Environment and Sustainability | Faculty-authored Books and Book Chapters

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  Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Phytoplasma Diseases of Woody Crop Plants: Possibilities and Limitations

  Wolfgang Schweigkofler, Silvia Schmidt, and Christian Roschatt

  Phytoplasmas causing diseases of woody plants in native environments and agricultural systems are responsible for considerably economic and environmental damage. In Central and Southern Europe, phytoplasma diseases of apple (Malus domestica: Apple proliferation, AP) and grapevine (Vitis vinifera: Bois noir, BN and Flavescence dorèe, FD) are widespread and impact quantity and quality of the fruits. The ecology of phytoplasma diseases is complex and involves one or more insect vectors and in some cases alternative host plants. Phytoplasma densities in infected plants and expression of symptoms can vary considerably among seasons, and remission of symptoms occurs frequently. Disease control by pesticide application generally is not very efficient, therefore a polyphasic control strategy using a mix of agronomical, chemical and biological strategies needs to be developed for each disease. In the case of Bois noir e.g., the population density of the vector Hyalesthes obsoletus is related to the presence of its main host plants Urtica dioica and Convulvulus arvensis in the understory of the vineyards, which can be managed by agronomical methods. Application of foliar fertilizer showed no significant effect on BN-infected grapevines. AP-infected apple trees were treated with four bio-active compounds (Acibenzolar-S-Methyl, Harpin protein, Prohexadione-Ca and Cyanamide) over a three-year period, but their effects on symptom expression were only limited and transient.

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  The Environmental Documentary: Cinema Activism in the 21st Century

  John A. Duvall

  The Environmental Documentary provides the first extensive coverage of the most important environmental films of the decade, including their approach to their topics and their impacts on public opinion and political debate. While documentaries with themes of environmental activism date back at least to Pare Lorenz's films of the 1930's, no previous decade has produced the number and quality of films that engage environmental issues from an activist viewpoint. The convergence of high profile issues like climate change, fossil fuel depletion, animal abuse, and corporate malfeasance has combined with the miniaturization of high quality recording equipment and the expansion of documentary programming, to produce an unprecedented number of important and influential documentary productions.

  The text examines the processes of production and distribution that have produced this explosion in documentaries. The films range from a high-profile Hollywood production with theatrical distribution like An Inconvenient Truth, to shorter independently produced films like The End of Suburbia that have reached a small audience of activists through video distribution, interviews with many of the filmmakers, and word of mouth.

  ~publisher's description~

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  Earth Ethics

  James Martin-Schramm, Daniel Spencer, and Laura Stivers

  A thoroughly revised and updated edition of Christian Environmental Ethics: A Case Method Approach, this volume introduces new topics in environmental ethics, including hydraulic fracturing, greenhouse gases, food consumption, and resource stewardship, and revisits traditional topics in environmental ethics, while expanding beyond a specifically Christian hermeneutic. ~ Amazon.com

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  Chapter 7: Determining Environmental Values: Storytelling at BP.

  Jacob Massoud and David M. Boje

  To enhance sustainable development research and practice the values of the researchers, project managers and participants must first be made explicit. Values in Sustainable Development introduces and compares worldviews and values from multiple countries and perspectives, providing a survey of empirical methods available to study environmental values as affected by sustainable development. The first part is methodological, looking at what values are, why they are important, and how to include values in sustainable development. The second part looks at how values differ across social contexts, religions and viewpoints demonstrating how various individuals may value nature from a variety of cultural, social, and religious points of view. The third and final part presents case studies ordered by scale from the individual and community levels through to the national, regional and international levels. These examples show how values can motivate, be incorporated into and be an integral part of the success of a project.

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  Water as Earth's Bloodstream: Latina Ecofeminist Spirituality and Water Justice

  Laura Stivers

  Spirit and Nature is a collection of essays exploring how the resources of Christian spirituality can inform the practice of a more ecologically sustainable faith. Our current ecological situation calls for people of religious faith to reexamine the way they envision the practice of spirituality. As environmental ethicists have called us to reconsider the human-Earth relationship so that the planet is not seen as simply an endless supply of resources to fill human wants and needs, so these essays call us to reconsider spiritual practice as it relates to Earth's ecology. Rather than viewing spirituality as an escape from the material world, the authors describe the embodiment of the God-quest within the human-nature relationship. Drawing on diverse disciplinary perspectives, these essays examine a variety of topics, including the relationship between Earth and humans in the Bible, the role of nature's beauty in Christian spirituality, the practice of Christian discernment and contemplation in light of the natural sciences, the role of nature in liturgical prayer, and others. These essays consider how scholarship in Christian spirituality can contribute to re-imaging faith in ways that better cherish the Earth's fragile beauty.

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  The Effects of Coral Bleaching in The Northern Caribbean and Western Atlantic

  Loureene Jones, Pedro M. Alcolado, Yuself Cala, Dorka Cobian, Vânia R. Coelho, Aylem Hernandez, Ross Jones, Jennie Mallela, and Carrie Manfrino

  • The effects of bleaching and hurricanes on coral reefs in 2005 varied across the region and within countries.
  • Some countries experienced intense widespread coral bleaching down to 35 m, while the effects of increased water temperatures were moderate to low in others.
  • Coral mortality rates were low on average; most corals recovered quickly when water temperatures dropped.
  • Greater human and financial resources are needed to monitor and effectively combat the effects of natural disasters.
  • Regular monitoring and analysis of data are essential components of sound management strategies for sustainable environmental management and economic growth.

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  Saga of African Underdevelopment: A Viable Approach for Africa's Sustainable Development in the 21st Century

  Tetteh A. Kofi and Asayehgn Desta

  The Saga of African Underdevelopment examines in careful detail the economic conditions in Africa during the pre-colonial and colonial periods. The authors argue eloquently that most of the development paradigms that were used to transform African economies, under free trade imperialism or under colonial and postcolonial periods were incompatible with the African system of thought and traditional production systems or mode of production. Following this, they propose a bold development strategy to reverse the dismal economic performance of African countries in the post independence period.

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  Justice in a Global Economy: Strategies for Home, Community, and World

  Pamela K. Brubaker, Rebecca Todd Peters, and Laura A. Stivers

  Today's complex social and economic problems leave many people in the affluent world feeling either overwhelmed or ambivalent. Even the small percentage of us who have examined the ethics behind our financial decisions and overcome the often-deterring factors of self-interest rarely know what to do to make any difference. By providing tools for examination and concrete actions for individuals, communities, and society at large, Justice in a Global Economy guides its readers through many of today's complex societal issues, including land use, immigration, corporate accountability, and environmental and economic justice.

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  Environmentally Sustainable Economic Development

  Asayehgn Desta

  Can sustainable economic development be achieved without strong environmental protections? Bringing together theoretical issues in development economics and a wide range of empirical evidence, this book examines this question and explores ways that environmental sustainability has been—and might be—incorporated into existing theories of economic development. Protection of the environment is an essential part of development, and the best chance for achieving long-term sustainable development is to systematically incorporate environmental issues into key aspects of economic development paradigms. To show this, Desta makes use of theoretical approaches, draws policy implications, and illustrates each point with in-depth case studies from developing countries.