Author: Mark R Tercek Publisher: Basic Books ISBN: 0465046967 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 274
Book Description
What is nature worth? The answer to this question -- which traditionally has been framed in environmental terms -- is revolutionizing the way we do business. In Nature's Fortune, Mark Tercek, CEO of The Nature Conservancy and former investment banker, and science writer Jonathan Adams argue that nature is not only the foundation of human well-being, but also the smartest commercial investment any business or government can make. The forests, floodplains, and oyster reefs often seen simply as raw materials or as obstacles to be cleared in the name of progress are, in fact as important to our future prosperity as technology or law or business innovation. Who invests in nature, and why? What rates of return can it produce? When is protecting nature a good investment? With stories from the South Pacific to the California coast, from the Andes to the Gulf of Mexico and even to New York City, Nature's Fortune shows how viewing nature as green infrastructure allows for breakthroughs not only in conservation -- protecting water supplies; enhancing the health of fisheries; making cities more sustainable, livable and safe; and dealing with unavoidable climate change -- but in economic progress, as well. Organizations obviously depend on the environment for key resources -- water, trees, and land. But they can also reap substantial commercial benefits in the form of risk mitigation, cost reduction, new investment opportunities, and the protection of assets. Once leaders learn how to account for nature in financial terms, they can incorporate that value into the organization's decisions and activities, just as habitually as they consider cost, revenue, and ROI. A must-read for business leaders, CEOs, investors, and environmentalists alike, Nature's Fortune offers an essential guide to the world's economic -- and environmental -- well-being.
Author: Henry Beston Publisher: Open Road Media ISBN: 1504081714 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 141
Book Description
The classic nature memoir of Cape Cod in the early twentieth century, “written with simplicity, sympathy, and beauty” (New York Herald Tribune). When Henry Beston returned home from World War I, he sought refuge and healing at a house on the outer beach of Cape Cod. He was so taken by the natural beauty of his surroundings that his two-week stay extended into a yearlong solitary adventure. He spent his time trying to capture in words the wonders of the magical landscape he found himself in thrall to. In The Outermost House, Beston chronicles his experiences observing the migrations of seabirds, the rhythms of the tide, the windblown dunes, and the scatter of stars in the changing summer sky. Beston argued: “The world today is sick to its thin blood for the lack of elemental things, for fire before the hands, for water, for air, for the dear earth itself underfoot.” Nearly a century after publication, Beston’s words are more true than ever.
Author: Bill Birchard Publisher: John Wiley & Sons ISBN: 9780787979232 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 272
Book Description
With more than $3.7 billion in assets and annual revenue of $800million, the Nature Conservancy has generated staggering growththat would be the envy of any business. Incorporated in 1951 by a small circle of concerned ecologists, theConservancy has grown financially into the world's largestenvironmental organization. It has one million members--up from500,000 in 1990--and 3,500 employees operating in 50 states and 28countries across the world. Nature's Keepers offers readers an inspirational leadershiptale and management chronicle, as it goes behind the scenes anddetails the inner workings of the Nature Conservancy. Highlightingthe efforts of nine extraordinary leaders, Nature's Keepersexamines the organization's culture and management, strategy anddecisions, and courageous and ingenious individuals who havededicated their lives to conservation. Author Bill Birchard reveals how the Conservancy's sometimescontroversial business practices--entrepreneurial approaches topreserving ecosystems while meeting human needs--have earned thepraise of management gurus such as Peter Drucker. The Conservancy'sway of operating, though not free of failings, is both widelyemulated in the nonprofit community and greatly respected bybusiness scholars and CEOs nationwide.
Author: Peter Kareiva Publisher: Oxford University Press ISBN: 0199588996 Category : Business & Economics Languages : en Pages : 395
Book Description
In 2005, The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) provided the first global assessment of the world's ecosystems and ecosystem services. It concluded that recent trends in ecosystem change threatened human wellbeing due to declining ecosystem services. This bleak prophecy has galvanized conservation organizations, ecologists, and economists to work toward rigorous valuations of ecosystem services at a spatial scale and with a resolution that can inform public policy. The editors have assembled the world's leading scientists in the fields of conservation, policy analysis, and resource economics to provide the most intensive and best technical analyses of ecosystem services to date. A key idea that guides the science is that the modelling and valuation approaches being developed should use data that are readily available around the world. In addition, the book documents a toolbox of ecosystem service mapping, modeling, and valuation models that both The Nature Conservancy and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) are beginning to apply around the world as they transform conservation from a biodiversity only to a people and ecosystem services agenda. The book addresses land, freshwater, and marine systems at a variety of spatial scales and includes discussion of how to treat both climate change and cultural values when examining tradeoffs among ecosystem services.
