Citizenship, Sustainability and Enviromental Research by
This innovative book uses a little-known methodological research tool to study ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS), the subject of the book, is a novel and interesting social phenomenon which seems to constitute a more ecologically rational and socially inclusive form of economic activity. LETS is a system for exchanging goods and services without the use of formal, legal tender. Unlike barter, LETS members buy and sell using their own nominal currency units, but the currency in which trade is conducted is purely a means of exchange, not a commodity in itself or a store of value. The authors of this book examine LETS, and in particular they discuss whether LETS can be viewed as an aspect of the 'greening' of citizenship, with the potential to contribute to the transition to, and maintenance of, a more sustainable society. They describe the part LETS can play in raising environmental awareness; offering more sustainable practices of production and consumption and helping to create in the community the preconditions for sustainability. In their study of LETS, the authors use Q methodology, (a qualitative methodology for the systematic study of subjectivity and shared discourses) and at the same time they evaluate its usefulness for social scientific environmental research. They find that it is a powerful methodological approach which is consistent with many of the core principles, values and aims of ecological economics. They also conclude that Q has the potential to contribute to environmental policy analysis and the creation of a more participative, democratic and effective form of environmental policy making. This book will be of great interest to all social scientists interested in social movements, environment and citizenship, and in particular those wanting to understand the application of Q methodology for social science research.
The Guide to Greening Cities [electronic resource] by
Seasoned green city leaders Sadhu Johnston, Steven Nicholas, and Julia Parzen use success stories from across North America to show how to turn a green city agenda into reality. The Guide to Greening Cities is the first book written from the perspective of municipal leaders with successful, on-the-ground experience working to advance green city goals.
Sustainable Communities [electronic resource] by
This book marks a new era: the Third Industrial Revolution. The new age of the Third Industrial Revolution has been labeled by some as the "green era" or "green economy," but it had already started around the world, especially in Europe and Japan, for over a decade - since the end of the 20th century. The book highlights people and communities who have a shared concern and vision along with the will and determination to enact programs and polices that make sustainable development real - not just political rhetoric or "branding" or even the current "buzz word" for obtaining funds and grants.
Sustaining Michigan: Metropolitan policies and strategies by
Creating sustainable metropolitan communities in the twenty-first century will pose great challenges for Michigan and other states in the region. Sustaining Michigan links critical, cutting-edge scholarship to pressing issues facing Michigan's metropolitan communities and increases understanding of the key economic, environmental, social, and political reasons for why change is underway, the challenges to the current system, and the difficulty for Michigan in making substantive changes.
Green Business: An A-to-Z Guide [ebook] by
2011 eBook. Via 150 signed entries, Green Business: An A-to-Z Guide provides an overview of key principles, approaches, strategies, and tools that businesses have used to reduce environmental impacts and contribute to sustainability. Entries reflect the expertise of scholars and practitioners from varied fields and provide references to other entries as well as citations for further reading. Together, they provide an understanding of green business practices that will be valuable for managers, policymakers, students, scholars, and citizens interested in the complex relationship between businesses and the environment. Vivid photos, searchable hyperlinks, numerous cross references, an extensive resource guide, and a clear, accessible writing style make the Green Society volumes ideal for classroom use. Platform: Sage.
Green Cities: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 Ebook. Green Cities provides an overview of the key concepts that urban planners, policy makers, architects, engineers, and developers use to understand the sustainability dimensions of the urban environment. It identifies cities that have taken steps to become greener and discusses the strategies they have used; it also reviews broad concepts associated with green cities. Cities face enormous environmental challenges, and the entries in this volume, from case studies of greener cities to discussions of green urban design, infrastructure, and processes, can help us transform our cities into healthier, sustainable communities in which a growing urban population can thrive.Platform: Sage.
Green Consumerism: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. Green Consumerism offers a wide-ranging examination of green consumerism, one reflecting the diversity of views and debates surrounding the concept. The multiplicity of topics and disciplinary perspectives provides a useful survey of the nature of green consumerism, the forms it takes, the issues impacting it, and the practices it involves. Contributing authors also provide insights into the social and spacial constitution of green consumerism, its multifaceted and sometimes contested contours, and the ways it is embedded and shaped in relation to wider cultural, economic, political and environmental processes. Readers will derive a sense not only of what green consumerism has become, but more critically, how it might evolve, addressing both limitations and possibilities for real and meaningful change.Platform: Sag
Green Culture:An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. Green Culture explores the on-going paradigm shift in culture and lifestyles toward promoting a sustainable environment. After years of discussion about the environment dating back to the 1960s counter-culture, the recent explosion of green initiatives has induced the general public to embrace all things green, from recycling in the home to admiring green celebrities. This volume assesses the green cultural transformations by presenting some 150 articles of importance to students of sociology, history, political science, communications, public relations, anthropology, literature, arts and drama. Presented in A-to-Z format, the articles include appealing topics from green Hollywood to green spirituality, green art, and green restaurants.Platform: Sage
Green Education: An A-to-Z Guide by
Green Education: An A-to-Z Guide explores the environmental movement's proliferation in the field of education, from elementary school classroom efforts to the university curriculum to building sustainable campuses. Focusing on the critical role of education in building a sustainable future, approximately 150 signed entries, written by scholars and experts in a variety of disciplines, examine school and college courses in green education, the structures of educational institutions, the challenges of reducing their ecological footprint, administrative policies, green campus organizations, and student and faculty participation. Vivid photographs, searchable hyperlinks, numerous cross references, an extensive resource guide, and a clear, accessible writing style make the Green Society volumes ideal for classroom use as well as for research.
