Every year on April 22nd, stakeholders of all backgrounds come together to advance sustainability and climate action in commemoration of Earth Day. This year, the theme “Invest In Our Planet”, highlights the importance of dedicating time, resources, and energy to solving climate change and other environmental issues. Investing in our planet is necessary to protect it and the best way to pave a path towards a prosperous future. To learn more about Earth Day, visit https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/
To commemorate Earth Day 2023, the staff of the Engineering, Food, Agriculture, Science and Technology Divisions at the Alma Jordan Library mounted a special display of books on climate change, environmental issues, and renewable energy. The books provide an opportunity for some supplemental reading on this topical issue. Stop by and browse the books on display, and remember... all the books on display are available for check out.
Selected eBooks
Adapting the Built Environment for Climate Change by
ISBN: 9780323953368
Publication Date: 2023
Adapting the Built Environment for Climate Change: Design Principles for Climate Emergencies analyzes several scenarios and proposes various adaptation strategies for climate emergencies (heat waves, wildfires, floods, and storms). Divided into three themes, the book offers an organized vision of a complex and multi-factor challenge. It covers climatic resilience and building refurbishment, implications for service life prediction and maintainability, and climate adaptation in the maintenance and management of buildings. Sections cover infrastructure materials, climate emergency adaptation and building adaptation to heat waves, wildfires, floods and storms. The book will be an essential reference resource for civil and structural engineers, architects, planners, designers and other professionals who have an interest in the adaptation of the built environment against climate change.
Sustainable Solar Electricity by
ISBN: 9783030917715
Publication Date: 2022
This book provides a detailed life cycle assessment of photovoltaic technologies in order to analyse the environmental and socioeconomic impacts that a large deployment of solar photovoltaic systems will produce in the near future. Including both commercial and emerging technologies, the book presents the energy and materials requirements to manufacture solar electricity power systems at the order of the TeraWatt scale deployment as is envisaged by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) for the near future. It discusses current manufacturing practices and how these may be adapted in the future including: reuse and recycling of components and materials; raw material supply chains to the manufacturing factories; and end-of-life procedures including recycling and landfilling of modules. The environmental and socioeconomic impacts of solar energy are analysed in detail, providing recommendations for standardization and regulations in order to make photovoltaic technologies, both current and emerging, a really sustainable alternative for the supply of “greener” electricity.
Design, Analysis and Applications of Renewable Energy Systems by
ISBN: 9780128245552
Publication Date: 2021
Design, Analysis and Applications of Renewable Energy Systems covers recent advancements in the study of renewable energy control systems by bringing together diverse scientific breakthroughs on the modeling, control and optimization of renewable energy systems as conveyed by leading energy systems engineering researchers. The book focuses on present novel solutions for many problems in the field, covering modeling, control theorems and the optimization techniques that will help solve many scientific issues for researchers. Multidisciplinary applications are also discussed, along with their fundamentals, modeling, analysis, design, realization and experimental results. This book fills the gaps between different interdisciplinary applications, ranging from mathematical concepts, modeling, and analysis, up to the realization and experimental work.
Making Eden: How Plants Transformed a Barren Planet by
ISBN: 9780192519214
Publication Date: 2019
Over 7 billion people depend on plants for healthy, productive, secure lives, but few of us stop to consider the origin of the plant kingdom that turned the world green and made our lives possible. And as the human population continues to escalate, our survival depends on how we treat the plant kingdom and the soils that sustain it. Understanding the evolutionary history of our land floras, the story of how plant life emerged from water and conquered the continents to dominate the planet, is fundamental to our own existence. In Making Eden David Beerling reveals the hidden history of Earth's sun-shot greenery, and considers its future prospects as we farm the planet to feed the world. Describing the early plant pioneers and their close, symbiotic relationship with fungi, he examines the central role plants play in both ecosystems and the regulation of climate. As threats to plant biodiversity mount today, Beerling discusses the resultant implications for food security and climate change, and how these can be avoided. Drawing on the latest exciting scientific findings, including Beerling's own field work in the UK, North America, and New Zealand, and his experimental research programmes over the past decade, this is an exciting new take on how plants greened the continents.
What Can I Do to Help Heal the Environmental Crisis? by
ISBN: 9780367342524
Publication Date: 2019
The culmination of over three decades of writing by environmental scientist and writer Haydn Washington, this book examines the global environmental crisis and its solutions. Many of us know that something is wrong with our world, that it is wounded. At the same time, we often don't know why things have gone wrong - or what can be done. Framing the discussion around three central predicaments - the ecological, the social, and the economic - Washington provides background as to why each of these are in crisis and presents steps that individuals can personally take to heal the world. Urging the reader to accept the reality of our problems, he explores practical solutions for change such as the transition to renewable energy, rejection of climate denial and the championing of appropriate technology, as well as a readjustment in ethical approaches. The book also contains 19 'solution boxes' by distinguished environmental scholars. With a focus on positive, personal solutions, this book is an essential read for students and scholars of environmental science and environmental philosophy, and for all those keen to heal the world and contribute towards a sustainable future.
