Matching Items (63)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

Description

While the definition of sustainability remains open for all to contribute to and participate in, there do seem to be some notions it has come to embody that should not be neglected as the definition coalesces. Among these are the ethical and social dimensions of sustainability. Whether or not it

While the definition of sustainability remains open for all to contribute to and participate in, there do seem to be some notions it has come to embody that should not be neglected as the definition coalesces. Among these are the ethical and social dimensions of sustainability. Whether or not it is appropriate, required, or even desirable, concepts like social equity, human rights, ethical sharing of commons, etc. have increasingly come under the umbrella of the sustainability discourse. Even if “sustainability” as a bare word doesn’t imply those things, the concept of sustainable development certainly has taken on those dimensions. That sustainability might be redefined or re-scoped to be a purely environmental or a rigidly scientific endeavor, is not an immediate concern of this paper, though if that were to occur (whether for the sake of simplicity or pragmatics), it should be done explicitly so the ethical sub-discourse can be maintained (indeed, sustained) by some other movement.

This paper proposes a mechanism by which such a migration in terms can be prevented. First, in reviewing the work of Denis Goulet, it shows the solid basis for including an ethical aspect in the sustainability discourse. Second, it points out that Karl-Henrik Robèrt’s highly-lauded and broadly-employed sustainability framework, The Natural Step, is deficient in this area. This deficiency provides the impetus for, finally, proposing a mechanism by which The Natural Step can be extended to include the important social and ethical dimensions of sustainability. This mechanism is based on the capabilities approaches that, in many respects, evolved out of Goulet’s early work. Augmented accordingly, TNS can continue to be used without fear of overlooking the social and ethical aspects of the sustainability discourse.

141370-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Global environmental change and sustainability science increasingly recognize the need to address the consequences of changes taking place in the structure and function of the biosphere. These changes raise questions such as: Who and what are vulnerable to the multiple environmental changes underway, and where? Research demonstrates that vulnerability is

Global environmental change and sustainability science increasingly recognize the need to address the consequences of changes taking place in the structure and function of the biosphere. These changes raise questions such as: Who and what are vulnerable to the multiple environmental changes underway, and where? Research demonstrates that vulnerability is registered not by exposure to hazards (perturbations and stresses) alone but also resides in the sensitivity and resilience of the system experiencing such hazards. This recognition requires revisions and enlargements in the basic design of vulnerability assessments, including the capacity to treat coupled human–environment systems and those linkages within and without the systems that affect their vulnerability. A vulnerability framework for the assessment of coupled human–environment systems is presented.

Research on global environmental change has significantly improved our understanding of the structure and function of the biosphere and the human impress on both (1). The emergence of “sustainability science” (2–4) builds toward an understanding of the human–environment condition with the dual objectives of meeting the needs of society while sustaining the life support systems of the planet. These objectives, in turn, require improved dialogue between science and decision making (5–8). The vulnerability of coupled human–environment systems is one of the central elements of this dialogue and sustainability research (6, 9–11). It directs attention to such questions as: Who and what are vulnerable to the multiple environmental and human changes underway, and where? How are these changes and their consequences attenuated or amplified by different human and environmental conditions? What can be done to reduce vulnerability to change? How may more resilient and adaptive communities and societies be built?

Answers to these and related questions require conceptual frameworks that account for the vulnerability of coupled human–environment systems with diverse and complex linkages. Various expert communities have made considerable progress in pointing the way toward the design of these frameworks (10, 11). These advances are briefly reviewed here and, drawing on them, we present a conceptual framework of vulnerability developed by the Research and Assessment Systems for Sustainability Program (http://sust.harvard.edu) that produced the set of works in this Special Feature of PNAS. The framework aims to make vulnerability analysis consistent with the concerns of sustainability and global environmental change science. The case study by Turner et al. (12) in this issue of PNAS illustrates how the framework informs vulnerability assessments.

ContributorsTurner II, B. L. (Author) / Kasperson, Roger E. (Author) / Matson, Pamela A. (Author) / McCarthy, James J. (Author) / Corell, Robert W. (Author) / Christensen, Lindsey (Author) / Eckley, Noelle (Author) / Kasperson, Jeanne X. (Author) / Luers, Amy (Author) / Martello, Marybeth L. (Author) / Polsky, Colin (Author) / Pulsipher, Alexander (Author) / Schiller, Andrew (Author)
Created2003-03-07
Description

Interview with J.D. Hill, co-founder of Recycled City

J.D. Hill is the co-founder of Recycled City LLC a business devoted to building a revolving relationship within the local food economy by limiting food waste. His business provides materials to create compost out of waste materials for residential customers and business. J.D.’s

Interview with J.D. Hill, co-founder of Recycled City

J.D. Hill is the co-founder of Recycled City LLC a business devoted to building a revolving relationship within the local food economy by limiting food waste. His business provides materials to create compost out of waste materials for residential customers and business. J.D.’s goals with his business are to inspire the community to participate in their local food economy, promote activism, focus on building farm land, and encourage a green economy in the Valley area. He is an ASU grad with degrees from the School of Sustainability and the W.P. Carey School of Business. This knowledge has shaped his view toward the ability of green businesses to flourish in the Phoenix area.

