” Technology is manmade to address human needs” “Can the world sustain current economic growth?” “Natural Greenhouse Effect warms Earth by 33C” ” Land degradation have been cumulative over time” “World population may reach 1 trillion by 9000 CE” “Earth is subject to all forces imposed by the universe” “Plastic pollution is a very serious environmental issue” “Global water movements spreads pollutants all over world” “Climate changes are due to natural causes and human activities” “The polluted air is not confined by regional or national boundaries” “Effects of technology on the environment can be direct and indirect” “Today’s technologies are collective products of thousands of people” “Prior to 19th century almost all energy used by humans was renewable” “Until 20th century, the knowledge on the environment was severely limited” “Technologies acted as catalyst to change the social settings and structures” “Environmental instrumentation science helps to collect reliable information” “Human use of natural resources raises questions on their future availability” “Overexploitation throughout the history resulted in extinction of many species” “Environmental laws, rules, and regulations may be misinterpreted and misused” “Technology is helping human activities from environmentally harmful practices” “Humans need to learn living within the laws of the nature and the laws of universe” “There are environmental activities in collaborative, cooperative, and good will manner” “Voluntary and noncommercial organization constitute major environmental movements” “Humans can no longer afford to deteriorate the environment and let the carpet slip below their feet”

Much is written in the popular literature about the current pace of technological change. But do we have enough scientific knowledge about the sources and management of innovation to properly inform policymaking in technology dependent domains such as energy and the environment? While it is agreed that technological change does not 'fall from heaven like autumn leaves,' the theory, data, and models are deficient. The specific mechanisms that govern the rate and direction of inventive activity, the drivers and scope for incremental improvements that occur during technology diffusion, and the spillover effects that cross-fertilize technological innovations remain poorly understood. In a work that will interest serious readers of history, policy, and economics, the editors and their distinguished contributors offer a unique, single volume overview of the theoretical and empirical work on technological change. Beginning with a survey of existing research, they provide analysis and case studies in contexts such as medicine, agriculture, and power generation, paying particular attention to what technological change means for efficiency, productivity, and reduced environmental impacts. The book includes a historical analysis of technological change, an examination of the overall direction of technological change, and general theories about the sources of change. The contributors empirically test hypotheses of induced innovation and theories of institutional innovation. They propose ways to model induced technological change and evaluate its impact, and they consider issues such as uncertainty in technology returns, technology crossover effects, and clustering. A copublication o Resources for the Future (RFF) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

" Technology is manmade to address human needs""Can the world sustain current economic growth?""Natural Greenhouse Effect warms Earth by 33C"" Land degradation have been cumulative over time""World population may reach 1 trillion by 9000 CE""Earth is subject to all forces imposed by the universe""Plastic pollution is a very serious environmental issue""Global water movements spreads pollutants all over world""Climate changes are due to natural causes and human activities""The polluted air is not confined by regional or national boundaries""Effects of technology on the environment can be direct and indirect""Today's technologies are collective products of thousands of people""Prior to 19th century almost all energy used by humans was renewable""Until 20th century, the knowledge on the environment was severely limited""Technologies acted as catalyst to change the social settings and structures""Environmental instrumentation science helps to collect reliable information""Human use of natural resources raises questions on their future availability""Overexploitation throughout the history resulted in extinction of many species""Environmental laws, rules, and regulations may be misinterpreted and misused""Technology is helping human activities from environmentally harmful practices""Humans need to learn living within the laws of the nature and the laws of universe""There are environmental activities in collaborative, cooperative, and good will manner""Voluntary and noncommercial organization constitute major environmental movements""Humans can no longer afford to deteriorate the environment and let the carpet slip below their feet"

Information technology is a powerful tool for meeting environmental objectives and promoting sustainable development. This collection of papers by leaders in industry, government, and academia explores how information technology can improve environmental performance by individual firms, collaborations among firms, and collaborations among firms, government agencies, and academia. Information systems can also be used by nonprofit organizations and the government to inform the public about broad environmental issues and environmental conditions in their neighborhoods. Several papers address the challenges to information management posed by the explosive increase in information and knowledge about environmental issues and potential solutions, including determining what information is environmentally relevant and how it can be used in decision making. In addition, case studies are described and show how industry is using information systems to ensure sustainable development and meet environmental standards. The book also includes examples from the public sector showing how governments use information knowledge systems to disseminate "best practices" beyond big firms to small businesses, and from the world of the Internet showing how knowledge is shared among environmental advocates and the general public.

