The tropical zones are dominated by developing countries, which mainly face problematic environmental issues. Different than four-season countries, tropical countries have a continuous summer-like season and therefore they are rich in clean energy sources like solar and biomass. Hence, the mitigations of environment and energy issues in the tropics would require specific understanding and different approach to solutions. This book offers an assortment of studies on scenarios of environment as well as energy demand and power generation technologies in the tropics. Many of the countries within the tropics are highly populated, and this results in various problems related to the environment and energy. The demand for energy in these countries keeps increasing but concurrently there are also environmental issues that require serious attention. As the global concern on the environment is alarming today, the choice of power generation should be of the cleanest possible resource. This various reports on research activities carried out in the tropics on the aspect of environment and energy presented in this book are highly beneficial for those who like to see an improvement in the tropics with regard to environment and energy systems.

This work focuses on the development of a quantification method for GHG (CO2e) emissions from construction machines. The method considers CO2e reduction potentials in the time past-present–future, through influencing factors from six pillars: Machine efficiency, process efficiency, energy source, operating efficiency, material efficiency and CCS. In addition, transformation solutions are proposed to reduce GHG emissions from construction machines like liquid methane, fuel cell drive or CCS.

Asthma, Health, and Society A Public Health Perspective Edited by Andrew Harver, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte Harry Kotses, Ohio University, Athens Asthma, Health, and Society is a comprehensive, current resource on this complex disease—its scope, human costs, and management—from a combined social ecology/public health perspective. This important and unique book proposes a concerted, multifaceted response and sets out the foundation for shaping this response, comprising individual and large-scale assessment, education, advocacy, and multiple forms of intervention. In clear, authoritative detail enhanced by figures, graphs, and references, contributors explain where universal standards need to be set, alliances need to be built (such as among agencies and institutions in a community), and what is currently known about: Pathophysiology, epidemiology, and social impact of asthma. Genetic and environmental factors; protective factors and risk markers. Effects in women, minorities, children, teens, and elders. Medical management, self-management, and home monitoring. Evidence-based interventions at the family, school, and community levels. Screening guidelines, compliance issues, and more. In the absence of a cure or clear-cut causes, Asthma, Health, and Society offers the most robust compilation of practical knowledge on its subject to benefit the range of public health and asthma professionals, researchers, teachers, and students

The successful reduction of urban air pollution is among the notable achievements of modern environmental law and policy. This remarkable study, focusing on two of the world’s most prominent cases, explores how people in the areas of Los Angeles and Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) established governance processes to combat air pollution and how the major actors in each area worked to make their region a better place to live. Employing the expertise of teams of knowledgeable environmental law experts from both China and the United States, the authors identify and analyze similarities and differences in the respective legal and policy experiences as actors succeeded in greatly improving the air quality of their areas. Underpinned by a model of environmental governance developed by the authors and presenting an abundance of first-hand information from both areas, the study finds that, despite broad political and cultural differences in both regions, three political relations in governance processes emerge as enablers of effective reduction of air pollution: relation between regulators and the regulated communities; relation between all the supervisory political entities, such as legislatures, etc., and regulators; and relation between civil society (including news media and nongovernmental organizations) and polluters. Specific areas of regulation covered include transportation, ports, energy efficiency, utilities, oil refineries, building efficiency, renewable energy, coal dependency, and optimizing energy structure. With its sound, replicable model, its solid findings, and its enlightening conclusions, this incomparable work will prove of immeasurable value to administrative authorities and counsel worldwide engaged in combating air pollution. Moreover, its creative methodology is a signal contribution to the comparative study of environmental law and policy.