Author: Rachel Carson Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN: 9780395924969 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 308
Book Description
"The edge of the sea is a strange and beautiful place." A book to be read for pleasure as well as a practical identification guide, The Edge of the Sea introduces a world of teeming life where the sea meets the land. A new generation of readers is discovering why Rachel Carson's books have become cornerstones of the environmental and conservation movements. New introduction by Sue Hubbell. (A Mariner Reissue)
Author: Arthur Melville Pearson Publisher: University of Wisconsin Pres ISBN: 0299312305 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 215
Book Description
Spurred by the accelerating destruction of remnant natural lands, one man had the vision and tenacity to transform a loose band of ecologists into The Nature Conservancy and launch the entire natural areas movement.
Author: Bill Freedman Publisher: OUP Canada ISBN: 9780199004164 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is the leading non-governmental land conservation organization, a private, not-for-profit organization that partners with corporate and individual landowners to protect natural lands. The NCC's work is supported by about 40,000 active donors and manages 2.2 million acres of ecologically important land nationwide. The NCC is by all accounts a rare good news environmental story.
Author: Bryan P. Piazza Publisher: Texas A&M University Press ISBN: 1623490391 Category : Nature Languages : en Pages : 322
Book Description
In this comprehensive, one-volume reference, Nature Conservancy scientist Bryan P. Piazza poses five key questions: —What is the Atchafalaya River Basin? —Why is it important? —How have its hydrology and natural habitats been managed? —What is its current state? —How do we ensure its survival? For more than five centuries, the Atchafalaya River Basin has captured the flow of the Mississippi River, becoming its main distributary as it reaches the Gulf of Mexico in south Louisiana. This dynamic environment, comprising almost a million acres of the lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Mississippi River Deltaic Plain, is perhaps best known for its expansive swamp environments dominated by baldcypress, water tupelo, and alligators. But the Atchafalaya River Basin contains a wide range of habitats and one of the highest levels of biodiversity on the North American continent. Piazza has compiled and synthesized the body of scientific knowledge for the Atchafalaya River Basin, documenting the ecological state of the basin and providing a baseline of understanding. His research provides a crucial resource for future planning. He evaluates some common themes that have emerged from the research and identifies important scientific questions that remain unexplored.
Author: C. C. Lockwood Publisher: LSU Press ISBN: 0807161233 Category : Photography Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
The scenic images that Louisiana brings to mind -- moss-draped cypress, lush marshlands, alligators gliding through bayous, herons coasting across an open sky -- all spring from one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems on the continent. This varied and inviting landscape gives rise to one of the state's many monikers, "Sportsman's Paradise," which rings true whether you are boating on picturesque Lake Martin or bird-watching among the ancient live oaks of Lafitte Woods. From the precious maritime forests of Grand Isle to the steep contours of Tunica Hills, Louisiana's wild outdoors defines each region's sense of place and value. For nearly thirty years, The Nature Conservancy in Louisiana has served as a steward of these ecological riches, protecting and maintaining more than 285,000 acres of the state's land. Now, for the first time, readers can observe the vast array of flora and fauna found in these complex habitats in Louisiana Wild, with the awe-inspiring photography of C. C. Lockwood. After trekking and canoeing through more than sixty properties managed by The Nature Conservancy, Lockwood presents a vivid photo narrative that journeys from the little-known Copenhagen Hills, a prairie habitat with the largest variety of woody plants in Louisiana; to the swampland lake of Cypress Island, with its massive rookery of roseate spoonbills and great egrets; to over a dozen other sites that showcase Louisiana's distinct environs. With 220 color images, Louisiana Wild pays homage to the immeasurable impact of The Nature Conservancy's efforts and will delight anyone who calls Louisiana home.
Author: Jim Wright Publisher: ISBN: 9780764359026 Category : Biography & Autobiography Languages : en Pages : 0
Book Description
An illustrated biography of the ornithologist James Bond, the author of the book Birds of the West Indies and the namesake of Ian Fleming's fictional British spy.
Author: Mark R Tercek
Author: Henry Beston
Author: Bill Birchard
Author: Peter Kareiva
Author: Rachel Carson
Author: Arthur Melville Pearson
Author: Bill Freedman
Author: Bryan P. Piazza
Author: C. C. Lockwood
Author: Jim Wright