Sustainability, Kent E. Portnoy
Sustainability, Kent E. Portnoy
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Sustainability

Author: Kent E. Portnoy

Narrator: Don Hagen

Unabridged: 4 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Ascent Audio

Published: 11/01/2015


Synopsis

The word "sustainability" has been connected to everything from a certain kind of economic development to corporate promises about improved supply sourcing. But despite the apparent ubiquity of the term, the concept of sustainability has come to mean a number of specific things. In this accessible guide to the meanings of sustainability, Kent Portney describes the evolution of the idea and examines its application in a variety of contemporary contexts -- from economic growth and consumption to government policy and urban planning.

Portney takes as his starting point the 1987 definition by the World Commission on Environment and Development of sustainability as economic development activity that "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." At its heart, Portney explains, sustainability focuses on the use and depletion of natural resources. It is not the same as environmental protection or natural resource conservation; it is more about finding some sort of steady state so that the earth can support both human population and economic growth.

Portney looks at political opposition to the promotion of sustainability, which usually questions the need for sustainability or calls its costs unacceptable; collective and individual consumption of material goods and resources and to what extent they must be curtailed to achieve sustainability; the role of the private sector, and the co-opting of sustainability by corporations; government policy on sustainability at the international, national, and subnational levels; and how cities could become models for sustainability action.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Thuy on August 10, 2019

It is sort of an academic summary of efforts aiming to address sustainability, identifying friends and foes, trends and needs. Rather dry, matter-of-fact with some opinions stated here and there, it falls somewhere between a beginner's handbook and a scientific report, however is neither. It could be......more

Goodreads review by Micah Parsons on July 30, 2022

Is Pursuing Greater Sustainability Hopeless? “Only Time Will Tell” A group of 11 researchers published a study in 2010 with the title, “will limited land, water, and energy control human population numbers in the future.” Given the current available environmental resources (land, water, energy, food)......more

Goodreads review by Juan on March 30, 2024

And what will be the effects of global warming on the world and what further mark of destruction will human beings leave in these centuries of technological growth? I think we should all do our bit. That is why BCM Corporate, the company where I work, is very involved in this issue, selling SW that,......more

Goodreads review by Kerry on October 19, 2020

Basic overview of theories related to the term sustainability. I work in agriculture research and life sciences academics so sustainability is a subject that is very relevant to my work environment.......more

Goodreads review by Joe on September 15, 2020

A good introductory text that touches upon various aspects of sustainability including politics and resistance. It is not detailed or in depth, which made for a quick, easy read.......more