Achieving Sustainability: The Ultimate Human Challenge

Achieving Sustainability: The Ultimate Human Challenge

Author: Karen Blincoe

Publisher: Springer Nature

Published: 2022-11-19

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 3031100239

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The book provides an assessment of whether sustainability is realizable in the current societal framework. What are the challenges and the barriers - and what are the levers necessary to meet and overcome them? Through a revision of the essence of sustainability the book provides an opportunity to understand the deeper level of the radical change that sustainability represents, and the resistance that is preventing its realization. To build the argument the sustainable development model is compared with current development theories as well as alternative solutions based on utopian models of the past. The book assesses the results that can be achieved within the current systemic framework, based on case stories. It outlines the limitations to sustainability, pointing out and defining the multiple, cross-sectoral and systemic barriers that hinder the transition. Finally, the book offers perspectives on achieving a sustainable future, encompassing the impacts from recent events including the pandemic as well as the multiple mitigation and transition initiatives undertaken globally. Brian Goodwin's QuoteLike the caterpillar that wraps itself up in its silken swaddling bands prior to its metamorphosis into a butterfly, we have wrapped ourselves in a tangled skin from which we can emerge only by going through a similarly dramatic transformation./div


Book Synopsis Achieving Sustainability: The Ultimate Human Challenge by : Karen Blincoe

Download or read book Achieving Sustainability: The Ultimate Human Challenge written by Karen Blincoe and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-11-19 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book provides an assessment of whether sustainability is realizable in the current societal framework. What are the challenges and the barriers - and what are the levers necessary to meet and overcome them? Through a revision of the essence of sustainability the book provides an opportunity to understand the deeper level of the radical change that sustainability represents, and the resistance that is preventing its realization. To build the argument the sustainable development model is compared with current development theories as well as alternative solutions based on utopian models of the past. The book assesses the results that can be achieved within the current systemic framework, based on case stories. It outlines the limitations to sustainability, pointing out and defining the multiple, cross-sectoral and systemic barriers that hinder the transition. Finally, the book offers perspectives on achieving a sustainable future, encompassing the impacts from recent events including the pandemic as well as the multiple mitigation and transition initiatives undertaken globally. Brian Goodwin's QuoteLike the caterpillar that wraps itself up in its silken swaddling bands prior to its metamorphosis into a butterfly, we have wrapped ourselves in a tangled skin from which we can emerge only by going through a similarly dramatic transformation./div

Pursuing Sustainability

Pursuing Sustainability

Author: Pamela Matson

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Published: 2016-03-29

Total Pages: 245

ISBN-13: 1400881218

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An essential guide to sustainable development for students and practitioners Sustainability is a global imperative and a scientific challenge like no other. This concise guide provides students and practitioners with a strategic framework for linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable development, and serves as an invaluable companion to more narrowly focused courses dealing with sustainability in particular sectors such as energy, food, water, and housing, or in particular regions of the world. Written by leading experts, Pursuing Sustainability shows how more inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches and systems perspectives can help you achieve your sustainability objectives. It stresses the need for understanding how capital assets are linked to sustainability goals through the complex adaptive dynamics of social-environmental systems, how committed people can use governance processes to alter those dynamics, and how successful interventions can be shaped through collaborations among researchers and practitioners on the ground. The ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and an invaluable resource for anyone working in this fast-growing field, Pursuing Sustainability also features case studies, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Provides a strategic framework for linking knowledge with action Draws on the latest cutting-edge science and practices Serves as the ideal companion text to more narrowly focused courses Utilizes interdisciplinary approaches and systems perspectives Illustrates concepts with a core set of case studies used throughout the book Written by world authorities on sustainability An online illustration package is available to professors


