Preface
“What does it mean to go Green?” I asked this question to my students in Nigeria.
The response was silence and a sea of blank faces. I waited patiently, but not a single
hand was raised. Not one student in the group of 250 bright minds was confident
enough to talk about the most urgent issue facing our planet and species. I decided
that the time for patience was over; I started working on this text which aims to
inspire a green movement in the hearts and minds of readers of all ages.
The core purpose of this book is to use the breakthroughs in sustainability
science to address the problems afflicting the environment and present measures
for improving economies, societies, and human behavior by applying this emerging
science through best practices. This book is both informative and prescriptive in its
approach to sustainability, a combination missing in previous publications.
Sustainability in science leads to proactive measures geared towards the adoption
of knowledge, skills, activities, and attributes necessary for using the existing
resources in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. There have been monumental sustainability texts produced
prior to the publication of this book and I applaud their contributions. However, sustainability science is unique in its scope and accessibility. It acts as an introductory
book for the average reader but can still be used as a condensed knowledge base for
the more advanced. It is not just an academic text but a call to action for nations and
individuals. It is an easy read filled with hard truths. It provides the basic know-how
of sustainability science needed for the reader to start contributing today.
Everyday anthropogenic activities are responsible for the problems of our planet
and there is a need to salvage the situation through creativity, innovation, and critical
thinking. Now more than ever, there is great potential for sustainability science’s
incorporation into programs, policies, and cultural norms because of the common
consensus on the need to develop proactive measures to protect and preserve the
planet’s finite resources. This level of common consensus is itself uncommon, and
we must not squander this potential. To help accomplish these goals, this book is
adapted to present the proposed ideas by using empirical evidence as the basis for
achieving sustainability. This is a results-based approach which takes an honest
look at unemployment, health, disease, unsustainable production, waste managexi
“What does it mean to go Green?” I asked this question to my students in Nigeria.
The response was silence and a sea of blank faces. I waited patiently, but not a single
hand was raised. Not one student in the group of 250 bright minds was confident
enough to talk about the most urgent issue facing our planet and species. I decided
that the time for patience was over; I started working on this text which aims to
inspire a green movement in the hearts and minds of readers of all ages.
The core purpose of this book is to use the breakthroughs in sustainability
science to address the problems afflicting the environment and present measures
for improving economies, societies, and human behavior by applying this emerging
science through best practices. This book is both informative and prescriptive in its
approach to sustainability, a combination missing in previous publications.
Sustainability in science leads to proactive measures geared towards the adoption
of knowledge, skills, activities, and attributes necessary for using the existing
resources in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. There have been monumental sustainability texts produced
prior to the publication of this book and I applaud their contributions. However, sustainability science is unique in its scope and accessibility. It acts as an introductory
book for the average reader but can still be used as a condensed knowledge base for
the more advanced. It is not just an academic text but a call to action for nations and
individuals. It is an easy read filled with hard truths. It provides the basic know-how
of sustainability science needed for the reader to start contributing today.
Everyday anthropogenic activities are responsible for the problems of our planet
and there is a need to salvage the situation through creativity, innovation, and critical
thinking. Now more than ever, there is great potential for sustainability science’s
incorporation into programs, policies, and cultural norms because of the common
consensus on the need to develop proactive measures to protect and preserve the
planet’s finite resources. This level of common consensus is itself uncommon, and
we must not squander this potential. To help accomplish these goals, this book is
adapted to present the proposed ideas by using empirical evidence as the basis for
achieving sustainability. This is a results-based approach which takes an honest
look at unemployment, health, disease, unsustainable production, waste managexi