Strongly Sustainable Societies

Strongly Sustainable Societies PDF Author: Karl Johan Bonnedahl
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351173626
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Book Description
The response of the international community to the pressing socio-ecological problems has been framed around the concept of ‘sustainable development’. The ecological pressure, however, has continued to rise and mainstream sustainability discourse has proven to be problematic. It contains an instrumental view of the world, a strong focus on technological solutions, and the premise that natural and human-made ‘capitals’ are substitutable. This trajectory, which is referred to as ‘weak sustainability’, reproduces inequalities, denies intrinsic values in nature, and jeopardises the wellbeing of humans as well as other beings. Based on the assumptions of strong sustainability, this edited book presents practical and theoretical alternatives to today’s unsustainable societies. It investigates and advances pathways for humanity that are ecologically realistic, ethically inclusive, and receptive to the task’s magnitude and urgency. The book challenges the traditional anthropocentric ethos and ontology, economic growth-dogma, and programmes of ecological modernisation. It discusses options with examples on different levels of analysis, from the individual to the global, addressing the economic system, key sectors of society, alternative lifestyles, and experiences of local communities. Examining key topics including human–nature relations and wealth and justice, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental and development studies, ecological economics, environmental governance and policy, sustainable business, and sustainability science.

Strongly Sustainable Societies

Strongly Sustainable Societies PDF Author: Karl Johan Bonnedahl
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351173626
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 340

Get Book

Book Description
The response of the international community to the pressing socio-ecological problems has been framed around the concept of ‘sustainable development’. The ecological pressure, however, has continued to rise and mainstream sustainability discourse has proven to be problematic. It contains an instrumental view of the world, a strong focus on technological solutions, and the premise that natural and human-made ‘capitals’ are substitutable. This trajectory, which is referred to as ‘weak sustainability’, reproduces inequalities, denies intrinsic values in nature, and jeopardises the wellbeing of humans as well as other beings. Based on the assumptions of strong sustainability, this edited book presents practical and theoretical alternatives to today’s unsustainable societies. It investigates and advances pathways for humanity that are ecologically realistic, ethically inclusive, and receptive to the task’s magnitude and urgency. The book challenges the traditional anthropocentric ethos and ontology, economic growth-dogma, and programmes of ecological modernisation. It discusses options with examples on different levels of analysis, from the individual to the global, addressing the economic system, key sectors of society, alternative lifestyles, and experiences of local communities. Examining key topics including human–nature relations and wealth and justice, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental and development studies, ecological economics, environmental governance and policy, sustainable business, and sustainability science.

The Power of the Periphery

The Power of the Periphery PDF Author: Peder Anker
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1108477569
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 303

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Book Description
Examines how Norway has positioned itself as an alternative, environmentally-sound nation in a world filled with tension and instability.

Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities

Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities PDF Author: Patrick M. Condon
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1597268208
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 215

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Book Description
Questions of how the design of cities can respond to the challenge of climate change dominate the thoughts of urban planners and designers across the U.S. and Canada. With admirable clarity, Patrick Condon responds to these questions. He addresses transportation, housing equity, job distribution, economic development, and ecological systems issues and synthesizes his knowledge and research into a simple-to-understand set of urban design recommendations. No other book so clearly connects the form of our cities to their ecological, economic, and social consequences. No other book takes on this breadth of complex and contentious issues and distills them down to such convincing and practical solutions.

