scholarly journals A collective alternative to the Inward Turn in environmental sustainability research

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad S. Boda ◽  
David O’Byrne ◽  
David Harnesk ◽  
Turaj Faran ◽  
Ellinor Isgren
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Collective Actions ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Sustainability Problems ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

AbstractIt has become quite common in environmental sustainability research to promote the influencing of so-called inner dimensions of individuals as means to address pressing environmental problems such as climate change, what we refer to as the Inward Turn. We argue that the conceptual foundations of the Inward Turn, an extreme form of methodological individualism, limit it significantly as a strategy for addressing climate change and other socially relevant environmental problems. After briefly reviewing major shortcomings with the way the Inward Turn conceptualizes the relationship between individuals and social change, including its neglect of causal structures and propensity to abstract its analysis away from problems that are specific to place and time, we sketch the basic tenets of an alternative methodological approach capable of overcoming these limitations. Our approach, however, does not go to the other extreme and neglect the role of individuals; rather, our recognition of the structural drivers of particular environmental problems points to the necessity of specific collective actions by individuals, for example, in the practice of social movements. This recognition demands a rethinking of the role of individual factors, like emotion and empathy, in addressing environmental sustainability problems, namely as they relate to collective action/social movement emergence, development, and outcomes.

Environmental Education and Its Effects on Environmental Sustainability

2021 ◽  
pp. 182-199
Author(s):  
Joan Mwihaki Nyika ◽  
Fredrick M. Mwema
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Education ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Contemporary Society ◽  
The North ◽  
Responsible Behavior ◽  
Resource Degradation

Environmental education (EE) for sustainable development remains a valuable subject of contemporary society, which is characterized with environmental issues such as climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and resource degradation. The delivery of EE is based on the North American Association for environmental education values of knowledge, dispositions, competencies, and responsible behavior towards the environment. EE is a transformative tool to learners since it prepares learners with skills, attitudes, knowledge, and values to resolve environmental problems. It promotes environmental activism and action-oriented resolution of environmental issues. The full benefits of EE are challenged by limited human capacity, questionable professionalism, limited resources, and poor transformation of knowledge to practice. These challenges however can be alleviated through community engagement in formulating EE programs, multidisciplinary engagements, and research on EE delivery and quality.

Climate change, social policy, and global governance

2013 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Gough
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Policy ◽  
Global Governance ◽  
Global Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Climate Change Policies ◽  
Global Arena ◽  
The Relationship

This paper considers the challenge to global social policy posed by global climate change. It sets side by side global social policies and global climate change policies, and surveys the governance of each. The first part summarises global social policy in recent years, distinguishing (1) the policies and practices pursued in the global arena, and (2) the structures of global governance and the role of significant global actors. The second part repeats this at a greater length for global climate change. The third part then considers the relationship between these two sets of policies/practices and governance structures, in particular the potential conflicts between the pursuit of social justice and environmental sustainability. It identifies two possible responses – compensation and co-benefits – and maps these onto current global actors, before concluding with a radical vision of eco-social policy.

Children Climate Change Activism and Protests in Africa: Reflections and Lessons From Greta Thunberg

2021 ◽  
pp. 027046762110496
Author(s):  
Kelvin Zhanda ◽  
Munyaradzi A Dzvimbo ◽  
Leonard Chitongo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
The Past ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Climate Action ◽  
Regional Organisations ◽  
National Governments ◽  
Document Review

This article is based on a distinctive study that seeks to analyse the nascent role of teenagers’ activism and protests for climate change action. With the increasing realisation of children's rights to participation, the past few years have marked the rise of the new dispensation of climate activism and protests in which teenagers have occupied the centre stage. We pay specific reference to Greta Thunberg, a Swedish child climate activist, in as much as she can set a framework upon which Africa can draw parallels, lessons and insights for climate activism and protests. Even though the context may be different, the paper attempts to inform vibrant climate action through activism by children and ultimately climate policies, laws and management for environmental sustainability in Africa. We engaged document review and thematic approaches, and it emerged that children climate activism and protests in Africa are not as vibrant as they should be given the prevalence of climate inaction across the continent. Therefore, there is much to learn from Thunberg by pushing national governments and regional organisations to increase the decision-making space of children in the fight against climate change.

scholarly journals Advancing environmental sustainability through nature-based science tourism: The potential of universities

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-87
Author(s):  
Juulia Räikkönen ◽  
Henna Rouhiainen ◽  
Miia Grénman ◽  
Ilari E. Sääksjärvi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Environmental Knowledge ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Attitudes And Behavior

This review examines the potential of universities to advance environmental sustainability through nature-based science tourism, in which scientists are actively involved in co-creating nature-based tourism experiences. We first justify the review by presenting the current changes facing academia, namely the pressure to increase societal effectiveness, science democratization, and environmental sustainability. Then, we define science tourism and address the role of science and scientists in nature-based tourism. Finally, we evaluate the potential of nature-based science tourism to affect tourists’ environmental knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Based on previous literature, we suggest that universities and scientists, who have the knowledge about environmental sustainability, biodiversity crisis, and climate change, could have a more significant role in providing nature-based tourism experiences and shaping tourists’ attitudes and behavior regarding environmental sustainability. In line with recent discussions on science dissemination, this requires not only providing scientific knowledge to large audiences but also active scientific engagement and interaction with tourists.

