Product Description
Environmental Social Science offers a new synthesis of environmental studies, defining the nature of human-environment interactions and providing the foundation for a new cross-disciplinary enterprise that will make critical theories and research methods accessible across the natural and social sciences.

• Makes key theories and methods of the social sciences available to biologists and other environmental scientists
• Explains biological theories and concepts for the social sciences community working on the environment
• Helps bridge one of the difficult divides in collaborative work in human-environment research
• Includes much-needed descriptions of how to carry out research that is multinational, multiscale, multitemporal, and multidisciplinary within a complex systems theory context

Product Description
A visionary new program that businesses can follow to help restore the planet.Amazon.com Review
Paul Hawken, the entrepreneur behind the Smith & Hawkengardening supplies empire, is no ordinary capitalist. Drawing as muchon Baba Ram Dass and Vaclav Havel as he does on Peter Drucker andWalMart for his case studies, Hawken is on a one-man crusade to reformour economic system by demanding that First World businesses reducetheir consumption of energy and resources by 80 percent in the next 50years. As if that weren't enough, Hawken argues that business goalsshould be redefined to embrace such fuzzy categories as whether thework is aesthetically pleasing and the employees are having fun; thisapplies to corporate giants and mom-and-pop operations alike. Heproposes a culture of business in which the real world, the naturalworld, is allowed to flourish as well, and in which the planet's needsare addressed. Wall Street may not be ready for Hawken's provocativebrand of environmental awareness, but this fine book is full ofcaptivating ideas. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (43)

Wonderful ideas!
This is a very interesting book filled with wornderful ideas regarding our economy and the effect we have on the economy when we make purchase decisions. The author has many unique ideas about how we can solve problems arising in our ecology using economic solutions. Hawken's ideas are original and provacative. It is an easy book to read even if economy or ecology are of no concern to you.

ecology of commerce
everyone in america needs to know the truth and be a part of the solution...corporation and business my take responsibilty, now!

great spine
This books came with a great spine and clean pages, for one cent plus shipping this is an amazing value for a wonderful author and book. The bookseller tried sending it to a different address and was persistant about updating with me.

Get it now, no need to think twice
I'm pretty sure that after you've read this book, you'll feel the way I do: that this in the one book that everyone in the world should read. If there is a more eye-opening book on the same topic than this one out there, I have yet to read it, but it doesn't matter. That's because this book will do a sufficiently good job at shedding our ignorance about the most important, most dangerous issues of our time. It shows the very roots of the problems surrounding our treatment of the environment, not only from a scientific perspective, but from the perspective of what is fundamentally, intrinsically wrong with how our whole society is arranged, on a multitude of levels (not only commerce as the title implies). It shows exactly why inaction has been the status quo until now. It also shows the real nightmare-inducing dangers of continuing business as usual regarding how we treat the environment, on a scientific level. This doesn't mean that it's a book purposely architected to incite fear, uncertainty and doubt. It is simply one of the most profound, honest, right-to-the-point accounts of the problem facing us.

How do I know this? I don't. Therefore I'll now set off on a mission to read all of the other books by Amory Lovins and Paul Hawken, and possibly other books of the same caliber and on the same topic, and then decide if I want to revise this review, but I'm rather confident I won't have to :-)

I don't really want to allude to the content of the book in further detail, since anything not akin to stellar praise would not do it justice. What I can merely tell you is that you won't be disappointed by reading it. In fact, you will be enthralled by coming across a such an excellent verbalization of what has been bothering you all along.

Always timely and smart
Paul Hawken's book "The Ecology of Commerce" is one of those books one never forgets because it changes the way you think. I first read this book back when it came out in 1994 and just re-read it.

The author doesn't squawk about how bad humans are, but rather offers a sensible, deliberate perspective on how we can change our economic systems to accommodate our relationship with the rest of Nature.

