Synopsis "Sustainability: Global Issues, Global Perspectives"
"The anthology Sustainability: Global Issues, Global Perspectives gives readers a firm grounding in issues related to sustainability today. The book is rooted in the idea that to achieve sustainability requires an understanding of many global topics, and it uses global examples and case studies. The readings are organized into three sections. The first introduces major concepts and trends in environmental thinking, the second identifies current challenges to sustainability, and the third addresses paradigm shifts for sustainability. The selections are a blend of environmental science, especially as it relates to agriculture, soils, and land management with social topics such as how to govern fairly and equitably to ensure that the voices of all seven billion of earth's inhabitants will be heard. Specific topics include the global food economy, environmentally sound landscaping, waste management, and human migration. Figures and tables throughout the book provide visual support. Forward-looking, the book discusses governance structures that work and what different countries are doing to reform their education systems to respond to sustainability issues. Sustainability: Global Issues, Global Perspectives is intended for introductory or survey courses in environmental studies and global issues. Astrid Cerny is a faculty member in the liberal studies program at New York University, where she teaches environmental studies. She holds a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Washington and her research interests include human-environment interactions, global food markets and food security, migration, and sustainability and human behavior. She has extensive research experience in China, Central Asia, and Europe. Dr. Cerny's previous editorial work has been published in Research in Social Problems and Public Policy, Volume 20. She has translated works from German to English, published in peer reviewed journals as well as in Chinese, Russian, and Uzbek publications."
