Download or read book State of the World 2010 written by Worldwatch Institute and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-04 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the environmental and social problems we face today are symptoms of a deeper systemic failing: a dominant cultural paradigm that encourages living in ways that are often directly counter to the realities of a finite planet. This paradigm, typically referred to as 'consumerism,' has already spread to cultures around the world and has led to consumption levels that are vastly unsustainable. If this pattern spreads further there will be little possibility of solving climate change or other environmental problems that are poised to dramatically disrupt human civilization. It will take a sustained, long-term effort to redirect the traditions, social movements and institutions that shape consumer cultures towards becoming cultures of sustainability. These institutions include schools, the media, businesses and governments. Bringing about a cultural shift that makes living sustainably as 'natural' as a consumer lifestyle is today will not only address urgent crises like climate change, it could also tackle other symptoms like extreme income inequity, obesity and social isolation that are not typically seen as environmental problems. State of the World 2010 paints a picture of what this sustainability culture could look like, and how we can - and already are - making the shift.
Download or read book State of the World 2010 Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability State of the World written by The Worldwatch Institute and published by W. W. Norton. This book was released on 2010-01-12 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The premier environmental nonprofit shows the ways to transform our consumer culture into a culture centered on sustainability. For society to thrive long into the future, we must move beyond our unsustainable consumer culture to one that respects environmental realities. In State of the World 2010, the Worldwatch Institute’s award-winning research team reveals not only how human societies can make this shift but also how people around the world have already started to nurture a new culture of sustainability. Chapters present innovative solutions to global environmental problems, focusing on institutions that are the principal engineers of culture, such as governments, the media, and religious organizations. Written in clear, concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.
Download or read book State of the World 2010 written by Mona Amodeo and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book State of the World 2010 written by Mona Amodeo and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Like a tsunami, consumerism has engulfed human cultures and Earth's ecosystems. Left unaddressed, we risk global disaster. But if we channel this wave, intentionally transforming our cultures to center sustainability, we will not only prevent catastrophe but may usher in an era of sustainability--one that allows all people tho thrive while protecting, even restoring, Earth. In this year's State of the World report, 50+ renowned researchers and practitioners describe how we can harness the world's leading institutions--education, the media, business, government, traditions, and social movements--to reorient cultures toward sustainability."--Provided by publisher.
Download or read book State of the World 2010 Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability State of the World written by Erik Assadourian and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2010-01-12 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and accessible summaries ... on the global environment. (E.O. Wilson, Pulitzer Prize??winning author).
Download or read book The No growth Imperative written by Gabor Zovanyi and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mounting evidence reveals that the existing scale of human enterprise has already surpassed global ecological limits to growth. This ecological reality clearly counteracts the possibility of continued exponential growth in the twenty-first century. In the absence of international, national, or state initiatives to implement a no-growth imperative founded on ecological limits, this book takes the position that local communities have an obligation to take the lead in promoting a new politics of sustainability directed at recognizing and ...
Download or read book State of the World 2013 written by The Worldwatch Institute and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2013-04-15 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Every day, we are presented with a range of “sustainable” products and activities—from “green” cleaning supplies to carbon offsets—but with so much labeled as “sustainable,” the term has become essentially sustainababble, at best indicating a practice or product slightly less damaging than the conventional alternative. Is it time to abandon the concept altogether, or can we find an accurate way to measure sustainability? If so, how can we achieve it? And if not, how can we best prepare for the coming ecological decline? In the latest edition of Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World series, scientists, policy experts, and thought leaders tackle these questions, attempting to restore meaning to sustainability as more than just a marketing tool. In State of the World 2013: Is Sustainability Still Possible?, experts define clear sustainability metrics and examine various policies and perspectives, including geoengineering, corporate transformation, and changes in agricultural policy, that could put us on the path to prosperity without diminishing the well-being of future generations. If these approaches fall short, the final chapters explore ways to prepare for drastic environmental change and resource depletion, such as strengthening democracy and societal resilience, protecting cultural heritage, and dealing with increased conflict and migration flows. State of the World 2013 cuts through the rhetoric surrounding sustainability, offering a broad and realistic look at how close we are to fulfilling it today and which practices and policies will steer us in the right direction. This book will be especially useful for policymakers, environmental nonprofits, and students of environmental studies, sustainability, or economics.
