Nick Middleton – författare

The Global Casino is an introduction to environmental issues which deals both with the workings of the physical environment and the political, economic and social frameworks in which the issues occur. Using examples from all over the world, the book highlights the underlying causes behind environmental problems, the human actions which have made them issues and the hopes for solutions. It is a book about the human impact on the environment and the ways in which the natural environment impacts human society.The seventh edition has been fully revised and updated throughout, with new case studies, figures and online resources comprising a complete lecture course for tutors and multiple-choice questions for students. New concepts and topics covered for the first time in this edition include the blue economy, marine heatwaves, Africa’s Great Green Wall, rewilding, net-zero commitments, nature-based solutions, emerging contaminants in global rivers, green infrastructure in sustainable cities, initiatives promoting zero-emission vehicles, and zoonotic diseases (including the COVID-19 pandemic). New case studies include gender impact assessment of big dams in Laos and Vietnam, reducing food loss and waste, liming sugar maple trees in North America to counteract soil acidification and soil erosion and poverty in Rwanda. Eighteen chapters on key issues follow three initial chapters which outline the background contexts of the physical and human environments and the concept of sustainable development. Each chapter provides historical context for key issues, outlines why they have arisen and highlights areas of controversy and uncertainty to appraise how issues can be resolved both technically and in political and economic frameworks. Each chapter also contains an updated critical guide to further reading—most of them open access—and websites, talks and podcasts, as well as discussion points and essay questions. The text can be read in its entirety or individual chapters adopted as standalone reading.This book is an essential resource for students of the environment, geography, development studies and earth sciences. It provides comprehensive and inspirational coverage of all the major global environmental issues of the day in a style that is clear, concise and critical.

In Going to Extremes writer, presenter and Oxford geography don Nick Middleton visits Oymyakon in Siberia, where the average winter temperature is -47 degrees and 40% of the population have lost their fingers to frostbite while changing the car wheel. Next he travels to Arica Chile where there have been fourteen consecutive years without a drop of rain and so fog is people's only source of water. Going from the driest to the wettest, he visits Mawsynram in India which annually competes for the title with its neighbour Cherrapunji. However, Nick discovers even here, that during the dry season, there is water shortage and one entrepreneur has started selling it bottled.Finally his journey takes him to Dalol in Ethiopia known as the 'hell hole of creation' where the temperature remains at 94 degrees year round. Here Nick will join miners who work all day with no shade, limited water and no protective clothing.The book and series consider how and why people lives in these harsh environments. How does Nick's body react to these contrasting extremes? He looks at the geographical and meteorological conditions. He meets local characters and discovers the history of these settlements to find out how they ever became populated. He looks at the way both the population, and the flora and fauna, have adapted physically to the climate, and also considers the psychological impact of living under such conditions.

Deserts make up a third of the planet's land surface, but if you picture a desert, what comes to mind? A wasteland? A drought? A place devoid of all life forms?Deserts are remarkable places. Typified by drought and extremes of temperature, they can be harsh and hostile; but many deserts are also spectacularly beautiful, and on occasion teem with life. Nick Middleton explores how each desert is unique: through fantastic life forms, extraordinary scenery, and ingenious human adaptations. He demonstrates a desert's immense natural beauty, its rich biodiversity, and uncovers a long history of successful human occupation. This Very Short Introduction tells you everything you ever wanted to know about these extraordinary places and captures their importance in the working of our planet.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Rivers have played an extraordinarily important role in creating the world in which we live. They create landscapes and provide water to people, plants and animals, nourishing both town and country. The flow of rivers has enthused poets and painters, explorers and pilgrims. Rivers have acted as cradles for civilization and agents of disaster; a river may be a barrier or a highway, it can bear trade and sediment, culture and conflict. A river may inspire or it may terrify. This Very Short Introduction is a celebration of rivers in all their diversity. Nick Middleton covers a wide and eclectic range of river-based themes, from physical geography to mythology, to industrial history and literary criticism. Worshipped and revered, respected and feared, rivers reflect both the natural and social history of our planet. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The Global Casino is an introduction to environmental issues which deals both with the workings of the physical environment and the political, economic and social frameworks in which the issues occur. Using examples from all over the world, the book highlights the underlying causes behind environmental problems, the human actions which have made them issues and the hopes for solutions. It is a book about the human impact on the environment and the ways in which the natural environment impacts human society.The seventh edition has been fully revised and updated throughout, with new case studies, figures and online resources comprising a complete lecture course for tutors and multiple-choice questions for students. New concepts and topics covered for the first time in this edition include the blue economy, marine heatwaves, Africa’s Great Green Wall, rewilding, net-zero commitments, nature-based solutions, emerging contaminants in global rivers, green infrastructure in sustainable cities, initiatives promoting zero-emission vehicles, and zoonotic diseases (including the COVID-19 pandemic). New case studies include gender impact assessment of big dams in Laos and Vietnam, reducing food loss and waste, liming sugar maple trees in North America to counteract soil acidification and soil erosion and poverty in Rwanda. Eighteen chapters on key issues follow three initial chapters which outline the background contexts of the physical and human environments and the concept of sustainable development. Each chapter provides historical context for key issues, outlines why they have arisen and highlights areas of controversy and uncertainty to appraise how issues can be resolved both technically and in political and economic frameworks. Each chapter also contains an updated critical guide to further reading—most of them open access—and websites, talks and podcasts, as well as discussion points and essay questions. The text can be read in its entirety or individual chapters adopted as standalone reading.This book is an essential resource for students of the environment, geography, development studies and earth sciences. It provides comprehensive and inspirational coverage of all the major global environmental issues of the day in a style that is clear, concise and critical.

'A brilliant read... that illustrated the strong will and determination of man in the face of everything that nature had to throw at us' WanderlustNick Middleton, the intrepid Oxford don, explorer and author of Going to Extremes is back, and he's set himself a challenge to cope with the worst that nature can throw at him in Surviving Extremes. Travelling to four of the most extreme natural environments: swamps, deserts, jungles and arctic wastelands, the question is, can he pick up enough tips from the indigenous people to hack it at the very edge of human existence, or will his mid latitude sensibilities forever let him down? This is Nick's account of how he had to put his body and mind to the test in a unique survival experiment.