scholarly journals Building a Sustainable Society: The Necessity to Change the Term 'Consumer'

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Chakori
Keyword(s):  
Economic System ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Transformation ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Consumption Culture ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
Definition Of

The profit-seeking system leads to many negative environmental impacts. Within this economic system, consumption reflects an important relationship between humans and nature. However, despite the growing international attention to environmental sustainability, our society does not necessarily acknowledge consumerism as the cause of global environmental degradation. Deconstructing the consumption culture and redefining what determines well-being, this paper will attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing definition of people in the economic system. Many authors have defined our role in the economy; however, in terms of customer, citizen-consumer, and socially conscious consumer, most of the literature in this domain remains rooted in consumerism. Consumerism cannot be fixed with further consumerism; therefore this paper discusses the importance of reclaiming our identity and the need to define new terms for people in a new economic system. Any new terms should integrate interests and responsibilities that go beyond simple utility maximization. Moving beyond the term “consumer” will change our worldview. This cultural transformation may help facilitate long-term environmental sustainability.

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: Long-Term Health Consequences

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (03) ◽  
pp. 271-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temeka Zore ◽  
Nikhil Joshi ◽  
Daria Lizneva ◽  
Ricardo Azziz
Keyword(s):  
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome ◽  
Vascular Dysfunction ◽  
Endometrial Adenocarcinoma ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver ◽  
Psychosexual Dysfunction ◽  
Ovarian Syndrome

AbstractPolycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrinopathy in women and can be associated with significant adverse sequelae that can affect overall long-term health and well-being. This review provides a succinct but comprehensive overview of our current understanding concerning the known morbidities of PCOS, beginning with a review of the importance of the different phenotypes of PCOS in determining long-term morbidity, the confounding impact of obesity on health outcomes in PCOS, and the immediate short-term consequences of the disorder (including dermatologic, reproductive, and mood disturbances). The longer-term morbidities of PCOS are then reviewed including metabolic consequences (impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease), dyslipidemia and vascular dysfunction (including hypertension and increased incidences of cerebrovascular accidents and thromboembolisms on oral contraceptives), neoplastic (primarily endometrial adenocarcinoma), and mental health disorders (including greater incidences of depressive and anxiety disturbances and psychosexual dysfunction). In conclusion, strategies for the prevention and amelioration of long-term morbidities in PCOS are presented.

Tourism, Environment, and Sustainable Development

1991 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard W. Butler
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Planning And Management ◽  
Destination Area ◽  
Definition Of

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the effects of tourism and related developments upon the environment of ‘destination areas’. The increasing popularity of the concept of sustainable development has resulted in tourism being viewed as an activity which could easily be developed along those appropriate lines. It is argued, however, that such a viewpoint is often simplistic and naïve, because of a lack of understanding of the complex nature of tourism. While tourism is dependent upon the environment for much of its well-being, the prevailing lack of knowledge, responsibility, and long-term planning, has often resulted in development which is neither environmentally nor culturally sympathetic to the host area and community.A broad definition of environment is necessary in this context, encompassing both the physical and human realms and also Nature's, as is an equally wide view of human leisure activities, which needs to include far more than tourism. It is necessary to take a critical view of some alternative approaches to mass-tourism, which have been suggested as appropriate for environmentally significant areas; for at least some of the problems resulting from tourism-related developments are more profound, and less easily solved, than has often been suggested. Solutions are inevitably a combination of compromise and positive planning and management, and successful examples are difficult to find. Improved understanding of the complex nature of tourism, and of its linkages to the environment, is crucial if a symbiotic relationship is to be attained and maintained.It is necessary to appreciate that tourist destination areas evolve and change over time, both responding to, and being altered by, changes in tourism. They are not static environments, and need responsible and pro-active planning and management. Reliance upon local initiatives, uncoordinated planning, and self-regulation in a situation of ill-defined responsibility, will not result in a secure long-term future for either the tourist industry or the environment of the destination area. Coordination of policies, pro-active planning, acceptance of limitations on growth, education of all parties involved, and commitment to a long-term viewpoint, are prerequisites to the successful linking of tourism and sustainable development.

scholarly journals Survivors of the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster: long-term follow-up study

2002 ◽  
Vol 181 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alastair M. Hull ◽  
David A. Alexander ◽  
Susan Klein
Keyword(s):  
Well Being ◽  
Survivor Guilt ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Major Disaster ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Specific Symptoms

