Table of Contents

1. Background (Crisis? What Crisis?)  2. Thermodynamics (The Science of Energy and Change)  3. Resources (How Much is Left?)  4. Consumption (If We All Get Richer is this Good for the Planet?)  5. Impacts (The Consequences of Resource Use)  6. Ecologic (Integrating Industry with Nature)  7. Feedstocks (How Can Plants Supply our Technical Needs?)  8. Forestry (Criminal or Saviour?)  9. Conclusions (The End or the Beginning?)

About the Author

Professor Hill is the Edinburgh Research Partnership funded Chair of Materials Science in the Forest Products Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University. He has been conducting research into renewable and sustainable materials for over fifteen years and has published extensively in this area.

Reviews

'A remarkably readable text providing a comprehensive discussion of resource supply and demand and impacts. The reader travels from the industrial revolution and on the way takes in thermodynamics, important metals and mitigation strategies. He ends at the possibility that global food, energy and material requirements might well be met through harvesting of biomass which can be considered to be truly sustainable. Highly recommended.' Paul Fowler Executive Director, Wisconsin Institute for Sustainable Technology University of Wisconsin 'The world faces major challenges to ensure that we use our precious resources in ways that protect the future requirements of humankind and our wider ecosystems. These challenges arise from the high forward growth of the world population and rapidly increasing consumption of resources by industrialised and newly industrialised nations. In 'An Introduction to Sustainable Resource use', Dr Hill has written an excellent book that sets a definitive context and basis for all those of us concerned with the future sustainability of our resources. The book is very well research and , and presents economic and societal perspectives alongside the science required to model and understand the factors underpinning sustainable resource use. The book covers a number of key themes including thermodynamics, resources, impacts and ecologics and considers the impact and role of naturally derived materials in fulfilling future resource needs. The book is a good read, the narrative written in a style that is easy to read and digest. Overall, the book is thought provoking, informative, very well researched and presented, and provides an excellent disposition on sustainable resource use. I highly recommend it.' Dr Peter Bonfield Chief Executive, BRE