The Natural History of an Arctic Oil Field: Development and the Biota

Book Description

In spite of the harsh conditions that characterize the Arctic, it is a surprisingly fragile ecosystem. The exploration for oil in the Arctic over the past 30 years has had profound effects on the plants and animals that inhabit this frozen clime. The Natural History of an Arctic Oil Field synthesizes decades of research on these myriad impacts. Specialists with years of field experience have contributed to this volume to create the first widely available synopsis of the ecology and wildlife biology of animals and plants living in close association with an actively producing oil field.

* First widely available synthesis of arctic oil field ecology and wildlife biology
* Concise yet readable treatment of a diverse polar ecosystem
* Useful for land managers, policy makers as well as ecologists, and population biologists
* Chapters authored by recognized authorities and contributions are peer-reviewed for accuracy and scientific rigor
* Illustrations attractively designed to enhance comprehension

The Natural History Of An Arctic Oil Field: Development And The Biota. (book review): An article from: Arctic

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The Natural History Of An Arctic Oil Field: Development And The Biota. (book review): An article from: Arctic
Thomas Dunning Newbury
Manufacturer: Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Arctic, published by Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary on December 1, 2001. The length of the article is 1029 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Natural History Of An Arctic Oil Field: Development And The Biota. (book review)
Author: Thomas Dunning Newbury
Publication: Arctic (Refereed)
Date: December 1, 2001
Publisher: Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary
Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Page: 463(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Inorganic chemistry,: An advanced textbook
Therald Moeller
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006AT2HQ

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Inorganic Chemistry. An Advanced Textbook.
Therald Moeller
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons 1959.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UASGK6

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INORGANIC CHEMISTRY: AN ADVANCED TEXTBOOK.
Therald Moeller
Manufacturer: John Wiley, Chapman & Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000CIY0T

Book Description

FROM THE REVIEWS: ¿Webb offers coherent, understandable, and sometimes humorous coverage of a diverse range of topics. He provides readers with non-trivial insights into research fields they may not have encountered previously . . . I think everyone who has ever considered the possibility that other intelligent civilizations exist elsewhere within our galaxy will enjoy Where Is Everybody? They will find much to agree with, and much to argue about, in this very accessible volume.¿ ¿SCIENCE During a Los Alamos lunchtime conversation that took place more than 50 years ago, four world-class scientists agreed, given the size and age of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations simply had to exist. The sheer numbers demanded it. But one of the four, the renowned physicist and back-of-the-envelope calculator Enrico Fermi, asked the telling question: If the extraterrestrial life proposition is true, he wondered, "Where IS everybody?" In this lively and thought-provoking book, Stephen Webb presents a detailed discussion of the 50 most cogent and intriguing answers to Fermi's famous question, divided into three distinct groups: - Aliens are already here among us. Here are answers ranging from Leo Szilard's suggestion that they are already here, and we know them as Hungarians, to the theorists who claim that aliens built Stonehenge and the Easter Island statues. - Aliens exist, but have not yet communicated. The theories in this camp range widely, from those who believe we simply don't have the technologies to receive their signals, to those who believe the enormities of space and time work against communication, to those who believe they're hiding from us. - Aliens do not exist. Here are the doubters' arguments, from the Rare Earth theory to the author's own closely argued and cogently stated skepticism. The proposed solutions run the gamut from the crackpot to the highly serious, but all deserve our consideration. The varieties of arguments -- from first-rate scientists, philosophers and historians, and science fiction authors -- turn out to be astonishing, entertaining, and vigorous intellectual exercises for any reader interested in science and the sheer pleasure of speculative thinking. Stephen Webb is a physicist working at the Open University in England and the author of Measuring the Universe.

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50 answers to a very good question.......2007-08-10

This fine book by Stephen Webb offers fifty different solutions for the Fermi paradox. In short, Enrico Fermi wondered that since universe is so big and should contain lots of life, where are they? Why haven't we seen any evidence at all of extraterrestrial intelligence?

Well, there are plenty of good explanations, as this book proves. The solutions are divided in three categories: "they're already here," "they exist but we can't communicate with them," and "we're alone". Since there's a real lack of proper knowledge about these things, reader will find plenty of educated guesses, hazy probabilities and that sort of thinking, but that's the nature of the whole question.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anybody who's interested in the existence or non-existence of extraterrestrial life. While there are no set answers, this book will give the reader a lot of material to chew on. (Review based on the Finnish translation.)

If a tree falls and no one hears it, does it make a noise?.......2007-05-15

Fermi gets all the credit from his own community for apparently making an observation nobody else had. However, that Fermi was the first to ask "Where is everybody?" is hardly proven, and really not worth the effort, brief though it was, that the author makes to paint Fermi as some sort of Second Coming. Fermi was good, but I doubt he was the first or only person to have thought about this "paradox" that now carries his name.

While full of science nuggets and amusing discussion, this book fails to prove anything, and or nothing, at the same time. As it should be.

Judging whether or not other life exists in the universe simply on the basis that WE haven't found it or been visited by it - YET - is hardly the science of Fermi and his colleagues.

So don't look to this as some sort of final decision on the existence of ET, you will be disappointed. It is as advertised: A collection of solutions to the Fermi's paradox, and the arguments for and against them.