Visual IHME

2014 ◽  
pp. 173-187
Author(s):  
Marketta Niemelä ◽  
Tuomo Kivinen ◽  
Minna Kulju ◽  
Antti Tammela ◽  
Veikko Ikonen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
User Evaluation ◽  
End User ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Sustainability Problems ◽  
Research And Design ◽  
Interaction Research ◽  
Spherical Panorama

In the context of human-driven design and environmental sustainability, the authors have developed a computer-based platform concept for studying and co-designing places (i.e. socially meaningful locations). The Visual IHME platform provides a photo-based, interactive spherical panorama environment with a set of co-creative interaction tools such as discussion boards, questionnaires, and polls on-screen. All creative content can be pinned to specific spatial spots on the image. In a preliminary end-user evaluation of the concept demonstration, the authors found that the participants valued the co-design platform, though many doubted the role of this kind of social technology in terms of real impact on issues that are important to people. They discuss how co-design platforms like Visual IHME can have an impact on environmental sustainability and the evolving role of human-computer interaction research and design in addressing sustainability problems.

Governing the “good citizen” and shaping the “model city” to tackle climate change

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 710-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Berquier ◽  
Delphine Gibassier
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Small Cities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Model City ◽  
Good Citizen ◽  
Tackle Climate Change

Purpose Cities are key actors in the fight against climate change. They have developed integrated strategies harnessing the power of information and communication technologies (ICT) as part of the move towards smart(er) cities. In spite of our knowledge of the role of technological infrastructure in tackling climate change, the role of governance mechanisms to actively pursue environmental sustainability is often understated. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyse governmentality mechanisms developed by a small town in Europe to render energy savings and new energy sources visible and to create new identities with which the citizen and other cities could then identify with, thereby participating in the fight against climate change. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through non-participant observation, interviews and access to internal data from the city’s energy control project. Findings The outcome of these governmentality mechanisms was to create two new identities: the “good citizen”, responsible to lower his impact on climate change, and the “model city”, a laboratory that would serve as a guide for future policies to tackle climate change at the city level. While the “model city” was successful and identification happened with other small cities taking example from it, the “good citizen” failed and inhabitants did not identify with this role model that was defined for them as a way to participate in the fight against climate change. Practical implications This case study is a concrete example, based on a longitudinal study, of a city’s strategy and actions on climate change. Other small cities will be able to use this case study to gauge their possibilities for action on climate change. Notably, it is an example of how a network of mechanisms can achieve results in CO2 emissions reduction. It also demonstrates the difficulty to enrol citizens into an environmental sustainability scheme. Social implications This paper has implications for how climate change can be tackled in rural areas by small cities. While the role of organizations and large cities (e.g. C40 city network) has been acknowledged, there is a possibility for smaller local actors to act upon grand challenges with local strategies and their own governmentality mechanisms. Originality/value The case study contributes to the literature on cities, bringing new insights into how they can become actors of climate change beyond acting on internal controls, and the literature on governmentality by demonstrating how mechanisms can act upon a population without being calculative.

scholarly journals STAKEHOLDERS, NETWORKS AND CONVENTION THEORY IN THE COORDINATION OF PROBLEMS THAT RESULT FROM CLIMATE CHANGES IN AGRIBUSINESSDOI: 10.5773/rgsa.v4i1.211

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Denise Barros de Azevedo ◽  
Eugênio Ávila Pedrozo
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Stakeholder Theory ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Environmental Problems ◽  
Real Situation ◽  
Active Space ◽  
Convention Theory ◽  
Insertion Process

