The Last Stand of the Orangutan

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Author :
Publisher : UNEP/Earthprint
ISBN 13 : 9788277010434
Total Pages : 52 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (14 download)

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Book Synopsis The Last Stand of the Orangutan by : United Nations Environment Programme

Download or read book The Last Stand of the Orangutan written by United Nations Environment Programme and published by UNEP/Earthprint. This book was released on 2007 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This publication has been carried out on behalf of the Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP), established by UNEP and UNESCO in collaboration with a wide range of non-governmental organisations in response to growing concern over the plight of the orangutan, the chimpanzee, the bonobo and the gorilla. The report used the latest satellite imagery and data from the Government of Indonesia to assess changes in the forests of one part of south-east Asia. The results indicate that illegal logging, fires and the plantation of crops such as palm oil are intruding extensively into Indonesia's national parks, the last safehold of the orangutan. The orangutans share this habitat with a wild range of other threatened and ecologically important species including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran rhinoceros and Asian elephant.

The Last Stand of the Gorilla

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Publisher : UNEP/Earthprint
ISBN 13 : 9788277010762
Total Pages : 88 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (17 download)

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Book Synopsis The Last Stand of the Gorilla by : C. Nellemann

Download or read book The Last Stand of the Gorilla written by C. Nellemann and published by UNEP/Earthprint. This book was released on 2010 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gorillas, the largest of the great apes, are under renewed threat across the Congo Basin from Nigeria to the Albertine Rift. Poaching for bushmeat, loss of habitat due to agricultural expansion, degradation of habitat from logging, mining and charcoal production are amongst these threats, in addition to natural epidemics such as ebola and the new risk of diseases passed from humans to gorillas. Alarmingly, parts of the region are experiencing intensified exploitation and logging of its forest, in some cases even within protected areas. In the DRC, many of these activities are controlled by militias illegally extracting natural resources such as gold, tin and coltan as well as producing charcoal for local communities, urban areas, camps for people displaced by fighting and sometimes even to communities across the border. These militias are located, motivated, armed and financed directly by this illegal extraction of minerals, timber and charcoal. A network of intermediaries including multinational companies or their subsidiaries, neighbouring countries and corrupt officials, are involved in the transportation and procurement of resources which stem from areas controlled by militia, or for which no legal exploitation permission exists

What is Land For?

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Author :
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1136544399
Total Pages : 355 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (365 download)

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Book Synopsis What is Land For? by : Matt Lobley

Download or read book What is Land For? written by Matt Lobley and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2009-12-01 with total page 355 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In recent decades agricultural commodity surpluses in the developed world have contributed to a mantra of 'land surplus' in which set-aside, extensification, alternative land uses and 'wilding' have been key terms in debates over land. Quite suddenly all this has changed as a consequence of rapidly shifting commodity markets. Prices for cereals, oil seeds and other globally traded commodities have risen sharply. A contributor to this has been the shift to bioenergy cropping, fuelled by concerns over post-peak oil and climate change. Agricultural supply chain interests have embraced the 'new environmentalism' of climate change with enthusiasm, proudly proclaiming the readiness of the industry to produce both food and energy crops, and to do so with a neo-liberal confidence in markets to determine the balance between food and non-food crops in land use. But policy and politics have not necessarily caught up with these market and industry-led changes and some environmentalists are beginning to challenge the assumptions of the new 'productivism'. Is it necessarily the case, they ask, that agriculture's best contribution to tackling climate change is to grow bioenergy crops or invest in anaerobic-digesters or make land over for windfarms? Might not there be an equally important role in maximising the carbon sequestration or water-holding properties of biodiverse land? What is Land For? tackles these key cutting-edge issues of this new debate by setting out a baseline of evidence and ideas.