ContributorsHill, J.D. (Interviewee)
Created2015-08-07
Description

Interview with Mr. Arnott Duncan, owner of Duncan Family Farms, Inc.

Arnott Duncan is the owner of Duncan Family Farms. Farming runs in Arnott’s veins. He is a third generation farmer who has developed a deep connect to his local economy. However, interacting with Arizona food systems is not his only

Interview with Mr. Arnott Duncan, owner of Duncan Family Farms, Inc.

Arnott Duncan is the owner of Duncan Family Farms. Farming runs in Arnott’s veins. He is a third generation farmer who has developed a deep connect to his local economy. However, interacting with Arizona food systems is not his only goal. Arnott also is actively engaged with educating the community about local produce. His farm provided U-Pick opportunities to the local community to provide people with in engaging experience toward food. The many years Arnott spent in the food industry has taught him that food, family, and community change the way we think but what we choose to do with that makes the difference in how we shape the world.

ContributorsDuncan, Arnott (Interviewee)
Created2015-08-07
141383-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

Transitions towards sustainability are urgently needed to address the interconnected challenges of economic development, ecological integrity, and social justice, from local to global scales. Around the world, collaborative science-society initiatives are forming to conduct experiments in support of sustainability transitions. Such experiments, if carefully designed, provide significant learning opportunities for

Transitions towards sustainability are urgently needed to address the interconnected challenges of economic development, ecological integrity, and social justice, from local to global scales. Around the world, collaborative science-society initiatives are forming to conduct experiments in support of sustainability transitions. Such experiments, if carefully designed, provide significant learning opportunities for making progress on transition efforts. Yet, there is no broadly applicable evaluative scheme available to capture this critical information across a large number of cases, and to guide the design of transition experiments. To address this gap, the article develops such a scheme, in a tentative form, drawing on evaluative research and sustainability transitions scholarship, alongside insights from empirical cases. We critically discuss the scheme's key features of being generic, comprehensive, operational, and formative. Furthermore, we invite scholars and practitioners to apply, reflect and further develop the proposed tentative scheme – making evaluation and experiments objects of learning.

ContributorsLuederitz, Christopher (Author) / Schäpke, Niko (Author) / Wiek, Arnim (Author) / Lang, Daniel J. (Author) / Bergmann, Matthias (Author) / Bos, Joannette J (Author) / Burch, Sarah (Author) / Davies, Anna (Author) / Evans, James (Author) / König, Ariane (Author) / Farrelly, Megan A. (Author) / Forrest, Nigel (Author) / Frantzeskaki, Niki (Author) / Gibson, Robert B. (Author) / Kay, Braden (Author) / Loorbach, Derk (Author) / McCormick, Kes (Author) / Parodi, Oliver (Author) / Rauschmayer, Felix (Author) / Schneidewind, Uwe (Author) / Stauffacher, Michael (Author) / Stelzer, Franziska (Author) / Trencher, Gregory (Author) / Venjakob, Johannes (Author) / Vergragt, Philip J. (Author) / von Wehrden, Henrik (Author) / Westley, Frances R. (Author)
Created2016-09-03
167588-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

For decades, understanding the complexity of behaviors, motivations, and values has interested researchers across various disciplines. So much so that there are numerous terms, frameworks, theories, and studies devoted to understanding these complexities and how they interact and evolve into actions. However, little research has examined how employee behaviors translate

For decades, understanding the complexity of behaviors, motivations, and values has interested researchers across various disciplines. So much so that there are numerous terms, frameworks, theories, and studies devoted to understanding these complexities and how they interact and evolve into actions. However, little research has examined how employee behaviors translate into the work environment, particularly regarding perceived organizational success. This study advances research by quantitatively assessing how a greater number of individual employees’ pro-environmental behaviors are related to the perceived success of environmentally sustainable workplace activities. We have concluded that the more pro-environmental behaviors an employee embodies, the more positively they perceive the success of their local government's sustainable purchasing policy. Additionally, other factors matter, including organizational behaviors, like training, innovation, and reduction of red tape.

