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Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring The growing concern about global environmental change and human impacts on the planet has led to the emergence of a broad field of study on the 'sustainability' of human societies. The term's common usage can be traced back to the advent of the Earth Summit in 1992 when 'sustainable development' was broadly embraced by the international community as an ostensibly win-win proposition for economic development, social inclusion, and ecological conservation. Yet both the natural science underpinnings and the social implications of a quest for sustainability have been diffuse. There is a need for a coherent synthesis which draws out key themes from both natural and social analysis of the concept. This Very Short Introduction begins by introducing the concept of sustainability and how it has developed. The central chapters consider four key concepts crucial to sustainability: a) material and energy flows in consumption and production; b) technological interventions for a sustainable society; c) tipping points, and resilience in natural and social systems; and d) renewability and circularity in the economy. In the concluding chapter, Saleem H. Ali explores political means of managing anthropogenic change for a more sustainable society. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Sommario
- 1: Seeking 'sustainability': origins and concepts
- 2: How energy and materials flow through systems
- 3: Technological and economic interventions for a sustainable society
- 4: Tipping points and resilience
- 5: Renewability, circularity, and industry
- 6: Anthropogenic change and sustainability
Relazione
The pursuit of sustainability is entraining such an extraordinary flourishing of hopes, ideas, inventions and scams that it surely warrants its own World Expo in the near future. Fortunately, Saleem H. Ali has already gifted us what amounts to a catalog of what that Expo should have on display. He takes us on a critical tour of expected pavilions - nature's services, circular systems, well-being metrics, tipping points, governance innovations and more. But he also introduces us to an eclectic selection of the people - scholars, activists, artists - who have helped to build those pavilions, to connect them, and so to foster today's halting but real progress toward sustainable development. A must read, and an enjoyable one. William C. Clark, Harvey Brooks Research Professor, Harvard University, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences
