As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, an understanding of the context, mechanisms, and consequences of city and suburban environments becomes more critical. Without a sense of what open spaces such as parks and gardens contribute, it’s difficult to argue for their creation and maintenance: in the face of schools needing resources, roads and sewers needing maintenance, and people suffering at the hands of others, why should cities and counties spend scarce dollars planting trees and preserving parks? In Constructed Climates, ecologist William G. Wilson demonstrates the value of urban green. Focusing specifically on the role of vegetation and trees, Wilson shows the costs and benefits reaped from urban open spaces, from cooler temperatures to better quality ground water—and why it all matters. While Constructed Climates is a work of science, it does not ignore the social component. Wilson looks at low-income areas that have poor vegetation, and shows how enhancing these areas through the planting of community gardens and trees can alleviate social ills. This book will be essential reading for environmentalists and anyone making decisions for the nature and well-being of our cities and citizens.

As our world becomes increasingly urbanized, an understanding of the context, mechanisms, and consequences of city and suburban environments becomes more critical. Without a sense of what open spaces such as parks and gardens contribute, it’s difficult to argue for their creation and maintenance: in the face of schools needing resources, roads and sewers needing maintenance, and people suffering at the hands of others, why should cities and counties spend scarce dollars planting trees and preserving parks? In Constructed Climates, ecologist William G. Wilson demonstrates the value of urban green. Focusing specifically on the role of vegetation and trees, Wilson shows the costs and benefits reaped from urban open spaces, from cooler temperatures to better quality ground water—and why it all matters. While Constructed Climates is a work of science, it does not ignore the social component. Wilson looks at low-income areas that have poor vegetation, and shows how enhancing these areas through the planting of community gardens and trees can alleviate social ills. This book will be essential reading for environmentalists and anyone making decisions for the nature and well-being of our cities and citizens.

Crop production in greenhouses is a growing industry, especially in mild climates, and is very important for the population as a source of income and clean, fresh food. Greenhouses create optimal climate conditions for crop growth and protect crops from outside pests. At the same time greenhouse production increases water use efficiency and makes integrated production and protection (IPP) possible. This book provides technical instructions for practice (what to do and what not to do) and gives answers to the question: How to produce more clean crops and better quality with less water, less land and less pesticide. Suitable greenhouse constructions and their design, adapted to local climates in subtropical, tropical and arid regions and infrastructure conditions are presented. The necessary climate control measures - light transmittance, ventilation, cooling, heating, and CO2 enrichment - and physical measures for pest control, as well as methods for using solar energy to desalinate salty water are described. The results of theoretical research are transferred into methods for practical use, so that readers are equipped to solve their problems in practice as well as to get stimulation for further research and development.

Bergeron and Lacinski's new book Serious Straw Bale is the first to look carefully at the specific design considerations critical to success with a straw bale building in more extreme climates-where seasonal changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity create special stresses that builders must understand and address. The authors draw upon years of experience with natural materials and experimental techniques, and present a compelling rationale for building with straw-one of nature's most resilient, available, and affordable byproducts.

This volume presents 17 contributions focusing on the potential, and use of, constructed wetlands for wastewater treatment in cold climate areas. The central issues examined are the long-term experiences of such wetlands, optimum design to improve purification efficiency, the intensity of the critical processes of organic matter mineralization and nutrient retention during winter, and constructed wetland use for multiple purposes.

This edited book presents the first collection of case studies and research projects on the sustainable technology of constructed wetlands for wastewater management under hot and arid climates. It is the first such work that summarizes in a single reference the current international experiences and knowledge on the implementation of this nature-based solution under these diverse and often harsh climatic conditions. It covers the relevant gap in the fragmented and limited literature by providing integrated information and documentation on the feasibility of this green technology. The book presents the treatment efficiency of constructed wetland facilities and the research output from 29 different countries across South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, while it covers various applications such as domestic and municipal wastewater, various industrial effluents and municipal sludge. Many examples and case studies further demonstrate the potential of this technology to contribute to better address the issues of water scarcity and limited fresh water resources through circular management of treated effluents e.g. reuse in irrigation. It also discusses the various challenges and technical aspects that should be considered in such climates, along with the environmental, financial and social benefits of this technology. This work is a useful handbook and guide for professional engineers, practitioners, academics, researchers, students, and water authorities who wish to get a better understanding and first-hand information on the potential of constructed wetlands for cost-effective and sustainable wastewater management in countries with hot and arid climates.

Individuals, international organizations and states are calling for the world to confront climate change. Efforts such as the Kyoto Protocol have produced intractable disputes and are deemed inadequate. This volume adopts two constructivist perspectives - norm-centred and discourse - to explore the social construction of climate change from a broad, theoretical level to particular cases. The contributors contend that climate change must be understood from the context of social settings, and that we ignore at our peril how power and knowledge structures are generated. They offer a greater understanding of why current efforts to mitigate climate change have failed and provide academics and policy makers with a new understanding of this important topic.

The design, construction and use of buildings in tropical climates pose specific challenges to built environment professionals. This text seeks to capture some of the key issues of technology and practice in the areas of building design, refurbishment, construction and facilities management in tropical regions. Using a consistent chapter structure throughout, and incorporating the latest research findings, this book outlines: the functional requirements of buildings in tropical climates; the challenges associated with the sustainability of the built environment, building form and whole life performance in the context of a tropical setting; the impact of potentially hostile tropical conditions upon building pathology and the durability of components, structure and fabric; the tasks which face those responsible for appraising the design, condition, maintenance and conservation of built heritage in tropical regions; the facilities management issues faced in tropical climates; and the refurbishment, upgrade and renewal of the tropical built environment. The book is ideal as a course text for students of Architecture, Construction, Surveying and FM as well as providing a sound reference for practitioners working in these regions.

The construction sector currently accounts for a high proportion of CO2 emissions and gray energy use. This will have to change fundamentally if we are to prevent catastrophic climate change and make urban planning and construction fit for the future. In addition to a paradigm shift in how architects work, we need to rethink how they are trained in higher education. Based on a lifecycle approach and an awareness of resource consumption, this volume in the Basics series explains a wide range of climate-friendly concepts in an easy-to-understand way, inspiring readers to take a closer look at solutions and new approaches in their daily practice. The key factors involved in the various planning stages of buildings are presented and placed in the context of the overall planning. Explains a range of current sustainability concepts Foundational knowledge for all students of architecture Interdisciplinary and networked consideration of challenges and solutions in the area of climate protection

The construction industry in developing economies is responsible for creating deliverables such as infrastructure and housing while providing a means of livelihood to an ever-increasing number of management and frontline workers. However, in many parts of the world, injuries and fatalities have continued to damage the industry’s image. This book intends to meet the needs of many construction managers who, though technically informed, struggle with managing frontline workers, especially regarding motivating positive safety outcomes. It discusses the challenges experienced in the industry and how site management may navigate them to improve safety performance in the workplace. By documenting the experiences of site management in developing countries, this book intends to contribute to the education of professionals on evolving better safety environments on construction sites. It considers the safety climate in a high-risk work environment, administrative procedures and the implementation mechanisms. The book also documents findings from existing literature about developing countries in contrast to what is obtainable in developed countries. Each chapter features context-specific explanations from empirical research conducted in developing countries. Key safety climate issues are contextualised, considering the challenges faced in developing countries, alongside current trends that will help chart future directions that will promote continuous improvement of safety outcomes of construction projects. This book is essential reading for construction managers, researchers and academics in the field of safety management, infrastructure delivery and project management.