Mercury Stories

An interdisciplinary analysis of human interactions with mercury through history that sheds light on efforts to promote and achieve sustainability.In Mercury Stories, Henrik Selin and Noelle Eckley Selin examine sustainability through analyzing human interactions with mercury over thousands of years...

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Main Authors: Selin, Henrik, Selin, Noelle E.
Format: Online
Language:English
Published: The MIT Press 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:ONIX_20241025_9780262359108_20
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author Selin, Henrik
Selin, Noelle E.
author_browse Selin, Henrik
Selin, Noelle E.
author_facet Selin, Henrik
Selin, Noelle E.
author_sort Selin, Henrik
collection Directory of Open Access Books
description An interdisciplinary analysis of human interactions with mercury through history that sheds light on efforts to promote and achieve sustainability.In Mercury Stories, Henrik Selin and Noelle Eckley Selin examine sustainability through analyzing human interactions with mercury over thousands of years. They explore how people have made beneficial use of this volatile element, how they have been harmed by its toxic properties, and how they have tried to protect themselves and the environment from its damaging effects. Taking a systems approach, they develop and apply an analytical framework that can inform other efforts to evaluate and promote sustainability. After introducing the framework, which uses the lens of a human-technical environmental system and a matrix-based approach to analyze mercury use and exposure, the authors examine five topical mercury systems that each illustrate important issues in mercury science and governance: global cycling of mercury through the atmosphere, land, oceans, and societies; mercury's dangers to human health, including from occupational, medical, and dietary exposure; mercury emissions to the atmosphere from industrial sources; mercury in commercial products and production processes; and mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Finally, looking across the five mercury systems, they distill insights for sustainability analysis more broadly, and draw lessons for researchers, decision-makers, and concerned citizens.
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spelling doab-20.500.12854ir-1466422024-10-25T13:14:09Z Mercury Stories Selin, Henrik Selin, Noelle E. Mercury Sustainability Minamata Sustainability science systems interactions interventions system analysis transitions governance coupled human-natural systems social-environmental systems Biogeochemical cycling Minamata Convention Pollution Global change Life-cycle analysis Methylmercury Human health Pollution exposure Medicine Occupational health History of medicine Dental amalgam Vaccination Emissions Coal Air pollution Energy Best available technology (BAT) Fossil fuels Products and processes Innovation Waste Contaminated sites Industry Technology Chemicals Chlor-alkali Batteries Light bulbs Gold Artisanal and small-scale gold mining ASGM Mining Certification schemes Sustainable livelihoods citizen action stakeholders thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RNQ Nuclear issues thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RND Environmental policy and protocols thema EDItEUR::T Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Industrial processes::TQ Environmental science, engineering and technology::TQD Environmental monitoring An interdisciplinary analysis of human interactions with mercury through history that sheds light on efforts to promote and achieve sustainability.In Mercury Stories, Henrik Selin and Noelle Eckley Selin examine sustainability through analyzing human interactions with mercury over thousands of years. They explore how people have made beneficial use of this volatile element, how they have been harmed by its toxic properties, and how they have tried to protect themselves and the environment from its damaging effects. Taking a systems approach, they develop and apply an analytical framework that can inform other efforts to evaluate and promote sustainability. After introducing the framework, which uses the lens of a human-technical environmental system and a matrix-based approach to analyze mercury use and exposure, the authors examine five topical mercury systems that each illustrate important issues in mercury science and governance: global cycling of mercury through the atmosphere, land, oceans, and societies; mercury's dangers to human health, including from occupational, medical, and dietary exposure; mercury emissions to the atmosphere from industrial sources; mercury in commercial products and production processes; and mercury use in artisanal and small-scale gold mining. Finally, looking across the five mercury systems, they distill insights for sustainability analysis more broadly, and draw lessons for researchers, decision-makers, and concerned citizens. 2024-10-25T13:14:08Z 2024-10-25T13:14:08Z 2020 book ONIX_20241025_9780262359108_20 9780262359108 9780262539203 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/146642 eng The MIT Press image/jpeg n/a https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/11856.001.0001 The MIT Press The MIT Press 10.7551/mitpress/11856.001.0001 10.7551/mitpress/11856.001.0001 ae0cf962-f685-4933-93d1-916defa5123d 9780262359108 9780262539203 The MIT Press 352 Cambridge open access
spellingShingle Mercury
Sustainability
Minamata
Sustainability science
systems
interactions
interventions
system analysis
transitions
governance
coupled human-natural systems
social-environmental systems
Biogeochemical cycling
Minamata Convention
Pollution
Global change
Life-cycle analysis
Methylmercury
Human health
Pollution exposure
Medicine
Occupational health
History of medicine
Dental amalgam
Vaccination
Emissions
Coal
Air pollution
Energy
Best available technology (BAT)
Fossil fuels
Products and processes
Innovation
Waste
Contaminated sites
Industry
Technology
Chemicals
Chlor-alkali
Batteries
Light bulbs
Gold
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
ASGM
Mining
Certification schemes
Sustainable livelihoods
citizen action
stakeholders
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RNQ Nuclear issues
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RND Environmental policy and protocols
thema EDItEUR::T Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Industrial processes::TQ Environmental science, engineering and technology::TQD Environmental monitoring
Selin, Henrik
Selin, Noelle E.
Mercury Stories
title Mercury Stories
title_full Mercury Stories
title_fullStr Mercury Stories
title_full_unstemmed Mercury Stories
title_short Mercury Stories
title_sort mercury stories
topic Mercury
Sustainability
Minamata
Sustainability science
systems
interactions
interventions
system analysis
transitions
governance
coupled human-natural systems
social-environmental systems
Biogeochemical cycling
Minamata Convention
Pollution
Global change
Life-cycle analysis
Methylmercury
Human health
Pollution exposure
Medicine
Occupational health
History of medicine
Dental amalgam
Vaccination
Emissions
Coal
Air pollution
Energy
Best available technology (BAT)
Fossil fuels
Products and processes
Innovation
Waste
Contaminated sites
Industry
Technology
Chemicals
Chlor-alkali
Batteries
Light bulbs
Gold
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
ASGM
Mining
Certification schemes
Sustainable livelihoods
citizen action
stakeholders
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RNQ Nuclear issues
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RND Environmental policy and protocols
thema EDItEUR::T Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Industrial processes::TQ Environmental science, engineering and technology::TQD Environmental monitoring
topic_facet Mercury
Sustainability
Minamata
Sustainability science
systems
interactions
interventions
system analysis
transitions
governance
coupled human-natural systems
social-environmental systems
Biogeochemical cycling
Minamata Convention
Pollution
Global change
Life-cycle analysis
Methylmercury
Human health
Pollution exposure
Medicine
Occupational health
History of medicine
Dental amalgam
Vaccination
Emissions
Coal
Air pollution
Energy
Best available technology (BAT)
Fossil fuels
Products and processes
Innovation
Waste
Contaminated sites
Industry
Technology
Chemicals
Chlor-alkali
Batteries
Light bulbs
Gold
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining
ASGM
Mining
Certification schemes
Sustainable livelihoods
citizen action
stakeholders
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RNQ Nuclear issues
thema EDItEUR::R Earth Sciences, Geography, Environment, Planning::RN The environment::RND Environmental policy and protocols
thema EDItEUR::T Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, Industrial processes::TQ Environmental science, engineering and technology::TQD Environmental monitoring
url ONIX_20241025_9780262359108_20
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