Environmental physics : sustainable energy and climate change

This thoroughly revised and updated third edition focuses on the utilization of sustainable energy and mitigating climate change, serving as an introduction to physics in the context of societal problems. A distinguishing feature of the text is the discussion of spectroscopy and spectroscopic methods as a crucial means to quantitatively analyze and monitor the condition of the environment, the factors determining climate change, and all aspects of energy conversion. This textbook will be invaluable to students in physics and related subjects, and supplementary materials are available on a comp.
Content: Front Matter --
Colour Plates --
Introduction --
Light and Matter --
Climate and Climate Change --
Heat Engines --
Renewable Energy --
Nuclear Power --
Dispersion of Pollutants --
Monitoring with Light --
The Context of Society --
Appendix A: Physical and Numerical Constants --
Appendix B: Vector Algebra --
Appendix C: Gauss, Delta and Error Functions --
Appendix D: Experiments in a Student's Lab --
Appendix E: Web Sites --
Appendix F: Omitted Parts of the Second Edition --
Index.
Abstract: This thoroughly revised and updated third edition focuses on the utilization of sustainable energy and mitigating climate change, serving as an introduction to physics in the context of societal problems. A distinguishing feature of the text is the discussion of spectroscopy and spectroscopic methods as a crucial means to quantitatively analyze and monitor the condition of the environment, the factors determining climate change, and all aspects of energy conversion. This textbook will be invaluable to students in physics and related subjects, and supplementary materials are available on a comp