Download or read book State of the World 2010 written by Worldwatch Institute and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-04 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Many of the environmental and social problems we face today are symptoms of a deeper systemic failing: a dominant cultural paradigm that encourages living in ways that are often directly counter to the realities of a finite planet. This paradigm, typically referred to as 'consumerism,' has already spread to cultures around the world and has led to consumption levels that are vastly unsustainable. If this pattern spreads further there will be little possibility of solving climate change or other environmental problems that are poised to dramatically disrupt human civilization. It will take a sustained, long-term effort to redirect the traditions, social movements and institutions that shape consumer cultures towards becoming cultures of sustainability. These institutions include schools, the media, businesses and governments. Bringing about a cultural shift that makes living sustainably as 'natural' as a consumer lifestyle is today will not only address urgent crises like climate change, it could also tackle other symptoms like extreme income inequity, obesity and social isolation that are not typically seen as environmental problems. State of the World 2010 paints a picture of what this sustainability culture could look like, and how we can - and already are - making the shift.
Download or read book Our Peaceful Planet written by Yasmin Davar and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2017-04-18 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Transform yourself and transform the world. The steps you can take to positively shape your reality and then pay it forward . . . Our Peaceful Planet contains extraordinary ideas that have the power to transform lives and the planet. It is unique because it provides a practical healing framework for the whole world, starting at how people can change the beliefs that cause them to be destructive in their own lives and in their own world, to the actions that they can take to create global peace and environmental and economic sustainability. Our Peaceful Planet shows how when each part of one person’s world—beliefs, governance, environment, industries, economy—dynamically interacts, it affects the entire planet. It contains big ideas for world leaders and little ideas for everyday people, because everyone has the power to make a difference, to themselves and others, and to the world. Our Peaceful Planet is a blueprint for the future in which everyone can play a role.
Download or read book Growth in Transition written by Friedrich Hinterberger and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-03-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stimulating growth through adjusting macroeconomic conditions remains the principal policy responses to pressing problems of unemployment, poverty and environmental degradation. However, are the current policy approaches capable of tackling these problems by generating win-win solutions or are they the root causes of these problems? The current growth trajectory has neither lead to a reduction of our overall resource use – as we use resources and energy more efficiently we consume more – nor create the conditions for employment and well-being. Increasingly, there is the realization that it is necessary to make substantial interventions into our national economies and create better framework conditions and incentive systems in order to more widely and rapidly develop and disseminate workable, innovative solutions for realizing sustainable development. This is the task of politics, and the concrete design of the measures must be built upon a broad public debate and shared long-term visions. The authors of this book intend to trigger a dialogue among stakeholders about how we can shape this transformation process towards sustainability. Following a detailed presentation of the key arguments for reconsidering the necessary conditions for sustainable economies, an international cast of commentators from politics, administration, civil society, business and science engage with the central question: is there an alternative trajectory for Western economies that sustains wellbeing whilst confronting ecological and social breakdown?
Download or read book What Can I Do to Help Heal the Environmental Crisis written by Haydn Washington and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-10-01 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The culmination of over three decades of writing by environmental scientist and writer Haydn Washington, this book examines the global environmental crisis and its solutions. Many of us know that something is wrong with our world, that it is wounded. At the same time, we often don’t know why things have gone wrong – or what can be done. Framing the discussion around three central predicaments – the ecological, the social, and the economic – Washington provides background as to why each of these are in crisis and presents steps that individuals can personally take to heal the world. Urging the reader to accept the reality of our problems, he explores practical solutions for change such as the transition to renewable energy, rejection of climate denial and the championing of appropriate technology, as well as a readjustment in ethical approaches. The book also contains 19 ‘solution boxes’ by distinguished environmental scholars. With a focus on positive, personal solutions, this book is an essential read for students and scholars of environmental science and environmental philosophy, and for all those keen to heal the world and contribute towards a sustainable future.
Download or read book Sustainability Principles and Practice written by Margaret Robertson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-02-09 with total page 654 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainability Principles and Practice gives an accessible and comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary field of sustainability. The focus is on furnishing solutions and equipping students with both conceptual understanding and technical skills. Each chapter explores one aspect of the field, first introducing concepts and presenting issues, then supplying tools for working toward solutions. Elements of sustainability are examined piece by piece, and coverage ranges over ecosystems, social equity, environmental justice, food, energy, product life cycles, cities, and more. Techniques for management and measurement as well as case studies from around the world are provided. The 3rd edition includes greater coverage of resilience and systems thinking, an update on the Anthropocene as a formal geological epoch, the latest research from the IPCC, and a greater focus on diversity and social equity, together with new details such as sustainable consumption, textiles recycling, microplastics, and net-zero concepts. The coverage in this edition has been expanded to include issues, solutions, and new case studies from around the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Global South. Chapters include further reading and discussion questions. The book is supported by a companion website with online links, annotated bibliography, glossary, white papers, and additional case studies, together with projects, research problems, and group activities, all of which focus on real-world problem-solving of sustainability issues. This textbook is designed to be used by undergraduate college and university students in sustainability degree programs and other programs in which sustainability is taught.
Download or read book Enabling Responsible Living written by Ulf Schrader and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-18 with total page 199 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book focuses on responsible living as the individual’s contribution to sustainable development. We believe that sustainable development can only be achieved if individual freedom and responsibilities are balanced on a high level while taking social, ecological and economic needs into account. A crucial element to achieve this is to integrate different perspectives of stakeholders and co-create a joined approach through partnerships. While partnerships develop new opportunities for the stakeholders involved they also require a readiness for mutual understanding, respect and courage to co-create.
Download or read book Enough Is Enough written by Rob Dietz and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This powerful book sets out arguments and an agenda of policy proposals for achieving a sustainable and prosperous, but non-growing economy, also known as a steady-state economy. The authors describe a plan for solving the major social and environmental problems which face us today on a finite planet with a rapidly growing population.
Download or read book Living in the Megacity Towards Sustainable Urban Environments written by Shin Muramatsu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-04-19 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tackles the challenging issues raised by the growth of large megacities from diverse perspectives and approaches. The central question raised by the growth of megacities is what effect their growth will have on the ability of the global population to live in sustainable, livable, and safe societies. In Part I, important issues on the relationships between megacities and sustainability of the global environment are specified. Part II shows what can be learned from the history and diversity of megacities to solve challenging issues of the present. We present practical approaches that can solve the issues of megacities particularly focusing on human activities that seek the more harmonious relationship between life amenities and the natural environment: population density and urban built environment; production and trade; and environmental education and enlightenment. Part III aims to answer the question, what aspects of megacities should be measured and assessed? Barometers are necessary to control human activities in megacities. We consider how to measure and assess performances of megacities, reviewing some cases of indicators that authors have developed. This publication highlights the challenging issues of the relationships between megacities and sustainability of the global environment and related issues that have accrued from them, based on the following three scales: long-term time scale from the past to the present and future; a vast spatial scale that links global space with local spaces; and the scale of various aspects of human socio-economic activities in megacities.
Download or read book Global Ethics on Climate Change written by Martin Schonfeld and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The volatility of climate change is increasing. It is bad news, and many climatologists, policy analysts and environmental groups regard the West as the largest contributor to the problems caused by climate change. This book raises questions concerning the systemic and cultural reasons for Western countries’ unwillingness to bear full responsibility for their carbon emissions. Is the Western paradigm failing? Can other cultures offer solutions? Are there alternatives for designing a better future? Just as the roots of the problem of climate change are cultural, the solution must be too. The contributors to Global Ethics on Climate Change explore cultural alternatives. This differs from conventional climate ethics, which tends to address the crisis with utilitarian, legalistic, and analytic tools. The authors in this volume doubt whether such paradigm patches will work. It may be time to think outside the box and consider non-Western insights about the good life, indigenous wisdom on being-in-the-world, and new ideas for civil evolution. This book is an examination of candidates for a Plan B. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Global Ethics.
Download or read book Transformative Consumer Research for Personal and Collective Well Being written by David Glen Mick and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-01-26 with total page 767 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daily existence is more connected to consumer behaviors than ever before, raising many issues around well-being and quality of life. Problematic consumer behaviors include unhealthy eating, alcohol, tobacco, pornography, and gambling abuse, credit card mismanagement, marketplace discrimination, and ecological deterioration. This book explores opportunities for improving well-being via consumer behaviors, such as empowerment via the Internet, product sharing, leisure pursuits, family consumption, and pro-environmental activities.
