Building a Sustainable Society


Book Description

Brown argues that, as with the ancient Mayans, escalating world food demands are leading to topsoil losses that are eroding the foundation of present civilization. Deforestation, overgrazing and overfishing are shrinking the economy's resource base, leading to the biological equivalent of deficit financing. Unremitting inflation indicates that the transition to a sustainable society is behind schedule. Yet Brown finds reason for hope, China has recently halved its population growth rate and U.S. oil imports were cut by a third in two years. There are exciting signs of a shift to renewable energy, endowing the economy with permanence. Unlike the Mayans, today's societies know the course corrections needed to put it on a sustainable path.




Green Civilization


Book Description

This book approaches Green Civilization based on the background of international initiative on sustainable development and in-depth analyzes the valuable era consensus reached by 193 countries on the UN Sustainable Development 2030 Agenda. The Author expounds own point of view to debate the well-known book Clash of Civilizations by the method of contradictory debate dialectically. In addition, it demonstrates the development of Human Green Civilization systematically by Multi-dimensional history material of human civilization. This book covers the academic, political, and business in the world. It is suitable for scholars, researchers, students and university degree readers for economics, eco-environment, political science, sociology and anthropology. It aims at promoting the realization of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, at promoting the dialogue between the East and the West, working for facilitating peace for mankind and spreading the advanced concept of sustainable human development to the people of all countries.




Sustainable Civilization


Book Description

In order to be sustainable, a civilization must maintain the balance between 'mind' and 'matter' and between the egocentric 'I' and 'the others'. This book investigates how new institutional arrangements in politics, economy and finance can resolve the current crisis of social values by restoring this delicate balance between opposing forces.




Sustainable Civilization


Book Description

In order to be sustainable, a civilization must maintain the balance between 'mind' and 'matter' and between the egocentric 'I' and 'the others'. This book investigates how new institutional arrangements in politics, economy and finance can resolve the current crisis of social values by restoring this delicate balance between opposing forces.




Engineering for Sustainable Communities


Book Description

Engineering for Sustainable Communities: Principles and Practices defines and outlines sustainable engineering methods for real-world engineering projects.




Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems


Book Description

Modern city dwellers are largely detached from the environmental effects of their daily lives. The sources of the water they drink, the food they eat, and the energy they consume are all but invisible, often coming from other continents, and their waste ends up in places beyond their city boundaries. Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems shows how cities and their residents can begin to reintegrate into their bioregional environment, and how cities themselves can be planned with nature’s organizing principles in mind. Taking cues from living systems for sustainability strategies, Newman and Jennings reassess urban design by exploring flows of energy, materials, and information, along with the interactions between human and non-human parts of the system. Drawing on examples from all corners of the world, the authors explore natural patterns and processes that cities can emulate in order to move toward sustainability. Some cities have adopted simple strategies such as harvesting rainwater, greening roofs, and producing renewable energy. Others have created biodiversity parks for endangered species, community gardens that support a connection to their foodshed, and pedestrian-friendly spaces that encourage walking and cycling. A powerful model for urban redevelopment, Cities as Sustainable Ecosystems describes aspects of urban ecosystems from the visioning process to achieving economic security to fostering a sense of place.




Spirituality and Civilization Sustainability in the 21st Century


Book Description

This book investigates the state of civilisation in the 21st century, which is characterised by the transformation of Western Civilisation into Global Civilisation and the resulting Great Recession, triggered by the financial crisis in the United States in 2008. Since the state of former Western Civilisation is steadily worsening, the question is rising whether civilisation is sustainable at all. To answer this question, 20 authors, members of the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilisations (from several countries and continents) investigate the aspect of human spirituality, and whether its actual level of development is able to steer the sustainable development of civilisation? The authors investigate the complexity of the current state of world civilisation and the Planet, concluding that western societies entered the Second Great Crisis of Civilisation, and reminding that the First Great Crisis took place after the fall of Rome I in 476 CE, and lasted till the Italian Renaissance, which means almost 1000 years. This book offers spirituality 2.0 as a possible "tool" for people to behave wisely in order to sustain our civilisation. This new spirituality 2.0 contains a set of complementary best values of current eight civilisations, which should lead to tolerant (less-conflict driven) human behaviour and wise decision-making. The book finally defines Wise Civilisation and paths of its implementation, under the condition that people will be not only knowledgeable, but wise and inspired mainly by right spirituality.




China's Environmental Governing and Ecological Civilization


Book Description

This book looks into the increasing conflict between the demand of economic growth and the already fragile ecological system condition in China. The prolonged urbanization process has escalated the erosion of natural environments and is increasing energy consumption. China’s role as a “world plant” is also demanding more and more resource supply as well as energy consumption. This book argues that to correctly respond to these emerging issues, apart from upgrading industry and improves environmental protection techniques, China needs to establish an “ecological civilization” that provides an ideological basis for the construction of a green low-carbon model of economic growth.




The Age of Low Tech


Book Description

People often believe that we can overcome the profound environmental and climate crises we face by smart systems, green innovations and more recycling. However, the quest for complex technological solutions, which rely on increasingly exotic and scarce materials, makes this unlikely. A best-seller in France, this English language edition introduces readers to an alternative perspective on how we should be marshalling our resources to preserve the planet and secure our future. Bihouix skilfully goes against the grain to argue that ‘high’ technology will not solve global problems and envisages a different approach to build a more resilient and sustainable society.




Asean-china Cooperation For Environmental Protection And Sustainable Energy Development


Book Description

In order for the joint research by Network of ASEAN-China Think-tanks (NACT) to reach out to a much wider audience, NACT began to publish joint research of all Working Groups since 2019. This book is a collection of research papers contributed by ASEAN and China scholars who attended NACT Working Group Meeting on Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Energy Development on April 16, 2019 and NACT Working Group Meeting on Environmental Protection in ASEAN and China on May 17, 2019. The contributing scholars give their ingenious and insightful thoughts on ASEAN-China energy and environmental protection cooperation from either a national or a regional perspective. Two NACT Working Group Reports are also incorporated in the appendices of this book, including innovative and practical policy recommendations on strengthening ASEAN-China sustainable energy and environmental protection cooperation in existing priority areas and identifying new ones.