Ebook: Practicing Sustainability
Author: Robert Malkin (auth.) Guruprasad Madhavan Barbara Oakley David Green David Koon Penny Low (eds.)
- Tags: Sustainable Development, Management/Business for Professionals, Popular Science in Nature and Environment, Energy Policy Economics and Management, Development Economics, Public Health
- Year: 2013
- Publisher: Springer-Verlag New York
- Edition: 1
- Language: English
- pdf
Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.
“Delightful…the chapters are gems of precision and insight.”—Michael Spence, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics
Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.
“Delightful…the chapters are gems of precision and insight.”—Michael Spence, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics
Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxxvi
What Medical Equipment Taught Me About Sustainability....Pages 1-6
Food: The Ultimate Answer....Pages 7-11
A Village of Hope: The Interplay of Sustainability and Community Development....Pages 13-17
Trade-Offs in Sustainable Development....Pages 19-23
Sustainable Skyscrapers and the Well-Being of the City....Pages 25-29
Dimensional Stability....Pages 31-32
Sustainability: A Tale of Twin Brothers....Pages 33-37
Cooperation and Sustainability....Pages 39-43
The Sincerity of Purpose: Sustainability and World Peace....Pages 45-49
Recycling Reinvented: Music and Sustainability....Pages 51-53
Connectivity and Sustainability: Perspectives from Landscape and Urban Design....Pages 55-58
Nutrition and Sustainability....Pages 59-64
A Poet in the Car Company: Sustainability of Passion and Profitability....Pages 65-69
The Need for Sustainable Heretics....Pages 71-76
Performance with Purpose....Pages 77-82
The Business of Sustainability: A Different Design Question....Pages 83-86
Sustaining Population Health....Pages 87-90
The Struggle to Make Sustainable Change in Global Health....Pages 91-94
Economic Growth and Sustainability Rooted in Financial Literacy....Pages 95-99
Approaching the Future with Optimism....Pages 101-106
A Decent Place to Live....Pages 107-112
From Field to Market: Changing Our Focus....Pages 113-116
Joules: The Currency of Sustainability....Pages 117-121
Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage....Pages 123-126
Unlocking the Energy of Business to Effect Change....Pages 127-132
Put It on Paper: Lowering Healthcare Costs....Pages 133-137
Mind the Gap: A Different Take on Sustainability....Pages 139-144
Sustainable Scientific Research....Pages 145-149
Energizing Sustainable Development....Pages 151-154
The Importance of Sustainability in Helping the Poor....Pages 155-158
Why Is Waste a Dirty Word?....Pages 159-162
How Much Is Enough? Making It Personal....Pages 163-166
Teaching Sustainability in the Anthropocene Era....Pages 167-172
Don’t Sustain; Advance....Pages 173-176
Changemakers for Sustainability....Pages 177-180
What Social Entrepreneurs Taught Me About Sustainability....Pages 181-185
An Emotional Connection with Sustainability Through Documentary Films....Pages 187-192
Conserving Energy for Tomorrow....Pages 193-199
The Sustainability of Ocean Resources....Pages 201-205
Will It Last? Will It Endure?....Pages 207-210
The Holistic Enchilada: Moving Toward Food System Sustainability....Pages 211-214
Bringing Organizational Sustainability to Public Postsecondary Education....Pages 215-220
Conservation Through Connections....Pages 221-226
Beyond the Status Quo: Catalyzing Sustainability in the Arts....Pages 227-232
Historic Preservation: The Real Sustainable Development....Pages 233-238
Bending Toward Justice: The Search for Sustainable Energy....Pages 239-242
Afterword....Pages 243-244
“Delightful…the chapters are gems of precision and insight.”—Michael Spence, Nobel Prize Winner in Economics
