Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction

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Saleem H. Ali (Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences, Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware)

Sustainability

A Very Short Introduction

Saleem H. Ali (Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences, Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware)

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English

Oxford University Press
20 February 2025

Environmentalist thought & ideology; Management of land & natural resources; Sustainability

Series: Very Short Introductions

Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, Inspiring

The growing concern about global environmental change and human impacts on the planet has led to the emergence of a broad field of study on the 'sustainability' of human societies. The term's common usage can be traced back to the advent of the Earth Summit in 1992 when 'sustainable development' was broadly embraced by the international community as an ostensibly win-win proposition for economic development, social inclusion, and ecological conservation. Yet both the natural science underpinnings and the social implications of a quest for sustainability have been diffuse. There is a need for a coherent synthesis which draws out key themes from both natural and social analysis of the concept.

This Very Short Introduction begins by introducing the concept of sustainability and how it has developed. The central chapters consider four key concepts crucial to sustainability: a) material and energy flows in consumption and production; b) technological interventions for a sustainable society; c) tipping points, and resilience in natural and social systems; and d) renewability and circularity in the economy. In the concluding chapter, Saleem H. Ali explores political means of managing anthropogenic change for a more sustainable society.

ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

By: Saleem H. Ali (Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences Gold Distinguished Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences University of Delaware)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 174mm, Width: 112mm, Spine: 11mm
Weight: 150g
ISBN: 9780192869623
ISBN 10: 0192869620
Series: Very Short Introductions
Pages: 176
Publication Date: 20 February 2025
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1: Seeking 'sustainability': origins and concepts 2: How energy and materials flow through systems 3: Technological and economic interventions for a sustainable society 4: Tipping points and resilience 5: Renewability, circularity, and industry 6: Anthropogenic change and sustainability

Saleem H. Ali holds the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professorship in Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware and is Honorary Professor at the University of Queensland. He is a National Geographic Explorer (having travelled for research to over 150 countries) and was chosen as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He also served on the seven-member science panel of the Global Environment Facility (the world's largest multilateral trust fund for the environment, held in trusteeship by the World Bank). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Geographical Society in the United Kingdom, and serves on the boards of Adventure Scientists and Mediators Beyond Borders International. His books include Treasures of the Earth: Need Greed and a Sustainable Future, Environmental Diplomacy (OUP, 2014), and Earthly Order (OUP, 2022).

Reviews for Sustainability: A Very Short Introduction

The pursuit of sustainability is entraining such an extraordinary flourishing of hopes, ideas, inventions and scams that it surely warrants its own World Expo in the near future. Fortunately, Saleem H. Ali has already gifted us what amounts to a catalog of what that Expo should have on display. He takes us on a critical tour of expected pavilions - nature's services, circular systems, well-being metrics, tipping points, governance innovations and more. But he also introduces us to an eclectic selection of the people - scholars, activists, artists - who have helped to build those pavilions, to connect them, and so to foster today's halting but real progress toward sustainable development. A must read, and an enjoyable one. * William C. Clark, Harvey Brooks Research Professor, Harvard University, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences * Sustainability science has come a long way, moving from integrated environmental science to social-ecological systems research for a prosperous and equitable future for people on planet Earth. The key insight is not that humanity faces potentially unmanageable environmental risks. It is that we have increasing evidence that sustainability is the only path to a healthier, more stable and modern future. Summarizing this journey and the state of knowledge is no small feat. Saleem Ali succeeds, in a must read for all who want to succeed in the future. * Johan Rockström, Professor in Earth system science, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Winner of the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement * The pursuit of sustainability is entraining such an extraordinary flourishing of hopes, ideas, inventions and scams that it surely warrants its own World Expo in the near future. Fortunately, Saleem H. Ali has already gifted us what amounts to a catalog of what that Expo should have on display. He takes us on a critical tour of expected pavilions - nature's services, circular systems, well-being metrics, tipping points, governance innovations and more. But he also introduces us to an eclectic selection of the people - scholars, activists, artists - who have helped to build those pavilions, to connect them, and so to foster today's halting but real progress toward sustainable development. A must read, and an enjoyable one. * William C. Clark, Harvey Brooks Research Professor, Harvard University, Member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences *