Sustainability: A Biological Perspective

by Stephen Morse

Overview

Encouraging students to engage in the challenges and complexity of sustainability, this text considers not only the theories underlying sustainability, but more importantly how theories are translated into practice and the difficulties of achieving this in the world in which we live. This pragmatic focus gives students a greater understanding of the practice of sustainability and highlights the challenges involved. Models and theories are illustrated throughout with real world examples to help students move away from the abstract and connect with genuine issues. The text begins by focusing on sustainable production and consumption and how they are related. The role of tools such as modelling and sustainability indicators are explored, and extended into the fields of stakeholder participation, livelihoods and evidence-based policy. The final chapter explores the interconnections between apparently disparate subjects and the importance of taking an interdisciplinary perspective.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521835336
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	07/08/2010
Pages:	274
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Steve Morse has been involved in sustainable development projects and research for 30 years. His research interests focus on the practical achievement of sustainability in development and natural resource management and he has been involved with such projects across the world, including a recent six-year study on agriculture in Nigeria. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Higher Education Academy and the Institute of Biology and a member of the Development Studies Association.

Table of Contents

Preface; 1. Sustainability: a word of our time; 2. Sustainable agriculture: more and more production; 3. Sustainable management of fisheries; 4. Applying sustainability to industry; 5. Social and economic dimensions to sustainability; 6. The 'doing' of sustainability; 7. Sustainability science?; References; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"This is a useful text to make students recognize the interconnectedness that underlies conservation, agriculture and environmental management with economics, ethics and politics... Morse provides enough in this volume, from food miles to evidence based policy making, to challenge any ecologist, economist or even policy maker to think more broadly."
David Walton, Bulletin of the British Ecological Society

"The book represents an excellent overview and critique of methods designed to empirically measure sustainability of agriculture, fisheries, and industry. His scientific references are plentiful... Highly recommended."
M.K. Bomford, Kentucky State University for Choice Magazine

From the Publisher