In anticipation of future environmental science and engineering challenges and technologic advances, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to assess the overall capabilities of the agency to develop, obtain, and use the best available scientific and technologic information and tools to meet persistent, emerging, and future mission challenges and opportunities. Although the committee cannot predict with certainty what new environmental problems EPA will face in the next 10 years or more, it worked to identify some of the common drivers and common characteristics of problems that are likely to occur. Tensions inherent to the structure of EPA's work contribute to the current and persistent challenges faced by the agency, and meeting those challenges will require development of leading-edge scientific methods, tools, and technologies, and a more deliberate approach to systems thinking and interdisciplinary science. Science for Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead outlines a framework for building science for environmental protection in the 21st century and identified key areas where enhanced leadership and capacity can strengthen the agency's abilities to address current and emerging environmental challenges as well as take advantage of new tools and technologies to address them. The foundation of EPA science is strong, but the agency needs to continue to address numerous present and future challenges if it is to maintain its science leadership and meet its expanding mandates.

This is the first book to comprehensibly describe how technology has shaped society and the environment over the last 200 years. It will be useful for researchers, as a textbook for graduate students, for people engaged in long-term policy planning in industry and government, for environmental activists, and for the wider public interested in history, technology, or environmental issues.

Global environmental change often seems to be the most carefully examined issue of our time. Yet understanding the human sideâ€"human causes of and responses to environmental changeâ€"has not yet received sustained attention. Global Environmental Change offers a strategy for combining the efforts of natural and social scientists to better understand how our actions influence global change and how global change influences us. The volume is accessible to the nonscientist and provides a wide range of examples and case studies. It explores how the attitudes and actions of individuals, governments, and organizations intertwine to leave their mark on the health of the planet. The book focuses on establishing a framework for this new field of study, identifying problems that must be overcome if we are to deepen our understanding of the human dimensions of global change, presenting conclusions and recommendations.

Climate change is occurring, is caused largely by human activities, and poses significant risks for-and in many cases is already affecting-a broad range of human and natural systems. The compelling case for these conclusions is provided in Advancing the Science of Climate Change, part of a congressionally requested suite of studies known as America's Climate Choices. While noting that there is always more to learn and that the scientific process is never closed, the book shows that hypotheses about climate change are supported by multiple lines of evidence and have stood firm in the face of serious debate and careful evaluation of alternative explanations. As decision makers respond to these risks, the nation's scientific enterprise can contribute through research that improves understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change and also is useful to decision makers at the local, regional, national, and international levels. The book identifies decisions being made in 12 sectors, ranging from agriculture to transportation, to identify decisions being made in response to climate change. Advancing the Science of Climate Change calls for a single federal entity or program to coordinate a national, multidisciplinary research effort aimed at improving both understanding and responses to climate change. Seven cross-cutting research themes are identified to support this scientific enterprise. In addition, leaders of federal climate research should redouble efforts to deploy a comprehensive climate observing system, improve climate models and other analytical tools, invest in human capital, and improve linkages between research and decisions by forming partnerships with action-oriented programs.

How can governments stimulate energy-efficiency improvement? This book analyzes environmental policy in the Netherlands to present a wealth of empirical results on the successes and failures of governmental initiatives in environmental policy. Discussion extends to such topics as free-rider effects of subsidies, the credibility of voluntary agreements, the art of regulation and the fate of research & development money.

This book provides a contemporary view of the major issues facing ecologists and outlines some of the strengths and weaknesses of the current ecological framework and its utility in managing biological systems. It includes contributions from world experts, and looks at important themes including theoretical and experimental population ecology, the conservation of endangered species, the management of pests and the sustainable management of resources. The chapters deal with a wide range of organisms including plants, pathogens, insects, molluscs, birds, marine and terrestrial mammals. New technologies and approaches are also covered.