To avoid being an ignorant, knee-jerk reacting activist ( or at least deciding to go down that route) read this book! ... Read more

Product Description
Responding to the threats of climate change, peak oil, resource depletion, economic uncertainty and energy insecurity demands the utmost in creativity, ingenuity, and new ways of thinking in order to reinvent self and society. In The Handbook of Sustainability Literacy, leading sustainability educators are joined by permaculturists, literary critics, ecologists, artists, journalists, engineers, mathematicians, and philosophers in examining the skills needed in the twenty-first century. Among the many skills, attributes, and values described in this volume are values reflection, coping with complexity, permaculture design, transition skills, advertising awareness, effortless action, and ecological intelligence, each accompanied by ideas for active-learning exercises to help develop the skill. Far from being a rigid or definitive statement of the "one right way," however, the handbook is exploratory, aiming to open up new, unthought-of paths, possibilities, and choices. It is intended primarily for educators across the spectrum from higher education to informal education, but is also suitable for learners themselves and anyone interested in the literally "vital" issue of the skills we need to survive and thrive in the twenty-first century and build a more sustainable future. Contributors include John Naish, Satish Kumar, Patrick Whitefield, John Blewitt, Stephan Harding, and Stephen Sterling. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains the papers presented at the First International Conference on Island Sustainability, held on the island of Brac, Republic of Croatia, April 19-21, 2010. The conference organizers aim to encourage the sustainable development of islands, in a way that is compatible with their natural environment and their cultural and historic traditions. Many islands depend on tourism for their economic survival. Most of them, however, cannot provide all the resources required to support a large seasonal population and in many cases basic necessities such as water and energy, as well as agricultural produce, must be imported.Developing year-round economic activity is thus important to the sustainability of development efforts.While problems and conditions vary from island to island, much can be learned by sharing their experiences. Also, the experiences of more developed islands can serve as lessons for less-developed islands. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A key to public policies
Issues of sustainability are key to many different kinds of designers, from architects to graphic designers - and this title is designed to cross genres to appeal not only to designers but to the consumers using their services. Chapters provide a fine introduction to blending sustainability concerns throughout the design process: college-level collections in design as well as general-interest libraries catering to consumers need Designer's Atlas of Sustainability, a key to public policies, consumer needs, and basic sustainability issues.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Intelligent, introspective and beautiful
There are many books now on sustainability with most being page-after-page of lengthy, often-dry academic dissertation.Some of these books will not likely appeal to the design professional who demands more visual inspiration and smart, graphic layout in a book.Well, this book meets those needs and is a fine contribution to the topic.

This book is not a "how-to" book with lists or formulas for making products more sustainable in their design and use.Rather, it explores the many dimensions of sustainability (ecological, social, economic) and lets the reader glean inspiration for core concepts and many brief but interesting examples.

Ms. Thorpe approaches the problems of unsustainable industrialization with a keen perceptivity that intices the reader to think broadly and creatively about the world we live in and how to reimage it.In addition to traditional design priorities of function, form and cost, Ann Thorpe illustrates how all effective designs must now go through the additional "lens" of sustainability thinking to anticipate its impact now and though the product's life.

Every page is colorful with pictures, creative graphic layout that makes learning new things about this topic more enjoyable.The writing is quite philosophical in its approach (which may be a bit too much for some wanting more 1-2-3 steps).Also, more detailed case studies would have driven home the concepts better as would a more integrated, direct writing style.

But, Thorpes' approach is to teach one how to think and not what to think.It gives designers a new lens to evaluate the how design impacts human/ecological well being as well as the increasingly limited resources of our planet.But, this highly visual book was a nice change from many other, purely academic books I have read on sustainability.4 stars overall. ... Read more

Product Description
...this time around success will need to be measured not by how much we can control nature but by how well we can live as part of it. Our e orts in the transition to a sustainable future require decisions that not only acknowledge the ecosphere, but embrace the complexity of our societies and the natural systems that support us.A vital part of this transition is communication. We need to map and communicate as clearly as possible the impacts of our current trajectory and provide a clear and comprehensive system for tracking the world's progress towards sustainability...This book provides an introduction to input-output analysis for sustainability practitioners. It is designed for those with knowledge about the sustainability dilemma we face, but who are unsure about the how of measuring our impacts, tracking our progress and informing the decisions for a sustainable future.Input-output analysis placed in a transdisciplinary setting is a method that captures the complexities and interdependencies of our social, economic and environmental support systems. Examples of the use of input-output analysis in life-cycle assessment, triple bottom line accounting and carbon and ecological footprints are provided along with an introduction to a range of software tools. In academic circles research has been gathering pace on these methods and issues over the last years. This book brings this state of the art to the decision makers and policy shapers of today. ... Read more

