The Local Politics of Global Sustainability

Fülszöveg

POLITICS/ECONOMICS Advance praise for The Local Politics of Global Sustainability: "Many proponents of sustainability assume we can turn the world in a sustainable direction without dirtying our hands with politics. The authors of this book are a refreshing exception, understanding that the only world that might become sustainable is the real world. . . . Theirs is a hard-headed, yet visionary view of how politics might become at once more humanly satisfying and more ecologically sustaining." -Dániel Kemmis, former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and Mayor of Missoula, and author of Community and the Politics ofPlace "This brief, fast-paced book by somé of the nation's most powerful ecological voices breaks open the connection between ecological sustainability and a 'strong form' of democracy that is rebuilt from the bottom up. Must reading- a preface to the debate on sustaining both democracy and an ecologically sane world in the new century." -Gar Alperovitz,... Tovább

Fülszöveg

POLITICS/ECONOMICS Advance praise for The Local Politics of Global Sustainability: "Many proponents of sustainability assume we can turn the world in a sustainable direction without dirtying our hands with politics. The authors of this book are a refreshing exception, understanding that the only world that might become sustainable is the real world. . . . Theirs is a hard-headed, yet visionary view of how politics might become at once more humanly satisfying and more ecologically sustaining." -Dániel Kemmis, former Speaker of the Montana House of Representatives and Mayor of Missoula, and author of Community and the Politics ofPlace "This brief, fast-paced book by somé of the nation's most powerful ecological voices breaks open the connection between ecological sustainability and a 'strong form' of democracy that is rebuilt from the bottom up. Must reading- a preface to the debate on sustaining both democracy and an ecologically sane world in the new century." -Gar Alperovitz, Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy, University of Maryland, College Park I n The Local Politics of Global Sustainability, Thomas Prugh, Róbert Costanza, and Hermán Daly explore the political implications of ecological economics. They envision a reenergized political system based on a type of self-governance that political scientist Benjámin Barber calls "strong democracy." A politics of engagement rather than consignment, strong democracy empowers citizens to participate directly in community decision making. Using examples of communities that are experimenting with various features of strong democratic systems, The Local Politics of Global Sustainability explains in engaging, accessible prose the crucial biophysical, economic, and social issues involved in achieving a sustainable world of our choice, rather than one imposed by external factors. Thomas Prugh, an energy analyst and writer, is coauthor of Natural Capital and Humán Economic Suruival (1995). Róbert Costanza is director of the Institute for Ecological Economics at the University of Maryland and coauthor of Ecosystem Health (1992). Hermán Daly is senior research scholar in the School of Public Affairs of the University of Maryland at College Park and author of Beyond Growth (1997). Vissza