State of the World 2013 : Is Sustainability Still Possible? / edited by Worldwatch Institute.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Worldwatch Institute., Editor.

Worldwatch Institute, sponsoring body.

Series:

State of the World, 2945-5766

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Ecology.

Sustainability.

Water.

Hydrology.

Natural disasters.

Environmental Sciences.

Natural Hazards.

Local Subjects:

Environmental Sciences.

Sustainability.

Water.

Natural Hazards.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (462 p.) : illustrations

Edition:

1st ed. 2013.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : Island Press/Center for Resource Economics : Imprint: Island Press, 2013.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

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.

Contents:

State of the World: A Year in Review

1. Beyond Sustainababble

2. Respecting Planetary Boundaries and Reconnecting to the Biosphere

3. Defining a Safe and Just Space for Humanity

4. Getting to One-Planet Living

5. Sustaining Freshwater and Its Dependents

6. Sustainable Fisheries and Seas: Preventing Ecological Collapse

7. Energy as Master Resource

8. Renewable Energy’s Natural Resource Impacts

9. Conserving Nonrenewable Resources

10. Re-engineering Cultures to Create a Sustainable Civilization

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

12. Transforming the Corporation into a Driver of Sustainability

13. Corporate Reporting and Externalities

14. Keep Them in the Ground: Ending the Fossil Fuel Era

15. Beyond Fossil Fuels: Assessing Energy Alternatives

16. Energy Efficiency in the Built Environment

17. Agriculture: Growing Food—and Solutions

18. Protecting the Sanctity of Native Foods

19. Valuing Indigenous Peoples

20. Crafting a New Narrative to Support Sustainability

21. Moving Toward a Global Moral Consensus on Environmental Action

22. Pathways to Sustainability: Building Political Strategies

23. Moving from Individual Change to Societal Change

24. Teaching for Turbulence

25. Effective Crisis Governance

26. Governance in the Long Emergency

27. Building an Enduring Environmental Movement

28. Resistance: Do the Ends Justify the Means?

29. The Promises and Perils of Geoengineering

30. Cuba: Lessons from a Forced Decline

31. Climate Change and Displacements

32. Cultivating Resilience in a Dangerous World

33. Shaping Community Responses to Catastrophe

34. Is It Too Late?.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781610914581

1610914589