Product Description
A key starting point for understanding and achieving sustainability are our experiences of everyday life, the meanings and the connections we develop, and the learning and action these experiences engender. This book explores how learning throughout and across life is, and may become, an integral aspect of the process of sustainable development. It addresses the need for "life-long learning," that is, learning that occurs in various aspects of our lives including work, families, home, community groups, or any non-traditional ‘school’ or learning environments, to seriously engage with sustainability issues.

Coverage includes the relationship between learning and sustainability, sustainability and everyday life, environmental mediascapes, public space and landscapes, learning networks and community action, sustainability learning and leisure, work and the need to reshape our understanding of a learning society. The breadth is impressive with an approachable and easy-to-read engagement with theoretical approaches to lifelong learning and sustainability and a vast range of evidence and case studies drawn from dozens of contexts in the UK/Europe, the USA and Canada. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains the papers presented at the Sixth International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability, held in A Coruña, Spain, April 14-16, 2010. The organizers of the conference, building on the work of the late Nobel Prize Winner Ilya Prigogine, view cities as complex self-adapting systems. The Conference thus addresses the many inter-related aspects of the urban environment, from transport and mobility to social exclusion and crime prevention. The meeting builds on the contributions made in five previous successful conferences, which provided an international view of the problems facing modern cities and their solutions. Urban areas produce a series of environmental problems arising from the consumption of natural resources and the consequent generation of waste and pollution. All of these problems contribute to the development of social and economic imbalances and, since they continue to grow in our society, they require the development of new solutions. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Economic Anthropology Basics
Sustainability, Human Ecology, and the Collapse of Complex Societies: Economic Anthropology and a 21st Century Adaptation by Niccolo Caldararo (Mellen Studies in Anthropology Vol. 15: Edwin Mellen Press) This book is designed as an introduction to both economic anthropology and to the use of culture history as an aid in the study of the evolution of human institutions. As an introduction, it is written in a general tone without much in the way of spe¬cialist terms. The sections are divided into themes, the first being a general outline of the history of economics and how human societies have been seen to adapt to different environments over the past 5 million years. In essence, as Evans-Pritchard (1965) has said about the theories of religion, the history of economic theory also reflects the character and themes of the times in which the theories were cre¬ated. Caldararo provides a basic review of theories of human social evolution, both unilinear and multilinear in scope as well as a historical framework for their appearance. A unilinear view perceives history taking place in a straight line, one simple stage of society developing into a more complex one and so on, from hunters and gatherers through to today's global culture. A multilinear view is more complex. It conceives of all forms of human institutions as being developed forms with rich histories. Some societies developed in some locations in time into more complex ones, oth¬ers did not and some collapsed leaving no progeny. There are many different schemes which have been constructed using both these views and they differ one from the other in their components. Neither of these reviews was meant to be exhaustive surveys of the literature, rather it is hoped they will provide a picture of the development of ideas and approaches to the subjects.
A second section provides an in depth study of human exploitation of forests and the use of fire. The main significance of fire here is the fact that fire has been a major tool in human land clearance in the transition from food collection to food production in the Neolithic. Even before this transition, humans used fire to shape the distribution of plants and animals in the environment. A sub-theme will be how forest fires have evolved. Caldararo's argument here is that forest fires as we know them did not exist before the appearance of humans.
In this second section Caldararo treats the phenomenon of forest fires as a general instance of human exploitation of environments. Forest fires can be seen as an analogy of the human condition where cultures act as filters for perception and create conceptual
landscapes upon which humans act. It seems to me that studying forest fires is quite instructive to a general understanding of the human dilemma. In this exam¬ple, humans have changed the natural world in the process of exploiting resources and by doing so have created an implacable enemy. By introducing the systematic use of fire to extract resources from forests and other wild lands (e.g., increase game, create farmland), by introducing exotic plants or producing fire-adapted flora, and by depleting those animals which lived on the wild biomass, we have produced a landscape adapted to wild fire which never existed before.
