Series Preface
Our nearly 1000-member team recognizes that all elements of sustainability
science and technology continue to advance as does our understanding of the
needs for energy, water, clean air, food, mobility, and health and the relation of
every single aspect of this vast and interconnected body of knowledge to
climate change. Our Encyclopedia content is at a level for university students,
professors, engineers, and other practicing professionals. It is gratifying for our
team to note that our online First Edition has been heavily utilized as evidenced
by over 500,000 downloads, which of course is in addition to scientists’
utilization of the Encyclopedia and individual “spin-off” volumes in print.
Now we are pleased to have a Living Reference online which assures the
sustainability community that we are providing the latest peer-reviewed content covering the science and technology of the sustainability of the Earth. We
are also publishing the content as a Series of individual topical books for ease
of use by those with an interest in particular subjects, and with expert oversight
in each field to ensure that the Second Edition presents the state-of-the-science
today. Our team covers the physical, chemical, and biological processes that
underlie the Earth system including pollution and remediation and climate
change, and we comprehensively cover every energy and environment technology as well as all types of food production, water, transportation, and the
sustainable built environment.
Our team of 15 board members includes two Nobel Prize winners (Kroto
and Fischlin), two former Directors of the NSF (Colwell and Killeen), the
former President of the Royal Society (Lord May), and the Chief Scientist of
the Rocky Mountain Institute (Amory Lovins). And our more than 40 eminent
section editors and now book editors assure the quality of our selected authors
and their review presentations.
The extent of our coverage clearly sets our project apart from other publications which now exist, both in extent and depth. In fact, current compendia
of the science and technology of several of these topics do not presently exist
and yet the content is crucial to any evaluation and planning for the sustainability of the Earth. It is important to note that the emphasis of our project is on
science and technology and not on policy and positions. Rather, policy makers
will use our presentations to evaluate sustainability options.
Vital scientific issues include: human and animal ecological support systems; energy supply and effects; the planet’s climate system; systems of
agriculture, industry, forestry, and fisheries and the ocean; fresh water and
v
Our nearly 1000-member team recognizes that all elements of sustainability
science and technology continue to advance as does our understanding of the
needs for energy, water, clean air, food, mobility, and health and the relation of
every single aspect of this vast and interconnected body of knowledge to
climate change. Our Encyclopedia content is at a level for university students,
professors, engineers, and other practicing professionals. It is gratifying for our
team to note that our online First Edition has been heavily utilized as evidenced
by over 500,000 downloads, which of course is in addition to scientists’
utilization of the Encyclopedia and individual “spin-off” volumes in print.
Now we are pleased to have a Living Reference online which assures the
sustainability community that we are providing the latest peer-reviewed content covering the science and technology of the sustainability of the Earth. We
are also publishing the content as a Series of individual topical books for ease
of use by those with an interest in particular subjects, and with expert oversight
in each field to ensure that the Second Edition presents the state-of-the-science
today. Our team covers the physical, chemical, and biological processes that
underlie the Earth system including pollution and remediation and climate
change, and we comprehensively cover every energy and environment technology as well as all types of food production, water, transportation, and the
sustainable built environment.
Our team of 15 board members includes two Nobel Prize winners (Kroto
and Fischlin), two former Directors of the NSF (Colwell and Killeen), the
former President of the Royal Society (Lord May), and the Chief Scientist of
the Rocky Mountain Institute (Amory Lovins). And our more than 40 eminent
section editors and now book editors assure the quality of our selected authors
and their review presentations.
The extent of our coverage clearly sets our project apart from other publications which now exist, both in extent and depth. In fact, current compendia
of the science and technology of several of these topics do not presently exist
and yet the content is crucial to any evaluation and planning for the sustainability of the Earth. It is important to note that the emphasis of our project is on
science and technology and not on policy and positions. Rather, policy makers
will use our presentations to evaluate sustainability options.
Vital scientific issues include: human and animal ecological support systems; energy supply and effects; the planet’s climate system; systems of
agriculture, industry, forestry, and fisheries and the ocean; fresh water and
v