Suchergebnisse

"Those of us in the developed world have a far greater environmental impact than people in the developing world, but there is great political pressure in the developing world to increase material wealth. And that political pressure will lead to increased environmental impacts. Our political stability and security depend on the maintenance of material wealth where it exists and economic growth where people are poor. But to achieve those goals, we must learn how to construct a high throughput economy that does not destroy our planet's ecosystems. This is the major theme of this book: How do we realistically get from the current economic paradigm to one that permits economic growth while protecting the planet's ecosystems? To achieve the transition to environmental sustainability, we must undertake the following five actions: 1. Research, measure and understand the current state of environmental degradation. 2. Understand the causes of environmental degradation. 3. Develop a strategy for reducing pollution and growing a renewable-resource-based economy. 4. Build public sector infrastructure to support environmental sustainability. 5. Change the politics, advocacy, and communication of environmental sustainability."

How do we move away from the current environmentally destructive economic system toward one that is more sustainable while still ensuring continued economic growth? This book offers a positive vision of an environmentally sustainable future and lays out the steps ahead as we make the transition.Steven Cohen explores the causes of environmental degradation and examines what sustainability looks like in practice. He outlines realistic paths toward a renewable resource–based economy, demonstrating that, in many respects, the shift to sustainability is already underway. Cohen describes a range of public policy and infrastructure initiatives that can encourage cleaner production in the private sector and consumption in everyday life. He argues that the politics, advocacy, and communication around environmental protection must change to emphasize successes, reduce scare tactics, and make sure that the lifestyles and careers associated with a more sustainable world sound attractive to a wide range of people. The book depicts an appealing and equitable future that assures quality of life while protecting the planet.Environmentally Sustainable Growth brings together insights from many disciplines, spanning the latest scholarship and practical experience. Useful for students and courses, this book will be informative for practitioners, managers, analysts, activists, and scholars whose work incorporates environmental sustainability

The first edition of this pragmatic course text emphasized the policy value of a ""big picture"" approach to the ethical, political, technological and scientific, economic, and management aspects of environmental issues. The text then applied this approach to real-world case examples involving leaking underground storage tanks, toxic waste cleanup, and the effects of global climate change. This second edition demonstrates the ongoing effectiveness of this framework to generating meaningful action and policy solutions to today's urgent environmental issues. The text adds case examples concern