The U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development

Sustainability Resources

The following resources provide an introduction. For more information, check each of the Resources sections. Also find out about the efforts of each of the partners by clicking on the "Partners List".This page is organized to include Websites, Print Articles, Media, Magazines and Journals, and Books.

  • WEBSITES
  • PRINT ARTICLES
  • MEDIA
  • JOURNALS
  • BOOKS & ESSAYS

U.S. Government's Sustainable Development Partnerships Web Site

This site provides information on U.S. efforts to work with other governments, the private sector, civil society and other organizations to plan and implement voluntary partnerships that promote economic growth, social development and environmental stewardship.

Green for All

This group is committed to creating pathways out of poverty while building the green economy. It has reports, networks and informational resources.

A Better Future

The mission of A BETTER FUTURE is to promote the strategies for and the benefits of achieving a more healthy, humane, and environmentally sustainable world. The organizers want to assist you in developing more mutual understanding and collective action that will help create a better future for all. Our work arose out of the National Council for Science and the Environment's 2003 conference, "Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future" in Washington, DC.  

Better Days Alliance

Vision: To raise, broaden and shift consciousness away from a "me now" focus to a "we tomorrow" focus, we being represented by all people and life on Earth. Purpose: Better Days Alliance, Inc. operates exclusively for educational purposes. Specifically, this organization supports learning by individuals and organizations to increase the interdependent health of economies, communities, and the natural world. It carries out its purpose by creating and facilitating the creation of public affairs media to inspire future-oriented thinking, dialogue, and action for US and international audiences. The organization's work is focused in four key areas: research, development and consulting; media production and coordination (tv, web, print); marketing and communications, and; educational and community outreach.

http://www.betterdaysalliance.org/

BetterBricks - Success Stories

The goal of BetterBricks is to help business professionals understand the power of energy efficiency to make a real difference in their buildings and in their business. It's about how to make buildings work harder and smarter.

http://www.betterbricks.com/default.aspx?pid=successstories

Big Picture TV

Welcome to Big Picture TV - an online media channel that streams free video clips of global leaders in sustainability. Browse a growing archive of internationally renowned names including scientists, environmentalists, politicians, journalists, academics and activists. BPTV is easy to watch. Simply select a speaker, choose a clip and press play (see how to watch tv). Our video clips can only be watched with Microsoft's Media Player. If you do not already have it installed you can download Media Player here for free.

http://www.bigpicture.tv/index.php

Sustainable Consumption and Production

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Regional Office for North America (UNEP RONA) launches a new webpage that focuses on Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the North American Region.

http://www.rona.unep.org/about_unep_rona/scp/index.html.

Earth Portal

The Earth Portal is a revolutionary, comprehensive source of environmental information for people around the globe. It provides clear, science-based resources on thousands of topics that help make sense of the issues, and is accessible via pioneering technology that changes the way we explore and discover the Internet. International experts in hundreds of fields have selected and refined the portal fabric for a vast audience, from young students to governmental leaders. The future of humanity rests on the ability of these millions of individuals to understand the often complex issues, form educated opinions and take action that could impact generations to come.

http://www.earthportal.org/

The Eco-Efficiency Centre

The Eco-Efficiency Centre is a not for profit, arms-length agency that brings an important message to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) - that there can be both ecological and economical advantages to making the right environmental choices. The Eco-Efficiency Centre works to improve the efficiency of individual companies on the one hand, while encouraging an eco-systemic perspective, by supporting cooperation between businesses. The Centre focuses on providing information in an integrated fashion on eco-efficiency/pollution prevention, resource conservation and economic efficiency.

 

Entrepreneurs for Sustainability - Success Stories

Today, Entrepreneurs for Sustainability community is a unique, diverse group of entrepreneurs, inventors, business leaders, bankers, architects, developers, restaurant owners, manufacturers, educators, high school and college students, designers, engineers, researchers, writers, farmers, consumers, government planners, environmentalists and capitalists. On average over 130 participants attend each month and more than 1500 leaders have attended one or more meetings.

http://www.e4sustainability.org/stories/stories.htm

The Environmental Tipping Points Project

The Environmental Tipping points Project tells stories of people and nature. From coral islands to inner cities, it draws on nearly one hundred cases of ecosystems and communities that are rising from decline or ruin to rebirth. The stories encompass a spectrum of settings and problems: from deforestation, desertification, pollution, urban sprawl and decay to watersheds, coastal zones, agriculture, fisheries, biodiversity conservation, urban parks and community gardens, water supply, energy, and disease control. It depicts what the modern megalopolis can learn from the ancient village, and what innovative urban pioneers are trying today.

