Reflections on a sustainable society

Isabelle Richaud

Description

We are on the verge of a true crisis of civilisation : ecological disruption, chronic insatisfaction of the basic needs of a large part of humanity and degrading physical and mental health in industrialised countries. We must address the crisis's main cause : the pursuit of a development approach focused on economic growth and based on intensive, inefficient use of natural resources. This book is a call for humanity to look itself in the mirror, question its identity as a species and re-examine its place in this world.

Sujets

• Écologie
• Nature
• Environnement
• Développement durable

Informations

• Publié par: L'Harmattan
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 8
• EAN13: 9782140033544
• Langue: English

Extrait

Cover
4th of cover
Biologie, Écologie, Agronomie
Collection fondée par Richard Moreau
et dirigée par Claude Brezinski,

Cette collection rassemble des synthèses, qui font le point des connaissances sur des situations ou des problèmes précis, des études approfondies exposant des hypothèses ou des enjeux autour de questions nouvelles ou cruciales pour l’avenir des milieux naturels et de l’homme, et des monographies. Elle est ouverte à tous les domaines des Sciences naturelles et de la Vie.

Déjà parus

Pierre PAGNEY, L’incertitude climatique et la guerre , 2016.
Ignace YAPI AYÉNON, Approches du vivant. Études d’épistémologie biologique , 2015.
Isabelle RICHAUD, L’humanité face au miroir. Réflexions sur une société durable, 2013.
Quênida DE REZENDE MENEZES, Le droit international peut-il sauver les dernières forêts de la planète?, 2013.
Guy ROLLET, Les Réseaux de neurones de la conscience. Approche multidisciplinaire du phénomène , 2012.
Patrick MATAGNE, Éduquer à la biodiversité pour un développement durable. Réflexions et expérimentations , 2012.
Elisabeth MATTHYS-ROCHON et Pierre SAVATIER, Bio-technologies : quelles conséquences sur l’Homme à venir? , 2012.
Marcel B. BOUCHÉ, Pour un renouveau dans l’environnement, 2012.
Michel GODRON, Écologie et évolution du monde vivant, vol.3. Les problèmes écologiques réels, 2012.
Michel GODRON, Écologie et évolution du monde vivant, vol.2. L’échelle crée le phénomène , 2012.
Michel GODRON, Écologie et évolution du monde vivant, vol.1. La vie est une transmission d’information , 2012.
André MARCHAND, Filière viande. Propositions pour conjuguer une agriculture rentable et une nourriture saine , 2011.
Guy JACQUES, Virer de bord. Plaidoyer pour l’homme et la planète , 2011.
Maurice BONNEAU, La forêt de Guyane française , 2010.
Michel GAUDICHON, L’homme au miroir de la science , 2010.
Jacques RISSE, L’élevage français. Évolutions et perspectives , 2010.
Title
Isabelle Richaud





Reflections on a sustainable society

Humanity in the mirror



Foreword by R. K. Pachauri

English version revised by Elisabeth Lyman
Copyright

French edition

Isabelle Richaud, Réflexions sur une nouvelle ère écologique et citoyenne, L’humanité dans le miroir , Éditions L’Harmattan, 2017, 978-2-343-11696-9

Previous edition

Isabelle Richaud, L’humanité dans le miroir, Réflexions sur une société durable , Éditions L’Harmattan, 2013 (french), 978-2-296-99845-2





© L’Harmattan, 2017
5-7, rue de l’Ecole-Polytechnique, 75005 Paris

http://www.harmattan.fr

EAN Epub : 978-2-336-78590-5
Quotation

“I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways
and no message could have been any clearer
if you wanna make the world a better place
take a look at yourself, and then make a change”


~ Michael Jackson, “Man in the Mirror”
(lyrics by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett)
Dedication