As ações antropogênicas têm provocado aumento do aquecimento global, um dos principais problemas ambientais do século, desafiando a humanidade e a ciência a encontrar alternativas tecnológicas e a buscar outros estilos de produção, consumo e convivência. A inserção de diferentes stakeholders - relacionados aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas e seus desdobramentos sócio-econômicos e ambientais do agronegócio - é necessária, dadas as interfaces de diversas áreas dos conhecimentos em novos mecanismos que proporcionam alternativas comuns. Este trabalho propõe-se a estudar as ações dos diálogos com stakeholders do agronegócio relacionadas aos efeitos das mudanças climáticas; e propor um framework inserindo as abordagens de Teoria de Stakeholders, de Redes e da Teoria das Convenções para conhecer as convenções que estão nas ações. Como resultado, verificou-se que os diálogos entre diferentes stakeholders identificaram seis justificativas que permitem as convenções (inspiração, doméstica, opinião, cívica, mercantil e industrial) que condicionam a reconhecer cada ação gerada nos cinco estudos de casos apresentados. O framework proposto oferece um espaço ativo e dinâmico para estudar como incidem as formas de coordenações entre os stakeholders dos agronegócios e como os efeitos das mudanças climáticas proporcionam formas de integração e oportunidades. Palavras-chave: Diálogos entre Stakeholders, Redes, Teoria das Convenções, Agribusiness. Abstract Anthropogenic actions have caused an increase of global warming, one of the main environmental problems of the century, challenging humanity and science to find technological alternatives. The insertion of different stakeholders – related to the effects of climate change and its social-economical and environmental unfolding in agribusiness – is necessary, considering the interfaces in different areas of knowledge of new mechanisms that provide common alternatives. This paper consists of a theoretical review of Stakeholder Theory, Networks and Convention Theory. Interactions between these three approaches are possible and also allow the identification of the conventions in face of the formation of networks originated from the dialogues. The framework proposed, called “Insertion Mechanisms of Agribusiness Stakeholders for Climate Change” seeks to analyze how, in the light of the problems arising from climate changes, the insertion process of stakeholders in the agribusiness environment allows a view of the real situation. And, the role of networks and conventions can contribute towards achieving equilibrium when tracing a picture of the behavior among individuals with specific natures in order to generate alternatives for the mitigation of climate change as well as opportunities for agribusiness. As a result, the proposed framework offers a dynamic and active space to study how the forms of coordination occur among the agribusiness stakeholders. The proposed framework offers a dynamic and active space to study how the forms of coordination occur among the agribusiness stakeholders and how the effects of climate change generate forms of opportunities and integration. Keywords: Stakeholders Dialogues, Networks, Convention Theory, Agribusiness.

scholarly journals Efficient use of resources in the field of energy efficiency through the principles of the circular economy

2021 ◽  
Vol 266 ◽  
pp. 02009
Author(s):  
H.N. Yaryhina ◽  
I.V. Ziankova ◽  
R.S. Sati
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Alternative Energy ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Alternative Energy Sources ◽  
Use Of Resources ◽  
General Functioning ◽  
Structural Parts ◽  
Conceptual Foundations

The purpose of this study is to define indicators areas of efficient use of resources in a circular economy, aimed at solving energy and environmental problems, as well as to develop theoretical and practical recommendations for their formation. This study defines the conceptual foundations of the circular economy, defines the methodological approach to energy efficiency in terms of alternative energy sources, and develops a theoretical and practical approach to balancing employment in the labour market in a circular economy. As a result of the conducted research using the principles of the circular economy, the category of efficient use of resources in the field of energy efficiency is defined. The scientific novelty lies in the use of a systematic approach to the study of economic phenomena, which revealed the consideration of the interconnection of all elements, as well as the study of individual economic objects as structural parts. The role of each part in the general functioning of the circular economy and its impact on individual elements are defined. The methodology of the study is revealed using methods of comparison, the concept of systems, and statistical approaches.

Suva Residents’ Views on Cancer, Diabetes and HIV in The Fiji Times

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farzana Gounder
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Structural Reforms ◽  
Letters To The Editor ◽  
Medical Responsibility ◽  
Grassroots Support ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Situated Approach ◽  
Significant Health

The burden of preventable diseases is increasing in the South Pacific Island Countries and Territories. In Fiji, significant media attention and national finances are spent on public dissemination of the modifiable risk factors of chronic illnesses. However, little is known about lay societal perceptions of chronic illnesses and of people living with these illnesses. This preliminary study takes an area-situated approach to lay knowledge and examines Suva residents’ moral evaluations associated with socially significant health concerns in Fiji. Using the case studies of HIV, cancer, and diabetes, the research employs content analysis to examine 144 Suva residents’ Letters to the Editor, published between 2000 and 2019 in The Fiji Times. The findings indicate that letter writers on chronic illnesses are power sensitive, interested in governmental responsibility, and aware of the role of stigma in creating inequitable health outcomes. The study’s findings locate chronic illness as not only a medical responsibility but also a social justice and human rights concern that requires a multisectoral approach, with community-tailored responses at the heart of all discussions. The lay-societal recognition of the three illnesses as being socially relevant suggests grassroots support for policies directed towards structural reforms for the prevention and management of these illnesses.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document