Preface

The magnificence and destiny of humanity are intricately tied to the various processes that shape its environment. However, virtually all aspects of environmental changes remain under the dominant influence of human activity. The fact that many of the resources available today will be further depleted, and many of the environmental sinks that help assimilate waste products become overburdened from continued accumulation, has accelerated the pace of scientific research in the areas of materials, energy and environment. The field is rapidly growing and the resultant technological change has afforded humanity ever more cleverer ways to expand and tap into its resource base, seek and use limited materials and energy more efficiently, and cut down on the emission of many pollutants. However, the speculations that the “demand” would overpower the existing availability of resources owing to the unprecedented population growth has continued to challenge human race to further explore the technological prowess to develop sustainable solutions in form of cleaner production, smarter materials and cost-effective and eco-friendly fuel generation. These efforts have continually been backed up by the various findings in environmental science and technology that acts as a means to provide the science base to understand human–environment interactions and as a guide/resource for production and consumption decisions, as well as the release of pollutants. Given the diversity of the challenges at hand, and the historical, social and cultural context within which these challenges are understood and addressed, it is evident that interdisciplinary collaborations and methodological pluralism are prerequisites for anyone who aspires to get their minds and hands around the underlying and emerging complexities. This book is a vivid reminder of the pervasiveness of the complexity and the rich knowledge base that has been generated in the fields of materials, energy and environmental studies in the recent years. The contributors highlight important findings that are generated by an interplay of theory and experimentation and an understanding of human–environment interactions at conceptual level and through case-specific inquiry. The contents of the book focuses on the broad area of Materials, Energy and Environment with five