BackgroundThe long-term psychological effects of surviving a major disaster are poorly understood. We undertook a survey of survivors of the Piper Alpha oil platform disaster (1988).AimsTo examine the role of factors relating to the trauma, the survivors and the survivors' circumstances.MethodTen years after the disaster, 78% (46/59) of the survivors were located, of whom 72% (33/46) agreed to be interviewed. A further three individuals completed postal measures.ResultsThe most stringent diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were met by 21% (7/33) of the survivors over 10 years after the disaster. Features such as physical injury, personal experience and survivor guilt were associated with significantly higher levels of post-traumatic symptoms.ConclusionsA narrow definition of factors affecting outcome will limit the potential for improving survivor well-being in the long-term after major disasters. Specific symptoms that are not included in the criteria for the diagnosis of PTSD, together with issues such as re-employment, need to be addressed.

The Rationale for a Well-Being Approach

2020 ◽  
pp. 13-24
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Truth Telling ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Social Narrative

This chapter presents the rationale for a well-being approach. A well-being approach—that is, establishing well-being as the goal and measure of what matters in order to create a future in which people, communities, and the planet can all thrive—provides a new compass for decision-making, resource allocation, social narrative, and even consciousness. The chapter highlights the benefits, positive outcomes, and potential for transformation via a well-being approach. Some of the key points include the ability of a well-being approach to: shift the focus to things that matter most to people and communities; create more urgency to address inequities and shift power; break down structural barriers and “silos” to encourage cross-sector collaboration; link human well-being and environmental sustainability; create a new expectation, demand, and accountability for a well-being agenda; and focus on the future through long-term agendas and inter-generational leadership. Meanwhile, key among the enabling conditions for well-being in the local context are truth telling about history and experiences, and ensuring that benefits are equitably shared.

The New Ecology

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oswald J. Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Natural World ◽  
Environmental Services ◽  
Know How ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
The Face ◽  
Entire Planet ◽  
Economic Well Being

Our species has transitioned from being one among millions on Earth to the species that is single-handedly transforming the entire planet to suit its own needs. In order to meet the daunting challenges of environmental sustainability in this epoch of human domination—known as the Anthropocene—ecologists have begun to think differently about the interdependencies between humans and the natural world. This book provides the best available introduction to what this new ecology is all about—and why it matters more than ever before. It describes how the science of ecology is evolving to provide a better understanding of how human agency is shaping the natural world, often in never-before-seen ways. The book emphasizes the importance of conserving species diversity, because it can offer a portfolio of options to keep our ecosystems resilient in the face of environmental change. It envisions humans taking on new roles as thoughtful stewards of the environment to ensure that ecosystems have the enduring capacity to supply the environmental services on which our economic well-being—and our very existence—depend. It offers the ecological know-how to maintain and enhance our planet's environmental performance and ecosystem production for the benefit of current and future generations. The book shows how today's ecology can provide the insights we need to appreciate the crucial role we play in this era of unprecedented global environmental transition.

scholarly journals Assessing Sustainable Development: Toward a Portfolio of Indices?

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
Yacouba Gnegne
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Single Index ◽  
Human Needs ◽  
Weak Sustainability ◽  
Strong Sustainability ◽  
Definition Of

This paper selects and discusses indices that seem to be more connected to the definition of development sustainability and/or allow taking into account issues of weak sustainability and strong sustainability systematically. I appreciate them mostly in terms of their ability to provide information on the fulfilment of human needs sustainably. I defend the idea that rather than being measured through a single index, the assessment of sustainable development requires a mix of indices. The main finding is that this portfolio must meet the triptych: current well-being, sustainability of well-being and environmental sustainability. In this regard, indices such as the HDI, the adjusted net saving and the ecological footprint may constitute such a mix or portfolio.

