Meeting the world’s food security challenge will require a multi-national, collaborative effort to integrate the best research from science, engineering and socioeconomics so that technological advances can bring benefits where they are most needed. The present book covers the effect of major environmental problems on crop production and how to cope with these issues for sustainable agriculture and improvements of crops. The world’s population is predicted to hit 9.6 Billion by 2050, up from today’s total of nearly 7.3 Billion, and with it food demand is predicted to increase substantially. The post-war ‘second agricultural revolution’ in developed countries, and the ‘green revolution’ in developing nations in the mid- 1960s converted agricultural practices and elevated crop yields spectacularly, but the outcome is levelling off and will not meet projected demand. Simultaneously, crop production is affected by many other factors, including industrial pollution, overuse of fertilizers and insecticides, heavy metal and radiation stresses etc. It has been noted that many pests are becoming resistant to insecticides. Estimates vary, but around 25% of crops can be lost to pests and diseases. Climate change associated with agriculture is also a global issue. Agriculture is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases and is estimated to account for 10-12% of total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Many of the issues highlighted are global problems and are addressed thoroug hly in this work.

Global Environmental Issues, second edition builds on the popularity of the first edition, viewing global environmental problems as complex issues with a network of causes, influenced by a range of actors with differing priorities. The book recognises that science underpins much of what happens in society and therefore it is important to be able to interpret the environmental and social consequences of scientific developments. In addition to discussing the main biophysical causes, the book illustrates how socio-economic and political factors determine why and how people use land, resources and technology, and how this in turn affects natural resource management. This edition includes new chapters on the politics of science, International environmental regulation and treaties, environmental issues in a globalised world and natural resource management. Global Environmental Issues, second edition is essential reading for upper level undergraduates and Masters students within departments of Environmental Science and Geography. Includes case studies from around the world to provide a real life context for the issues tackled in each chapter Considers both the results of human actions and natural environmental change in order to provide balanced, in-depth debate Includes coverage of contemporary 'hot topics' such as biodiversity, globalization and sustainable development Chapters authored by experts in the field Includes new chapters on The politics of science, International environmental regulation and treaties , Environmental issues in a globalised world and Natural Resource Management Expanded sections include negotiating multilateral environmental agreements, GM crops, biofuels and marine and freshwater resources

An Introduction to Global Environmental Issues presents a comprehensive and stimulating introduction to the key environmental issues presently threatening our global environment. Offering an authoritative introduction to the key topics, a source of latest environmental information, and an innovative stimulus for debate, this is an essential book for all those studying or concerned with global environmental issues. Major global environmental issues are brought into focus. Explanations of the evolution of the earth's natural systems (hydrosphere, biosphere, geosphere, ecosphere) provide an essential understanding of the scientific concepts, processes and historical background to environmental issues. Contemporary socio-economic, cultural and political considerations are explored and important conceptual approaches such as Gaian hypotheses and Chaos Theory are introduced. Human impact and management of the natural environment, and concerns for maintaining biodiversity are emphasised throughout. Specific features include: * Case studies drawn from across the world * Superb illustrations: 4-colour plate sections; a wealth of informative diagrams * Glossary of key terms, with key concepts highlighted throughout the text * Annotated guides to further reading * Chapter summaries and key points A Lecturers' Manual is available to accompany the text This 2nd Edition has been extensively revised and expanded to include many new illustrations, up-to-date data (including the latest IPCC data) and the most recent events including Khobe earthquake, French nuclear testing, the Berlin conference and the Antarctic Treaty. Sections on ecosystems, techniques, pollution, tectonics, risk and hazard mitigation, world populations, and issues of human impact and environmental management, have been particularly expanded in this new edition.

This book provides a balanced account of the global environmental issues which threaten our society and which we neglect at our peril. Analysing both social and environmental components of the issues - global warming, ozone depletion, acid rain and drought - the book offers a valuable integrative approach and a detailed analysis of environmental issues in a clear, non-technical manner. Emphasising the climatological dimension common to all environmental issues, Global Environmental Issues recognises the multi-faceted nature of the issues, their common causes and the possibility of common solutions. Assessment of socio-economic, cultural amd political factors provides a balanced introduction to both the dangers and advantages of human interference with the environment. What have we done to deserve our current environmental crisis? Can we solve our current environmental problems, or is it too late? This new edition of a best selling text is completely updated and expands to include greater detail and new material such as a new section on atmospheric modelling. A glossary has been added together with a bibliography for further reading at the end of each chapter, allowing readers to develop their interest in specific areas. The interdisciplinary text will prove invaluable to students in geography, environmental studies and other courses in whcih the environmental approach is emphasised.

