Earth and Environmental Science

This book highlights the environmental footprints and best practices in sustainable agriculture. This first volume includes forty-four interesting chapters that present agriculture in the light of food security, circular economy, sustainability, food exports and imports written by leading experts in the field. It provides and interesting read for researchers, policy makers and professionals in the area of agriculture and economy.

Textiles and Clothing are key sectors and apparel is one of the necessities of human life. Environmental brunt of the textile sector and cradle to grave life cycle impacts of textiles and clothing products are a subject of constant investigation. There have been a lot of advancements in the textile sector in terms of materials such as textile fibres, yarns, fabrics, garments and also in terms of processes. All these innovations demand an environmental profile as well. Life Cycle Assessment is one of the widely used and popular scientific tools which has been utilized to measure the environmental footprints of various products and processes. This volume presents recent advances on LCA in the textiles and clothing sector.

The book emphasizes the open innovation which mainly consists of innovation inside-out and outside-in needed by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). This open innovation relates to the performance and survival of SMEs in a global competition. The SMEs must learn, have, and do innovative initiatives and actions. This book elaborates all related concepts and innovative practices toward better performances, which includes the impacts of globalization and dynamic markets with a special focus on sustainability. Every country has different perspectives considering open innovation as a solution to the businesses. Thus, readers can see the best practices to be adopted or adapted in their business environment.

The book includes the solution for the SMEs in terms of creating values. Open innovation is known as a window for creating values. Open innovation can be seen by SMEs as a possible way to adapt and thrive in an increasingly competitive and volatile environment, including to overcome their limitations. By implementing open innovation, SMEs will compensate for their lack of internal resources and competencies through external resources to develop new technologies and take advantage of market opportunities.

This book is dedicated to the entrepreneurs, businessmen, practitioners, policymakers, academician, and students in developing strategies and having future plan related to innovation which is crucial for creating values in business operations. A benchmarking through innovation is important to improve among businesses to achieve effectiveness and efficiency.

This book shares with an international audience of teachers, scholars, and policymakers the experience of pedagogical practices to facilitate sustainability in the world. Sustainability is seen here as a journey toward the end state of sustainable development. Therefore, the authors contribute different roads to engage teachers and students with pedagogical discourse. Overall, the book demonstrates the value of powerful knowledge through action-oriented learning based on a bottom-up process. Consequently, pedagogical practices are understood as the instructional approaches based on a social constructivist model in which active learning is performed with student-to-student engagement.

The contributing authors are experienced scientists in the field of geography education who are giving special attention to pedagogical practices that promote new directions toward sustainable thinking.

This book is the first outcome of an international collaboration officially established in 2023 between the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Texas State University and the Department of Geography at the University of Bayreuth.

This book explores how digital technologies can be used to drive sustainable business practices and achieve long-term business success. It offers insights and practical strategies and guidance that can help businesses adapt to the digital age, optimize their operations, and create new opportunities for growth. The book further provides real-world examples that illustrate how businesses can leverage digital technologies to achieve long-term sustainability and success. The book is an essential read for business leaders, managers, academician, practitioners and entrepreneurs who are looking to drive sustainable digital transformation within their organizations.

The book covers a wide range of topics, including:

1)Understanding the digital landscape: The book provides an overview of the digital technologies that are transforming business operations, such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. It explores how these technologies can be leveraged to create sustainable business practices that benefit both the organization and society.

2)Building a digital strategy for sustainability: The book offers guidance on how businesses can develop a digital strategy that aligns with their sustainability goals. It covers topics such as identifying digital opportunities, setting targets, and measuring performance.

3)Embedding sustainability into digital operations: The book explores how businesses can integrate sustainability into their digital operations, such as data management, supply chain management, and product design. It provides examples of companies that have successfully implemented sustainable digital practices.

4)Digital innovation for sustainability: The book discusses how businesses can use digital innovation to create new opportunities for sustainability. It covers topics such as circular economy business models, sustainable product design, and social innovation.

5)Leading for sustainable digital transformation: The book offers insights on how business leaders can drive sustainable digital transformation within their organizations. It covers topics such as leadership skills, organizational culture, and stakeholder engagement.

In today's world, businesses are increasingly recognizing the importance of sustainability and technology as essential components of their operations. This book offers a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the complexities of the interconnected areas of business, sustainability and technology. The book further shows how sustainability and technology are transforming the business landscape and how they can harness their power to drive innovation, create value and achieve long-term success. Drawing on the latest research and real-world case studies, the book provides practical insights and strategies that readers can use to navigate this rapidly changing landscape. The book further offers a comprehensive roadmap to navigate the intersection of business, sustainability and technology, including developing sustainable business models and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain. This book is an essential resource for business leaders, entrepreneurs,investors and students.

This informative book discusses the issue of microplastic pollution in marine environments. It explains the intricate ways in which these minuscule particles have crept into the world's oceans, impacting marine life, ecosystems, and, ultimately, human health.

The book provides a detailed depiction of pristine marine environments, which are increasingly being compromised by microplastic pollution. The effects of these microplastics are the main focus of the book. It provides alarming evidence that marine life – from the tiniest plankton to the largest whales – mistakenly identifies microplastics as food. Plastics are introduced into the food chain, accumulating in the trophic levels of humans, in addition to causing internal obstructions and health problems for the animals. The book also shows how microplastics can carry infections and toxins, amplifying their negative consequences. It discusses cutting-edge technical solutions for ocean cleanup, as well as international agreements and laws aimed at trash management and plastic production. The book emphasizes the value of scientific investigation in determining the full scope of the issue and in creating biodegradable substitutes for conventional plastics.

This book will be of significant interest to environmental enthusiasts and activists; academics, scientists, and researchers studying marine biology, oceanography, and environmental science; policymakers and government agencies; as well as industry professionals working in plastics manufacturing, waste management, and environmental consulting.

Management geography explores the spatial characteristics of management-related issues, especially of firms. This book discusses management geography in Japan and other Asian countries from Asian perspectives. The field has made significant contributions to the global economy but has not been deeply investigated in English-language geographical literature to date. The book addresses the following critical questions:

• What kinds of challenges do multinational corporations in Japan and other Asian countries face?
• How are managerial actors in multinational enterprises (MNEs) embracing boundary-spanning activities in a global context?
• How do firms and related entities cultivate business pipelines and ‘buzz’ within and beyond local regions?
• How do actors in Japanese MNEs, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and related institutions embed various managerial processes at overseas locations?

This book consists of two parts:Part I discusses the application and roles of Japanese and international managerial practices in the globalizing world. Part II examines changing business communities in the industrial and rural spaces of East Asia, focusing primarily on Japan and China. This work will interest readers in a wide range of fields, including geography, management studies, economics, urban planning and sociology. The book is also suitable for upper-level undergraduate students and graduate students in geography, management studies and related fields.