Featured Books & eBooks - Culture, Ethics & Psychology
Environmental Ethics & Film by Call Number: PN1995.9.E78 B84ISBN: 9780415747271Publication Date: 2015Environmental ethics presents and defends a systematic and comprehensive account of the moral relation between human beings and their natural environment and assumes that human behaviour toward the natural world may be governed by moral norms. In contemporary society, film has provided a powerful instrument for the moulding of such ethical attitudes. Through a close examination of the medium, Environmental Ethics and Film explores how historical ethical values can be re-imagined and re-constituted for more contemporary audiences.
The Ice Is Melting: Ethics in the Arctic by Call Number: GE42 .I24ISBN: 9788245018431Publication Date: 2015The ice in the Arctic is melting. Is the world headed toward catastrophe, or is this only a problem for polar bears and walruses? How will a warmer Arctic affect the living conditions of people further away, in places such as Polynesia and Micronesia? What are the responsibilities of individuals in this situation? This inspiring and provocative book examines climate change and the ethical issues involved.
A New Environmental Ethics: The Next Millenium for Life on Earth by Call Number: GE42 .R65ISBN: 9780203804339Publication Date: 2012No one looking ahead at the middle of the last century could have foreseen the extent and the importance of the ensuing environmental crises. Now, more than a decade into the next century, no one can ignore it. With this forward-looking analysis, Holmes Rolston, an early and leading pioneer in studying the moral relationship between humans and the earth, surveys a full spectrum of approaches to environmental ethics.
Quicklist
Cafaro, Philip & Eileen Crist (Eds.). Life on the Brink: Environmentalists Confront Overpopulation. (2012) - HB871 .L5195
Minteer, Ben. Nature in Common?: Environmental Ethics and the Contested Foundations of Environmental Policy. (2009) - eBook
Brand, Stewart. Whole Earth Discipline: An Ecopragmatist Manifesto. (2009) - GF41 .B77
Northcott, Michael. Moral Climate: The Ethics of Global Warming. (2007) - BT695 .5.N69
Gudorf, Christine. Boundaries: A Casebook in Environmental Ethics. (2003) - GE42 .G83
Hay, Peter. Main Currents in Western Environmental Thought. (2002) - GE195 .H39
Howard, George. How Should I Live?: Psychology, Environmental Science and Moral Traditions. (2002) - BF353 .H69
Boylan, Michael. Environmental Ethics. (2001) - GE42 .B69
Web Resources
Security & Sustainability Forum. How Sustainable is Our Global Climate Ethos? (2017)
City Unseen: New Visions of an Urban Planet by Call Number: QH541.5.C6 S45ISBN: 9780300221695Publication Date: 2018Seeing cities around the globe in their larger environmental contexts, we begin to understand how the world shapes urban landscapes and how urban landscapes shape the world. Authors Karen Seto and Meredith Reba provide these revealing views to enhance readers' understanding of the shape, growth, and life of urban settlements of all sizes—from the remote town of Namche Bazaar in Nepal to the vast metropolitan prefecture of Tokyo, Japan. Using satellite data, the authors show urban landscapes in new perspectives. The book's beautiful and surprising images pull back the veil on familiar scenes to highlight the growth of cities over time, the symbiosis between urban form and natural landscapes, and the vulnerabilities of cities to the effects of climate change.
The Structure and Dynamics of Human Ecosystems - Toward a Model for Understanding and Action by Call Number: GF41 .B865ISBN: 9780300137033Publication Date: 2017As the world faces ever more complex and demanding environmental and social challenges, the need for interdisciplinary models and practical guidance becomes acute. The Human Ecosystem Model described in this landmark book provides an innovative response to these challenges and provides both a grand theory and its practical applications. Broad in scope, detailed in method, at once theoretical and applied, this grand study offers an in-depth understanding of human ecosystems and tools for action. The authors draw from Goethe's Faust, classic anthropology and sociology studies, contemporary ecosystem ecology, Buddhist ethics, and more to create a seminal model and a major advance in interdisciplinary ecology.
Greening Death: Reclaiming Burial Practices and Restoring Our Tie to the Earth by Call Number: GT3203 .K45ISBN: 9781442241565Publication Date: 2015We once disposed of our dead in earth-friendly ways—no chemicals, biodegradable containers, dust to dust. But over the last 150 years death care has become a toxic, polluting, and alienating industry in the United States. Today, people are slowly waking up to the possibility of more sustainable and less disaffecting death care, reclaiming old practices in new ways, in a new age. Greening Death traces the philosophical and historical backstory to this awakening, captures the passionate on-the-ground work of the Green Burial Movement, and explores the obstacles and other challenges getting in the way of more robust mobilization. As the movement lays claim to greener, simpler, and more cost-efficient practices, something even more promising is being offered up--a tangible way of restoring our relationship to nature.