Sustainable Societies: Transition from theories to practice

Sustainable Societies: Transition from theories to practice PDF Author: Sethi, Mahendra
Publisher: Universitätsverlag der TU Berlin
ISBN: 3798332266
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
The national economic situation, rapidly changing societies, increasing environment pollution amidst global warming around us are some of the most burning topics in day-to-day discussions, news and scholarly discourses. What we see are only the consequences of protracted actions, policies and decisions. The issues associated with these phenomena are highly complex that challenge a direct interpretation of their root causations, indications, results and long-term impacts. For instance, is the issue of managing natural resources for industry & business operations within a country an economic problem? Or is it an ecological one? Or rather a social one? Could it be resolved with theories and techniques of either of these fields? Well, the issue and its redressal requires a combination of all the three disciplines. And yet actions to integrate all of these fields have typically by-passed one or more. The framework that has over the years most commonly explained the convergence of different spheres of disciplinary knowledge has been sustainability. At the same time, its pursuit in practice, the dominant public perception, political agendas and the mainstream media remains elusive. In absence of a critical theory on ‘sustainable societies’, the contemporary development model is misinformed by vague notions of greening, green growth, eco-development, ecotourism, smart cities, etc. largely steered by corporates and vested business groups. The contemporary societies exist and continue to develop without genuine knowledge about sustainability that lies fragmented in its contributing disciplinary streams. This book unfolds the inherent dilemmas, contradictions and paradoxes within the current sustainability paradigm to form a rather nuanced and inside view of what constitutes sustainability and how it could be realized with socio-technical, institutional, policy and management solutions. In the process, the research comprehensively reviews about a hundred environmental, social and economic theories to deliberate on the way forward. Considering that sustainability is a politico-economic and socio-cultural challenge, the transitions need to be culturally diverse and inter-generational, requiring infusion of fresh values, messaging and leadership while conserving traditional knowledge, prevailing institutions. The book culminates with a transition architecture bearing policy recommendations for governing without governmentality with plausible regulatory instruments, capacitating mechanisms, planning and voluntary measures that can be implemented in practice. Die nationale wirtschaftliche Situation, sich schnell verändernde Gesellschaften, die zunehmende Umweltverschmutzung inmitten der globalen Erwärmung um uns herum sind einige der brennendsten Themen in täglichen Diskussionen, Nachrichten und wissenschaftlichen Diskursen. Was wir sehen, sind nur die Folgen langwieriger Handlungen, Richtlinien und Entscheidungen. Die mit diesen Phänomenen verbundenen Fragen sind hochkomplex, die eine direkte Interpretation ihrer Ursachen, Indikationen, Ergebnisse und langfristigen Auswirkungen herausfordern. Ist zum Beispiel die Bewirtschaftung natürlicher Ressourcen für Industrie- und Geschäftsbetriebe innerhalb eines Landes ein wirtschaftliches Problem? Oder ist es ein ökologisches? Oder eher ein soziales? Könnte es mit Theorien und Techniken eines dieser Gebiete gelöst werden? Nun, das Problem und seine Abhilfe erfordert eine Kombination aller drei Disziplinen. Und dennoch haben Maßnahmen zur Integration all dieser Felder in der Regel eines oder mehrere umgangen. Der Rahmen, der im Laufe der Jahre am häufigsten die Konvergenz verschiedener Bereiche des disziplinären Wissens erklärt hat, war Nachhaltigkeit. Gleichzeitig bleibt ihre Verfolgung in der Praxis, die vorherrschende öffentliche Wahrnehmung, die politischen Agenden und die Mainstream-Medien schwer fassbar. In Ermangelung einer kritischen Theorie zu „nachhaltigen Gesellschaften“ wird das zeitgenössische Entwicklungsmodell durch vage Vorstellungen von Ökologisierung, grünem Wachstum, Öko-Entwicklung, Ökotourismus, Smart Cities usw., die größtenteils von Unternehmen und Konzernen gesteuert werden, falsch informiert. Die zeitgenössischen Gesellschaften existieren und entwickeln sich weiter, ohne echtes Wissen über Nachhaltigkeit, das in seinen disziplinären Strömungen zersplittert ist. Dieses Buch entfaltet die inhärenten Dilemmata, Widersprüche und Paradoxien innerhalb des aktuellen Nachhaltigkeitsparadigmas, um eine eher nuancierte Innenansicht dessen zu schaffen, was Nachhaltigkeit ausmacht und wie sie mit soziotechnischen, institutionellen, politischen und Managementlösungen realisiert werden könnte. Dabei überprüft die Forschung umfassend etwa hundert Umwelt-, Sozial- und Wirtschaftstheorien, um über das weitere Vorgehen nachzudenken. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Nachhaltigkeit eine politisch-ökonomische und soziokulturelle Herausforderung ist, müssen die Übergänge kulturell vielfältig und generationenübergreifend sein, was die Einführung neuer Werte, Botschaften und Führung erfordert, während traditionelles Wissen und vorherrschende Institutionen erhalten bleiben. Das Buch gipfelt in einer Übergangsarchitektur mit Politikempfehlungen für ein Regieren ohne Gouvernementalität mit plausiblen Regulierungsinstrumenten, kapazitiven Mechanismen, Planungen und in der Praxis umsetzbaren freiwilligen Maßnahmen.