To Divya
and her generation
Table of Contents
Cover
4th of cover
Biologie, Écologie, Agronomie
Title
Copyright
Quotation
Dedication
Table of Contents
Boxes
Acknowledgments
Foreword By R. K. Pachauri
Introduction – Reflecting mirrors
Mirror, mirror on the wall
The interdependence of humans and nature
The dawn of a rebirth
Chapter 1 – Issues at stake
Introduction: History unfolding
Our young planet
The last second before midnight
Humanity’s growing footprint
A society of inequalities
I. Depletion and pollution of natural resources
Resource use and waste generation
Pollution
Land use and degradation
The way forward
II. Biodiversity loss
Extent of biodiversity loss
Causes of biodiversity loss
The vital importance of our ecosystems’ services
The way forward
III. Climate change
Changes observed in the climate system
Drivers of today’s climate change
Expected climate changes and their impact on natural and human systems
The uncertain influence of feedback mechanisms
Goal: limit the rise in temperatures
Conclusion: history at a crossroads
The human dimension of the environmental challenge
Towards environmental justice
The roots of the crisis and the seeds of recovery
Chapter 2 – Changing our behaviour
Introduction: The hidden faces of our consumption
Technology, demography and lifestyles
The social aspects of consumption
I. Our consumption habits
Impacts of consumption patterns on global challenges
The trick of international trade
Being a citizen of the market
Consuming less, consuming differently
Considering the co-benefits of sustainable consumption
Investing in sustainability
II. The way we eat
The historical evolution of diet
The health impacts of dietary changes
The environmental impacts of our diets
Implications for animal welfare
The environmental impacts of food miles
Considering the season and origin of food
Eating organic
Choosing seafood carefully
Reducing our consumption of meat and dairy
Considering the co-benefits of sustainable diets
Conclusion: Let’s simply be happy... simply!
The internal conflict of citizen-consumers
Towards a voluntary simplicity
Chapter 3 – Rethinking the economy
Introduction: An interconnected discipline
I. Overview of current economic thought
The main economic paradigms and systems
Nature in the current economic paradigm
National accounts and gross domestic product
The limits of GDP as an economic and social indicator
II. The failures of GDP growth
The race for growth
The environmental impacts of growth
When growth becomes uneconomic
III. A different economic framework
The need for a scientific revolution
Some alternative indicators
Sustainable development vs. continuous growth
Conclusion: Economy and ecology as friends
Chapter 4 – Reorganising society
Introduction: A role for everyone
I. Changing energy patterns
Towards a third energy revolution
Energy savings as the obvious choice
The need to restructure energy markets
II. Building sustainable cities
The role cities play in sustainable development
The importance of sustainable urban planning
Community-led movements
III. Restructuring the food cycle
Challenges for agriculture
Towards agroecology
Towards a sustainable food cycle
IV. Reconsidering the role of political authorities
Influencing behaviour
Inspiring public opinion
Popular discontent
The globalisation of politics
A culture of participation and collaboration
V. Reorganising the economy
Social economy
More responsible business
Towards a new production system
For a universal basic income
Conclusion: A society of cooperation
Chapter 5 – For a new spirituality
Introduction: Connecting to the world around
I. An alternative to consumer culture
Consumerism as an addiction
Consumerism as a religion
Towards true happiness
II. Religion and ecology
The evolution of veneration
Some current-day faiths that embrace ecology
Judeo-Christianity and the way it views nature
III. For a world religion
Common instincts
Some universally shared beliefs
Science with conscience as a common religion
Life within life
Diversity in unity
Another approach to education
Conclusion: A question of human identity
Conclusion – Human nature
The way we think
Give empathy a chance
ENVIRONNEMENT, ÉCOLOGIE ET DÉVELOPPEMENT AUX ÉDITIONS L’HARMATTAN
Address
Boxes
Box 1: World poverty in figures
Box 2: Rachel Carson’s clarion call against pesticides
Box 3: Pollination
Box 4: Some extreme weather-related events and their impact
Box 1: The human cost of the mining industry
Box 2: Tips for environmentally conscious consumers
Box 3: Harmful chemicals commonly found
Box 4: The historical development of meat consumption
Box 5: The life and death of battery hens
Box 6: The 100-mile diet
Box 7: Overview of standards required for organic certification
Box 8: The Marine Stewardship Council
Box 9: Some famous advocates of vegetarianism
Box 1: Collapse of the Easter Island civilisation
Box 2: Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness
Box 3: Lifestyle of the Machiguengas
Box 1: California’s energy-efficiency policy
Box 2: Masdar City
Box 3: The “Actors of Sustainable Paris”
Box 4: Ghent’s Donderdag Veggiedag
Box 5: Extracts of political speeches from history
Box 6: A social enterprise revolutionising the business of waste management
Box 1: End-of