Should provoke some great water cooler, fireside, morning commute in the car discussions.

chemistry.......2007-01-02

for anyone who has ever wondered "Where is everybody?" this book is for you. Stephen Webb explains Fermi's Paradox of extraterrestrial life and offers 50 solutions to it, including his own. this book may appear to be long at first glance, but reading it is no work at all. the main premise of the book, as evident by the title, is "are we alone in the universe?". webb tackles this subject head-on, dedicating about at least 2 pages per solution. he explains the technology and philosophy behind each solution in easy, non-sophisticated, terms so any average joe can read this book without any prior knowledge of technology such as gamma rays or math like Drake's equation. overall this book was highly fascinating and stimulates the reader into really considering each solution to the question "where is everybody?". not only is this book interesting and intelligent, but there are over 200 notes and recommended readings, so if there is a subject you become very interested in, the information to find more about it is right in the back of the book.

You can't judge a book by its cover.......2006-12-12

Initially, I assumed that WHERE IS EVERYBODY was a light, humorous little account of Fermi's paradox, a generalized description of the problem with humorous asides. My view was shaped by the cover art - a flying saucer with little green men whizzing by Earth. I could not have been more wrong since it is an extremely serious discussion on why we still have no evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligent life.

The author, who also wrote the excellent "Measuring the Universe" lists 49 solutions to why we have not heard from nor seen any evidence that ETCs (extra-terrestrial civilizations) exist. He then offers a final solution himself. The arguments fall into one of three categories: They are here, They exist but have not communicated or They do not exist. They range from the practical (#16 - They are Signalling but we do not know how to listen" to the silly (#1 -They are here and Call themselves Hungarians) to the chilling (#22 - Berserkers) to the thoughtful (#28 - They hit the Singularity).

The mood shifts as one reads and the reasons begins to mount. At first the author appears hopeful, positive, expectant but as the reader goes further the tone becomes doubtful if not hopeless. There are many practical reasons why we could have missed them and these are covered. If they do exist (extremely unlikely in my view) the most likely reason is that they are so technologically advanced that communication is impossible. Just a few hundred years ago smoke signals were a means to signal. Only a few decades ago computer tapes, VHS, LP records were the height of technology. The National Archives has a vast amount of data that cannot be referenced because the technology to read the data has vanished. Our ability to condense and send data grows at an exponential rate; we cannot imagine what a civilization a million years more advanced would do.

I am glad the author discussed cultural factors - a different mathematics or logic, the absence of language, the rise of science, the rarity of intelligence and toolmaking. Oddly, the idea of consciousness was only mentioned in passing. The author insists that the origin of life itself, non-living materials morphing to living creatures, may be a solitary occurrence. Repeatedly the author stresses the uniqueness of human beings and not just in the cosmos. On Earth, out of fifty billion species, we alone developed a true language, learned to use tools, invented a method for discovering the secrets of the universe.

The factors in the rise of humanity are (in my opinion) so random - the origin of life, the catastrophies that restarted evolution repeatedly, our huge moon, tectonics, the appearance of erukayote entities with defined bodies, our appearance at a stage when the planet was not hit with an asteroid - as to almost demand a cold, hard look at the probability that we are alone. The author offers the final and, in my opinion, the most logical, reason we have not heard from anyone: We are alone, at least in the galaxy. The old numbers game ("There are 400 billion stars therefore there must be intelligent life elsewhere") breaks down when one considers the incredible chain of events that led to the rise of our own species. Like any good scientist, he leaves the door open for a change of opinion. This is a though-provoking, provocative book that deserves attention. My grade - A

a survey for the layman.......2006-08-15

This book provides an extensive survey of popular ideas relating to Fermi's paradox. It does not try to validate any one hypothesis, so if you're hoping to find justification for your personal beliefs you may be disappointed. The author has the difficult task of trying to present contradictory solutions in a reasonable manner. He offers his opinion on the merits of each proposal without being heavy-handed. The addition of a little humor doesn't detract from the seriousness of the topic.

It's a fair treatment. Were the book to dispassionately present each theory without comment, it would make for dry reading. The reader would have to weigh every premise without the benefit of the writer's knowledge and understanding. Instead, it provides a basis for you to make your own judgment. The critique is fair and reasonably unbiased. The book gives insight into scientific debate and shows how competing ideas about extraterrestrial civilizations have developed. It can be appreciated from that standpoint and not as promoting one particular view.

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Lessons that reach beyond science
Thrilling physics
Broad ranging, enjoyable read

The Fermi Solution
Hans Christian von Baeyer
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Engrossing journey through the workings of the universe and minds of today's scientific thinkers examines an extraordinary range of topics: from the Superconducting Super Collider and the mysteries of the Big Bang, to strange crystals with impossible structures and the quest for the temperature of absolute zero.

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Lessons that reach beyond science.......2003-09-21

Professor von Baeyer deserves credit for more than just making physics understandable(a physics book without equations!) He draws from several physical discoveries some lessons about the scientific method, starting with Fermi's famous piano-tuner problem. And he explains WHY research and analytic techniques such as Fermi's approximation work.

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