Sun-Climate."--Dear Reader.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • In this urgent, 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 a climate catastrophe. Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. With the help of experts in the fields of physics, chemistry, biology, engineering, political science, and finance, he has focused on what must be done in order to stop the planet's slide to certain environmental disaster. In this book, he not only explains why we need to work toward net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases, but also details what we need to do to achieve this profoundly important goal. He gives us a clear-eyed description of the challenges we face. Drawing on his understanding of innovation and what it takes to get new ideas into the market, 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, practical 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 if we follow the plan he sets out here, it is a goal firmly within our reach.
For fans of Rick Riordan and Brian Selznick, author-artist Armand Baltazar introduces Timeless: Diego and the Rangers of the Vastlantic, the first in a new science fiction/fantasy series that explores a world painted new by the Time Collision. Integrating art and text, this epic and cinematic adventure features more than 150 full-color illustrations. You’ve never seen Earth like this before: continents reshaped, oceans re-formed, cities rebuilt, and mountains sculpted anew. Dinosaurs roam the plains alongside herds of buffalo, and giant robots navigate the same waters as steam-powered ships. This is the world Diego Ribera was born into. The past, present, and future coexisting together. In New Chicago, Diego’s middle school hallways buzz with kids from all eras of history and from cultures all over the world. The pieces do not always fit together neatly, but this is the world he loves. There are those, however, who do not share his affection. On his thirteenth birthday, Diego learns of a special gift he has within, a secret that is part of something much bigger—something he cannot understand. When his father, New Chicago’s top engineer, is taken by the Aeternum, Diego must rescue him and prevent this evil group from disrupting the fragile peace humanity has forged.
These proceedings include the written version of 130 papers presented at the International Association of Geodesy IAG2009 "Geodesy for Planet Earth" Scientific Assembly. It was held 31 August to 4 September 2009 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The theme "Geodesy for Planet Earth" was selected to follow the International Year of Planet Earth 2007-2009 goals of utilizing the knowledge of the world’s geoscientists to improve society for current and future generations. The International Year started in January 2007 and ran thru 2009 which coincided with the IAG2009 Scientific Assembly, one of the largest and most significant meetings of the Geodesy community held every 4 years. The IAG2009 Scientific Assembly was organized into eight Sessions. Four of the Sessions of IAG2009 were based on the IAG Structure (i.e. one per Commission) and covered Reference Frames, Gravity Field, Earth Rotation and Geodynamics, and Positioning and Applications. Since IAG2009 was taking place in the great Argentine city of Buenos Aires, a Session was devoted to the Geodesy of Latin America. A Session dedicated to the IAG’s Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), the primary observing system focused on the multidisciplinary research being done in Geodesy that contributes to important societal issues such as monitoring global climate change and the environment. A Session on the IAG Services was also part of the Assembly detailing the important role they play in providing geodetic data, products, and analysis to the scientific community. A final Session devoted to the organizations ION, FIG, and ISPRS and their significant work in navigation and earth observation that complements the IAG.
In their book Nicola Armaroli, Vincenzo Balzani and Nick Serpone uncover the background details associated with a transition to sustainable energy production that are routinely swept under the table in public discussions. They are not only concerned with the (alleged) advantages and disadvantages of any one energy generation technology from a technical viewpoint, but also with the ecological, economic, political and social consequences of an inevitable transition. In a highly readable manner aimed at an international audience, the authors introduce the often misused and sometimes abused term 'energy' and give a lucid account of the development of energy production from timber to nuclear energy and renewable energies. They compare various energy generation methods with respect to their efficiency and practicability for large-scale implementation and examine if, and how, these methods live up to the expectations and promises their proponents make. In addition, the authors juxtapose the political and economic prerequisites in different regions of the world that advance, or hinder, an energy turnaround. They round off their book by debunking the seventeen most popular myths often cited in discussions on energy issues. As a result, the authors provide ammunition for debate, underpin (and unsettle) opinions using facts, and challenge comfortable and popular chains of reasoning.
An extreme wildlife photographer explores the bizarre species that thrive in complete darkness with more than 200mesmerizing color photos. Deep inside caves, at the bottoms of oceans and lakes, beneath the ground: these concealed habitats are absent of sunlight, and yet full of life. This strange world of complete darkness is inhabited by millions of life forms that most humans have never seen. Now Danté Fenolio brings the denizens of these shadowy haunts into focus. Life in the Dark shows us the many ways in which life forms have adapted to lightless environments, including refinements of senses, evolution of unique body parts, and illumination using “biological flashlights.” Discover fascinating creatures like the firefly squid, the giant Amazonian catfish, the Chinese cavefish, and even the human bot fly, which lives in the darkness beneath its host’s skin. Fenolio’s rich and vibrant images shed new light on the world’s fascinating creatures of darkness.
Now that you've committed to providing your community with the best possible Internet access, learn from your trailblazing colleagues how to plan, implement, operate, and support all-out Internet patron access. In this special report, experts from the renowned Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library help prepare you for patrons' diverse questions, for the support you'll be required to offer, for the problems you'll encounter. Author Miles R. Fidelman, President of the Center for Civic Networking, outlines the challenges and success stories of these pioneers of high-speed, graphical Internet service that supports the full range of multimedia materials available across the Internet. Complete with time-saving checklists and illuminating worksheets, this one-of-a-kind planning and tracking tool offers strategies for establishing service goals, configuring effective workstations, integrating Internet access with other networks, and building multimedia capabilities.