Download or read book Harnessing Green IT written by San Murugesan and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-10-22 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Ultimately, this is a remarkable book, a practical testimonial, and a comprehensive bibliography rolled into one. It is a single, bright sword cut across the various murky green IT topics. And if my mistakes and lessons learned through the green IT journey are any indication, this book will be used every day by folks interested in greening IT.” — Simon Y. Liu, Ph.D. & Ed.D., Editor-in-Chief, IT Professional Magazine, IEEE Computer Society, Director, U.S. National Agricultural Library This book presents a holistic perspective on Green IT by discussing its various facets and showing how to strategically embrace it Harnessing Green IT: Principles and Practices examines various ways of making computing and information systems greener – environmentally sustainable -, as well as several means of using Information Technology (IT) as a tool and an enabler to improve the environmental sustainability. The book focuses on both greening of IT and greening by IT – complimentary approaches to attaining environmental sustainability. In a single volume, it comprehensively covers several key aspects of Green IT - green technologies, design, standards, maturity models, strategies and adoption -, and presents a clear approach to greening IT encompassing green use, green disposal, green design, and green manufacturing. It also illustrates how to strategically apply green IT in practice in several areas. Key Features: Presents a comprehensive coverage of key topics of importance and practical relevance - green technologies, design, standards, maturity models, strategies and adoption Highlights several useful approaches to embracing green IT in several areas Features chapters written by accomplished experts from industry and academia who have first-hand knowledge and expertise in specific areas of green IT Presents a set of review and discussion questions for each chapter that will help the readers to examine and explore the green IT domain further Includes a companion website providing resources for further information and presentation slides This book will be an invaluable resource for IT Professionals, academics, students, researchers, project leaders/managers, IT business executives, CIOs, CTOs and anyone interested in Green IT and harnessing it to enhance our environment.

Download or read book Harnessing Green and Circular Skills for Digital Transformation written by Ordóñez de Pablos, Patricia and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2024-06-21 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Education faces a pressing challenge in the digital era: effectively integrating new technologies and sustainable practices. Despite advances, many institutions need help to adapt, hindering their ability to prepare students for a rapidly changing world. This gap is exacerbated by the need for more cohesive strategies and resources, leaving educators and policymakers grappling with disparate approaches. The result is a disjointed landscape that fails to harness the full potential of digital tools and sustainable principles. Harnessing Green and Circular Skills for Digital Transformation presents a comprehensive solution by exploring innovative methodologies and practical tools. This book equips educators, policymakers, and stakeholders with the knowledge to bridge this gap. It offers a roadmap for implementing circular visions in education, fostering green practices, and leveraging digital technologies for sustainable development. The book provides actionable insights and best practices from around the globe through case studies, empirical studies, and comparative analyses.

Download or read book Harnessing High Performance Computing and AI for Environmental Sustainability written by Naim, Arshi and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2024-05-15 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The world is addressing the insistent challenge of climate change, and the need for innovative solutions has become paramount. In this period of technical developments, artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a powerful instrument with enormous prospects to combat climate change and other environmental subjects. AI's ability to process vast amounts of data, identify patterns, and make intelligent predictions offers unprecedented opportunities to tackle this global crisis. High-Performance Computing (HPC) or super-computing environments address these large and complex challenges with individual nodes (computers) working together in a cluster (connected group) to perform massive amounts of computing in a short period. Creating and removing these clusters is often automated in the cloud to reduce costs. Computer networks, communication systems, and other IT infrastructures have a growing environmental footprint due to significant energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. To address this seemingly self-defeating conundrum, and create a truly sustainable environment, new energy models, algorithms, methodologies, platforms, tools, and systems are required to support next-generation computing and communication infrastructures. Harnessing High-Performance Computing and AI for Environmental Sustainability navigates through AI-driven solutions from sustainable agriculture and land management to energy optimization and smart grids. It unveils how AI algorithms can analyze colossal datasets, offering unprecedented insights into climate modeling, weather prediction, and long-term climate trends. Integrating AI-powered optimization algorithms revolutionizes energy systems, propelling the transition towards a low-carbon future by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing efficiency. This book is ideal for educators, environmentalists, industry professionals, and researchers alike, and it explores the ethical dimensions and policies surrounding AI's contribution to environmental development.

