The Local Politics of Global Sustainability / Edition 1

by Thomas Prugh, Robert Costanza, Herman E. Daly

Overview

The most difficult questions of sustainability are not about technology; they are about values. Answers to such questions cannot be found by asking the "experts," but can only be resolved in the political arena. In The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, author Thomas Prugh, with Robert Costanza and Herman Daly, two ofthe leading thinkers in the field of ecological economics, explore the kind of politics that can help enable us to achieve a sustainable world of our choice, rather than one imposed by external forces.

The authors begin by considering the biophysical and economic dimensions of the environmental crisis, and tracing the crisis in political discourse and our public lives to its roots. They then offer an in-depth examination of the elements of a re-energized political system that could lead to the development of more sustainable communities. Based on a type of self-governance that political scientist Benjamin Barber calls "strong democracy," the politics is one of engagement rather than consignment, empowering citizens by directly involving them in community decisionmaking. After describing how it should work, the authors provide examples of communities that are experimenting with various features of strong democratic systems.

The Local Politics of Global Sustainability explains in engaging, accessible prose the crucial biophysical, economic, and social issues involved with achieving sustainability. It offers a readable exploration of the political implications of ecological economics and will be an essential work for anyone involved in that field, as well as for students and scholars in environmental politics and policy, and anyone concerned with the theory and practical applications of the concept of sustainable development.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781559637442
Publisher:	Island Press
Publication date:	12/01/1999
Edition description:	1
Pages:	196
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Thomas Prugh is an energy analyst and writer who has written extensively on environment and energy issues. He is coauthor of Natural Capital and Human Economic Survival (ISEE, 1995).

Robert Costanza is director of the Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Maryland, based in Solomons, Maryland, and coauthor of Ecosystem Health (Island Press, 1992).

Herman E. Daly is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland, School of Public Affairs. From 1988 to 1994 he was senior economist in the environment department of the World Bank. Prior to 1988 he was Alumni Professor of Economics at Louisiana State University, where he taught economics for twenty years. He is a co-founder and associate editor of the journal Ecological Economics.

He is co-author with theologian John B. Cobb, Jr. of For the Common Good (1989; 1994) which received the Grawemeyer Award for ideas for improving World Order. His other books include Steady-State Economics (Freeman, 1977; second edition, Island Press, 1991); Valuing the Earth (MIT, 1993) and Beyond Growth (Beacon, 1996). In 1996, he received the Heineken Prize for Environmental Science awarded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Right Livelihood Award, Sweden's alternative to the Nobel Prize.

Table of Contents

Preface
 
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Minimum Technical Requirements for Sustainability
Chapter 3. Aiming for Genotopia
Chapter 4. Prelude to Politics
Chapter 5. Engaging Politics
Chapter 6. The Once and Future Democracy
Chapter 7. Sustainability and Strong Democracy
 
Index