1. Sustainability and Decisions; 2. Sustainability Evolving; 3. How We Make Decisions; 4. Facts and Values; 5. What is a Good Decision; 6. Decisions and Conflict; 7. Reform or Transformation; 8. Influencing Decisions; 9. Influencing the Conversation; Endnotes; References; Index.
A comprehensive view of what we know about decision-making around sustainability , and how we perform better.
Thomas Dietz is a University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University. His work has shaped understanding of sustainability decision-making, the drivers of environmental change, and the relationship between science and values. He has chaired or served on over twenty national or international science assessments and U.S. National Research Council committees. In 2005 he was co-recipient of the Sustainability Science Award from the Ecological Society of American. Dietz is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has participated in dozens of consensus building efforts on climate, biodiversity, and sustainability.
'Written by one of the most influential voices in environmental
social science and policy over the last five decades, Decisions for
Sustainability provides a state-of-the-art examination of the hard
choices confronting sustainability experts. Destined to become a
classic in the field.' Michael Vandenbergh, School of Law,
Vanderbilt University
'From renting cars, having children, and flying on a vacation to
eating meat and buying a home, almost every action we take in
modern society contributes to climate change. The distinguished
professor Thomas Dietz tackles this pesky aspect of the climate
crisis head on in his masterful book on how the choices we make
amplify carbon emissions. Interspersed with a startling array of
marshaled facts, case studies, examples and even
lyrics, Decisions for Sustainability is indispensable
reading for anyone seeking to better comprehend the social and
behavioral reasons we perpetuate climate catastrophe, but also have
the personal and interpersonal skills inside ourselves to escape
it.' Benjamin K. Sovacool, Boston University and Sussex
University
'The wisdom of a long and distinguished career crystallized into a
gem of a book. Tom weaves together theory and insights from
numerous disciplines to help us understand and support decision
making for a sustainable future. Excellent supplementary reading
for my graduate and undergraduate classes on climate action and
policy.' Elke U. Weber, Princeton University
'Tom Dietz played a major role in creating a field that we all
needed, a science of humans and the environment that recognized the
complexity of their interdependence. With Decisions for
Sustainability, he has created an introduction that we all need:
lucid, accessible, and respectful of the science and those it hopes
to serve.' Baruch Fischhoff, Carnegie Mellon University
'Renowned (and indefatigable!) environmental studies scholar Thomas
Dietz has produced yet another field-defining work. Written in
lively and accessible language, Decisions for
Sustainability demonstrates how important deliberation and
democracy are for ensuring a sustainable and equitable future.
Dietz's exploration of his own family's experiences with
technological and environmental transformations is refreshing and
effective for illuminating the sociological imagination – that
foundational interplay between the public and the personal. Dietz
also pays close attention to the key role of multiple forms of
diversity, emphasizing how context, history and power significantly
shape our thinking and actions around sustainability. We must
improve our decision making practices in order to create a more
livable, just, and verdant world, and Decisions for
Sustainability is a clear-eyed and insightful guide for
supporting that goal.' David N. Pellow, University of California
Santa Barbara and author of What is Critical Environmental
Justice?
'Tom Dietz has been able to condense the multiple complexities of
how individuals, organisations, and societies do make and should
make decisions in the context of globalised economies,
sustainability challenges, and growing inequities. The analysis
provides insights from ecology, psychology, sociology, and ethics
that improve our knowledge about what matters to society and nature
but that also provides guidance for developing a more deliberative
and inclusive decision culture. A must-read-book for all decision
makers!' Ortwin Renn, Research Institute for Sustainability,
Helmholtz Center, Potsdam
'This book is a must read for scientists and practitioners
interested in environmental decision making. The book provides key
insights into how individuals, organizations and nations can make
better decisions to address sustainability challenges and improve
the wellbeing of humans and other species, and the quality of
nature and the environment.' Linda Steg, University of
Groningen
'This book could be used as a textbook for sustainability, public
administration, or public participation courses or as general
reference book.' Richard Smardon, Journal of Environmental Studies
and Sciences
'A wide-ranging, interdisciplinary exploration of decision-making
and sustainability … Highly recommended.' A. S. Ricker, Choice
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
