An Introduction to Environment, Society and Sustainability

This timely and innovative book explores the complex interplay between human activities and natural limits in generating today's sustainability challenges. It delves into the pressures of growing populations and ecological footprints associated with consumption, highlighting the contested terrain where human societies generate environmental impacts.

The book presents insightful analysis of ecological, economic, technological, and social justice responses to the challenges faced by human civilization, including land degradation, climate change, pollution, and overexploitation of natural resources. It considers both green growth approaches that emphasize technology and institutional capacity, and degrowth approaches that call for a fundamental rethinking of society's structure and value generation.

Written in collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students who identified key sustainability topics, this book offers a nuanced exploration of the complex issues at the heart of human civilization's relationship with the environment. With illustrative figures, examples, and case studies throughout, it provides a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the challenges and potential solutions to today's sustainability crisis.