Download or read book HC 443 Defra performance in 2014 15 written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Defra's budget for day-to-day spending is to be cut by 15% over the next four years. This will be difficult to achieve since total budget reductions of about a quarter during the last Parliament have already identified easily achievable savings and removed the more obvious inefficiencies across the Defra family. Defra is one of the smaller government departments, with Exchequer funding of just over £2 billion, but it performs vital functions. We endorse the Defra Secretary of State's vision for a world-class food and farming sector, a robust rural economy and an enhanced natural environment. Managing environmental and rural economy issues together can help deliver that vision but this, together with meeting the challenges of protecting the UK from natural hazards, requires adequate resources. Protecting the nation against, for example, flood and animal or plant diseases carries multi-million pound costs; the costs to the economy, society and the environment of not doing so may, however, be even greater. The challenges facing Defra are first whether the reduced budget available to it is sufficient for its task, and second how to make the correct policy choices so as to allocate smaller funds effectively.

Download or read book HC 478 Greyhound Welfare written by Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2015 with total page 37 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are around 15,000 active racing greyhounds in the UK today. Their welfare and the effectiveness of the existing regulatory framework are the focus of this report. New regulations on greyhound welfare were introduced in 2010 and are presently being reviewed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Our witnesses agreed that the 2010 Regulations have made improvements in the welfare conditions for greyhounds at the racing track. However, it is not possible to definitively say how much improvement has occurred because of an absence of readily available data concerning key welfare indicators, particularly around injuries incurred while racing. Looking at the broader welfare situation we have identified a number of key findings and corresponding recommendations: (i) we recommend that Defra amend the 2010 Regulations to require the publication of essential welfare data relating to injury, euthanasia and rehoming numbers; (ii) bookmakers profiting from greyhound racing in any format (including online or overseas trade) have a responsibility to support greyhound welfare. We regard a statutory levy as the most effective mechanism to achieve this; and (iii) the 2010 Regulations should be extended beyond racetracks to cover standards at trainers' kennels and include independent verification of those standards

Download or read book The Political Economy of the 2014 2020 Common Agricultural Policy written by Johan F.M. Swinnen and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2015-07-30 with total page 597 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After five years of debates, consultations and negotiations, the European institutions reached an agreement in 2013 on the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the 2014-2020 period. The outcome has major implications for the EU’s budget and farmers’ incomes, but also for Europe’s environment, its contribution to global climate change and to food security in the EU and in the world. It was decided to spend more than €400 billion during the rest of the decade on the CAP. The official claims are that the new CAP will take better account of society's expectations and lead to far-reaching changes by making subsidies fairer and ‘greener’ and making the CAP more efficient. It is also asserted that the CAP will play a key part in achieving the overall objective of promoting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. However, there is significant scepticism about these claims and disappointment with the outcome of the decision-making, the first in which the European Parliament was involved under the co-decision procedure. In contrast to earlier reforms where more substantive changes were made to the CAP, the factors that induced the policy discussions in 2008-13 and those that influenced the decision-making did not reinforce each other. On the contrary, they sometimes counteracted one another, yielding an ‘imperfect storm’ as it were, resulting in more status quo and fewer changes. This book discusses the outcome of the decision-making and the factors that influenced the policy choices and decisions. It brings together contributions from leading academics from various disciplines and policy-makers, and key participants in the process from the European Commission and the European Parliament.

Download or read book Green Logistics written by Alan McKinnon and published by Kogan Page Publishers. This book was released on 2015-02-03 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leading the way in current thinking on environmental logistics, Green Logistics provides a unique insight on the environmental impacts of logistics and the actions that companies and governments can take to deal with them. It is written by leading researchers in the field and provides a comprehensive view of the subject for students, managers and policy-makers. Fully updated, the 3rd edition of Green Logistics has a more global perspective than previous editions. It introduces new contributors and international case studies that illustrate the impact of green logistics in practice. There is a new chapter on the links between green logistics and corporate social responsibility and a series of postscripts examining the effects of new developments, such as 3D printing, distribution by drone, the physical internet and the concept of peak freight. Other key topics examined include: carbon auditing of supply chains; transferring freight to greener transport modes; reducing the environmental impact of warehousing; improving the energy efficiency of freight transport; making city logistics more environmentally sustainable; reverse logistics for the management of waste; role of government in promoting sustainable logistics. The 3rd edition of Green Logistics includes indispensable online supporting materials, including graphics, tables, chapter summaries, and guidelines for lecturers.