The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are Today by Call Number: QR46 .D86ISBN: 9780061806483Publication Date: 2011Biologist Rob Dunn reveals the crucial influence that other species have upon our health, our well-being, and our world in The Wild Life of Our Bodies—a fascinating tour through the hidden truths of nature and codependence. Dunn illuminates the nuanced, often imperceptible relationships that exist between homo sapiens and other species, relationships that underpin humanity's ability to thrive and prosper in every circumstance. will be enthralled by Dunn's powerful, lucid exploration of the role that humankind plays within the greater web of life on Earth.
Quicklist
Matthew, Richard (Ed.). Global Environmental Change and Human Security. (2010) - GE149 .G553
Owen, David. Green Metropolis: Why Living Smaller, Living Closer, and Driving Less Are the Keys to Sustainability. (2009) - GF504.N7 O95
McDonnell, Mark; Amy Hahs; & Jürgen Breuste. Ecology of Cities and Towns: A Comparative Approach. (2009) - QH541.5.C6 E278
Designing Sustainability: Making Radical Changes in a Material World by Call Number: TS171.4 .W349ISBN: 9780415744119Publication Date: 2014What is the relationship between design, sustainability, inner values and spirituality? How can we create designs that provide a convincing alternative to unsustainable interpretations of progress, growth, consumerism and commercialism? Building on the arguments first advanced in his books, Sustainable by Design and The Spirit of Design, Stuart Walker explains how we can achieve the systemic changes needed to address the challenges of sustainability.
Enough Is Enough: Building A Sustainable Economy In A World Of Finite Resources by Call Number: HC79.E5D547ISBN: 9781609948054Publication Date: 2013We're overusing the earth's finite resources, and yet excessive consumption is failing to improve our lives. In Enough Is Enough, Rob Dietz and Dan O'Neill lay out a visionary but realistic alternative to the perpetual pursuit of economic growth—an economy where the goal is not more but enough. They explore specific strategies to conserve natural resources, stabilize population, reduce inequality, fix the financial system, create jobs, and more—all with the aim of maximizing long-term well-being instead of short-term profits.
The Approaching Great Transformation: Toward A Livable Post Carbon Economy by Call Number: HC79.E5M332ISBN: 9781609804800Publication Date: 2013The Approaching Great Transformation provides inspiration for those seeking to be part of the ongoing global effort to end our devotion on fossil fuels and ceaseless growth and choose a more sustainable, stable, and just system. Guided by vision and deliberate action, Joel Magnuson asserts, communities around the world can break out of their habitual ways of producing and consuming things and move optimistically toward something better.
Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy & the Future of Environmentalism by Call Number: TJ807.9.U6Z44ISBN: 9780803237759Publication Date: 2012We don't have an energy crisis. We have a consumption crisis. And this book, which takes aim at cherished assumptions regarding energy, offers refreshingly straight talk about what's wrong with the way we think and talk about the problem. Though we generally believe we can solve environmental problems with more energy—more solar cells, wind turbines, and biofuels—alternative technologies come with their own limitations. If consumption is the problem, as Ozzie Zehner suggests, then we need to shift our focus to improving social and political fundamentals: walkable communities, improved consumption, enlightened governance, and, most notably, women's rights.
Quicklist
Princen, Thomas. Treading Softly: Paths to Ecological Order. (2010) - eBook
Ponting, Clive. New Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations. (2007) - GF75 .P66
Trainer, Ted. Renewable Energy Cannot Sustain a Consumer Society. (2007) - eBook
Zaccar, Edwin (Ed.). Sustainable Consumption, Ecology & Fair Trade. (2007) - eBook
Simms, Andrew. Ecological Debt: The Health of the Planet and the Wealth of Nations. (2005) - HC79.E5 S45
de Graaf, John; David Wann & Thomas Naylor. Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic. (2005) - HN60 .D396
Grunert, Klaus & John Thøgersen (Eds.). Consumer Policy and the Environment: A Tribute to Folke Ölander. (2005) - eBook
Myers, Norman. New Consumers: The Influence of Affluence on the Environment. (2004) - HD75.6 .M48
Brown, Douglas. Insatiable Is Not Sustainable. (2002) - HC79.E5B758
The Zero Waste Solution: Untrashing the Planet One Community at a Time by ISBN: 9781603584890Publication Date: 2013Waste is something we all make every day but often pay little attention to. That's changing, and model programs around the globe show the many different ways a community can strive for and achieve zero-waste status. Scientist-turned-activist Paul Connett, a leading international figure in decades-long battles to fight pollution, has championed efforts to curtail overconsumption and keep industrial toxins out of our air, our drinking water and our bodies. In The Zero Waste Solution, Connett profiles the most successful zero-waste initiatives around the world, showing activists, planners, and entrepreneurs how to re-envision their community's waste-handling process—by consuming less, turning organic waste into compost, recycling, reusing other waste, and demanding better product design.
Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste by ISBN: 9781451697681Publication Date: 2013By parts inspirational story and step-by-step guide, Zero Waste Home details how Bea Johnson (the "Priestess of Waste-Free Living") reduced her household’s waste production to… a quart per year. Johnson shares hundreds of easy tips for sustainable living that even the busiest people can integrate into their lives—to help you improve your health, save money and time, and achieve a brighter future for your family and the planet.
The Zeronauts: Breaking the Sustainability Barrier by Call Number: HD30.255.E453ISBN: 9781849713979Publication Date: 2012By mid-century our world of 9 billion people will necessitate fundamental changes in our mindsets, behaviors, cultures, and overarching paradigm. Just as our species broke the Sound Barrier during the 1940s and 1950s, a new breed of innovator, entrepreneur, and investor is lining up to break the Sustainability Barrier. In this book, John Elkington introduces the Zeronauts, a vanguard of thinkers and entrepreneurs determined to drive problems such as carbon, waste, toxics, and poverty to zero.
Quicklist
Terry, Beth. Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can, Too. (2012) - TD196.P85T47
Social Science Theory for Environmental Sustainability: A Practical Guide by ISBN: 9780198793199Publication Date: 2018Social-ecological challenges call for a far better integration of the social sciences into conservation training and practice. Environmental problems are, first and foremost, people problems. Without better understandings of the people involved, solutions are often hard to come by, regardless of expertise in biology, ecology, or other traditional conservation sciences. This novel book provides an accessible survey of a broad range of theories widely applicable to environmental problems that students and practitioners can apply to their work. It serves as a simple reference guide to illuminate the value and utility of social science theories for the practice of environmental conservation.
The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Call Number: BF353.5.N37 W55ISBN: 9780393242713Publication Date: 2017For centuries, poets and philosophers extolled the benefits of a walk in the woods: Beethoven drew inspiration from rocks and trees; Wordsworth composed while tromping over the heath; and Nikola Tesla conceived the electric motor while visiting a park. Intrigued by our storied renewal in the natural world, Florence Williams set out to uncover the science behind nature's positive effects on the brain.
What We Think about When We Try Not to Think about Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action by Call Number: BF353.5.C55 S76ISBN: 9781603585835Publication Date: 2015The more facts that pile up about global warming, the greater the resistance to them grows, making it harder to enact measures that can prepare communities for the changes ahead. According to psychologist and economist Per Espen Stoknes, expecting facts to win the day bespeaks an inadequate understanding of the way most humans actually think, act, and live in the world around them. With dozens of examples—from the private sector to government agencies—Stoknes shows how to retell the story of climate change and, at the same time, create positive, meaningful actions that can be supported even by deniers.
Quicklist
Payne, Oliver. Inspiring Sustainable Behaviour: 19 Ways to Ask for Change. (2012) - HB74.P8 P29
Lappe, Frances Moore. EcoMind: Changing the Way We Think, to Create the World We Want. (2011) - GE195 .L375
Clayton, Susan & Susan Opotow (Eds.). Identity and the Natural Environment: The Psychological Significance of Nature. (2003) - eBook
Roszak, Theodore. Voice of the Earth: An Epxloration of Ecopsychology. (2001) - BD581 .R69
Metzner, Ralph. Green Psychology: Transforming Our Relationship to the Earth. (1999) - BF353.5.N37 M47
Miller, Alan. Environmental Problem Solving: Psychosocial Barriers to Adaptive Change. (1999) - GE300 .M55
Roszak, Theodore; Mary Gomes; & Allen Kanner. Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind. (1995) - BF353.5.N37 E26
Climate Change and Gender in Rich Countries by ISBN: 9781138222403Publication Date: 2017Climate change is at the forefront of ideas about public policy, the economy and labor issues. However, the gendered dimensions of climate change and the public policy issues associated with it in wealthy nations are much less understood. This timely analysis investigates the gendered distinctions in both experiences of climate change and the ways that public policy deals with it. Case studies from the UK, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Spain and the US illustrate key issues—such as how gendered distinctions impact policies related to paid and unpaid work; support for the most vulnerable; and activism.
Ecowomanism: African American Women and Earth-Honoring Faiths by ISBN: 9781626982017Publication Date: 2017Scholarship on African American history and culture has often neglected the tradition of African American women who engage in theological and religious reflection on their ethical and moral responsibility to care for the earth. Melanie Harris argues that African American women make distinctive contributions to the environmental justice movement in the ways that they theologize, theorize, practice spiritual activism, and come into religious understandings about our relationship with the earth. This unique text stands at the intersection of several academic disciplines: womanist theology, eco-theology, spirituality, and theological aesthetics.
