Jonathan Cowie - Böcker

The history of the planet Earth has had periods of being in a distinct state with intervening critical transitions that see it 'flip' between states, for example between a world without atmospheric oxygen to one with a trace of it. These key transitions have been driven by a biological evolutionary innovations which interact with the Earth system. All of these critical transitions feature a number of characteristics that mark them out as distinctive from other Earth system changes, such as that caused by the dinosaur extinction asteroid and other mass extinctions. The fact that all of these characteristics are seen today suggests that we are now on the cusp of another such a key critical transition and that this is part of a process that stretches back billions of years. Additionally, this “co-evolution of life and planet” narrative speaks to the prospect of life elsewhere in the Solar system and even the Galaxy: it informs as to what we might find and where.Earth's Flips of State speaks across disciplines: explaining biological evolution to geologists, geological Earth system evolution to life scientists, and even the relevant biology and geology to astronomers with an interest in exobiology. This book tackles the big questions as to how our species got to this point, the challenges it now faces, and the prospects of life elsewhere.

The history of the planet Earth has had periods of being in a distinct state with intervening critical transitions that see it 'flip' between states, for example between a world without atmospheric oxygen to one with a trace of it. These key transitions have been driven by a biological evolutionary innovations which interact with the Earth system. All of these critical transitions feature a number of characteristics that mark them out as distinctive from other Earth system changes, such as that caused by the dinosaur extinction asteroid and other mass extinctions. The fact that all of these characteristics are seen today suggests that we are now on the cusp of another such a key critical transition and that this is part of a process that stretches back billions of years. Additionally, this “co-evolution of life and planet” narrative speaks to the prospect of life elsewhere in the Solar system and even the Galaxy: it informs as to what we might find and where.Earth's Flips of State speaks across disciplines: explaining biological evolution to geologists, geological Earth system evolution to life scientists, and even the relevant biology and geology to astronomers with an interest in exobiology. This book tackles the big questions as to how our species got to this point, the challenges it now faces, and the prospects of life elsewhere.

The Routledge Handbook of Transport Economics offers the first state of the art overview of the discipline of transport economics as it stands today, reflective of key research and policy. Transport is an important area of study and one which is problem rich, stimulating a great deal of debate in areas which impact on everyday lives. Much of this focuses on the practicalities of the modern-day phenomenon of mass movement and all of the issues which surround it. The discipline of economics is central to this debate, and consequently the study and application of transport economics has a chief role to play in seeking to address subjects relating to major transport issues. It can be argued that at the very heart of any transport issue or problem lies the underlying economics of the situation – understand that and you alleviate the problem. Featuring contributions from world-leading scholars and practitioners from across the globe, all of the chapters within this book are written from a practical perspective; theory is applied and developed using real-world examples. The book examines concepts, issues, ideas and practicalities of transport provision in five key topic areas: public transport public transport reform economic development and transport modelling transport and the environment freight transport. A real strength of the book is in linking theory to practice, and hence the ‘economics’ that are examined in this text are not the economics of the abstract, but rather the economics of everyday living. Practical and insightful, this volume is an essential reference for any student or researcher working in all areas of transport provision, ranging from planning, appraisal, regulation and freight; and for all practitioners looking to develop their professional knowledge and who are seeking professional accreditation.

This book provides an explanation of key underlying economic principles, allowing the reader to come to a better understanding of the critical factors that structure and guide transport markets. This is done through an examination of the interaction between the behaviour of individual users and providers of transport services and transport authorities actions through the implementation of transport policy. The book also considers on-going reforms in the organisation of all aspects of transport provision. These reforms seek to move transport delivery away from a model of high state intervention towards one that is far more market focused in its approach, thereby significantly increasing individuals’ responsibilities for their own transport actions.The Economics of Transport covers topics such as;- The demand and supply of transport services- Market structures and the underlying economic characteristics of transport markets- The economics of transport and the environment- Transport subsidises and regulation- Transport forecasting and appraisalWith a selection of case studies and exercises, this book will be of use to higher level students. It will also be of interest to professionals in the transport planning, transport modelling and transport economics fields.

This book provides an explanation of key underlying economic principles, allowing the reader to come to a better understanding of the critical factors that structure and guide transport markets. This is done through an examination of the interaction between the behaviour of individual users and providers of transport services and transport authorities actions through the implementation of transport policy. The book also considers on-going reforms in the organisation of all aspects of transport provision. These reforms seek to move transport delivery away from a model of high state intervention towards one that is far more market focused in its approach, thereby significantly increasing individuals’ responsibilities for their own transport actions.The Economics of Transport covers topics such as;- The demand and supply of transport services- Market structures and the underlying economic characteristics of transport markets- The economics of transport and the environment- Transport subsidises and regulation- Transport forecasting and appraisalWith a selection of case studies and exercises, this book will be of use to higher level students. It will also be of interest to professionals in the transport planning, transport modelling and transport economics fields.

In recent years climate change has become recognised as the foremost environmental problem of the twenty-first century. Not only will climate change potentially affect the multibillion dollar energy strategies of countries worldwide, but it also could seriously affect many species, including our own. A fascinating introduction to the subject, this textbook provides a broad review of past, present and likely future climate change from the viewpoints of biology, ecology and human ecology. It will be of interest to a wide range of people, from students in the life sciences who need a brief overview of the basics of climate science, to atmospheric science, geography, and environmental science students who need to understand the biological and human ecological implications of climate change. It will also be a valuable reference for those involved in environmental monitoring, conservation, policy-making and policy lobbying.

The second edition of this acclaimed text has been fully updated and substantially expanded to include the considerable developments (since publication of the first edition) in our understanding of the science of climate change, its impacts on biological and human systems, and developments in climate policy. Written in an accessible style, it provides a broad review of past, present and likely future climate change from the viewpoints of biology, ecology, human ecology and Earth system science. It will again prove to be invaluable to a wide range of readers, from students in the life sciences who need a brief overview of the basics of climate science, to atmospheric science, geography, geoscience and environmental science students who need to understand the biological and human ecological implications of climate change. It is also a valuable reference text for those involved in environmental monitoring, conservation and policy making.