AN INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENT, SOCIETY AND SUSTAINABILITY

This timely and innovative book delves into the complex interplay of human activities and natural limits in generating today s sustainability challenges By contrasting the pressures of growing populations with ecological footprints associated with consumption the volume navigates the contested terrain where human societies generate environmental impacts Adorned with illustrative figures examples and case studies throughout this book presents insightful analysis of ecological economic technological and social justice responses to the challenges faced by human civilization including land degradation climate change pollution and overexploitation of natural resources Many of these issues are wicked problems characterized by incomplete information multiple stakeholders and contested approaches to addressing them In simple terms sustainability issues are an interplay between population growth and rising consumption which are placing impossible demands on finite resources Potential solutions to the crisis are split between green growth approaches that emphasize technology and institutional capacity to guide economic growth in more sustainable ways and degrowth approaches that call for a fundamental rethinking of the way we structure society and generate v