Orangutans

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Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191574597
Total Pages : 440 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (915 download)

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Book Synopsis Orangutans by : Serge A. Wich

Download or read book Orangutans written by Serge A. Wich and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-01-07 with total page 440 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes one of our closest relatives, the orangutan, and the only extant great ape in Asia. It is increasingly clear that orangutan populations show extensive variation in behavioural ecology, morphology, life history, and genes. Indeed, on the strength of the latest genetic and morphological evidence, it has been proposed that orangutans actually constitute two species which diverged more than a million years ago - one on the island of Sumatra the other on Borneo, with the latter comprising three subspecies. This book has two main aims. The first is to carefully compare data from every orangutan research site, examining the differences and similarities between orangutan species, subspecies and populations. The second is to develop a theoretical framework in which these differences and similarities can be explained. To achieve these goals the editors have assembled the world's leading orangutan experts to rigorously synthesize and compare the data, quantify the similarities or differences, and seek to explain them. Orangutans is the first synthesis of orangutan biology to adopt this novel, comparative approach. It analyses and compares the latest data, developing a theoretical framework to explain morphological, life history, and behavioural variation. Intriguingly, not all behavioural differences can be attributed to ecological variation between and within the two islands; relative rates of social learning also appear to have been influential. The book also emphasizes the crucial impact of human settlement on orangutans and looks ahead to the future prospects for the survival of critically endangered natural populations.

Last Chance Tourism

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Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 113681180X
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (368 download)

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Book Synopsis Last Chance Tourism by : Harvey Lemelin

Download or read book Last Chance Tourism written by Harvey Lemelin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-03 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Concerns over vanishing destinations such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Everglades of Florida, the ice cap on Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the Maldives have prompted some travel operators and tour agencies to recommend these destinations to consumers before they disappear. This is the first book to empirically examine and evaluate this contemporary tourism development providing a new angle on the effects of global change and pressures of visitation on tourism destinations. It aims to develop the conceptual definition of last-chance tourism, examine the ethics surrounding this type of travel, and provide case studies highlighting this form of tourism in different regions. In particular it critically reviews the advantages of publicizing these vulnerable destinations to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts, but also the issue of attracting more tourists seeking to undergo such experiences before they are gone forever, accelerating the negative impacts. It further examines current trends, discusses escalating challenges, and highlight future opportunities.

From Crisis to Peace

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Publisher : The Supreme Master Ching Hai Publishing Co Ltd.
ISBN 13 : 9868625262
Total Pages : 194 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (686 download)

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Book Synopsis From Crisis to Peace by : Supreme Master Ching Hai

Download or read book From Crisis to Peace written by Supreme Master Ching Hai and published by The Supreme Master Ching Hai Publishing Co Ltd.. This book was released on 2010 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At conferences, in interviews with journalists and at gatherings with disciples in recent years, Supreme Master Ching Hai has spoken with increasing urgency about Earth’s current climate crisis. As she states, “Our planet is a house that is burning. If we don’t work together with a united spirit to put out the fire, we will not have a home anymore”. But she also offers humankind an uplifting solution, one that every individual can easily achieve: “Be veg to save the planet.”

The Natural History of Primates

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Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1442249005
Total Pages : 699 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis The Natural History of Primates by : Robert W. Sussman

Download or read book The Natural History of Primates written by Robert W. Sussman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2022-10-20 with total page 699 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The interest in primates, from lemurs to gorillas, has never been greater. Primatologists are continually finding evidence in the behavior and ecology of our closest genetic relatives that sheds light on human origins. So, just who are these 520+ species of complex and intelligent mammals inhabiting the Neotropics, Africa, Madagascar, and Asia? The Natural History of Primates provides the most current information on wild primates from experts who have studied them in their natural environments. This volume provides up-to-date facts and figures on how groups of social primates interact with each other and the plants and other animal species in their ecosystems: what they eat, which predators might eat them, how males and females seek mates, how infants are raised, and myriad other fascinating details about their visual and vocal communication, their ability to craft and use tools, and the varieties of locomotion they employ. As human populations continue to expand into the rainforests, savannas, and woodlands where nonhuman primates dwell, the preservation of these species becomes ever more important. The Natural History of Primates is unique in its emphasis on the conservation status of primate species and its ample discussions of how humans and nonhuman primates can coexist in the twenty-first century.