This process of human produced events, "anthropogenic events" is the term often used, has converged into a self-perpetuating cycle where wild fire has become a chronic seasonal event, with periodic fires of tremendous damage which are extended and complicated by the growth of suburbs of cities into formerly rural and wild areas. In like manner we have fashioned religious precepts and ideologies upon which our economic lives are founded and have set a course by which the daily lives of billions of people are guided. People are formed within these pre¬cepts and ideologies and their numbers must ever rise to support the economic sys¬tem in which we live. Yet the nature of this course is to inexorably change the foundations on which this course is run, with new commodities, services and espe¬cially experiences - real or imagined - and thus require an unmitigated and con¬stant transformation of lives like the Red Queen in Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass. The Red Queen makes the observation to Alice that, "...in this place it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place." In biology, L. van Valen (1973) proposed a similar idea as a principle in evolution regarding the effects of coevolutionary selection. In this view, every improvement in one species will provide it with a selective advantage, and variation will normally lead continu¬ously to increases in fitness in one species or another. Thus to be competitive, each species must be in constant variation to improve fitness relative to other changes in fitness of its competitors. We know, however, from the fossil record that there are long periods of stasis as well as periods of rapid and gradual change. Thus all evolutionary history has not been ruled by the Red Queen. Of course, in Caldararo's example people have created the conditions of "running in place" maintained by precept and ideology. Occasionally all controls fail and a massive forest fire results defying all human technology and destroying forest and human industry. In a similar vein, human societies must adjust the relationships of all components of their institutions to avoid the trump of entropy, the collapse of the economy, and with it, the possible loss of the current form of civilized life. Our social life has developed from that of the sparsely populated hunter and gatherer who is constantly mobile, to the densely populated and sedentary urban dweller. We have become both domesticated animals and herding animals at the same time. Caldararo discusses this in more detail in a later section.
Even the course of this complexity and domestication is uncertain. Our knowledge of the evolution of complex societies among other animals, for example the insects, shows us that complexity is reversible. Research with various solitary insects has found that reversals from complexity back to solitary behavior have occurred at least twelve times. The ants, termites and corbiculate bees that are highly social with complex behavior are from the Cretaceous period and their closely related solitary taxa have long been extinct. Varying degrees of complex social behavior are found in wasps and Halictid bees and allow for com¬parative study.
The third section of this book is on sustainability and examines this concept from an anthropological perspective, using Japan as a case study. Ethnohistorical docu¬ments are the basis but the work addresses both ancient Japan and contemporary Japan through an economic analysis and population history. A basic question here is the nature of the distribution of resources in societies. It has long been held that Pareto's Law (1897) affected all human economies. This law argues that 20% of the population will own 80% of the wealth. However, recent analysis of wealth and income data using the Lorenz curve to factor the Gini coefficient, which is a measure of income inequality, show that the communist experiments produced societ¬ies with markedly different distributions than predicted by Pareto's Law. But even an analysis of a broad group of countries shows a great deal of variation.
... Read more

Product Description
The way in which our society exists, operates and develops is strongly influenced by the way in which energy is produced and consumed. No process in Industry can be performed without sufficient supply of energy, and without Industry there can be no production of commodities on which the existence of modern Society depends. The energy systems evolved over a long period and more rapidly over the last two centuries, as a response to the requirements of Industry and Society, starting from combustion of fuels to exploiting nuclear energy and renewable resources. It is clear that the evolution of the energy systems is a continuous process, which involves constant technological development and innovation. The presentation on the Second International Conference includes: Renewable Energy Technologies; Energy Management; Energy Polices; Energy and the Environment; Energy Analysis; Energy Efficiency; Energy Storage and Management. ... Read more

