The Blue Compendium by
Home to over 80 percent of all life on Earth, the ocean is the world's largest carbon sink and a key source of food and economic security for billions of people. The relevance of the ocean for humanity's future is undisputed. However, the ocean's great potential to drive economic growth and equitable job creation, sustain healthy ecosystems, and mitigate climate change is not yet fully recognised. Lack of awareness of this potential as well as management and governance challenges pose impediments. Until these impediments are removed, ocean ecosystems will continue to be degraded and opportunities for people lost. A transition and a clear path to a thriving and vibrant relationship between humans and the ocean are urgently needed. This open access collection of papers and reports identifies a path that is inspired by science, energised by engaged people, and emboldened by visionary leaders. These assessments of knowledge are commissioned by the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), which was established in September 2018 as a unique initiative led by heads of state and government from around the world, to showcase the latest leading-edge science, knowledge and state-of-the-art thinking on key ocean issues. Altogether, The Blue Compendium offers innovative ocean solutions in technology, policy, governance, and finance realms, that could help accelerate a transition to a more sustainable and prosperous relationship with the ocean. The comprehensive assessments have already informed policy making at the highest levels of government and motivated an impressive array of responsive and ambitious action across a growing network of leaders in business, finance and civil society.
The Blue Revolution by
Overfishing. For the world's oceans, it's long been a worrisome problem with few answers. Many of the global fish stocks are at a dangerous tipping point, some spiraling toward extinction. But as older fishing fleets retire and new technologies develop, a better, more sustainable way to farm this popular protein has emerged to profoundly shift the balance. The Blue Revolution tells the story of the recent transformation of commercial fishing: an encouraging change from maximizing volume through unrestrained wild hunting to maximizing value through controlled harvesting and farming. Entrepreneurs applying newer, smarter technologies are modernizing fisheries in unprecedented ways. In many parts of the world, the seafood on our plates is increasingly the product of smart decisions about ecosystems, waste, efficiency, transparency, and quality. Nicholas P. Sullivan presents this new way of thinking about fish, food, and oceans by profiling the people and policies transforming an aging industry into one that is "post-industrial"--fueled by "sea-foodies" and locavores interested in sustainable, traceable, quality seafood. Catch quotas can work when local fishers feel they have a stake in the outcome; shellfish farming requires zero inputs and restores nearshore ecosystems; new markets are developing for kelp products, as well as unloved and "underutilized" fish species. Sullivan shows how the practices of thirty years ago that perpetuated an overfishing crisis are rapidly changing. In the book's final chapters, Sullivan discusses the global challenges to preserving healthy oceans, including conservation mechanisms, the impact of climate change, and unregulated and criminal fishing in international waters. In a fast-growing world where more people are eating more fish than ever before, The Blue Revolution brings encouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of an industry historically averse to change, and it presents fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs and investors eager for new opportunities in a blue-green economy.
Blue Planet Law by
Blue Planet Law is the global and future-oriented environmental law that is necessary to face the global environmental crisis in the Anthropocene, assuming especially the link between climate action (SDG 13) and ocean sustainability (SDG 14). This open access book focuses on means of overcoming global environmental problems such as climate change, ocean degradation and biodiversity loss and the consequent risks for human life, health, food and wellbeing. It explores how environmental law, at the international, European and national levels, might set economic and technological development on a more sustainable path. Law must engage in dialogue with other areas such as philosophy, economics, ecology, and biology. This book highlights protection of the climate and the oceans and sustainable use of natural resources, through new policies, economies and technologies, including biotechnology, with a view to the preservation of life, health, food and a healthy environment for the present and future generations. The book may be seen as a contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 13 and 14 and a tribute to the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, also known as the Stockholm Conference (1972), on its 50th Anniversary.
Environmental Economics by
Environmental Economics: The Essentials offers a policy-oriented approach to the increasingly influential field of environmental economics that is based upon a solid foundation of economic theory and empirical research. Students will not only leave the course with a firm understanding of environmental economics, but they will also be exposed to a number of case studies showing how underlying economic principles provided the foundation for specific environmental and resource policies. This key text highlights what insights can be derived from the actual experience. Key features include: Extensive coverage of the major issues including climate change, air and water pollution, sustainable development, and environmental justice; Introductions to the theory and method of environmental economics including externalities, experimental and behavioral economics, benefit-cost analysis, and methods for valuing the services provided by the environment; Boxed 'Examples' and 'Debates' throughout the text which highlight global examples and major talking points. The text is fully supported with end-of-chapter summaries, discussion questions, and self-test exercises in the book, as well as with multiple-choice questions, simulations, references, slides, and an instructor's manual on the Companion Website. This text is adapted from the best-selling Environmental and Natural Resource Economics, 11th edition, by the same authors.
Marine Plastics: Innovative Solutions to Tackling Waste by
This open access book reflects aims of the Blue Circular Economy (BCE) project, which focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aiming to create value using circular economy concepts related to products and services within fishing gear recycling in the Northern Periphery and Arctic (NPA) area. Cluster establishment and operation were carried out in collaboration with academia, industry and government agencies following a triple-helix approach. Discarded fishing gear constitutes a large part of marine plastics. Preventing future discharge of fishing gear into the ocean is a vital step in combating plastic pollution. Circular economy is one of the tools in the European Green deal, targeting waste minimisation. Closing the loop for waste fishing nets by transferring them to a resource could be a solution for preventing discharge at sea: exploring this opportunity is at the core of this book.
Marine Pollution by
The study of marine environments inevitably involves considering the problem of marine pollution, which includes questions that focus on the essential need to ensure the long-term health of these exceptional ecosystems and the lives and livelihoods they support. The open access textbook "Marine Pollution: monitoring, management and mitigation" approaches these questions in a practical and highly readable format. It gives newcomers to the field background and perspective through the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary exploration of the topic. The topic is indeed complex, requiring the integration of the natural sciences and chemistry with management, policymakers, industry and all of us who are users of the marine environment. The textbook was written by leading experts to especially prepare graduates for a career in marine pollution studies. At the same time, it is relevant for anyone invested in the marine environment with a will to reduce their impacts. The chapters can easily be used independently and are also connected through the cross-referencing of related content. The introductory chapter provides a historical account of marine pollution and explores the fundamental physicochemical conditions of seawater. Two full chapters cover the requisite resources for ensuring success in field and laboratory studies. Then, chapter by chapter the book dives into to the various types of marine pollutants. In closing, it discusses the challenges of understanding multiple stressors and presents mitigation and restoration practices, along with a global overview of marine pollution legislation. We envisioned this textbook as being open access for the very reason we created it: this topic calls for global contributions and champions, and financial restraints should not limit access to this knowledge.