Renewable Energy law and Development

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Publisher : Edward Elgar Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1782546642
Total Pages : 233 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (825 download)

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Book Synopsis Renewable Energy law and Development by : Richard L. Ottinger

Download or read book Renewable Energy law and Development written by Richard L. Ottinger and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2013 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Half the worlds new electric generating capacity added each year from 2008 onwards has been renewable, mainly now in developing countries. So is the quarter-trillion dollars a year of private investment in modern renewable energy. Organizations like REN21 and Bloomberg New Energy Finance track exciting and accelerating recent progress. But to understand how these renewable energy efforts in major developing countries have been structured and are evolving requires a guidebook with a legal and institutional perspective. Energy veteran Richard Ottinger and his Pace Law School graduate students from many key countries have now provided that guideclearly written, well-organized, and a great public service. Amory B. Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, US Richard Ottinger, a pioneer in the development of national policy to promote renewable energy in the US, and his Pace Law School research assistants have created a unique piece of work on the legal and policy issues behind the global growth of renewable energy. Their book is indispensable as a text for law professors and students and as the definitive reference for lawyers and policymakers about developing and emerging country policies driving renewable energy use around the world. The fact that most of the research assistants are natives of the countries on which they researched and wrote their respective chapters gives the book uniquely credible insights into the legal and policy challenges faced by these countries, providing valuable lessons for others wanting to build renewable energy capacity in their own countries. Robert Noun, Former Executive Director of Public Affairs, National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Adjunct Professor, University of Denver Sturm College of Law, US This book is unique in the literature on renewable energy law and policy. Firstly, it focuses on developing countries which means it fills the gap in international literature currently lacking on law and policy on renewable energy in developing countries. Secondly, it applies a basic uniform analysis method to each of the case studies. This makes the results of the case studies considerably comparable. Finally, based on the introduction to the related laws, policies and projects of the target countries, the author summarizes their experience and lessons. It is these summaries that reflect the purpose and value of this book. Wang Xi, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China This is a unique book written by one of the leading scholars in the field. It uses detailed case studies to analyze the successes, failures and challenges of renewable energy initiatives in developing and emerging countries. Incorporating the insights and perspectives of researchers who come from the respective countries covered, the study compares some of the most exciting success stories, including: Chinas meteoric rise from near zero use of renewable energy to being the world leader in solar thermal, solar photovoltaic and wind energy; Brazils success in becoming the worlds top ethanol producer and exporter; and Indias pioneering use of a hedge plant to produce biodiesel and its use of animal and human wastes for rural electrification. The book also describes Indonesias disastrous palm oil program which cut down its forests and excavated its peat bogs. It concludes that good leadership is the largest factor in success, but that it is also critical to include public participation, training, transparency, environmental consideration, fair labor practices, protection against exploitation and enforcement. This book is designed to be helpful to other countries seeking to initiate renewable energy programs. It will appeal to local administrators and policymakers, field personnel from UN agencies and NGOs, and renewable energy funders, as well as to academic researchers.

The Intimate Ape:

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Author :
Publisher : Kensington Publishing Corp.
ISBN 13 : 9780806533926
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (339 download)

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Book Synopsis The Intimate Ape: by : Shawn Thompson

Download or read book The Intimate Ape: written by Shawn Thompson and published by Kensington Publishing Corp.. This book was released on 2010-03-01 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Kusasi is a three-hundred-pound male who could rip your arms and legs off like daisy petals if he wanted. Princess was taught sign language by a researcher and had a limited ability to combine vocabulary. . .. For centuries the shaggy red orangutan lived in peaceful seclusion in the jungles of Southeast Asia and kept the ancient secrets about its quiet, contemplative nature. But that time has come to an end, as one of the earth's most intelligent creatures has, sadly, also become one if its vanishing species. "I went up a muddy brown river called the Sekonyer into the jungles of southern Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, to see orangutans as they really are and to know them the way they deserve to be known. . ." In The Intimate Ape, journalist Shawn Thompson brings together a global assemblage of primatologists, conservationists, and volunteers to reveal the intricate life of these majestic primates. As he travels through the steamy rainforests of Sumatra and the jungle river valleys of Borneo, visiting nature preserves and observing conservation programs, Thompson describes the emotional and intellectual lives of orangutans and recognizes the people who have committed their lives to understand, protect, and ultimately rescue this powerful yet sensitive relation of humanity. "An extraordinary book that adds to our understanding of the animal world." --From the Foreword by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson After 17 years as a reporter, photographer, and editor at newspapers in Ontario, Shawn Thompson became a full-time assistant professor in the journalism department at Thompson Rivers University, in British Columbia, Canada. He has traveled the world to find orangutans and interview orangutan scientists, including trips to Sumatra and Borneo (the only places in the world where orangutans are found in the wild), Java, the Philippines, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United States. He lives in the small city of Kamloops, in the mountainous interior of British Columbia. This is his sixth book.

