State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures: From Consumerism to Sustainability (State of the World (Paperback)) - Softcover

The Worldwatch Institute; Erik Assadourian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 039333726X ISBN 13: 9780393337266

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company, 2010

Synopsis

The premier environmental nonprofit shows the ways to transform our consumer culture into a culture centered on sustainability.

For society to thrive long into the future, we must move beyond our unsustainable consumer culture to one that respects environmental realities. In State of the World 2010, the Worldwatch Institute’s award-winning research team reveals not only how human societies can make this shift but also how people around the world have already started to nurture a new culture of sustainability. Chapters present innovative solutions to global environmental problems, focusing on institutions that are the principal engineers of culture, such as governments, the media, and religious organizations. Written in clear, concise language, with easy-to-read charts and tables, State of the World presents a view of our changing world that we, and our leaders, cannot afford to ignore.

About this title

About the Author

The Worldwatch Institute is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit research and publishing organization dedicated to fostering the evolution of an environmentally sustainable society.

Reviews

In this year's volume, the D.C.-based Worldwatch Institute think-tank considers, in several dozen pieces, how "cultures of consumption" can be transformed into "cultures of sustainability." Many ideas take inspiration from diverse traditions: religions can be called upon to embrace their own deepest values and renounce materialism, while establishing new holidays, rituals and taboos incorporating strategies for sustainability (Earth Day, "Green funerals," new days of fasting, etc.); practices honoring elders as transmitters of ancient wisdom can be spread beyond regions where they still thrive (Africa, India, etc.); thousand-year-old Asian farming methods can be revived. Ideas for restructuring education include replacing the "Three Rs" with the "Seven Rs" ("reduce, reuse, recycle, respect, reflect, repair, and responsibility") and emphasizing "environmental education" in higher learning. The largest-scale changes include shifting societal goals from "maximizing growth of the market economy to maximizing sustainable human well being"; ensuring that the burden of reduced production falls on the wealthiest, not the poorest; and building sustainable cities like Vauban, a 5,000-household German community that uses 100 percent renewable energy. Though many solutions in this visionary volume require a pie-in-the-sky "whole Earth community" legal system prioritizing "the right to life" over "the right to conduct business," it should give leaders and laypeople much to consider.
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Edition details

• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 039333726X
• ISBN 13: 9780393337266
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272