Sustainability applies to everybody. But everybody applies it differently, by defining and shaping it differently—much as water is edged and shaped by its container. It is conceived in absolute terms but underpinned by a great diversity of relatively “green”—and sometimes contradictory—practices that can each make society only more or less sustainable. In Practicing Sustainability, chefs, poets, music directors, evangelical pastors, skyscraper architects, artists, filmmakers, as well as scientific leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, business executives, policy makers, and the contrarians, shed light on our understanding of sustainability and the role that each of us can play. Each contributor addresses what sustainability means, what is most appealing about the concept, and what they would like to change to improve the perception and practice of sustainability. What emerges from their essays is a wide spectrum of views that confirm an important insight: Sustainability is pursued in different ways not only due to different interpretations, but also because of varying incentives, trade-offs, and altruistic motives. Practicing and achieving sustainability starts with a willingness to look critically at the concept. It also means enabling rich and vigorous discussion based on pragmatism and common sense to determine a framework for best ideas and practices. With time and the much needed critical thinking, sustainable development will become a more integral part of our culture. By sharing experiences and crisp insights from today’s savants, Practicing Sustainability serves as a stepping stone to the future.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxxvi
What Medical Equipment Taught Me About Sustainability....Pages 1-6
Food: The Ultimate Answer....Pages 7-11
A Village of Hope: The Interplay of Sustainability and Community Development....Pages 13-17
Trade-Offs in Sustainable Development....Pages 19-23
Sustainable Skyscrapers and the Well-Being of the City....Pages 25-29
Dimensional Stability....Pages 31-32
Sustainability: A Tale of Twin Brothers....Pages 33-37
Cooperation and Sustainability....Pages 39-43
The Sincerity of Purpose: Sustainability and World Peace....Pages 45-49
Recycling Reinvented: Music and Sustainability....Pages 51-53
Connectivity and Sustainability: Perspectives from Landscape and Urban Design....Pages 55-58
Nutrition and Sustainability....Pages 59-64
A Poet in the Car Company: Sustainability of Passion and Profitability....Pages 65-69
The Need for Sustainable Heretics....Pages 71-76
Performance with Purpose....Pages 77-82
The Business of Sustainability: A Different Design Question....Pages 83-86
Sustaining Population Health....Pages 87-90
The Struggle to Make Sustainable Change in Global Health....Pages 91-94
Economic Growth and Sustainability Rooted in Financial Literacy....Pages 95-99
Approaching the Future with Optimism....Pages 101-106
A Decent Place to Live....Pages 107-112
From Field to Market: Changing Our Focus....Pages 113-116
Joules: The Currency of Sustainability....Pages 117-121
Innovation Economics: The Race for Global Advantage....Pages 123-126
Unlocking the Energy of Business to Effect Change....Pages 127-132
Put It on Paper: Lowering Healthcare Costs....Pages 133-137
Mind the Gap: A Different Take on Sustainability....Pages 139-144
Sustainable Scientific Research....Pages 145-149
Energizing Sustainable Development....Pages 151-154
The Importance of Sustainability in Helping the Poor....Pages 155-158
Why Is Waste a Dirty Word?....Pages 159-162
How Much Is Enough? Making It Personal....Pages 163-166
Teaching Sustainability in the Anthropocene Era....Pages 167-172
Don’t Sustain; Advance....Pages 173-176
Changemakers for Sustainability....Pages 177-180
What Social Entrepreneurs Taught Me About Sustainability....Pages 181-185
An Emotional Connection with Sustainability Through Documentary Films....Pages 187-192
Conserving Energy for Tomorrow....Pages 193-199
The Sustainability of Ocean Resources....Pages 201-205
Will It Last? Will It Endure?....Pages 207-210
The Holistic Enchilada: Moving Toward Food System Sustainability....Pages 211-214
Bringing Organizational Sustainability to Public Postsecondary Education....Pages 215-220
Conservation Through Connections....Pages 221-226
Beyond the Status Quo: Catalyzing Sustainability in the Arts....Pages 227-232
Historic Preservation: The Real Sustainable Development....Pages 233-238
Bending Toward Justice: The Search for Sustainable Energy....Pages 239-242
Afterword....Pages 243-244
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