The project disseminates the environmental tipping points paradigm and its stories and lessons through magazine articles, seminars, workshops, and direct collaboration with community environmental programs. In a time when it's easy to despair, environmental tipping points are about hope. They can help citizens, communities, and public officials to recognize potential tipping points right at home, showing how to translate scientific theories into action. Environmental tipping points demonstrate it's not only possible to live in harmony with nature. It's practical.

http://www.ecotippingpoints.org/

Environic Foundation International - Success Stories

Success Stories are about real places that are using practical, integrated sustainability strategies now. While the scale of the Success Stories varies, and the issues being addressed are not the same from story to story, they do provide models that can be replicated to mitigate similar social, economic and environmental sustainability problems in other locations. While strategies used in the Success Stories may not be completely appropriate for a particular location, the types of strategies used lend themselves to adaptation. In addition, these Success Stories are presented not simply to be copied, but to provide the reader with a range of ideas that will spawn even more and better strategies.

http://www.environicfoundation.org/cases.html

Environic Global Sustainability Institute - Global Sustainability Stories

These stories illustrate progress toward global sustainability using a Triple Bottom Line Plus One approach, i.e. the dimensions of environmental, social and cultural, economic and governance. They may highlight one or more of these dimensions. The stories will highlight practical and pedagogical issues associated with sustainability practice within a learning community. Contributors will talk about their approach, process, learning outcomes and lessons learnt from the project. The stories will be presented in mixed media, video, audio and text.

http://www.global.rmit.edu.au/news/2007/

Sustainability at the National Academies

The National Academies (Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine) have established a Science and Technology for Sustainability Program (STS) to encourage the use of science and technology to achieve long term sustainable development - increasing incomes, improving public health, and sustaining critical natural systems.

Horizon Solutions Site

The Solutions Site, created by HORIZON International (also known as HORIZON Communications), provides readily accessible peer reviewed answers to problems in environment, health, population and development. The purpose of this site is to provide a forum for the presentation of solutions to vital concerns in the areas of health, population, development and the environment. Initiatives are gathered through a number of different means, including direct user submissions, the efforts of partner institutions, and HORIZON's own research activities. The case studies not only encourage the replication of existing projects and provide information on how to do so, but also inspire the development of new initiatives.

The National Center for Appropriate Technology

The National Center for Appropriate Technology offers a sampling of projects that were completed by NCAT programs in past years. To find more information about ongoing projects, see the Current Projects pages for each program area. For additional information on other past accomplishments, visit the NCAT News Archive.

 

Recycled Products Cooperative

Renew America's Environmental Success Index chronicles more than 1,400 effective environmental programs nationwide that measurably protect, restore or enhance the environment. When individuals or organizations face a specific environmental problem, they can learn how projects in the Index address similar issues. The ongoing search for environmental programs reaches out to local and national organizations, corporate executives, educational institutions and all levels of government. Programs in the Index meet tough standards for program effectiveness, natural resource conservation, economic progress and human development.

Office of Sustainability and Environment

The stories that make up Office of Sustainability and Environment website are examples of small steps people in Seattle are taking to try to make our city a more sustainable place. In each of these stories people are helping to build a society with a fair distribution of resources, with a good quality of life for everyone, and without using resources beyond the Earth's ability to provide them.

Sustainable Northwest

Sustainable Northwest recognizes the importance of strong economies, healthy communities and protection of the natural environment in achieving long-term prosperity for current and future generations. Sustainable Northwest, a nonprofit organization that promotes environmentally sound economic development, is working to increase awareness, understanding, and adoption of sustainable practices in Eastern Washington, Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Western Montana, Western Wyoming, Northern Utah, and Northern Nevada - an area broadly defined as the Inland Northwest.