Book Synopsis Pursuing Sustainability by : Pamela Matson

Download or read book Pursuing Sustainability written by Pamela Matson and published by Princeton University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-29 with total page 245 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An essential guide to sustainable development for students and practitioners Sustainability is a global imperative and a scientific challenge like no other. This concise guide provides students and practitioners with a strategic framework for linking knowledge with action in the pursuit of sustainable development, and serves as an invaluable companion to more narrowly focused courses dealing with sustainability in particular sectors such as energy, food, water, and housing, or in particular regions of the world. Written by leading experts, Pursuing Sustainability shows how more inclusive and interdisciplinary approaches and systems perspectives can help you achieve your sustainability objectives. It stresses the need for understanding how capital assets are linked to sustainability goals through the complex adaptive dynamics of social-environmental systems, how committed people can use governance processes to alter those dynamics, and how successful interventions can be shaped through collaborations among researchers and practitioners on the ground. The ideal textbook for undergraduate and graduate students and an invaluable resource for anyone working in this fast-growing field, Pursuing Sustainability also features case studies, a glossary, and suggestions for further reading. Provides a strategic framework for linking knowledge with action Draws on the latest cutting-edge science and practices Serves as the ideal companion text to more narrowly focused courses Utilizes interdisciplinary approaches and systems perspectives Illustrates concepts with a core set of case studies used throughout the book Written by world authorities on sustainability An online illustration package is available to professors

Just Sustainabilities

Just Sustainabilities

Author: Robert Doyle Bullard

Publisher: Earthscan

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1849771774

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Environmental activists and academics alike are realizing that a sustainable society must be a just one. Environmental degradation is almost always linked to questions of human equality and quality of life. Throughout the world, those segments of the population that have the least political power and are the most marginalized are selectively victimized by environmental crises. This book argues that social and environmental justice within and between nations should be an integral part of the policies and agreements that promote sustainable development. The book addresses the links between environmental quality and human equality and between sustainability and environmental justice.


Book Synopsis Just Sustainabilities by : Robert Doyle Bullard

Download or read book Just Sustainabilities written by Robert Doyle Bullard and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2012 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental activists and academics alike are realizing that a sustainable society must be a just one. Environmental degradation is almost always linked to questions of human equality and quality of life. Throughout the world, those segments of the population that have the least political power and are the most marginalized are selectively victimized by environmental crises. This book argues that social and environmental justice within and between nations should be an integral part of the policies and agreements that promote sustainable development. The book addresses the links between environmental quality and human equality and between sustainability and environmental justice.

Achieving Sustainable Mobility

Achieving Sustainable Mobility

Author: Erling Holden

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2016-03-16

Total Pages: 264

ISBN-13: 1317185854

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Sustainable mobility has become the new imperative for transport policy. There have been a number of policy attempts at sustainable mobility globally, such as the development of more efficient conventional transport technologies, the promotion of efficient and affordable public transport systems and the encouragement of environmental awareness. Such policies have so often been presented as prerequisites for sustainable mobility that they are now taken for granted. But are any of these policies really successful? To what extent do they actually contribute (or fail to contribute) to sustainable mobility? Why do some policies succeed and others fail? Using an interdisciplinary approach which brings together various theories and methodologies, this book tests each of these policies - or hypotheses, as the author sees them - with detailed empirical investigations. It also argues that leisure-time travel should be included in any sustainable mobility policies, as it now accounts for 50 per cent of all annual travel distance in developed countries. The book concludes by suggesting fourteen theses of sustainable mobility for the EU and a new model for future best practice.


Book Synopsis Achieving Sustainable Mobility by : Erling Holden

Download or read book Achieving Sustainable Mobility written by Erling Holden and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-16 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable mobility has become the new imperative for transport policy. There have been a number of policy attempts at sustainable mobility globally, such as the development of more efficient conventional transport technologies, the promotion of efficient and affordable public transport systems and the encouragement of environmental awareness. Such policies have so often been presented as prerequisites for sustainable mobility that they are now taken for granted. But are any of these policies really successful? To what extent do they actually contribute (or fail to contribute) to sustainable mobility? Why do some policies succeed and others fail? Using an interdisciplinary approach which brings together various theories and methodologies, this book tests each of these policies - or hypotheses, as the author sees them - with detailed empirical investigations. It also argues that leisure-time travel should be included in any sustainable mobility policies, as it now accounts for 50 per cent of all annual travel distance in developed countries. The book concludes by suggesting fourteen theses of sustainable mobility for the EU and a new model for future best practice.

Practicing Sustainability

Practicing Sustainability

Author: Guru Madhavan

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-10-19

Total Pages: 265

ISBN-13: 1461443490

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Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.


Book Synopsis Practicing Sustainability by : Guru Madhavan

Download or read book Practicing Sustainability written by Guru Madhavan and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-10-19 with total page 265 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.

Achieving Sustainability

Achieving Sustainability

Author: Debra Rowe

Publisher: MacMillan Reference

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 884

ISBN-13: 9780028662022

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Sustainable development is essential to a future of reduced human suffering, higher quality of life, and ongoing sustenance for the planet's ecosystems.