Download or read book Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning written by Scott McLeod and published by Solutions for Creating the Lea. This book was released on 2018-09-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "By embracing technology in the classroom instead of ignorning or banning it, every educator can promote deeper learning across all subjects and grade levels. Using the 4 Shifts Protocol, 'Harnessing Technology for Deeper Learning' imparts valuable strategies for avoiding missteps, overcoming implemention challenges, and (re)designing instruction that is both meaningful and engaging".

Download or read book Harnessing Foreign Investment to Promote Environmental Protection written by Pierre-Marie Dupuy and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Harnessing Foreign Investment to Promote Environmental Protection investigates the main challenges facing the implementation of environmental protection and the synergies between foreign investment and environmental protection. Adopting legal, economic and political perspectives, the contributing authors analyse the various incentives which encourage foreign investment into pro-environment projects (such as funds, project-finance, market mechanisms, payments-for-ecosystem services and insurance) and the safeguards against its potentially harmful effects (investment regulation, CSR and accountability mechanisms, contracts and codes of conduct).

Download or read book The Equality Machine written by Orly Lobel and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2022-10-18 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: AN ECONOMIST BEST BOOK OF 2022 At a time when AI and digital platforms are under fire, Orly Lobel, a renowned tech policy scholar, defends technology as a powerful tool we can harness to achieve equality and a better future. Much has been written about the challenges tech presents to equality and democracy. But we can either criticize big data and automation or steer it to do better. Lobel makes a compelling argument that while we cannot stop technological development, we can direct its course according to our most fundamental values. With provocative insights in every chapter, Lobel masterfully shows that digital technology frequently has a comparative advantage over humans in detecting discrimination, correcting historical exclusions, subverting long-standing stereotypes, and addressing the world’s thorniest problems: climate, poverty, injustice, literacy, accessibility, speech, health, and safety. Lobel's vivid examples—from labor markets to dating markets—provide powerful evidence for how we can harness technology for good. The book’s incisive analysis and elegant storytelling will change the debate about technology and restore human agency over our values.

Download or read book Harnessing Land and Water Resources for Improved Food Security and Ecosystem Services in Africa written by Oku, Effiom E. and published by United Nations University Institute for Natural Resourc. This book was released on 2015-04-23 with total page 184 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Africa is endowed with rich land and water resources, which significantly contribute to the development of many economies on the continent. However, land degradation and water pollution remain major challenges facing many African countries. Harnessing Land and Water Resources for Improved Food Security and Ecosystem Services in Africa examines challenges facing land and water resources management in Africa and explores possible measures to improve food security and reduce poverty on the continent. The book is a compilation of research papers, written by eminent researchers and scientists from renowned Universities and reputable organisations in Ghana, Ethiopia, USA, South Africa, Nigeria, the Netherlands and Indonesia. Its main objective is to draw attention to the impact of human activities on land and water resources and the need for the sustainable management of Africa's ecosystem services to improve livelihoods. The individual chapters present relevant case studies on the effects of water and land management practices including urban waste water uses, land grabbing and climate change issues, so as to draw lessons from best practices that can be adopted to mitigate their efforts on food security and the well-being of the African population. The monograph concludes with recommendations on the appropriate strategies for managing wastelands to meet Africa's green energy needs.

Download or read book Green Innovation in China written by Joanna I. Lewis and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2013 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Just a decade ago, China maintained only a handful of operating wind turbines -- all imported from Europe and the United States.

Download or read book Harnessed written by Mark Changizi and published by BenBella Books, Inc.. This book was released on 2011-08-02 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The scientific consensus is that our ability to understand human speech has evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. After all, there are whole portions of the brain devoted to human speech. We learn to understand speech before we can even walk, and can seamlessly absorb enormous amounts of information simply by hearing it. Surely we evolved this capability over thousands of generations. Or did we? Portions of the human brain are also devoted to reading. Children learn to read at a very young age and can seamlessly absorb information even more quickly through reading than through hearing. We know that we didn't evolve to read because reading is only a few thousand years old. In Harnessed, cognitive scientist Mark Changizi demonstrates that human speech has been very specifically “designed" to harness the sounds of nature, sounds we've evolved over millions of years to readily understand. Long before humans evolved, mammals have learned to interpret the sounds of nature to understand both threats and opportunities. Our speech—regardless of language—is very clearly based on the sounds of nature. Even more fascinating, Changizi shows that music itself is based on natural sounds. Music—seemingly one of the most human of inventions—is literally built on sounds and patterns of sound that have existed since the beginning of time. From Library Journal: "Many scientists believe that the human brain's capacity for language is innate, that the brain is actually "hard-wired" for this higher-level functionality. But theoretical neurobiologist Changizi (director of human cognition, 2AI Labs; The Vision Revolution) brilliantly challenges this view, claiming that language (and music) are neither innate nor instinctual to the brain but evolved culturally to take advantage of what the most ancient aspect of our brain does best: process the sounds of nature ... it will certainly intrigue evolutionary biologists, linguists, and cultural anthropologists and is strongly recommended for libraries that have Changizi's previous book." From Forbes: “In his latest book, Harnessed, neuroscientist Mark Changizi manages to accomplish the extraordinary: he says something compellingly new about evolution.… Instead of tackling evolution from the usual position and become mired in the usual arguments, he focuses on one aspect of the larger story so central to who we are, it may very well overshadow all others except the origin of life itself: communication."

