The 2009 Copenhagen Conference will take place December 7-18 in the Bella Conference Center just a few miles from the Copenhagen airport. Emissaries from 170 nations are expected, with several other smaller countries sending representatives. More than 8,000 people are expected to attend, including members of the press. The Copenhagen Conference is…

An assessment of the state of the environment in selected nations is presented. Criteria such as water, land, noise, chemicals, and wildlife were considered in arriving at conclusions concerning world trends in environmental quality. (RE)

A variety of socio-economic criteria are suggested for the choice of how best to utilize energy resources. One of the most significant of these criteria is the prediction and evaluation of existing and potential human health effects of recovery and usage of various energy resources. Suggestions are made for incorporation of these methods in site…

Tighter federal air pollution control standards for new coal-burning electric power plants have been issued. Through use of air pollution control devices all types of coal will be useable under the new standards. Even stricter standards may be imposed where visibility may be affected in areas now enjoying very clean air. (RE)

Surveys the effects of federal regulation upon energy self sufficiency and fuel development in the United States. Recommends ways the public and the government can alleviate the energy problem. Five appendices discuss the greenhouse effect, sulfur dioxide, acid rain, zero population, pollution, and zero health risk. (SK)

This textbook is recommended for use in introductory level Environmental Studies courses. The content and format are designed to accommodate students with various academic backgrounds and to allow for a variety of teaching approaches (such as lectures, discussions, and case studies). Generally, each chapter provides background information, a…

One hundred and twenty-nine citations comprise this general bibliography on the environment. The listings provide the most current information on environmental studies, research, and programs (see also SO 008 762). Most date from 1974 through 1975. Commercially published books and government and state reports make up the bulk of the bibliographic…

Discusses magetohydrodynamics (MHD) and its potential use in coal powered electric generating plants. Considered are its advantages, problems, environmental effects and development in Russia. (MDR)

Today's industrial economies were founded on the use of vast quantities of materials and energy, and the economic health of nations has often been equated with the amount they consumed. The amount of materials that originally enters an economy tells nothing about the material's eventual fate or its contribution to human well-being. It tells a good…

The purpose of this report is to present and prioritize the major environmental issues associated with the further development of biomass production and biomass conversion systems. To provide a background for this environmental analysis, the basic concepts of the technology are reviewed, as are resource requirements. The potential effects of this…

Two of the most urgent tasks facing the world community are controlling dangerous pollution and finding plentiful supplies of energy, particularly in developing countries. This report examines: (1) what to do about hazardous wastes that endanger human life and health (restricted to wastes from chemical processes and those generated by cleaning or…

The purpose of this report is to present and prioritize the major environmental, safety, and social/institutional issues associated with the further development of Solar Total Energy Systems (STES). Solar total energy systems represent a specific application of the Federally-funded solar technologies. To provide a background for this analysis, the…

This publication is a complete revision of an earlier booklet brought on by the dramatic changes in the energy outlook of the United States that occurred in 1973 and 1974. The purpose of this document is to inform the public on the overall U.S. energy situation, in particular electricity generated from nuclear reactors and other sources. The…

This report is one of a series prepared by the National Research Council for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This report takes a critical look at the relationship of energy and the environment and focuses on three main policy questions: (1) Do environmental regulations make too great a demand on scarce resources of energy and the…

This lecture recounts personal experiences and discusses environmental issues that invoked a desire to teach about the things threatening the earth. Human population growth is cited as the first and foremost environmental challenge in the 20th century. A J-shaped curve is used to illustrate an increase in human population. The relationship between…