Green Energy Materials Handbook by
ISBN: 9780429466281
Publication Date: 2019
Green Energy Materials Handbook gives a systematic review of the development of reliable, low-cost, and high-performance green energy materials, covering mainstream computational and experimental studies as well as comprehensive literature on green energy materials, computational methods, experimental fabrication and characterization techniques, and recent progress in the field. This work presents complete experimental measurements and computational results as well as potential applications. Among green technologies, electrochemical and energy storage technologies are considered as the most practicable, environmentally friendly, and workable to make full use of renewable energy sources. This text includes 11 chapters on the field, devoted to 4 important topical areas: computational material design, energy conversion, ion transport, and electrode materials. This handbook is aimed at engineers, researchers, and those who work in the fields of materials science, chemistry, and physics. The systematic studies proposed in this book can greatly promote the basic and applied sciences.
2018 CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code by
ISBN: 9781952468759
Publication Date: 2019
The CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (CREEBC) is designed specifically to meet the needs of the Caribbean and other countries in a tropical environment. It establishes minimum energy efficiency requirements for buildings using prescriptive and performance-related provisions inclusive of building envelope, cooling system, ventilation, pumping, lighting and the service water-heating systems in buildings.
Plastics and the Environment by
ISBN: 9781788013314
Publication Date: 2018
Plastic has become a ubiquitous part of modern life. A cheap, lightweight material, it is used in everything from food packaging to consumer electronics and microbeads in cosmetic products. However, we are becoming increasingly aware of the problems our reliance on plastic is causing in the environment. For example, recent campaigns have highlighted the build-up of microbeads in the marine environment and the damage this is doing to wildlife, and the problem of marine litter, often in very remote locations. There are also concerns over exposure to plasticisers and their possible consequences for health. The plastics industry is under increasing pressure, not only from the government and environmental groups, but also from consumers, to improve the environmental impact of their products. This book presents an introduction to the uses of plastics and an overview of how they interact with the environment. It is a valuable resource for students studying environmental science as well as researchers working in the plastics industry, and policy makers and regulators concerned with waste disposal and environmental planning and conservation.
Renewable energy is revolutionizing how we power our world, offering sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels and reducing environmental impacts. As engineering students and faculty, understanding the nuances and potentials of renewable energy is crucial. This blog post and our in-library display delve into various renewable energy sources, their benefits, and their implications for the future.
What is Renewable Energy?
Renewable energy is derived from natural sources that replenish at a faster rate than they are consumed. Unlike fossil fuels, which take millions of years to form, renewable energy sources such as sunlight and wind are constantly being replenished. This makes renewable energy a key player in mitigating the climate crisis and ensuring sustainable energy for future generations.
Types of Renewable Energy
Solar Energy
Description: Solar energy harnesses sunlight through photovoltaic panels or mirrors that concentrate solar radiation to generate electricity.
Benefits: Solar energy is abundant and can be harnessed even in cloudy weather. The rate of solar energy intercepted by the Earth far exceeds human energy consumption needs. Solar panels have become more affordable, with a lifespan of approximately 30 years.
Applications: Solar energy can provide heat, cooling, lighting, and fuels for various applications.
Wind Energy
Description: Wind energy utilizes large turbines to convert the kinetic energy of moving air into mechanical energy, which can be used to generate electricity.
Benefits: Wind energy has a vast technical potential and can be harnessed both onshore and offshore. Offshore wind power, in particular, offers tremendous potential due to strong wind speeds.
Applications: Wind energy can be used to power entire communities, particularly in regions with strong wind conditions.
Hydropower
Description: Hydropower harnesses the energy of moving water from high to low elevations. It can be generated from reservoirs and rivers.
Benefits: Hydropower is a reliable source of renewable electricity and has been used for centuries. Small-scale hydropower can be an environmentally friendly option for isolated communities.
Applications: Hydropower plants provide energy, drinking water, irrigation, and flood control.
Geothermal Energy
Description: Geothermal energy utilizes heat from the Earth's interior, extracted from geothermal reservoirs.
Benefits: Geothermal energy is a reliable and constant source of power, with hydrothermal reservoirs being used for over 100 years.
Applications: Geothermal energy can be used for direct heating and electricity generation.
Biomass Energy
Description: Biomass energy is derived from organic materials that are burned or converted into liquid or gaseous forms, such as ethanol and biodiesel.
Benefits: Biomass can be a renewable and sustainable source of energy when managed properly.
Applications: Biomass is used for heating, electricity generation, and as a fuel for transportation.
Ocean Energy
Description: Ocean energy captures the kinetic and thermal energy from seawater through waves or currents to generate electricity.
Benefits: Ocean energy has the potential to exceed current human energy requirements significantly.
Applications: Still in the prototype stage, ocean energy devices show promise for future large-scale applications.
Advantages of Renewable Energy
Environmental Benefits: Renewable energy sources produce significantly lower emissions compared to fossil fuels, helping to combat climate change.
Cost Efficiency: Renewable energy technologies are becoming increasingly cost-effective, with lower operational and maintenance costs.
Sustainability: By utilizing the Earth's natural processes, renewable energy can theoretically meet global energy needs indefinitely.
Selected e-books
References
Da Rosa, Aldo Vieira, and Juan Carlos Ordóñez. 2022. Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes. London, United Kingdom: Academic Press.
Holden, John, Patrick Robinson, and Establishment Building Research. 2014. Renewable Energy Sources: How They Work and What They Deliver. Part 3, Electrically Driven Heat Pumps. Digest (Building Research Establishment); Dg 532-3. Garston, Watford: IHS BRE Press.
Hossain, Eklas, and Slobodan Petrovic. 2021. Renewable Energy Crash Course: A Concise Introduction. Cham: Springer.
Usher, Bruce. 2019. Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century. New York: Columbia University Press.