Product Description
This book contains the papers presented at the First International Conference on Island Sustainability, held on the island of Brac, Republic of Croatia, April 19-21, 2010. The conference organizers aim to encourage the sustainable development of islands, in a way that is compatible with their natural environment and their cultural and historic traditions. Many islands depend on tourism for their economic survival. Most of them, however, cannot provide all the resources required to support a large seasonal population and in many cases basic necessities such as water and energy, as well as agricultural produce, must be imported.Developing year-round economic activity is thus important to the sustainability of development efforts.While problems and conditions vary from island to island, much can be learned by sharing their experiences. Also, the experiences of more developed islands can serve as lessons for less-developed islands. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A sustainable city is widely recognised as one which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In this book, many interrelated aspects of the urban environment from transport and mobility to social exclusions and crime prevention are addressed. The papers included were originally presented at the Fifth International Conference on Urban Regeneration and Sustainability and will be of interest to city planners, architects, environmental engineers and all academics, professionals and practitioners working in the wide range of disciplines associated with creating a viable urban environment.

The papers are published under the following topics: Architectural issues;
Cultural heritage; Energy resources systems; Environmental management;
Healthy cities; Indicators: ecological, economic, social; Land use and
management; Mega cities; Planning issues; Planning, development and
management; Public safety; Revitalisation strategies; Socio-economic issues;
Spatial modelling; Strategy; Sustainable transportation and transport integration; The community and the city; Traffic and transportation;
Urban-rural relationships. ... Read more

Product Description
It might, at first glance, seem to many that industry and ecology make strange bedfellows. For proponents of sustainable development, however, such a union is crucial. How else are we to make the industries that are so central to modern societies consistent with our visions of a sustainable future?

Linking Industry and Ecology explores the origins, promise, and relevance of the emerging field of industrial ecology. It situates industrial ecology within the broader range of environmental management strategies and concepts, from the practices of pollution prevention through life cycle management, to the more fundamental shift toward dematerialization and ecological design. The book makes a compelling argument for the need to think ecologically to develop innovative and competitive industrial policy.

The contributors to this volume draw on their experience in a variety of disciplines to chart a clear path for industrial ecology. Their work not only affirms what has been learned to date in this nascent field but also provides new insight for a discourse traditionally dominated by natural scientists and engineers, by demonstrating that technologies are socially and politically embedded.

This book will be of interest to educators and students in environmental studies, business management, environmental and industrial engineering, and environmental planning. While many of the examples are drawn from Canada, it will also appeal to readers interested in fostering ecologically sustainable industrial and community development in other industrializing and industrialized nations. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from E, published by Earth Action Network, Inc. on November 1, 1999. The length of the article is 419 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: ECOLONOMICS: SELLING SUSTAINABILITY.(ecology and economics)(Brief Article)
Author: Katherine Kerlin
Publication: E (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 1999
Publisher: Earth Action Network, Inc.
Volume: 10Issue: 6Page: 20

Article Type: Brief Article

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio offers a course entitled "Sustainability Perspectives," based on this text.The course was awarded "The Instructional Innovation Award" at the 1996 annual meeting of the Decision Sciences Institute, an association of Decision Science professionals headquartered at Georgia State University in Atlanta.The 1990's have seen the development of important new approaches to sustaining corporate development and protecting the environment. Corporations are beginning to realize their responsibilities for a healthy environment. Sustainable development is viewed as an integrated, ecological, economic, and social system in which both economic growth and quality-of-life improvements can occur in a unified system complementary to the maintenance of natural capital. Sustainability Perspectives for Resources and Businesses shows the reader that a sound understanding of the concepts involved in sustainable development is beneficial to businesses, natural resources, and the population in general.This textbook was written to help students and professionals involved in business, science, or engineering to understand the changes occurring in the workplace. It serves as a step toward understanding how business and science, as professional communities, are adapting to new information about risks to the environment. Various chapters are devoted to resources, values, and valuation systems. Each section develops principles such as resilience and integrity in the economy and the environment. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (2)

A clear pick for any library concerned with green social changes
Thriving Beyond Sustainability: Pathways to a Resilient Society is for any collection strong in environmental studies or current affairs, offering keys to individual, organization and community action around the world that are building alternative pathways. From green commerce and ecological design to social changes, this is a clear pick for any library concerned with green social changes.