Download or read book Horses at Work written by Ann Norton GREENE and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2009-06-30 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greene argues for recognition of horses’ critical contribution to the history of American energy and the rise of American industrial power, and a new understanding of the reasons for their replacement as prime movers.

Download or read book Information Systems written by John Gallaugher and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 709 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Strategic information systems management for environmental sustainability enhancing firm competitiveness with Green IS written by Löser, Fabian and published by Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin. This book was released on 2015-07-06 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the last three decades, information and communication technologies have fundamentally changed the way we work, live and communicate. The ubiquity of internet services, which become increasingly interactive and complex, together with enhanced connectivity, facilitated by innovative mobile devices, induces an ever-rising demand for computing, storage and data transmission capacities. Today, information systems (IS) constitute the backbone of the globalized economy and are indispensable for modern business and production processes. At the same time, environmental sustainability has evolved as the most pressing societal challenge of the 21st century, in particular due to the looming threats of climate change. By virtue of their global influence and reach, business companies significantly contribute to the creation of environmental problems, but owing to their organizational knowledge, capabilities and resources, they also have the capacity and ability to play a key role in shaping the path towards a more sustainable development. The companies leading the way have noticed that corporate sustainability is not necessarily a burden that negatively impacts their bottom line. If strategically managed, environmental product and process innovations can decrease operational costs, enhance corporate reputation, and differentiate from competitors. With regard to environmental sustainability, IS play a contradictory role: on the one hand, the manufacturing, operation and disposal of information technology (IT) infrastructure are responsible for serious environmental impacts: from the mining of conflict minerals to carbon dioxide emissions that equal those of the airline industry to enormous amounts of toxic e-waste. On the other hand, IS are perceived as key enablers of a "green" economy: environmental management systems and the reengineering of business processes can substantially reduce the environmental impacts of business organizations, while technological innovations provide opportunities to decrease the ecological footprint of end-user products and services. Many organizations have started to implement first environmental measures to decrease IT energy consumption and to reduce operational costs, mostly in an unstructured and uncoordinated manner though. Although Green IS practices feature a considerable potential to increase corporate environmentalism while creating promising business opportunities, the adoption of enterprise-wide cross-functional initiatives aimed at implementing Green IS has been rather slow. Economic uncertainties regarding the long-term effects of Green IS adoption and the lack of appropriate management frameworks have been identified as main inhibitors of an encompassing implementation of Green IS initiatives throughout the enterprise. In this context, this thesis addresses relevant research gaps, contributes to theory development in the evolving Green IS research discipline, develops practice-oriented management frameworks, and emphasizes the importance of following a strategic approach to leverage the competitive potential of Green IS. This cumulative thesis comprises an introduction that includes a literature review and a pre-study, four theory-based conceptual research articles, and two empirical studies, one of them building on qualitative, exploratory case study research whereas the other relies on quantitative data which has been analyzed with structural equation modeling. This thesis targets four specific research goals to advance theory-building in Green IS research and to promote the adoption of Green IS in practice. First, this thesis clarifies and defines the central terms and key concepts Green IT, Green IS, Green IS strategy, and Green IS practices drawing on a transdisciplinary research approach. Second, the most important challenges and inhibitors of Green IS adoption are identified and characterized. In particular, the lack of management frameworks, which encourage a holistic implementation that follows a strategic rationale, the complexity of strategic Green IS alignment, the multi-dimensional performance impacts of cross-functional initiatives and, above all, the uncertainty relating to the business case of Green IS practices, are identified as the most pressing challenges. Third, current actions of business firms to address these challenges are examined. Building on exploratory case study research, distinctive Green IS strategies are identified in managerial practice. Most notably, the empirical insights from quantitative survey research suggest a positive relationship between Green IS adoption and firm competitiveness, thus decreasing the economic uncertainty which inhibits the implementation of far-reaching environmental initiatives. Fourth, practice-oriented management frameworks are developed. The fine-grained Green IS strategy concept advises the formulation of strategies addressing the corporate, competitive, and functional management level. The proposed typology of four Green IS strategies illustrates distinct strategic options, from which executives can choose under consideration of their competitive targets and the firm-specific context. To allow for consistency of Green IS strategies, the presented alignment framework facilitates coherence with economic and environmental corporate goals. Furthermore, the actors, roles and responsibilities relevant to the alignment process are described. In addition, a management framework for the holistic adoption of Green IS, which specifies decisive management areas and distinguishes between three degrees of environmental impacts, is presented along with a comprehensive catalogue of Green IS implementation measures. As a consequence, this research offers both empirical insights and conceptual models to advance the adoption of Green IS initiatives, thus meeting the challenges of climate change and turning corporate sustainability into a business opportunity. Informationssysteme (IS) zeigen in Bezug auf ökologische Nachhaltigkeit gegensätzliche Eigenschaften. Einerseits verursachen die Herstellung, der Betrieb sowie die Entsorgung von Informationstechnologie (IT) – Infrastrukturen schwerwiegende negative Umweltauswirkungen: Vom Abbau von Konfliktmineralien über Kohlendioxidemissionen bis hin zu beträchtlichen Mengen giftigen Elektroschrotts. Andererseits werden IS als Schlüsseltechnologien für eine nachhaltige Wirtschaft gesehen. Umweltmanagementsysteme und die Umgestaltung von Geschäftsprozessen können den ökologischen Fußabdruck von Organisationen bedeutend verringern. Zudem eröffnen technologische Innovationen neuartige Möglichkeiten, die Umweltauswirkungen von Produkten und Dienstleistungen über den gesamten Lebenszyklus hinweg zu senken. Zahlreiche Organisationen haben damit begonnen, einzelne Green-IT-Maßnahmen zu implementieren um den Energieverbrauch und operative Kosten zu senken. Allerdings verfolgen die meisten Unternehmen hierbei keinen strukturierten oder strategischen Ansatz. Obwohl Green-IS-Initiativen beachtliche Potentiale zur Verbesserung der ökologischen Nachhaltigkeit von Organisationen bieten und gleichzeitig vielversprechende wirtschaftliche Chancen eröffnen, schreitet die Umsetzung von bereichsübergreifenden Green-IS-Maßnahmen in Unternehmen nur langsam voran. Ökonomische Unsicherheiten in Bezug auf die Rentabilität derartiger Maßnahmen sowie der Mangel an adäquaten Management-Frameworks werden in diesem Zusammenhang als zentrale Hinderungsgründe für eine strategische und ganzheitliche Umsetzung von Green-IS-Initiativen identifiziert. Diese Dissertation adressiert diese Hinderungsgründe, schafft Schlüsselkonzepte für den neuen Green-IS-Forschungszweig, entwickelt praxisorientierte Management-Frameworks und hebt die Bedeutung eines strategischen Ansatzes bei der Implementierung von Green IS hervor. Diese Forschungsarbeit offeriert empirische Einblicke wie auch konzeptionelle Modelle um die Umsetzung ganzheitlicher Green-IS-Initiativen in Organisationen voranzutreiben. Unternehmen haben somit die Chance, den Herausforderungen des Klimawandels verantwortungsvoll zu begegnen und gleichzeitig durch eine nachhaltige Unternehmensführung Wettbewerbsvorteile zu generieren.

Download or read book Sustainable Development Goals written by Julia Walker and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2019-08-27 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through Finance, Technology and Law Reform Achieving the SDGs requires a fundamental rethink from businesses and governments across the globe. To make the ambitious goals a reality, trillions of dollars need to be harnessed to mobilise finance and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. Bringing together leaders from the World Bank, the financial and business sectors, the startup community and academia, this important, topically relevant volume explains what the SDGs are, how they came about and how they can be accelerated. Real-world case studies and authoritative insights address how to direct investment of existing financial resources and re-align the global financial system to reflect the SDGs. In depth chapters discuss how financial institutions, such as UBS Wealth Management, Manulife Asset Management and Moody’s Rating Agency are supporting the SDGs. The opportunities arising from Blockchain, Big Data, Digital Identity and cutting-edge FinTech and RegTech applications are explored, whilst the relevance of sustainable and transparent global supply chains is underscored. Significant attention is paid to law reform which can accelerate progress of the SDGs through SME Financing, Crowdfunding, Peer-to-Peer Lending and tax restructuring. To achieve the ‘World We Want’, much needs to be done. The recommendations contained within this book are critical for supporting a fundamental shift in thinking from business and governments around the world, and for building a more just and prosperous future for all.