Eating locally and developing an urban-rural food continuum is a rapidly evolving movement. Integration of multi-functional forms of agriculture — termed New Forms of Urban Agriculture (NFUA) — could be a critical adaptation to strengthen this movement and for the sustainability of cities. While NFUA have the potential to provide diverse benefits to humans, there is an absence of reliable empirical data on the scale and impact of urban resources on NFUA which has a profound impact on its viability and sustainability. In this book, we shift the focus from how NFUA have potential to impact the urban system to investigate the potential impacts of urban resources on NFUA. Access to resources such as land, labour, clean water, etc. are major barriers to enter the agriculture sector in the cities; the chapters in this book present projects or reviews recent research on the subject from different cities in the world. This edited volume offers critical perspectives from diverse disciplines, expertise, and geographic contexts related to the actual and potential role of urban and peri-urban agriculture in the developing and the developed world where forms, adaptations, and debates around NFUA vary distinctively. Using and urban ecology lens, the book provides empirical evidence of how urban resources of land, water/waste, labour, and biodiversity impact NFUA.

Annotation. Worldwide climatic changes have been raising concerns about potential changes to crop yields and production systems. Such concerns include the ability to accommodate these uncertain effects in order to ensure an adequate food supply for an increasing population. Written by leadinginternational experts, this book is the first comprehensive examination of the potential effects climate change, particularly green house gases, will have on agroecosystems. It also reviews the effects such systems have on climate change itself.

This handbook provides a comprehensive and authoritative survey of Global Environmental Politics. It brings together leading international academic experts and features 40 chapters that: Describe the history of global environmental politics as a discipline and explain the various theories and perspectives used by scholars and students to understand it. Examine the key actors and institutions in global environmental politics, explaining the role of states, international organizations, regimes, international law, foreign policy institutions, domestic politics, corporations and transnational actors. Address the ideas and themes shaping the practice and study of global environmental politics, including sustainability, consumption, expertise, uncertainty, security, diplomacy, North-South relations, globalisation, justice, ethics, participation and citizenship. Assess the key issues and policies within global environmental politics, including energy, climate change, ozone depletion, air pollution, acid rain, sustainable transport, persistent organic pollutants, hazardous wastes, water, rivers, wetlands, oceans, fisheries, marine mammals, biodiversity, migratory species, natural heritage, forests, desertification, food and agriculture. With an in-depth new preface by the Editor, this edition of the handbook is an invaluable resource for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners of environmental politics, environmental studies, environmental science, geography, international relations and political science.

Plants growing in the natural environment battle with a variety of biotic (pathogens infection) and abiotic (salinity, drought, heat and cold stresses etc.) stresses. These physiological stresses drastically affect plant growth and productivity under field conditions. These challenges are likely to grow as a consequences of global climate change and pose a threat to the food security. Therefore, acquaintance with underlying signalling pathways, physiological, biochemical and molecular mechanisms in plants and the role of beneficial soil microorganisms in plant’s stress tolerance are pivotal for sustainable crop production. This volume written by the experts in the stress physiology and covers latest research on plant’s tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. It elaborates on the potential of plant-microbe interactions to avoid the damage caused by these stresses. With comprehensive information on theoretical, technical and experimental aspects of plant stress biology, this extensive volume is a valuable resource for researchers, academician and students in the broad field of plant stress biology, physiology, microbiology, environmental and agricultural science.

Changing the Global Environment: Perspectives on Human Involvement focuses on the extent of global environmental changes and the extent to which technology can be employed to improve the global environment. This book is divided into three sections. Section I sets forth a broad perspective on specific conceptual issues of concern such as the sustainable use of the global ocean; deforestation and extinction of species; large-scale alteration of biological productivity due to transported pollutants; and soil degradation and conversion of tropical rainforests. The second section discusses technologies of remote sensing, computer-based data systems, and advanced chemical analytical techniques. The interactions among social, environmental, and economic goals and the role that technological advances might play in attaining these goals are deliberated in Section III. This publication is valuable to environmentalists and students interested in how technologies can change man’s perception of the environment.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Climate is changing across our planet, largely, as a result of human activities. The indicators of climate change include physical responses such as changes in the surface temperature, atmospheric water vapour, severe climatic events, melting of glaciers, and a rise in sea level. Mountain ecosystems being exceptionally fragile are prone to both natural and anthropogenic drivers of change, which ranges from volcanic and seismic events and flooding to global climate change and of vegetation and soils, resulting from inappropriate agricultural and forestry practices and extractive industries. Environmental issues directly affect agricultural productivity, famine and pandemics, health, economy, and ecology. In this light, environmental protection, the practice of protecting the environment on individual, community, organizational, or governmental level, assumes a significant role. This book provides a holistic coverage of the basics of climate change, changes in biodiversity, phytosociological changes, and thus proposes a comprehensive set of solutions to resolve various issues related to environment and climate change. This book would be beneficial for researchers, policy makers, academicians, environmentalists, and university students.