State of the World 2013
Is Sustainability Still Possible?
Every day, we are presented with a range of“sustainable” products and activities – from“green” cleaning supplies to carbon offsets – butwith so much labeled as “sustainable,” the term has becomeessentially sustainababble, at best indicating a practice or productslightly less damaging than the conventional alternative. Is it time toabandon the concept altogether, or can we find an accurate way tomeasure sustainability? If so, how can we achieve it? And if not, howcan we best prepare for the coming ecological decline?
In the latest edition of Worldwatch Institute’s State of theWorld series, scientists, policy experts, and thought leaders tacklethese questions, attempting to restore meaning to sustainability asmore than just a marketing tool. In State of the World 2013: IsSustainability Still Possible?, experts define clearsustainability metrics and examine various policies and perspectives,including geoengineering, corporate transformation, and changes inagricultural policy, that could put us on the path to prosperitywithout diminishing the well-being of future generations. If theseapproaches fall short, the final chapters explore ways to prepare fordrastic environmental change and resource depletion, such asstrengthening democracy and societal resilience, protecting culturalheritage, and dealing with increased conflict and migration flows.
State of the World 2013 cuts through the rhetoricsurrounding sustainability, offering a broad and realistic look at howclose we are to fulfilling it today and which practices and policieswill steer us in the right direction. This book will be especiallyuseful for policymakers, environmental nonprofits, and students ofenvironmental studies, sustainability, or economics.