Book Synopsis Achieving Sustainability by : Debra Rowe

Download or read book Achieving Sustainability written by Debra Rowe and published by MacMillan Reference. This book was released on 2014 with total page 884 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable development is essential to a future of reduced human suffering, higher quality of life, and ongoing sustenance for the planet's ecosystems.

Quality of Human Resources: Education - Volume III

Quality of Human Resources: Education - Volume III

Author: Natalia P. Tarasova

Publisher: EOLSS Publications

Published: 2009-11-10

Total Pages: 320

ISBN-13: 190583909X

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Quality of Human Resources: Education is a component of Encyclopedia of Human Resources Policy, Development and Management which is part of the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme is organized into five different topics which represent the main scientific areas of the theme: Foundations of Educational Systems; Knowledge for Education; Structural Foundations of Educational Systems; Educational Systems: Case Studies and Educational Indices; Education for Sustainable Development. Each of these consists of a topic chapter emphasizing the general aspects and various subject articles explaining the back ground, theory and practice of a specific type of education which is a very important factor in human development and awareness for achieving global sustainable development. These three volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.


Book Synopsis Quality of Human Resources: Education - Volume III by : Natalia P. Tarasova

Download or read book Quality of Human Resources: Education - Volume III written by Natalia P. Tarasova and published by EOLSS Publications. This book was released on 2009-11-10 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Quality of Human Resources: Education is a component of Encyclopedia of Human Resources Policy, Development and Management which is part of the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme is organized into five different topics which represent the main scientific areas of the theme: Foundations of Educational Systems; Knowledge for Education; Structural Foundations of Educational Systems; Educational Systems: Case Studies and Educational Indices; Education for Sustainable Development. Each of these consists of a topic chapter emphasizing the general aspects and various subject articles explaining the back ground, theory and practice of a specific type of education which is a very important factor in human development and awareness for achieving global sustainable development. These three volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College Students, Educators, Professional Practitioners, Research Personnel and Policy Analysts, Managers, and Decision Makers and NGOs.

The Global Sustainability Challenge

The Global Sustainability Challenge

Author: Gerard Magill

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Published: 2020-04-14

Total Pages: 285

ISBN-13: 152754950X

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This collection of essays is based on presentations given at the 4th conference in an annual endowed series held at Duquesne University, USA. It addresses emerging concerns and pivotal problems about our planet’s environment and ecology. The contributions gathered here highlight the inter-relation of topics and expertise regarding science and philosophy, ethics, religion, global issues, and generational perspectives. The book concludes with an ethical analysis of the multiple and over-lapping challenges that require urgent attention and long-term resolution. It will appeal to scholars and students in a variety of disciplines and fields that deal with the earth’s survival and flourishing.


Book Synopsis The Global Sustainability Challenge by : Gerard Magill

Download or read book The Global Sustainability Challenge written by Gerard Magill and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2020-04-14 with total page 285 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays is based on presentations given at the 4th conference in an annual endowed series held at Duquesne University, USA. It addresses emerging concerns and pivotal problems about our planet’s environment and ecology. The contributions gathered here highlight the inter-relation of topics and expertise regarding science and philosophy, ethics, religion, global issues, and generational perspectives. The book concludes with an ethical analysis of the multiple and over-lapping challenges that require urgent attention and long-term resolution. It will appeal to scholars and students in a variety of disciplines and fields that deal with the earth’s survival and flourishing.

The Monumental Challenge of Preservation

The Monumental Challenge of Preservation

Author: Michele Valerie Cloonan

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2018-04-20

Total Pages: 305

ISBN-13: 0262345803

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The enormous task of preserving the world's heritage in the face of war, natural disaster, vandalism, neglect, and technical obsolescence. The monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world's shared cultural heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In The Monumental Challenge of Preservation Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders. In order to explore the cultural, political, technological, economic, and ethical dimensions of preservation, Cloonan examines particular monuments and their preservation dilemmas. The massive Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, are still the subject of debates over how, or whether, to preserve what remains, and the U. S. National Park Service has undertaken the complex task of preserving the symbolic and often ephemeral objects that visitors leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—to take just two of the many examples described in the book. Cloonan also considers the ongoing genocide and cultural genocide in Syria; the challenges of preserving our digital heritage; the dynamic between original and copy; efforts to preserve the papers and architectural fragments of the architect Louis Sullivan; and the possibility of sustainable preservation. In the end, Cloonan suggests, we are what we preserve—and don't preserve. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer-term ramifications than we might expect.


Book Synopsis The Monumental Challenge of Preservation by : Michele Valerie Cloonan

Download or read book The Monumental Challenge of Preservation written by Michele Valerie Cloonan and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-04-20 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The enormous task of preserving the world's heritage in the face of war, natural disaster, vandalism, neglect, and technical obsolescence. The monuments—movable, immovable, tangible, and intangible—of the world's shared cultural heritage are at risk. War, terrorism, natural disaster, vandalism, and neglect make the work of preservation a greater challenge than it has been since World War II. In The Monumental Challenge of Preservation Michèle Cloonan makes the case that, at this critical juncture, we must consider preservation in the broadest possible contexts. Preservation requires the efforts of an increasing number of stakeholders. In order to explore the cultural, political, technological, economic, and ethical dimensions of preservation, Cloonan examines particular monuments and their preservation dilemmas. The massive Bamiyan Buddhas, blown up by the Taliban in 2001, are still the subject of debates over how, or whether, to preserve what remains, and the U. S. National Park Service has undertaken the complex task of preserving the symbolic and often ephemeral objects that visitors leave at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial—to take just two of the many examples described in the book. Cloonan also considers the ongoing genocide and cultural genocide in Syria; the challenges of preserving our digital heritage; the dynamic between original and copy; efforts to preserve the papers and architectural fragments of the architect Louis Sullivan; and the possibility of sustainable preservation. In the end, Cloonan suggests, we are what we preserve—and don't preserve. Every day we make preservation decisions, individually and collectively, that have longer-term ramifications than we might expect.

Leadership in Science and Technology: A Reference Handbook

Leadership in Science and Technology: A Reference Handbook

Author: William Sims Bainbridge

Publisher: SAGE Publications

Published: 2011-10-20

Total Pages: 985

ISBN-13: 1452266522

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This 2-volume set within the SAGE Reference Series on Leadership tackles issues relevant to leadership in the realm of science and technology. To encompass the key topics in this arena, this handbook features 100 topics arranged under eight headings. Volume 1 concentrates on general principles of science and technology leadership and includes sections on social-scientific perspectives on S&T leadership; key scientific concepts about leading and innovating in S&T; characteristics of S&T leaders and their environments; and strategies, tactics, and tools of S&T leadership. Volume 2 provides case studies of leadership in S&T, with sections considering leadership in informal communities of scientists and engineers; leadership in government projects and research initiatives; leadership in industry research, development, and innovation; and finally, leadership in education and university-based research. By focusing on key topics within 100 brief chapters, this unprecedented reference resource offers students more detailed information and depth of discussion than typically found in an encyclopedia entry but not as much jargon, detail or density as in a journal article or a research handbook chapter. Entries are written in language and style that is broadly accessible, and each is followed by cross-references and a brief bibliography and further readings. A detailed index and an online version of the work enhances accessibility for today′s student audience.


Book Synopsis Leadership in Science and Technology: A Reference Handbook by : William Sims Bainbridge

Download or read book Leadership in Science and Technology: A Reference Handbook written by William Sims Bainbridge and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2011-10-20 with total page 985 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This 2-volume set within the SAGE Reference Series on Leadership tackles issues relevant to leadership in the realm of science and technology. To encompass the key topics in this arena, this handbook features 100 topics arranged under eight headings. Volume 1 concentrates on general principles of science and technology leadership and includes sections on social-scientific perspectives on S&T leadership; key scientific concepts about leading and innovating in S&T; characteristics of S&T leaders and their environments; and strategies, tactics, and tools of S&T leadership. Volume 2 provides case studies of leadership in S&T, with sections considering leadership in informal communities of scientists and engineers; leadership in government projects and research initiatives; leadership in industry research, development, and innovation; and finally, leadership in education and university-based research. By focusing on key topics within 100 brief chapters, this unprecedented reference resource offers students more detailed information and depth of discussion than typically found in an encyclopedia entry but not as much jargon, detail or density as in a journal article or a research handbook chapter. Entries are written in language and style that is broadly accessible, and each is followed by cross-references and a brief bibliography and further readings. A detailed index and an online version of the work enhances accessibility for today′s student audience.