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Local Environmental Sustainability

Author: Susan Buckingham

Publisher: Woodhead Publishing

Published: 2003-03-04

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13: 9780849317828

Arguably the most significant result of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, Local Agenda 21 defined the importance of the role of local programs in sustainable development. The importance of Local Agenda 21 has been underlined more recently by the Johannesburg Summit in 2002. Local Environmental Sustainability explores how local government can promote sustainable development by building partnerships with different groups and organizations in the local community.Using case studies, individual chapters focus on different types of regional and local initiatives, the partnerships which have made them possible, and the key issues in making them effective. Building in the lessons learned by examining both successful and unsuccessful initiatives, Local Environmental Sustainability provides a blueprint for local governments and communities to work together effectively for a more sustainable future.About the Authors: Susan Buckingham is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Brunel University. Kate Theobald is a Senior Research Fellow at the Sustainable Cities Research Institute, Northumbria University. Both have published widely on local sustainability issues.

The Local Politics of Global Sustainability

Author: Thomas Prugh

Publisher:

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13:

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The most difficult questions of sustainability are not about technology; they are about values. Answers to such questions cannot be found by asking the "experts," but can only be resolved in the political arena. In The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, author Thomas Prugh, with Robert Costanza and Herman Daly, two ofthe leading thinkers in the field of ecological economics, explore the kind of politics that can help enable us to achieve a sustainable world of our choice, rather than one imposed by external forces. The authors begin by considering the biophysical and economic dimensions of the environmental crisis, and tracing the crisis in political discourse and our public lives to its roots. They then offer an in-depth examination of the elements of a re-energized political system that could lead to the development of more sustainable communities. Based on a type of self-governance that political scientist Benjamin Barber calls "strong democracy," the politics is one of engagement rather than consignment, empowering citizens by directly involving them in community decisionmaking. After describing how it should work, the authors provide examples of communities that are experimenting with various features of strong democratic systems. The Local Politics of Global Sustainability explains in engaging, accessible prose the crucial biophysical, economic, and social issues involved with achieving sustainability. It offers a readable exploration of the political implications of ecological economics and will be an essential work for anyone involved in that field, as well as for students and scholars in environmental politics and policy, and anyone concerned with the theory and practical applications of the concept of sustainable development.

Sustainability and Communities of Place

Author: Carl A. Maida

Publisher: Berghahn Books

Published: 2007-04-01

Total Pages: 272

ISBN-13: 0857452843

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The concept of sustainability holds that the social, economic, and environmental factors within human communities must be viewed interactively and systematically. Sustainable development cannot be understood apart from a community, its ethos, and ways of life. Although broadly conceived, the pursuit of sustainable development is a local practice because every community has different needs and quality of life concerns. Within this framework, contributors representing the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, geography, economics, law, public policy, architecture, and urban studies explore sustainability in communities in the Pacific, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe, and North America. Contributors: Janet E. Benson, Karla Caser, Snjezana Colic, Angela Ferreira, Johanna Gibson, Krista Harper, Paulo Lana, Barbara Yablon Maida, Carl A. Maida, Kenneth A. Meter, Dario Novellino, Deborah Pellow, Claude Raynaut, Thomas F. Thornton, Richard Westra, Magda Zanoni

Linking Local and Global Sustainability

Author: Sukhbir Sandhu

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-09-10

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 9401790086

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The book takes a holistic approach to sustainability. Acknowledging the Brundtland definition, that sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, the book is specifically concerned with the ethics of contemporary social and environmental sustainability activity and thinking. It is concerned with the role of institutions–both local and global in achieving sustainability initiatives. All twelve chapters extend sustainability–conceptually, empirically and theoretically, and in doing so provide insights into linking local and global sustainability. The book refocuses sustainability as a series of interwoven and dynamic relationships, backed by just ethical decision-making, which begin locally, and reach out to impact the global level.

Performance Measurement in Local Sustainability Policy

Author: Susan M. Opp

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2018-02-21

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 1351244256

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Local officials are responsible for a number of important tasks that have a significant impact on the quality of life of most Americans. Arguably, the policy choices made by local governments in the United States more directly impact individual well-being than do the choices made at any other level of government. From zoning decisions to the creation of parks and the maintenance of sidewalks and trails, local governments are largely responsible for direct services to the public and can provide the necessary tools and skills to create an attractive and vibrant community. And yet one area of significant importance for both individuals and for the country as a whole, local sustainability, is a relatively new policy area for many American municipalities. For example, how many local governments are adopting sustainability policies and plans? How are those initiatives performing? Without an honest and robust examination of both the effectiveness and the efficiency of local sustainability policies, the success of the entire sustainability movement in the United States is uncertain. This book provides readers with a comprehensive understanding of what constitutes local sustainability and why it matters. Focusing closely on environmental initiatives, economic development issues, and social equity concerns, each chapter offers both an account of the sustainability policies being adopted and a close exploration of the performance measurement activities of cities in that policy area. Readers are introduced to the metrics that American cities are using to measure the performance of their sustainability efforts, as well as benchmarks and comparison statistics that may be used to develop and evaluate the performance assessment efforts in their own sustainability programs. Students of public administration, urban planning, and political science – as well as public officials – will find this book useful to understand the complexity of sustainability and local government.

Local Sustainability

Author: Paul Selman

Publisher: SAGE Publications Limited

Published: 1996-10-28

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 9781853963001

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Following on from the UN Conference on Environment and Development in 1992, sustainable development has become a major policy objective throughout the world. UNCED’s Agenda 21, which set out a strategy for sustainable development, has been taken up at both national and local government levels. Although it is widely accepted that sustainable development will largely depend on local action, little has been published on this in a consolidated and accessible way. In this book, Paul Selman addresses the nature of sustainable development, the particular issues raised at local level, and the ways in which local citizens, organizations and businesses can respond. The book features an integrated and systematic treatment of the theories and actions associated with local sustainability. The author combines practical approaches with theoretical concepts and analytical methods. No technical background knowledge is needed, and this book should be easily understood by anyone with a general appreciation of the environmental debate. “ Selman has researched the topic very thoroughly and has struggled through the complexities with great skill and given us the information to help our own thinking evolve.” ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION RESEARCH “ Paul Selman’s contribution to the emerging literature on the local dimension of sustainable development is to be welcomed for its straightforward and lucid treatment of the subject.” JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT “ This text is a welcome contribution to the exploration of what can be done at a local level to protect the environment.” LOCAL GOVERNMENT STUDIES “ It is very difficult to produce a textbook, especially in such a swift moving field, and this book is a considerable achievement.” LOCAL ENVIRONMENT

Sustainability in Austerity

Author: Philip Monaghan

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-09-08

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1351278347

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As the economic crisis of 2008/09 unfolded, it became apparent that the huge mountains of debt being built up by central governments were unsustainable and that savage cuts would be needed to balance budgets. It also became clear that the public sector would be one of the first in line when the axe started swinging. Yet, at the very same time, green advocates from business, academia and civil society were making calls for greater investment at the local level in the big sustainability issues of the day such as fostering sustainable consumption or educating communities on making the transition to a low-carbon economy. The upshot is that leaders in local government are going to be asked to do a lot more work on environmental and social sustainability but with much less money. To make matters worse, increasing public scepticism about why we should deal with these dilemmas in the first place has been exacerbating the problem, notably exemplified by concerns over the robustness of the science of climate change. Local sustainability faces a perfect storm. Sustainability in Austerity has been written to provide local leaders with a lifebelt in these turbulent times. It empowers local authorities to address the challenges they now face – by offering a treasure chest of cost-neutral and powerful ways for leaders in local government to advance sustainability as nations emerge from the global recession. The book sets out the required rules for leadership and proposes a myriad of innovative strategies for self-help achieved through habit-forming behaviour change among council members, staff and local communities alike. Packed with international case studies, anecdotes and management tips derived from a wealth of learning by like-minded peers across the world – all of whom have faced and overcome serious sustainability challenges – the book will be a touchstone for professionals working in areas such as: democracy and decision-making; corporate assets and resources; economic development and planning; waste and environmental services; fleet and logistics; and community management. There is an impressive array of books that provide fresh and innovative thinking on sustainability, but the vast majority have ignored or overlooked inspirational stories of positive change in local government. Sustainability in Austerity is a game-changing book and will be essential reading for managers and councillors in local government across the world, in either emerging or developed economies; managers in central government; community organisation leaders; academics; and management consultants who work with this sector on policy and performance.

Emerging Economies and Challenges to Sustainability

Author: Arve Hansen

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-10-10

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13: 1317752538

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The rise of emerging economies represents a challenge to traditional global power balances and raises the question of how we can combine sustainability with continued economic growth. Understanding this global shift and its impact on the environment is the paramount contemporary challenge for development-oriented researchers and policy makers alike. This book breaks new ground by combining scholarship on the role of emerging economies with research on sustainable development. The book investigates how the development strategies of emerging economies challenge traditional development theory and sustainability discourses. With regional introductions and original case studies from South Asia, East Asia, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, it discusses how to conceptualise sustainable development in the global race for economic prosperity. What characterises the development strategies of emerging economies, and what challenges are these posing for global sustainable development? How can emerging economies shed light on the global challenges, dilemmas and paradoxes of the relationship between socio-economic improvements and environmental degradation? This book will be a valuable resource for researchers and postgraduates in development studies, geography, economics and environmental studies.

Just Sustainabilities

Author: Robert Doyle Bullard

Publisher: Earthscan

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 1849771774

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Environmental activists and academics alike are realizing that a sustainable society must be a just one. Environmental degradation is almost always linked to questions of human equality and quality of life. Throughout the world, those segments of the population that have the least political power and are the most marginalized are selectively victimized by environmental crises. This book argues that social and environmental justice within and between nations should be an integral part of the policies and agreements that promote sustainable development. The book addresses the links between environmental quality and human equality and between sustainability and environmental justice.

Local Consumption and Global Environmental Impacts

Author: Kuishuang Feng

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-08-13

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1317577272

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This book describes how local consumption, particularly in urban areas, is increasingly met by global supply chains. These supply chains often extend over large geographical distances and have greater global environmental impacts, contributing to pollution, climate change, water scarcity, and deforestation. As consumption is increasingly met by globalized supply chains, causing social, economic, and environmental impacts elsewhere, consumption decisions can unknowingly contribute and reinforce global inequality and exploitation. To account for the impacts of consumption and distribution of wealth we need to analyze global supply and value chains. In this volume, the authors provide an overview of key methods of analysis, including Multi-Regional Input-Output analysis and Life Cycle Assessment. Subsequent chapters connect local consumption to the global consequences of different environmental issues, such as water and land use and stress, greenhouse gases emissions, and other forms of air pollution. Each issue is addressed in an individual chapter, including case studies from China, U.S. and UK. The book will be key reading for students taking courses in environmental sciences, sustainability sciences, ecological economies, and geography.