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Sustainability is more complex than just green policy, says William Lord. It is "a state of being in a society where the protection of the natural environment is married to the economic and social needs of its inhabitants." How can this be achieved in Lord's home city of Leeds?
We've developed an understanding of "sustainability" that indicates that we can "switch" to something else and be okay, but the hard truth that no politician and very few environmentalists want to say is that merely "switching" may not be enough.
Third world countries pose a unique challenge; how to keep up with the world's environmental changes while still taking care of people living below the poverty level. They should embrace policies that focus on the average citizen and study the effects on the community as a whole.
Sustainability is often associated with exclusively material concepts. Yet it's crucial to note that sustainability plays a critical role in relationships. The actual subject in debate is not sustaining our resources, but sustaining our relationship with Mother Nature.
"What is an ecologically sustainable community? How do we facilitate the evolution of such communities? Can we bring the mass of our consumer culture-driven population to a tribal-like level of sustainability?" Focusing on rural India, the authors give examples of sustainability in action.
Our conventional understanding of sustainability usually puts human needs first. What is needed is a balancing test that will consider a wider range of factors, and that encompasses the intrinsic value of the environment, regardless of any practical benefits to human beings.
"It is through our actions and our efforts, where large or small, that we can bring about a change in the attitudes of those around us in ensuring sustainability," says Akrish, from Kathmandu.
My students are always shocked to realize that the global environment is one interconnected system. We have only one ocean mass, one land, and one atmosphere. For sustainability to prevail, this interconnectedness needs to be understood and experienced at all levels of society.
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David C. Speedie
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11/16/11
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Let's look at some of the most serious accusations leveled at Putin and his Russia. In the right light, we see Russia and Putin have taken some undue heat.
As part of our September Sustainability Month, the Carnegie Council honors Mayor Michael Bloomberg for his values-based vision and environmental leadership--both local and global.
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Bill McKibben,
David Biello,
Josh Lasky,
Mat McDermott,
Christopher Mims,
Paul Steely White,
Eric Zencey
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09/26/11
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What is the most important thing a person can do to have a sustainable impact? From consumer purchases to political action, how should we prioritize solutions?
Although Russia and the West are confronting each other on a number of issues, it is premature to write off their strategic partnership. The New START Treaty establishes stability
of the nuclear balance for the next decade. This will help them eventually
move to mutual assured security.
This paper's main predictive theoretical proposition is that, in fact,
progress on conventional arms control in Europe will continue to move at
a pace dictated by nuclear atmospherics.
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Robert Engelman,
John Bongaarts,
Steven Sinding,
Laurie Mazur,
Barbara Crossette,
Betsy Hartmann
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09/15/11
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According to UN projections, our world will be home to more than 9 billion people by 2050, increasing competition for livable space and critical resources such as water. What ethical standards should guide the debate about reproduction and sustainability? What do you think?
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J. Baird Callicott,
Ronald Sandler,
Dale Jamieson,
Christopher Schlottmann,
David Schlosberg
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09/07/11
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Is sustainability the only, or even the most desirable framework for environmental issues? What are the limitations and benefits of the sustainability approach, and what kind of alternative conceptual approaches may be preferable? What do you think?
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