Download or read book Rainwater Tank Systems for Urban Water Supply written by Ashok K. Sharma and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2015-05-15 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rainwater tank systems have been widely adopted across the world to provide a safe local source of water in underdeveloped rural areas, a substitution for mains water for non potable end uses in water stressed urban areas, as well as providing flooding control in monsoonal climates such as Korea, or combined sewer systems such as Germany. The importance of these systems in cities has grown, as water managers seek to provide a range of decentralised solutions to supply constraints of current water supply systems, whilst reducing the impact of urban development on the natural environment, and increasing resilience to the impacts of climate change. Rainwater tank systems are now often implemented under integrated urban water management (IUWM) and water sensitive urban design (WSUD) philosophies, which take a holistic view of the urban water cycle. Rainwater Tank Systems for Urban Water Supply is based on a comprehensive, multi-million dollar research program that was undertaken in South East Queensland (SEQ) Australia in response to the Millennium drought when the water supply level in the regions drinking water dams dropped to 17% in July 2007 and the area came close to running out of water. In particular, the book provides insights and detailed analysis of design, modelling, implementation, operation, energy usage, economics, management, health risk, social perceptions and implications for water quality/quantity of roof water runoff. The approaches and methodologies included in Rainwater Tank Systems for Urban Water Supply inform and validate research programs, and provide insights on the expected performance and potential pitfalls of the adoption of rainwater tanks systems including: actual harvested yield and resulting mains water savings, optimal sizing for rainwater storages and roof collection systems, expected water quality and implications for managing public health risks, modelling tools available for decision support, operation and management approaches of a decentralised asset at the household scale and community acceptance. The book is suitable for use at undergraduate and post graduate levels and is of particular interest to water professionals across the globe, who are involved in the strategic water planning for a town, city or a region. It is a valuable resource for developers, civil designers, water planners, architects and plumbers seeking to implement sustainable water servicing approaches for residential, industrial and commercial developments.

Download or read book Biochar for Environmental Management written by Johannes Lehmann and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-05-16 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biochar is the carbon-rich product when biomass (such as wood, manure or crop residues) is heated in a closed container with little or no available air. It can be used to improve agriculture and the environment in several ways, and its stability in soil and superior nutrient-retention properties make it an ideal soil amendment to increase crop yields. In addition to this, biochar sequestration, in combination with sustainable biomass production, can be carbon-negative and therefore used to actively remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with major implications for mitigation of climate change. Biochar production can also be combined with bioenergy production through the use of the gases that are given off in the pyrolysis process. This book is the first to synthesize the expanding research literature on this topic. The book's interdisciplinary approach, which covers engineering, environmental sciences, agricultural sciences, economics and policy, is a vital tool at this stage of biochar technology development. This comprehensive overview of current knowledge will be of interest to advanced students, researchers and professionals in a wide range of disciplines.

Download or read book Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks written by Eleftherios Iakovou and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-01-19 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An interdisciplinary framework for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides an up-to-date and interdisciplinary framework for designing and operating sustainable supply chains for agri-food products. Focus is given to decision-making procedures and methodologies enabling policy-makers, managers and practitioners to design and manage effectively sustainable agrifood supply chain networks. Authored by high profile researchers with global expertise in designing and operating sustainable supply chains in the agri-food industry, this book: Features the entire hierarchical decision-making process for managing sustainable agrifood supply chains. Covers knowledge-based farming, management of agricultural wastes, sustainability, green supply chain network design, safety, security and traceability, IT in agrifood supply chains, carbon footprint management, quality management, risk management and policy- making. Explores green supply chain management, sustainable knowledge-based farming, corporate social responsibility, environmental management and emerging trends in agri-food retail supply chain operations. Examines sustainable practices that are unique for agriculture as well as practices that already have been implemented in other industrial sectors such as green logistics and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Food Networks provides a useful resource for researchers, practitioners, policy-makers, regulators and C-level executives that deal with strategic decision-making. Post-graduate students in the field of agriculture sciences, engineering, operations management, logistics and supply chain management will also benefit from this book.

Download or read book Towards a sustainable participatory and inclusive wild meat sector written by Coad, L. and published by CIFOR. This book was released on 2019-01-30 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The meat of wild species, referred to in this report as ‘wild meat’, is an essential source of protein and a generator of income for millions of forest-living communities in tropical and subtropical regions. However, unsustainable harvest rates currently

Download or read book 2013 Revised Supplementary Methods and Good Practice Guidance Arising from the Kyoto Protocol written by Takahiko Hiraishi and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The 2013 revised supplementary methods and good practice guidance arising from the Kyoto Protocol (KP Supplement) describes the supplementary methods and good practice guidance for measuring, estimating and reporting of anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals resulting from land use, land: use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities covered by the Kyoto Protocol (KP) for the second commitment period (CP). This document addresses activities under Article 3.3, Forest Management and elective activities under Article 3.4. The supplementary methods and good practice guidance of this document are relevant to each Party included in Annex I that have ratified the KP for the second CP and for other countries interested in the updated guidance.

Download or read book The Government s alcohol strategy written by Great Britain: Home Office and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2012-03-23 with total page 36 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This strategy signals a radical change in the approach to irresponsible drinking and resultant criminal and anti-social behaviour and the increasing health problems created by the current levels of alcohol consumption. In 2012-11 there were nearly 1 million alcohol-related violent crimes and 1.2 million alcohol-related hospital admissions. The problem has developed because cheap alcohol is too readily available; increasing numbers of people drink at home before going on a night out ("pre-loading"); the Licensing Act failed to deliver a cafâ culture; too many places cater for people who drink to get drunk regardless of the consequences for themselves or others; and individuals who cause the problems have not been challenged enough over their behaviour. The availability of cheap alcohol will be curtailed through the introduction of a minimum unit price for alcohol. The exact level is to be agreed, but if it was 40p, it is estimated there would be 50,000 fewer crimes each year and 900 fewer alcohol-related deaths by the end of the decade. Consultations will also aim to end multi-buy promotions. Local areas and agencies will be given powers to challenge people's behaviour and make it easier to take action against, and even close down, problem premises. Other measures include early morning restriction orders and a late night levy so that businesses open late contribute to the costs of policing. The drinks industry has a crucial role to play in changing the drinking culture towards positive socialising. And the risks of excessive consumption will be widely circulated.

Download or read book Aquaponics Food Production Systems written by Simon Goddek and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-06-21 with total page 620 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book, written by world experts in aquaponics and related technologies, provides the authoritative and comprehensive overview of the key aquaculture and hydroponic and other integrated systems, socio-economic and environmental aspects. Aquaponic systems, which combine aquaculture and vegetable food production offer alternative technology solutions for a world that is increasingly under stress through population growth, urbanisation, water shortages, land and soil degradation, environmental pollution, world hunger and climate change.

Download or read book Best Practice Guide on the Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water written by Prosun Bhattacharya and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2017-07-15 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arsenic in drinking water derived from groundwater is arguably the biggest environmental chemical human health risk known at the present time, with well over 100,000,000 people around the world being exposed. Monitoring the hazard, assessing exposure and health risks and implementing effective remediation are therefore key tasks for organisations and individuals with responsibilities related to the supply of safe, clean drinking water. Best Practice Guide on the Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water, covering aspects of hazard distribution, exposure, health impacts, biomonitoring and remediation, including social and economic issues, is therefore a very timely contribution to disseminating useful knowledge in this area. The volume contains 10 short reviews of key aspects of this issue, supplemented by a further 14 case studies, each of which focusses on a particular area or technological or other practice, and written by leading experts in the field. Detailed selective reference lists provide pointers to more detailed guidance on relevant practice. The volume includes coverage of (i) arsenic hazard in groundwater and exposure routes to humans, including case studies in USA, SE Asia and UK; (ii) health impacts arising from exposure to arsenic in drinking water and biomonitoring approaches; (iii) developments in the nature of regulation of arsenic in drinking water; (iv) sampling and monitoring of arsenic, including novel methodologies; (v) approaches to remediation, particularly in the context of water safety planning, and including case studies from the USA, Italy, Poland and Bangladesh; and (vi) socio-economic aspects of remediation, including non-market valuation methods and local community engagement.