Inspiring Solutions
INSPIRINGSOLUTIONS

At last, a holistic picture of a transformed way of living on the earth!
Not just living, but "thriving."

The book ties together stories about initiatives now underway
to transform "five interrelated global trends:
ecosystem decline,
energy transition,
population growth,
economic disparity,and
climate change."

These stories draw a collective picture of new ways of doing things to restore our personal and cultural health and rejuvenate the ecosystem.Thriving Beyond Sustainability gives examples of the outer situation we find ourselves in along with the resources - outer and inner - we have to bring about new possibilities. Edwards encourages the shift from "sustaining" to "thriving" as a challenge to expand our imagination and focus on the capacity of the human spirit to collaborate in creating meaningful changes that improve the lives of all species.

Thrivability thus becomes a new code word for recognizing the human "capacity for empathy, compassion, collaboration, playfulness, creativity, enthusiasm and love."This seems an easy shift to make, and cuts through ideas that separate classes, races, nationalities, and religions.Once we acknowledge that humans are innately cooperative and seek to thrive, competition and scarcity become outdated concepts and we see how the "examples" can become themainstream. I fully embrace this book.
... Read more

Product Description
The Ecology of Hope explores nine resource-based communities where collaboration among different interest groups has led to breakthrough consensus on plans for achieving sustainability. The authors reveal the hopeful trend toward unanimous agreement in which citizens, government, business and even one-time foes form exciting collaborative partnerships for sustainable resource management. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Offers encouragement and points to where we can go.
This wonderful book gives us hope -- if we are willing to pitch in and work with others.It gives examples of how people in very different communities have come together to overcome difficulties and make significant improvements to their environments.Menominee Indians are maintaining a sustainable timber forest in the midst of land that have been devastated by loggers, and suburban Chicagoans are restoring nearby prairie lands to their original condition.Based on the authors' experiences gained while visiting these groups, the last chapter provides very helpful practical suggestions of how people can effectively be organized to bring about positive change. This book, if taken seriously by enough people, can turn us in the right direction

A harbinger of an ecological renaissance.
I have read the book and heard Jora speak -- they are both incredibly inspiring.Sustainability is one of those terms that is often used in ecological circles -- Ted and Jora give concrete examples of itsapplication in our society, and from those examples flow hope.I boughtthis book thinking that I would read two scientists' view of ecology.WhenI finished I realized that I had not only learned some science, I had alsobeen persuaded by the authors appreciation of the spiritual basis ofecology.Wanted:Reformers not of others, but of self. ... Read more

Product Description
Humans live in social communities that are embedded ecologically within overlapping biophysical environments. This volume facilitates an ongoing dialogue between community sociologists and environmental sociologists about how humans interact with each other in social communities and with biophysical environments in an ecological community.

The chapters in this volume contribute to three related areas of scholarship. First, chapters two through four deal with the ecological and social significance of place. The authors of these three chapters examine different theoretical and substantive dilemmas regarding place and ecology. Their scholarship investigates the significance of place across a range of natural, modified, and built environments. Second, chapters five through seven deal with the challenges of local sustainability. The authors of these three chapters perform scholarship on social, economic and ecological dimensions of local sustainability. Third, chapters eight through eleven deal with local environmental politics. The authors of these four chapters examine the various dynamics of local political processes in communities across three continents. These scholars explicitly examine how the structure of political opportunities in different localities affects the mobilization necessary to recognize and ameliorate environmental problems.

We anticipate that this volume furthers the cross-pollination of ideas between community sociologists and environmental sociologists. Ultimately, the heightened and sustained communication between these two groups of scholars may lead to emergent theoretical, methodological, and substantive insights that may contribute to the discipline of sociology more generally.

*Different sections of the book address ecological and social significance of place, challenges of local sustainability, and local environmental politics
*Enhances the interplay of ideas between community sociologists and environmental sociologists
*Stimulates thought that will contribute to the general field of sociology ... Read more