Gender and the Environment by ISBN: 9780745663838Publication Date: 2016In this timely and insightful book, Nicole Detraz examines contemporary debates around population, consumption, and security to show how gender can help us to better understand environmental issues and to develop policies to tackle them effectively and justly. Drawing on examples of various environmental concerns from countries around the world, Gender and the Environment makes the case that it is only by adopting a more inclusive focus that embraces the complex ways men and women interact with ecosystems that we can move towards enhanced sustainability and greater environmental justice on a global scale.
Quicklist
Mortimer-Sandilands, Catriona & Bruce Erickson (Ed.). Queer Ecologies: Sex, Nature, Politics and Desire. (2010) - eBook
Tong, Rosemarie. Feminist Thought: A More Comprehensive Introduction. (2009) - HQ 1206 .T65
Gaard, Greta Claire. Nature of Home: Taking Root in a Place. (2007) - HQ503 .G22
Roughgarden, Joan. Evolution's Rainbow: Diversity, Gender, and Sexuality in Nature and People. (2004) - QH541.15.B56 .R68
Domosh, Mona. Putting Women in Their Place: Feminist Geographers Make Sense of the World. (2001) - HQ1150 .D65
Warren, Karen. Ecofeminism: Women, Culture, Nature. (1997) - HQ1233 .E23
Earth-Honoring Faith: Religious Ethics in a New Key by Call Number: BT695.5 .R375ISBN: 9780199917006Publication Date: 2012Thoughtful observers agree that the planetary crises we now face—climate change, species extinction; the destruction of entire ecosystems, the urgent need for a more just economic-political order—is pushing human civilization to a radical turning point: change or perish. But precisely how to change remains an open question. In Earth-Honoring Faith, Larry Rasmussen answers that question with a dramatically new way of thinking about human society, ethics, and the ongoing health of our planet. Rejecting the modern assumption that morality applies to human society alone, Rasmussen insists that we must derive a spiritual and ecological ethic that accounts for the well-being of all creation, as well as the primal elements upon which it depends: earth, air, fire, water, and sunlight. He argues that good science, necessary as it is, will not be enough to inspire fundamental change. We must draw on religious resources as well to make the difficult transition from an industrial-technological age obsessed with consumption to an ecological age that restores wise stewardship of all life.
Quicklist
Van Dyke, Fred. Between Heaven & Earth: Christian Perspectives on Environmental Protection. (2010) - eBook
Soko, Keith. Mounting East-West Tension: Buddhist-Christian Dialogue on Human Rights, Social Justice and a Global Ethic. (2209) - eBook
Carroll, John. Sustainability & Spirituality. (2004) - eBook
Oelschlaeger, Max. Caring for Creation: An Ecumenical Approach to the Environmental Crisis. (1994) - BT695.5 .O34
Web Resources
Security & Sustainability Forum. The Ten Green Commandments of Laudato Si'. (2019)
Parliament of the World's Religions (PWR). The Climate Commitments Project.
Eco Literate: How Educators Are Cultivating Emotional, Social, and Ecological Intelligence by Call Number: GE70 .G66ISBN: 9781118104576Publication Date: 2012Hopeful, eloquent, and bold, Ecoliterate offers inspiring stories, practical guidance, and an exciting new model of education that builds—in vitally important ways—on the success of social and emotional learning by addressing today's most important ecological issues. This book shares stories of pioneering educators, students, and activists engaged in issues related to food, water, oil, and coal in communities from the mountains of Appalachia to the deserts of New Mexico—and beyond.
Quicklist
Jones, Paula; David Selby; & Stephen Sterling. Sustainability Education: Perspectives and Practice Across Higher Education. (2010) - eBook
Blaze Corcoran, Peter & Arjen E.J. Wals (Eds.). Higher Education and the Challenge of Sustainability: Problematics, Promise, and Practice. (2004) - eBook
Web Resources
Earth Ethics Institute at Miami-Dade College. GSELS Course Modules & Lessons.
National Council for Science & Environment. Community College Handbook for Sustainability Education and Operations. (2018)
Beaudoin, Fletcher & Katja Brundiers. A Guide for Applied Sustainability Learning Projects. (2017)
Security & Sustainability Forum. Earth Ed – Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet. (2017)
Dyer, Georges & Jennifer Andrews. Higher Education's Role in Adapting to a Changing Climate. (2011)
Dawe, Gerald; Rolf Jucker & Stephen Martin. Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Current Practice and Future Developments Executive Summary. (2005)