PowerPoint Presentations

Sustainability: an Introduction

Books

The Better World Handbook: Small Changes that Make a Big Difference
Jones, Ellis, et al.
Specifically designed to reach people who normally would not consider themselves activists, The Better World Handbook is directed toward those who care about creating a more just, sustainable and socially responsible world but do not know where to begin.

The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists
Brower, Michael and Leon, Warren
This book identifies the four most significant consumer-related environmental problems, the seven most damaging spending categories, 11 priority actions and seven rules for responsible consumption. Learn what you can do to have a truly significant impact on the world from the people who are at the forefront of scientific research.

David Suzuki's Green Guide
Suzuki, David and Boyd, David
Everyone knows that the planet is in trouble, but is there a solution? This timely book identifies the most effective ways individuals can be more green in four key areas: home, travel, food and consumerism.

Don't Throw It Out: Recycle, Renew, and Reuse
Baird, Lori
This book draws on traditional Yankee ingenuity and thrift in an ingenious guide that presents more than 1000 ways to help extend the life and value of household objects… with fix-it-fast tips for making simple repairs, money-saving ideas for making things last longer and new uses for worn-out items.

Getting Green Done: Hard Truths from the Front Lines of the Sustainability Revolution
Schendler, Auden
Using examples from his own consulting work as the Executive Director of Community and Environmental Responsibility at Aspen Skiing Company, Auden Schendler asserts that real change can only come from tough decisions by big businesses and through legislation. Rather than sacrificing ROI to integrate green practices, Schendler says that companies must make profit-driven decisions that complement their business models in order to carry out meaningful and lasting environmental change.

Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America
Friedman, Thomas L.
Thomas L. Friedman takes a fresh and provocative look at two of the biggest challenges we face today: America's surprising loss of focus and national purpose since 9/11 and the global environmental crisis, which is affecting everything from food to fuel to forests. In this groundbreaking account of where we stand now, he shows us how the solutions to these two big problems are linked—how we can restore the world and revive America at the same time.

Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update
Meadows, Donella H., et al.
Using extensive computer models based on population, food production, pollution and other data, the authors demonstrate why the world is in a potentially dangerous ´overshoot´ situation. Put simply, overshoot means people have been steadily using up more of the Earth's resources without replenishing its supplies.

Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
Brown, Lester R.
Lester R. Brown outlines a survival strategy for our early 21^st century civilization. The world faces many environmental trends of disruption and decline, including rising temperatures and spreading water shortage… Brown warns that the only effective response now is a World War II-type mobilization like that in the United States after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Silent Spring
Carson, Rachel et al
Silent Spring, released in 1962, offered the first shattering look at widespread ecological degradation and touched off an environmental awareness that still exists. Presented with thorough documentation, the book opened more than a few eyes about the dangers of the modern world and stands today as a landmark work.

Wake Up and Smell the Planet: The Non-Pompous, Non-Preachy Grist Guide to Greening Your Day
Grist Magazine
This compact and resourceful handbook takes a look at how to simplify and ´green´ our daily choices, from the moment we get up in the morning until we finally lay our heads down at night.

Videos

Buyer Be Fair—the Promise of Product Certification
Bullfrog Films
www.buyerbefair.org/buy_film.html
This film takes viewers to Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States and Canada to explore how conscious consumers and businesses can use the market to promote social justice and environmental sustainability through product labeling.

A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba, Brazil
Bello Pictures
greenplanetfilms.org
This documentary focuses on innovations in transportation, recycling, social benefits including affordable housing, seasonal parks and the processes that transform Cruitiba into one of the most livable cities in the world.

Research & Publications

Selling Sustainability: A Report from the National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts
www.nesta.org.uk/assets/features/selling_sustainability/
This report examines how the United Kingdom can bridge the gap between recognizing responsibility and taking action on climate change, especially in the realm of the built environment.