Deforestation

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Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
ISBN 13 : 1448869897
Total Pages : 50 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (488 download)

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Book Synopsis Deforestation by : Richard Spilsbury

Download or read book Deforestation written by Richard Spilsbury and published by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. This book was released on 2011-12-15 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Looks at the impact of deforestation around the globe and in such specific places as Finland, Nepal, and Brazil.

Bring on the Apocalypse

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Publisher : Anchor Canada
ISBN 13 : 0307374998
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis Bring on the Apocalypse by : George Monbiot

Download or read book Bring on the Apocalypse written by George Monbiot and published by Anchor Canada. This book was released on 2011-06-01 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new fusillade of provocative thinking from the author of the bestselling Heat. With Heat, George Monbiot confirmed his standing as one of the most important voices in the war against global warming. But as Bring on the Apocalypse makes clear, Monbiot is far from being a one-issue thinker. In this collection of his journalism, none of which has been published in Canada before, he tackles a wide range of issues drawn from recent headlines, and does so with his familiar fierce intelligence and superb skills as a writer. Grouped by theme into “Arguments with” science, political power, war, religion, economics, and culture, these pieces crackle with intellectual energy and frequently give off sparks of fury. Always, though, their power is rooted in profound knowledge, a solid set of principles, and palpable sincerity. The Globe and Mail said of Heat that it “contains more intellectual challenges by the page than the Canadian media does in a year.” For Bring on the Apocalypse, with its concise, intense broadsides against everything from climate change deniers, to the fundamentalist “Christian Taliban,” to the evils of teen magazines, and what continued interest in the Loch Ness monster says about our attitude to real ones, make that “by the paragraph.”

EBOOK: Radical Consumption: Shopping for Change in Contemporary Culture

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Author :
Publisher : McGraw-Hill Education (UK)
ISBN 13 : 0335236839
Total Pages : 156 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (352 download)

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Book Synopsis EBOOK: Radical Consumption: Shopping for Change in Contemporary Culture by : Jo Littler

Download or read book EBOOK: Radical Consumption: Shopping for Change in Contemporary Culture written by Jo Littler and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2008-11-16 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ethical consumption, fair trade, consumer protests, brand backlashes, green goods, boycotts and downshifting: these are all now familiar consumer activities - and in some cases, are almost mainstream. They are part of the expanding field of 'radical consumption' in a world where we are encouraged to shop for change. But just how radical are these forms of consumption? This book offers an interdisciplinary approach to examining contemporary radical consumption, analyzing its possibilities and problems, moralities, methods of mediation and its connections to wider cultural formations of production and politics. Jo Littler argues that we require a more expansive vocabulary and to open up new approaches of enquiry in order to understand the area's many contradictions, strengths and weaknesses. Drawing on a number of contemporary theories, terms and debates in media and cultural studies, she uses a range of specific case studies to bring theory to life. By analysing practices of radical consumption, the book explores a number of key questions: Is ethical consumption merely a sop for the middle classes? What are the contradictions of green consumption? Should we understand corporate social responsibility as a form of consumer-oriented greenwash? Who benefits from the new forms of cosmopolitan caring consumption? Can such forms of consumption ever move beyond their niche market status to become an effective political force? Can we really buy our way to a better, more equitable or sustainable future? Radical Consumption is important reading for cultural, media and sociology students.

Climate Models

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Author :
Publisher : BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN 13 : 9535101358
Total Pages : 354 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (351 download)

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Book Synopsis Climate Models by : Leonard Druyan

Download or read book Climate Models written by Leonard Druyan and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2012-03-02 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Climate Models offers a sampling of cutting edge research contributed by an international roster of scientists. The studies strive to improve our understanding of the physical environment for life on this planet. Each of the 14 essays presents a description of recent advances in methodologies for computer-based simulation of environmental variability. Subjects range from planetary-scale phenomena to regional ecology, from impacts of air pollution to the factors influencing floods and heat waves. The discerning reader will be rewarded with new insights concerning modern techniques for the investigation of the natural world.