Download or read book Harnessing the Power of Collective Learning written by Roy Steiner and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-02-12 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What were new ideas 30 years ago, such as the concepts of participatory development and systems thinking, are now accepted norms in international development circles. The majority of professionals engaged in rural development accept the proposition that the people who participate in development should play an active role in defining, implementing, and evaluating projects intended to improve their productivity and lives. However this goal remains unrealized in many development programs. Harnessing the Power of Collective Learning considers the challenges and potential of enabling collective learning in rural development initiatives. The book presents 11 case studies of organizations trying to develop and implement collective learning systems as an integral component of sustainable development practice. Through systematic reflection on action and experience, key lessons and themes emerge regarding the nature of voice, participation, feedback loops, accountability and transparency, that will be useful for many others in the development community. This book is a useful resource for academics, practitioners and policy makers in the areas of international development, sustainable development, organizational development, philanthropy, learning communities, monitoring and evaluation and rural development.

Download or read book Leading 21st Century Schools written by Lynne Schrum and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Master The Latest Educational Technology To Teach 21st Century Skills. To prepare students to thrive in the classroom and beyond, educators must place the proper emphasis on technology leadership. First published in 2009, this book’s second edition features 80% brand-new material addressing the latest technological developments, combined with the authors’ tested methods for applying them in schools. Features include: Aligning technology to the ISLLC Standards, ISTE Standards, and Common Core State Standards Comprehensive guides to the newest technologies and trends that school leaders need to know A companion website featuring a massive volume of resources for additional progress

Download or read book Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up written by Anthony Flaccavento and published by University Press of Kentucky. This book was released on 2016-06-10 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The global economy has witnessed important changes in recent years. In the United States, enterprising communities have transitioned from tobacco farming to growing organic produce, from extractive fishing to vertical farming, from nonrenewable energy consumption to the implementation of solar cooperatives—and have transformed from impoverished neighborhoods into green development zones. Yet these promising achievements remain a small part of the total economy and are largely ignored by policy makers, pundits, and economists. In Building a Healthy Economy from the Bottom Up: Harnessing Real World Experience for Transformative Change, Anthony Flaccavento introduces readers to the innovators who are creating thriving, locally based economies and provides a road map for others who are interested in doing the same. He demonstrates that, despite the success of local initiatives like farmers' markets and clean energy cooperatives, true and lasting change of this type stalls without the appropriate discussion and implementation of public policies that define their lasting impact. He shows how active citizens can spur essential changes, generate community capital, increase civic dialogue, and foster sustainability efforts. Flaccavento skillfully combines economic analysis and public policy recommendations with practical solutions. His call to collective action will appeal to scholars, entrepreneurs, policymakers, community activists, environmentalists, and all citizens passionate about the health of their communities.

Download or read book Think Twice written by Michael J. Mauboussin and published by Harvard Business Review Press. This book was released on 2012-11-06 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No matter your field, industry, or specialty, as a leader you make a series of crucial decisions every single day. And the harsh truth is that the majority of decisions—no matter how good the intentions behind them—are mismanaged, resulting in a huge toll on organizations, the people they employ, and even the people they serve. So why is it so hard to make sound decisions? In Think Twice, now in paperback, Michael Mauboussin argues that we often fall victim to simplified mental routines that prevent us from coping with the complex realities inherent in important judgment calls. Yet these cognitive errors are preventable. In this engaging book, Mauboussin shows us how to recognize and avoid common mental missteps. These include misunderstanding cause-and-effect linkages, not considering enough alternative possibilities in making a decision, and relying too much on experts. Through vivid stories, the author presents memorable rules for avoiding each error and explains how to recognize when you should “think twice”—questioning your reasoning and adopting decision-making strategies that are far more effective, even if they seem counterintuitive. Armed with this awareness, you'll soon begin making sounder judgment calls that benefit (rather than hurt) your organization.