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Wiley-VCH - Environmental Studies
A Passion for Publishing
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Earth Capital
This book is a major new history of capitalism that takes account of the material and ecological underpinnings of productive activity as well as the social, political and institutional dimensions of economic life. It retraces the history of capitalism over a long time period, giving particular attention to the role of food, agriculture, energy and natural resources, and with an eye to the future, mindful of the need to find solutions to an ecological crisis that threatens to overwhelm us all. Alessandro Stanziani shows that the development of capitalism since the twelfth century has been based on two primary forms of exploitation: of labour, often coerced, and of what he calls 'Earth capital', by which he means both the planet as a whole and its land and natural resources as factors of production. While these two forms of exploitation have gone hand-in-hand, the emphasis has shifted over time: forced labour gradually declined in importance from 1870 to the present, the exploitation of land, fossil fuels and natural resources grew at an unprecedented rate from 1870 to precedented rate, the destructive consequences of which are becoming increasingly apparent today. Looking to the future, Stanziani argues that, in order to deal with the immense challenges we now face, we must be prepared radically to rethink our economic and political systems. He proposes a new social contract that would make democracy, social equality and the environment the three pillars of the world of tomorrow. [300 Pages, Hardcover]
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White
When Sylvain Tesson left the colourful yellow houses of the French Riviera for a ski trek across the Alps with his friend, a high-altitude mountain guide, he didn't know what exactly awaited him. The trek would turn into an extraordinary adventure. Over the course of four years they ascended high into the Alps in winter, following the curve of the mountains from the Mediterranean to the Adriatic, immersing themselves in a strange white world made entirely of snow. In the bitter cold and overlooked by an empty sky, only the effort of moving forward, one difficult stride at a time, separated the days from one another. And as they trudged onwards, the never-ending white of the high Alps cancelled out all feelings - hope, fear, memory and regret. What did he stand to gain by inflicting this ordeal on himself? This was no ordinary mountain trek: it was a search for communion with the magic substance of the White. [180 Pages, Hardcover]
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Does Living Green Make a Difference?
Massive environmental problems threaten our planet and evoke within us a need to act - a need to do something, no matter how small, to slow the damage. But what kind of action? Businesses, governments, and environmental groups tell us that buying environmentally friendly products while living more lightly on the planet is a winning strategy. If enough of us make these changes to our lifestyles, governments and corporations will follow suit. Environmental solutions will emerge and the planet will prosper. Michael Maniates believes that individuals can and must stop environmental destruction. But not by living green. The mantra of "buy green, live lean, save the planet" is a con: it fosters pernicious assumptions about social change, separates individuals from their real power in the world, and fuels damaging consumption. It's high time to find more rewarding and promising avenues for saving the planet. This book shows us how. [160 Pages, Softcover]
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Does Living Green Make a Difference?
Massive environmental problems threaten our planet and evoke within us a need to act - a need to do something, no matter how small, to slow the damage. But what kind of action? Businesses, governments, and environmental groups tell us that buying environmentally friendly products while living more lightly on the planet is a winning strategy. If enough of us make these changes to our lifestyles, governments and corporations will follow suit. Environmental solutions will emerge and the planet will prosper. Michael Maniates believes that individuals can and must stop environmental destruction. But not by living green. The mantra of "buy green, live lean, save the planet" is a con: it fosters pernicious assumptions about social change, separates individuals from their real power in the world, and fuels damaging consumption. It's high time to find more rewarding and promising avenues for saving the planet. This book shows us how. [152 Pages, Hardcover]
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Waste Management and Utilization for a Sustainable Environment
Waste Management and Utilization for a Sustainable Environment is an essential guide to understanding how cutting-edge technologies and innovative engineering solutions can transform waste management into a cornerstone of a sustainable future. Civilized society produces enormous amounts of waste that must be managed to avoid negative impacts on the environment and ecosystem. Future generations depend on us for a sustainable future, bringing attention to this growing problem. Waste management and its utilization should be given paramount importance in technological development and innovation, where technology like AI, machine learning, computer vision, automation, and sensor technology has a vital role to play. Waste Management and Utilization for a Sustainable Environment provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research on innovative technologies shaping a more sustainable future. Through real-world case studies and expert insights, this book demonstrates that the future can be made sustainable through innovative engineering solutions for managing the enormous waste generated by society. [240 Pages, Hardcover]
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