ContributorsFox, Angela (Author) / Darnall, Nicole (Thesis advisor) / Bretschneider, Stuart (Committee member) / Behravesh, Shirley-Ann (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-04-19
167589-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

BACKGROUND: The City of Phoenix initiated the HeatReady program in 2018 to prepare for extreme heat, as there was no official tool, framework, or mechanism at the city level to manage extreme heat. The current landscape of heat safety culture in schools, which are critical community hubs, has received less

BACKGROUND: The City of Phoenix initiated the HeatReady program in 2018 to prepare for extreme heat, as there was no official tool, framework, or mechanism at the city level to manage extreme heat. The current landscape of heat safety culture in schools, which are critical community hubs, has received less illumination. HeatReady Schools—a critical component of a HeatReady City—are those that are increasingly able to identify, prepare for, mitigate, track, and respond to the negative impacts of schoolgrounds heat. However, minimal attention has been given to formalize heat preparedness in schools to mitigate high temperatures and health concerns in schoolchildren, a heat-vulnerable population. This study set out to understand heat perceptions, (re)actions, and recommendations of key stakeholders and to identify critical themes around heat readiness. METHODS: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods case study approach was used. These methods focused on acquiring new insight on heat perceptions at elementary schools through semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis and the Delphi panel. Participants included public health professionals and school community members at two elementary schools—one public charter, one public—in South Phoenix, Arizona, a region that has been burdened historically with inequitable distribution of heat resources due to environmental racism and injustices. RESULTS: Findings demonstrated that 1) current heat safety resources are available but not fully utilized within the school sites, 2) expert opinions support that extreme heat readiness plans must account for site-specific needs, particularly education as a first step, and 3) students are negatively impacted by the effects of extreme heat, whether direct or indirect, both inside and outside the classroom. CONCLUSIONS: From key informant interviews and a Delphi panel, a list of 30 final recommendations were developed as important actions to be taken to become “HeatReady.” Future work will apply these recommendations in a HeatReady School Growth Tool that schools can tailor be to their individual needs to improve heat safety and protection measures at schools.

ContributorsShortridge, Adora (Author) / Walker, William VI (Author) / White, Dave (Committee member) / Guardaro, Melissa (Committee member) / Hondula, David M. (Committee member) / Vanos, Jennifer (Committee member) / School of Sustainability (Contributor)
Created2022-04-18
Description
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fund research for cures and treatments for blood-related cancer. Light The Night is one of the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising events, with approximately 1 million participants in 140 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Participants

The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) is a nonprofit organization with a mission to fund research for cures and treatments for blood-related cancer. Light The Night is one of the largest peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising events, with approximately 1 million participants in 140 locations throughout the United States and Canada. Participants walk with illuminated lanterns to commemorate survivors, friends, family, and supporters. Sustainability has become a recent concern for the organization's corporate partners and participants. LLS has shown an increased dedication to sustainability by creating an Environmental Social Governance (ESG) council and has started taking steps toward creating a national plan for sustainability at its Light The Night events. In order to extend sustainability efforts to all Light The Night events, the client requests the Sustainable Light Knights team to: 1. Perform a materiality assessment for the Light The Night event, accounting for the recent changes that seek to minimize sustainability practices. 2. Rank the event's most material activities, considering food and beverage, waste, lanterns, and t-shirts. 3. Assess the best practices for managing the highest material impacts. 4. Identify short, medium, and long-term goals to help LLS plan for the next steps. The Sustainable Light Knights consist of four Arizona State University graduate students from the Masters of Sustainability Solutions program. The team undertook an analytical approach to understand P2P events, including conducting a landscape analysis, identifying best practices, and completing a TOWS (threats, opportunities, weaknesses, and strengths) analysis. This served as the foundation for the materiality assessment for Light The Night, which guided what impact topics were most relevant. To bring the findings of the materiality matrix to life, The Sustainable Light Knights created a sustainable event planning checklist, procurement guidelines, and a vendor pledge for use by Light The Night staff. We grouped the recommendations for sustainable actions into low, medium, and high priority and short, medium, and long-term goals. While this assessment focused on Light The Night, the recommendations outlined in this action plan can extend to other fundraising events organized by LLS. The design of the action plan is to help LLS leadership and staff take steps to lower the impact of Light The Night events nationwide and transform LLS into a leader within sustainable events that can serve as an example for other nonprofit organizations to follow.
ContributorsGreathouse, Madelynne (Author) / Guerrero, Morgan Leon (Author) / Rodriguez, Rebeca (Author) / Skoric, Kirby (Author)
Created2023-04-26