Green Energy: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. Green Energy: An A-to-Z Guide provides an overview of the social and environmental dimensions of our energy system, and the key organizations, policy tools, and technologies that can help shape a green-energy economy. Each entry draws on scholarship from across numerous social sciences, natural and physical sciences, and engineering. The urgency of climate change underscores the importance of getting the right technologies, policies and incentives, and social checks-and-balances in place. This reference resource will prepare those with a sparking interest in the topic to participate in what will hopefully become an equitable and intergenerational conversation about the impacts of our energy consumption and how to make it cleaner and greener. Platform: Sage.
Green Ethics and Philosophy: An A-to-Z by
2011 eBook. Green Ethics and Philosophy: An A-to-Z Guide covers the moral relationship between humans and their natural environment, specifically targeting the contemporary green movement. Since the 1960s, green ethics and philosophies have helped give birth to the civil rights, feminist, and gay rights movements, as well as contemporary environmentalism. With a primary focus on green environmental ethics, this reference work, available in both print and electronic formats, presents approximately 150 signed entries organized A-to-Z, traversing a wide range of curricular disciplines, including philosophy, psychology, business, economics, religion, and political science. A rich blend of topics, from the Hannover Principle to green eco-feminism, responsible eco-tourism, corporate values and sustainability, and more, are explained by university professors and scholars, all contributing to an outstanding reference mainly for academic and public libraries. Platform: Sage
Green Food: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. This work lays out the contours of the field of agri-food studies. It draws on scholars working in the fields of political ecology, rural sociology, geography, and environmental studies to paint a picture of the past, present, and future of agriculture and food. It provides readers with a basic understanding of the institutions, practices, and concepts to identify what is and is not a "green" food. Because food is so intimately connected to our daily lives, the food system offers perhaps the most promise to make change in a sustainable direction. This volume addresses what a sustainable and green food system might look like, what policies would help realize it, and what kinds of tradeoffs we face in deciding which paths to choose. It provides people interested in food and agricultural systems the basic analytical and conceptual ideas that explain why our food system looks the way it does, and what can be done to change it for the better. Platform: Sage.
Green Health: An A-to-Z Guide by
Green Health: An A-to-Z Guide examines the green movement within the contexts of personal health and the healthcare industry, focusing on consumer lifestyles and how they affect resource conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental management. The scope of the title involves the societal goals of protecting human health and reducing the ecological footprint of healthcare. With approximately 150 signed entries written from global viewpoints by university professors and experts, Green Health: An A-to-Z Guide explores topics ranging from ecologically sustainable pharmaceuticals to the health risks of fossil fuels, biological stressors, the precautionary principle and wellness, organic food and health, hazardous waste, drinking water, the greening of healthcare, and more. Vivid photographs, searchable hyperlinks, numerous cross references, an extensive resource guide, and a clear, accessible writing style make the Green Society volumes ideal for classroom use as well as for research.
Green Issues and Debates: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. A valuable tool for students of all facets of ecology, the environment, and sustainable development, Green Issues and Debates explores the multitude of threats to sustainable life on earth and the myriad of controversies surrounding potential solutions. The grayer shades of green are deeply examined, including such heady questions as: Is ethanol production from corn a recipe for famine? Does offshore drilling pose more of a risk to the environment than the problem it solves? Is “clean coal” a viable option or is it simply polluting the energy dilemma? Are genetically modified foods helpful or harmful? Well-respected scholars present more than 150 articles presented in A-to-Z format focusing on issues brought to the forefront by the green movement with carefully balanced pro and con viewpoints. Platform: Sage.
Green Politics: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. Green Politics: An A-to-Z Guide covers the availability and distribution of such resources as energy and how they impact economic development, domestic politics, and international cooperation and conflict. Other issues of equal importance to be covered include watershed resources (what happens when countries share a river and one country siphons off or pollutes waters before they reach other countries), other natural resources (for instance, industrialized countries attempting to dictate to developing countries about rainforest resources, whaling countries versus those seeking total bans on whaling as an industry), air pollution, global health and epidemiology (e.g., constraining the spread of potential pandemics, radioactive fall-out across countries from nuclear accidents like Chernobyl). Platform: Sage.
Green Technology: An A-to-Z Guide by
2011 eBook. Green Technology: An A-to-Z Guide explores the essential role of technology and its most recent developments toward a sustainable environment. Twofold in its definition, green technology includes the changing of existing technology toward energy conservation as well as the creation of new, clean technology aimed at utilizing renewable resources. With a primary focus on waste management, the volume presents more than 150 articles in A-to-Z format featuring such disciplines as nanoscience, biochemistry, information technology, and environmental engineering. Scholars and experts in their fields present a full range of topics from applications of green technology to The Green Grid global consortium to membrane technology and water purification systems to waste-to-energy technology. Platform: Sage.