[PDF] Wet And Dry Environments eBook

Author : Patrick Vinton Kirch
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 424 pages
File Size : 18,73 MB
Release : 1994
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 9780226437491

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Scholars and researchers have long believed that the ability to irrigate is crucial to the development of civilizations. In this book, archaeologist Patrick Kirch challenges this "hydraulic hypothesis" and provides a more accurate and detailed account of the role of "wet" and "dry" cultivation systems in the development of complex sociopolitical structures. Examining research on cultural adaptation and ecology in Western Polynesia and utilizing extensive data from a variety of important South Pacific sites, Kirch not only reveals how particular systems of production developed within the constraints imposed by environmental conditions, but also explores the tension that arises between contrasting productive systems with differential abilities to produce surplus. He shows that the near total neglect of short-fallow dryland cultivation, as well as arboriculture, or tree-cropping, has seriously distorted the picture that archaeologists and anthropologists have of agricultural intensification and its relation to complex social structure. This work, likely to become a classic, will be central to all future discussions of the ecology and politics of agricultural intensification.

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 369 pages
File Size : 11,62 MB
Release : 2004-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0309091934

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Almost all homes, apartments, and commercial buildings will experience leaks, flooding, or other forms of excessive indoor dampness at some point. Not only is excessive dampness a health problem by itself, it also contributes to several other potentially problematic types of situations. Molds and other microbial agents favor damp indoor environments, and excess moisture may initiate the release of chemical emissions from damaged building materials and furnishings. This new book from the Institute of Medicine examines the health impact of exposures resulting from damp indoor environments and offers recommendations for public health interventions. Damp Indoor Spaces and Health covers a broad range of topics. The book not only examines the relationship between damp or moldy indoor environments and adverse health outcomes but also discusses how and where buildings get wet, how dampness influences microbial growth and chemical emissions, ways to prevent and remediate dampness, and elements of a public health response to the issues. A comprehensive literature review finds sufficient evidence of an association between damp indoor environments and some upper respiratory tract symptoms, coughing, wheezing, and asthma symptoms in sensitized persons. This important book will be of interest to a wide-ranging audience of science, health, engineering, and building professionals, government officials, and members of the public.

Author : Institute of Medicine
Publisher : National Academies Press
Page : 286 pages
File Size : 23,44 MB
Release : 2011-10-01
Category : Science
ISBN : 0309209412

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The indoor environment affects occupants' health and comfort. Poor environmental conditions and indoor contaminants are estimated to cost the U.S. economy tens of billions of dollars a year in exacerbation of illnesses like asthma, allergic symptoms, and subsequent lost productivity. Climate change has the potential to affect the indoor environment because conditions inside buildings are influenced by conditions outside them. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health addresses the impacts that climate change may have on the indoor environment and the resulting health effects. It finds that steps taken to mitigate climate change may cause or exacerbate harmful indoor environmental conditions. The book discusses the role the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should take in informing the public, health professionals, and those in the building industry about potential risks and what can be done to address them. The study also recommends that building codes account for climate change projections; that federal agencies join to develop or refine protocols and testing standards for evaluating emissions from materials, furnishings, and appliances used in buildings; and that building weatherization efforts include consideration of health effects. Climate Change, the Indoor Environment, and Health is written primarily for the EPA and other federal agencies, organizations, and researchers with interests in public health; the environment; building design, construction, and operation; and climate issues.

Author : Bradley Deline
Publisher :
Page : 362 pages
File Size : 31,94 MB
Release : 2016-01-05
Category : History
ISBN : 9781940771366

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Developed by three experts to coincide with geology lab kits, this laboratory manual provides a clear and cohesive introduction to the field of geology. Introductory Geology is designed to ease new students into the often complex topics of physical geology and the study of our planet and its makeup. This text introduces readers to the various uses of the scientific method in geological terms. Readers will encounter a comprehensive yet straightforward style and flow as they journey through this text. They will understand the various spheres of geology and begin to master geological outcomes which derive from a growing knowledge of the tools and subjects which this text covers in great detail.