Citizen Participation

Green lifestyles and ethical consumption have become increasingly popular strategies in moving towards environmentally-friendly societies and combating global poverty. Where previously environmentalists saw excess consumption as central to the problem, green consumerism now places consumption at the heart of the solution. However, ethical and sustainable consumption are also central to the creation and maintenance of class distinction. Green Consumption scrutinizes the emergent phenomenon of what this book terms eco-chic- a combination of lifestyle politics, environmentalism, spirituality, beauty and health. Eco-chic as a set of practices works to connect ethical, sustainable and elite consumption. It is increasingly part of the identity kit of certain sections of society, who seek to combine taste and style with care for personal wellness and the environment. This book deals with eco-chic as a set of activities, an ideological framework and a popular marketing strategy, offering a critical examination of its manifestations in both the global North and South. The diverse case studies presented in this book range from Basque sheep cheese production and Ghanaian Afro-chic hairstyles to Asian tropical spa culture and Dutch fair-trade jewellery initiatives. The authors assess the ways in which eco-chic, with its apparent paradox of consumption and idealism, can make a genuine contribution to solving some of the most pressing problems of our time.

The Handbook of Sustainable Innovation maps the multiple lineages of research and understanding that constitute academic work on how technological change relates to sustainable practices of production and consumption. Leading academics contribute by mapping the general evolution of this academic field, our understanding of sustainable innovation at the firm, user, and systems level, the governance of sustainable innovation, and the methodological approaches used. The Handbook explores the distinctiveness of sustainable innovation and concludes with suggestions for generating future research avenues that exploit the current diversity of work while seeking increased systemic insight.This unique and original book will have a broad appeal among scholars, researchers and advanced students interested in innovation, environmental studies and technological transitions.

Ethical consumerism is on the rise. No longer bound to the counter-cultural fringes, ethical concerns and practices are reaching into the mainstream of society and being adopted by everyday consumers - from considering carbon miles to purchasing free-range eggs to making renewable energy choices. The wide reach and magnitude of ethical issues in society across individual and collective consumption has given rise to a series of important questions that are inspiring scholars from a range of disciplinary areas. These differing disciplinary lenses, however, tend to be contained in separate streams of research literature that are developing in parallel and in relative isolation. Ethics in Morality and Consumption takes an interdisciplinary perspective to provide multiple vantage points in creating a more holistic and integrated view of ethics in consumption. In this sense, interdisciplinary presupposes the consideration of multiple and distinct disciplines, which in this book are considered in delineated chapters. In addition, the Editors make an editorial contribution in the final chapter of the book by combining these separate disciplinary perspectives to develop a nascent interdisciplinary perspective that integrates these perspectives and presents platforms for further research.

The guidebook for ordinary people who want to create a new society now rather than wait for a pie-in-the-sky future. With every news report, the world seems to be careening off the rails. It's all too easy to slip into despair waiting for co-opted, self-serving governments to act. Hope and action is the antidote. We each hold the power to make personal changes that can drive local changes and cascade into large-scale social transformation. This is the guidebook for ordinary people who want to create a new society now . The first section explores the idea of transformative change - what it is, what difference it makes, and how it is connected to learning. From creating a citizen-powered community bus service, to winning the right to local food, to women hand-sculpting their own houses, the second section explores powerful stories of everyday people who have challenged traditional understandings and transformed their lives, their communities, and wider society. In the final section, the authors provide a workbook to guide people, wherever they are, through the process of catalyzing change. We all have the power to create a more just and ecological society. We all have the power to be changemakers. Fay Weller is a community organizer, homesteader, researcher, and artist with a PhD. focused on social transformation. She and her partner live on Gabriola Island, BC, with two sheep and numerous chickens. Mary Wilson is a facilitator, researcher, instructional designer, and activist with a Ph.D. in education. She and her partner live on Gabriola Island, BC where they are restoring a home, developing a permaculture food forest, and building an engineless catamaran.

Learn how to be a responsible shopper. Did someone say green retail therapy? Go shopping for ecological intelligence and discover what it means to be a responsible shopper in a world of over consumption. Reducing your footprint begins with your shoes. Energy-saving products are the mainstream as consumers become more concerned with their health, air quality, water quality, and available resources. So its time to say no to plastics! Going back to glass bottles, organic cotton diapers, and buying clothes made from recycled fabrics are big changes we can make as we become more aware of the products we are eating, wearing, and sleeping on.