The Palm Oil Controversy in Southeast Asia

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Author :
Publisher : Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
ISBN 13 : 9814311448
Total Pages : 310 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (143 download)

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Book Synopsis The Palm Oil Controversy in Southeast Asia by : Oliver Pye

Download or read book The Palm Oil Controversy in Southeast Asia written by Oliver Pye and published by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. This book was released on 2013 with total page 310 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is a compilation of papers first presented at the workshop "The palm oil controversy in transnational perspective" that took place in Singapore, 2-4 March 2009. The workshop was jointly organized by the Institute of Oriental and Asian Studies, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universit'at, Bonn and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), Singapore. It was funded by Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)"--Preface.

Biopolicy

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Author :
Publisher : Emerald Group Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1780528205
Total Pages : 251 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (85 download)

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Book Synopsis Biopolicy by : Albert Somit

Download or read book Biopolicy written by Albert Somit and published by Emerald Group Publishing. This book was released on 2012-05-14 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume explores the linkage of the life sciences with policy (biopolicy). It features two points of departure: the implications of the neurosciences for public policy; and the implications of evolutionary theory for policy-making. It includes several case studies of how these points of departure inform our knowledge of policy.

Are biofuels sustainable?

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Author :
Publisher : The Stationery Office
ISBN 13 : 9780215038159
Total Pages : 48 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (381 download)

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Book Synopsis Are biofuels sustainable? by : Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee

Download or read book Are biofuels sustainable? written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-21 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport-but most first generation biofuels have a detrimental impact on the environment overall. In addition, most biofuels are often not an effective use of bioenergy resources, in terms either of cutting greenhouse gas emissions or value-for-money. The Government must ensure that its biofuels policy balances greenhouse gas emission cuts with wider environmental impacts, so that biofuels are only used where they contribute to sustainable emissions reductions. The Government and EU's neglect of biomass and other more effective policies to reduce emissions in favour of biofuels is misguided. The current policy and support framework must be changed to ensure that sustainable bioenergy resources maximise their potential to generate energy for the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions. In general biofuels produced from conventional crops should no longer receive support from the Government. Instead the Government should concentrate on the development of more efficient biofuel technologies that might have a sustainable role in the future. The Government should seek to ensure that EU policy changes to reflect the concerns raised in this report. This means implementing a moratorium on current targets until technology improves, robust mechanisms to prevent damaging land use change are developed, and international sustainability standards are agreed. Only then might biofuels have a role to play. In the meantime, other more effective ways of cutting emissions from road transport should be pursued. It will take considerable courage for the Government and EU to admit that the current policy arrangements for biofuels are inappropriate. The policy realignments that are required will be a test of the Government's commitment to moving the UK towards a sustainable low carbon economy.

Sons of the Rumour

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Author :
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1466826673
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (668 download)

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Book Synopsis Sons of the Rumour by : David Foster

Download or read book Sons of the Rumour written by David Foster and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-11-01 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sons of the Rumour is nothing short of a dazzling and genre-defying work of genius. Foster retells the tale of the legendary eighth-century King Shahrban of Persia who, furious at his wife's infidelity, has decided to marry and then behead a fresh virgin every day. But then the king meets Scheherazade, a beauty of such wiles and storytelling gifts she manages to entertain the him for 1001 nights, staving off death for both herself and her countrywomen. In the process, she also bears him three sons, wisely educates him in morality and kindness, and eventually convinces him to take her as his lawful wife. Intersecting with the historical tale is the story of Al Morrisey – a middle-aged, Anglo-Irish, former jazz-drumming everyman, on the run from a failed marriage, and cursed with Freudian daydreams of his mother and peculiar nightmares of all things Persian – as he vainly attempts to reconcile the past with the present and reclaim some of his youthful vigour. Ingeniously manipulating the frame tale of the Arabian Nights, and utilising all his narrative gifts of adventurous satire, David Foster has produced a work of fiction like no other. Sprawling, ambitious, explicit but frequently hilarious, Sons of the Rumour is a modern masterpiece, an utterly original novel by one of Australia's greatest living writers, a man who the Sydney Morning Herald critic Andrew Riemer has called Patrick White's worthy successor.