Difficult ethical and political issues confront the application of scientific and technological solutions for preventing pollution from occurring. Often the questions embodying proposed solutions to known problems are ambiguous; and no singular solution can exist for all locations. Yet the common organizing principle for all solutions to environmental problems must be scientific, because only sound science can provide a rational understanding that decision-makers can use universally. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on Tools and Methods for Pollution Prevention (October 12-14, 1998,...

Difficult ethical and political issues confront the application of scientific and technological solutions for preventing pollution from occurring. Often the questions embodying proposed solutions to known problems are ambiguous; and no singular solution can exist for all locations. Yet the common organizing principle for all solutions to environmental problems must be scientific, because only sound science can provide a rational understanding that decision-makers can use universally. The NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on Tools and Methods for Pollution Prevention (October 12-14, 1998,...

This book was made possible by the exceptional support provided by NATO Sci entific and Environmental Division, University of Maribor (Slovenia), Govern ment of the Republic of Slovenia, British and the United States Embassies (Ljubl jana, the Republic of Slovenia). The authors, as listed in this book, took the time to prepare excellent manu scripts focusing on various issues related to technological choices for sustainabil ity. These manuscripts were rigorously reviewed and refereed by scientists and engineers before inclusion in this book. An introductory chapter was prepared to provide an...

Over time, the increased use of fresh water for agriculture and industry together with contamination from discharges of pollutants, mean that ever more areas of the planet are becoming water-stressed. Because of the competing needs of communities and industry for fresh water, industry will be challenged to meet its growing demands for water, which is essential for producing the goods and services that would boost human welfare. Thus industry will need to learn how to cost-effectively purify and recycle its wastewater for reuse, ultimately approaching a net zero-discharge condition. The...

Over time, the increased use of fresh water for agriculture and industry together with contamination from discharges of pollutants, mean that ever more areas of the planet are becoming water-stressed. Because of the competing needs of communities and industry for fresh water, industry will be challenged to meet its growing demands for water, which is essential for producing the goods and services that would boost human welfare. Thus industry will need to learn how to cost-effectively purify and recycle its wastewater for reuse, ultimately approaching a net zero-discharge condition. The...

This book is a state of the art treatise on what has been done so far on measuring sustainability for decision making. Researchers working on engineering sustainability are likely to get ideas for further research in quantifying sustainability for industrial systems.