Download or read book Home Office Annual Report and Accounts 2015 16 written by Great Britain: Home Office and published by . This book was released on 2016-07-25 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Print and web pdfs available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications Web ISBN=9781474135726

Download or read book Handbook of Plant Nutrition written by Allen V. Barker and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-04-19 with total page 662 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The burgeoning demand on the world food supply, coupled with concern over the use of chemical fertilizers, has led to an accelerated interest in the practice of precision agriculture. This practice involves the careful control and monitoring of plant nutrition to maximize the rate of growth and yield of crops, as well as their nutritional value.

Download or read book Resource Efficiency and Climate Change written by United Nations and published by UN. This book was released on 2021-01-12 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The International Resource Panel (IRP) was established to provide independent, coherent and authoritative scientific assessments on the use of natural resources and their environmental impacts over the full life cycle. The Panel aims to contribute to a better understanding of how to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation while enhancing well-being. The Secretariat is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme. IRP assessments demonstrate the opportunities for governments, businesses and wider society to work together to create and implement policies that ultimately lead to sustainable resource management, including through better planning, technological innovation and strategic incentives and investments. Materials are vital to modern society, but their production is an important source of greenhouse gases. Emissions from material production are now comparable to those from agriculture, forestry, and land use change combined, yet they have received much less attention from the climate policy community. The IPR authors propose looking beyond energy efficiency to reduce global carbon footprint. This report was developed by the IRP in response to a request from the Group of 7. It conducts a rigorous assessment of the contribution of material efficiency to GHG abatement strategies. More concretely, it assesses the potential reduction of GHG emissions from material efficiency strategies applied in residential buildings and light duty vehicles, and reviews policies that address these strategies. The IRP modelling results show that increasing material efficiency can help enhance efforts in moving towards the 1.5° C target set by the Paris Agreement." -- Page 4 of cover

Download or read book UK Aid written by Great Britain: H.M. Treasury and published by . This book was released on 2015-11-24 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Government recognises that aid spending has sometimes been controversial at home because people want to know that it is squarely in the UK's national interest. Recent crises have proved, though, why aid is so important for us as well as for the countries we assist. The 2015 Spending Review is therefore being used to fundamentally review how this budget is spent. Spending will be shaped according to four strategic objectives. The strategy sets out how, as a result of the new approach, we will: allocate 50% of all DFID's spending to fragile states and regions; increase aid spending for the Syrian crisis and the related region; end all traditional general budget support - so we can better target spending; use an expanded cross-government Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to underpin our security objectives by supporting the international work of the National Security Council (NSC); create a £500 million ODA crisis reserve to allow still greater flexibility to respond to emerging crises such as the displacement of Syrian refugees; fund a new £1 billion commitment to global public health (the "Ross Fund") which will fund work to tackle the most dangerous infectious diseases, including malaria. The fund will also support work to fight diseases of epidemic potential, such as Ebola, neglected tropical diseases, and drug resistant infections; and use a new cross-government Prosperity Fund, led by the NSC, to drive forward our aim of promoting global prosperity.

Download or read book Planetary Economics written by Michael Grubb and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 520 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How well do our assumptions about the global challenges of energy, environment and economic development fit the facts? Energy prices have varied hugely between countries and over time, yet the share of national income spent on energy has remained surprisingly constant. The foundational theories of economic growth account for only about half the growth observed in practice. Despite escalating warnings for more than two decades about the planetary risks of rising greenhouse gas emissions, most governments have seemed powerless to change course. Planetary Economics shows the surprising links between these seemingly unconnected facts. It argues that tackling the energy and environmental problems of the 21st Century requires three different domains of decision-making to be recognised and connected. Each domain involves different theoretical foundations, draws on different areas of evidence, and implies different policies. The book shows that the transformation of energy systems involves all three domains - and each is equally important. From them flow three pillars of policy – three quite distinct kinds of actions that need to be taken, which rest on fundamentally different principles. Any pillar on its own will fail. Only by understanding all three, and fitting them together, do we have any hope of changing course. And if we do, the oft-assumed conflict between economy and the environment dissolves – with potential for benefits to both. Planetary Economics charts how.