Knowing Me, Knowing You: Aboriginal and European Concepts of Nature as Self and Other

2005 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Veronica Strang
Keyword(s):  
Social Identity ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self And Other ◽  
Transmission Of Knowledge ◽  
Explicit Discourse ◽  
Aboriginal Groups

AbstractBased on long-term fieldwork with Aboriginal groups, Euro-Australian pastoralists and other land users in Far North Queensland, this paper considers the ways in which indigenous relations to land conflate concepts of Nature and the Self, enabling subjective identification with elements of the environment and supporting long-term affective relationships with place. It observes that indigenous cultural landscapes are deeply encoded with projections of social identity: this location in the immediate environment facilitates the intergenerational transmission of knowledge and identity and supports beliefs in human spiritual transcendence of mortality. The paper suggests that Aboriginal relations to land are therefore implicitly founded on interdependent precepts of social and environmental sustainability. In contrast, Euro-Australian pastoralists' cultural landscapes, and constructs of Nature, though situated within more complex relations with place, remain dominated by patriarchal and historically adversarial visions of Nature as a feminine "wild-ness" or "otherness" requiring the civilising control of (male) Culture and rationality. Human spiritual being and continuity is conceptualised as above or outside Nature, impeding the location of selfhood and collective continuity within the immediate environment. In tandem with mobile and highly individuated forms of social identity, this positions Nature as "other". There is thus a subjective separation between the individualised life of the self, and the life of Nature/other that, despite an explicit discourse in which ecological well-being is valorised, inhibits affective connection with place and confounds sustainability.

scholarly journals Long-Term Environmental Policy: Definition, Knowledge, Future Research

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Detlef F. Sprinz
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Time Inconsistency ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Policy Outcomes ◽  
Global Environmental Politics ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Decentralized Governance ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Policy Problems

Considering the long-term is not new, yet we seem to be overwhelmed by the long-term nature of many of our environmental policy problems. Following a definition of long-term policy problems, this editorial introduces the contributions to this special issue of Global Environmental Politics and outlines three major challenges for future research, including the time inconsistency problem, the effect of democratic and decentralized governance on problem-solving, as well as institutional designs to prevent or recover from unwanted long-term policy outcomes.

scholarly journals Discourses of Resilience in the Climate Security Debate

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Ferguson
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Social Resilience ◽  
Human Flourishing ◽  
Ecosystem Integrity ◽  
Global Environmental Politics ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
Security Discourse ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Contemporary Climate

The language of “resilience” features prominently in contemporary climate security debates. While a basic definition of resilience is the capacity of a system to absorb recurrent disturbances so as to retain its essential structures, processes, and feedbacks, I argue that resilience is currently articulated in four distinct ways in climate security discourse. These are strategic resilience, neoliberal resilience, social resilience, and ecological resilience. Most analyses of resilience-based security discourses have hitherto been informed by Foucauldian notions of governing populations at a distance to ensure compliance with neoliberal norms. However, in the climate security field, neoliberal resilience discourses have achieved relatively little salience, while Foucauldian accounts are largely overdetermined, thus obscuring the multiple ways in which resilience is currently articulated. In this article, I identify these disparate resilience discourses through an analysis of recent US and UK government, international organization, nongovernmental organization, and academic climate security literature. I then analyze these discourses in terms of their basic discursive structure and degree of institutionalization to clarify how dominant climate security narratives construct understandings of security and insecurity in contemporary global environmental politics. While strategic articulations are currently most conspicuous, I argue that only social and ecological resilience support long-term human flourishing and ecosystem integrity.

scholarly journals How to Assess Urban Regeneration Proposals by Considering Conflicting Values

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 3877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefano Capolongo ◽  
Leopoldo Sdino ◽  
Marta Dell’Ovo ◽  
Rossella Moioli ◽  
Stefano Della Torre
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Stakeholder Analysis ◽  
Flow Analysis ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Health Care Facility ◽  
Urban Regeneration ◽  
Evaluation Process ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Policy Cycle ◽  
Definition Of

Urban regeneration has to be based on rigorous methodological frameworks able to find a balance among preservation instances, economic development, urban quality and the well-being of the population. Considering these premises, this research is focused on the definition of the decision-aiding process for the reuse of an abandoned health care facility with several historic buildings. Both public and private interests have been taken into consideration, since they play an important role for the urban regeneration project and for the definition of urban regeneration policies. Given the complexity of this issue, the evaluation process has been structured by combining different methodologies to support the policy cycle: Stakeholder Analysis, to identify the actors engaged (Social sustainability); Nara Grid for the values elicitation of the Built Cultural Heritage (Cultural and environmental sustainability); and the subsequent definition of different sustainable scenarios evaluated by the Discounted Cash Flow Analysis (Economic sustainability). Four alternatives have been assessed with the support of a Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) aimed at defining the most balanced one considering heritage significance retention and urban regeneration. This work contributes to the literature on soft OR by exploring interactions among different stakeholders and addresses policy instances by providing a transparent methodology based on value elicitation.

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