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Open Access Books
This open access library allows searcing by key words. Sustainability brought up 110 titles. Take the opportunity to see what is freely available to you.
- OAPEN
OAPEN (Open Access Publishing in European Networks) is a collaborative initiative to develop and implement a sustainable Open Access publication model for academic books in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The OAPEN Library aims to improve the visibility and usability of high quality academic research by aggregating peer reviewed Open Access publications from across Europe.
Sustainability
“Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the
word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.
For humans it is the potential for long-term maintenance of wellbeing, which in
turn depends on the wellbeing of the natural world and the responsible use of natural
resources
Sustainability has become a
wide-ranging term that can be applied to almost every facet of life on earth ,
from local to a global scale and over various time periods. Long-lived and
healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems.
Invisible chemical cycles redistribute water, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon
through the world's living and non-living systems, and have sustained life for
millions of years. As the earth’s human population has increased, natural ecosystems
have declined and changes in the balance of natural cycles has had a negative
impact on both humans and other living systems.
There is abundant scientific
evidence that humanity is living unsustainably, and returning human use of
natural resources to within sustainable limits will require a major collective
effort Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms from reorganizing
living conditions (e.g., ecovillages, eco-municipalities and sustainable
cities) reappraising economic sectors (permaculture, green building, sustainable
agriculture ), or work practices (sustainable architecture), using science to develop new
technologies (green technologies, renewable energy), to
adjustments in individual lifestyles that conserve natural resources.”
Earth Policy
Institute Natural Systems. www.earth-policy.org, Data Center.
New Items
GREENR (Global Reference on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources) is a multi-source Academic resource focusing on environmental issues and sustainable development, with a special emphasis on the social science aspects of these issues. It treats all facets of human interaction with the natural world. It's a lens through which to look at the way the environment spills into multiple academic disciplines.
Pathways to Urban Sustainability: Research and development on Urban Systems
More than half of the world's people now live in cities. In the United States,
the figure is 80 percent. It is worthwhile to consider how this trend of
increased urbanization, if inevitable, could be made more sustainable. One
fundamental shortcoming of urban research and programs is that they sometimes
fail to recognize urban areas as systems. Current institutions and actors are
not accustomed to exploring human-environment interactions, particularly at an
urban-scale. The fact is that these issues involve complex interactions, many of
which are not yet fully understood. Thus a key challenge for the 21st century is
this: How can we develop sustainable urban systems that provide healthy, safe
and affordable environments for the growing number of Americans living in cities
and their surrounding metropolitan areas?
To address this question, the
National Research Council organized a workshop exploring the landscape of urban
sustainability research programs in the United States. The workshop, summarized
in this volume, was designed to allow participants to share information about
the activities and planning efforts of federal agencies, along with related
initiatives by universities, the private sector, nongovernmental groups, state
and local agencies, and international organizations.
Readers can go to this site and download a copy of this and other titles for personal use! Check the list under More Titles from STS and PGA onthis website.
Featured Sites
The vision of the Patel School of Global Sustainability is inclusive and holistic , based on integrated interdisciplinary research, scholarship and teaching. Its strength derives from the committed involvement of faculty representing natural and social sciences, engineering, business, the humanities, arts, education and health.
- USF Patel School of Global Sustainability
- USF Office of Sustainability The Office of Sustainability coordinates and builds partnerships for university-wide initiatives that advance the University of South Florida's strategic goal of creating a sustainable campus environment.
- Facilities Planning & Construction - SustainabilitySustainable goals and projects for USF. Includes links to campus projects, and programs
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