Quest for a Sustainable Society

Quest for a Sustainable Society PDF Author: James C. Coomer
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 148314836X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
Quest for Sustainable Society discusses numerous efforts and activities for the quest of sustainable society. This book is organized into four parts encompassing 13 chapters. The first part deals with the biological, genetic, cultural, and technological diversity of the sustainable society. This part also examines the social and economic implications of widespread conversion to biomass-based fuels. The next two parts look into the qualitative components and institutional modifications for a sustainable society. These chapters discuss the role of politics, ecosystem education, and business organizations in the quest for a sustainable society. The fourth part presents two case studies that demonstrate the consequences of sustainable growth. This book will prove useful to sociologists, economists, and researchers.

Building Sustainable Societies: A Blueprint for a Post-industrial World

Building Sustainable Societies: A Blueprint for a Post-industrial World PDF Author: Dennis Clark Pirages
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1315285436
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369

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Book Description
A collection of articles addressing the issue of whether the industrial model of human progress can be sustained in the long term. It asks what the social, political, economic and environmental implications as well as potential solutions to the problem of resource-intensive growth are.

The Sustainable Society

The Sustainable Society PDF Author: Dennis Pirages
Publisher: Greenwood
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 368

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Book Description


Building a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature

Building a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature PDF Author: Peter Victor
Publisher: ANU E Press
ISBN: 192186205X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
The world has changed dramatically. We no longer live in a world relatively empty of humans and their artifacts. We now live in the “Anthropocene,” era in a full world where humans are dramatically altering our ecological life-support system. Our traditional economic concepts and models were developed in an empty world. If we are to create sustainable prosperity, if we seek “improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities,” we are going to need a new vision of the economy and its relationship to the rest of the world that is better adapted to the new conditions we face. We are going to need an economics that respects planetary boundaries, that recognizes the dependence of human well-being on social relations and fairness, and that recognizes that the ultimate goal is real, sustainable human well-being, not merely growth of material consumption. This new economics recognizes that the economy is embedded in a society and culture that are themselves embedded in an ecological life-support system, and that the economy cannot grow forever on this finite planet. In this report, we discuss the need to focus more directly on the goal of sustainable human well-being rather than merely GDP growth. This includes protecting and restoring nature, achieving social and intergenerational fairness (including poverty alleviation), stabilizing population, and recognizing the significant nonmarket contributions to human well-being from natural and social capital. To do this, we need to develop better measures of progress that go well beyond GDP and begin to measure human well-being and its sustainability more directly.

Thriving Beyond Sustainability

Thriving Beyond Sustainability PDF Author: Andres R. Edwards
Publisher: New Society Publishers
ISBN: 0865716412
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 241

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Book Description
Turning challenge into opportunity--a survey of successful sustainable ideas and practices from around the world.

Just Sustainabilities

Just Sustainabilities PDF Author: Robert Doyle Bullard
Publisher: Earthscan
ISBN: 1849771774
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 360

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Book Description
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.