USA Today: Voices

Voices is an initiative to help you and your fellow students learn about, debate and inspire action on issues of importance in our country and world. It provides you with the information and tools you need to get discussions, forums or debates going on any number of important topics, from stem cell research and human rights to Iraq and gas prices.

Architecture to Zucchini

The people, companies and organizations pioneering sustainability. An educational video on the principles of sustainability and their application within a variety of industries. The DVD includes interviews and facility tours, featuring case studies of eight successful, socially responsible companies of various sizes and four nationally recognized non-profit organizations that support sustainability.

The Next Industrial Revolution

William McDonough, Michael Braungart & the Birth of the Sustainable Economy

While some environmental observers predict doomsday scenarios in which a rapidly increasing human population is forced to compete for ever scarcer natural resources, Bill McDonough sees a more exciting and hopeful future. In his vision humanity takes nature itself as our guide reinventing technical enterprises to be as safe and ever-renewing as natural processes. Can't happen? It's already happening...at Nike, at Ford Motor Company, at Oberlin College, at Herman Miller Furniture, and at DesignTex...and it's part of what architect McDonough and his partner, chemist Michael Braungart, call 'The Next Industrial Revolution.' Shot in Europe and the United States, the film explores how businesses are transforming themselves to work with nature and enhance profitability.

Biomimicry: Learning from Nature

2-part series based on the book Biomimicry - a new science that studies nature 's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. This two-part series is based on the acclaimed book, "Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature", by Janine Benyus. Biomimicry (from 'bios' meaning life, and 'mimesis' meaning to imitate) is a new science that studies nature's best ideas and then imitates these designs and processes to solve human problems. (2002)

Net Loss: The Storm Over Salmon Fishing

All over the world, fish are at the heart of people's diet and culture. All over the world, fish are at the heart of people's diet and culture. But decades of habitat loss and poor fisheries management have threatened many wild salmon runs. Now some companies are raising salmon in giant underwater net-pens, promising more fish for people to eat and less pressure on wild salmon. What are the impacts of salmon aquaculture on a favorite food, our marine environment, and coastal communities? Filmed in British Columbia, Chile and the U.S., the dynamic new documentary Net Loss: The Storm Over Salmon Farming provides both global and local perspectives on this industrial approach to producing salmon. Government and industry spokesmen make the case for salmon farming, while fishermen, Native people, scientists and chefs explain the dangers it may pose for the environment, human health, and coastal cultures. (2004)

Sustainability: Science, Practice, & Policy

A new peer-reviewed, open access journal that provides a platform for the dissemination of new practices and for dialogue emerging out of the field of sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY: The Journal of Record

meets the needs of the rapidly growing community of professionals in academia, industry, policy, and government who have the responsibility and commitment to advancing one of the major imperatives of this young century. The Journal provides the information and resources to foster collaboration, between sustainability managers, educators, corporate executives, administrators, policy makers, economists, and technology innovators who have the mandate to address and move forward the imperatives of the preservation and sustainability of global resources.

Earth Light

Empowering individuals and communities to live and work in touch with Earth and Spirit.

Resurgence

Resurgence is the leading international forum for ecological and spiritual thinking. It is a life-line to the heart of the environmental movement, connecting readers to a world of ideas, tools and resources that are needed to create positive change.

Yes!

Positive Futures Network is an independent, nonprofit organization supporting people's active engagement in creating a just, sustainable, and compassionate world. The Positive Futures Network (PFN) and its publication YES! magazine start with the belief that we need deep change if we are to avoid the breakdown of society and the natural world.

Agenda for a Sustainable America,
Edited by John Dernbach
Island Press, January 2009

Packed with facts, figures, and the well-informed opinions of 41 experts, Agenda for a Sustainable America (the follow up volume to Stumbling Toward Sustainability) provides a comprehensive assessment of U.S. progress toward sustainable development and a roadmap of necessary next steps toward achieving a Sustainable America. “Sustainability is seldom described with the depth, scholarly detail, and richness of this work. It is THE sector-by-sector primer for what must be done to preserve our grandchildren’s rights to the nation they will inherit.” (Dr. Donald Kennedy, President Emeritus of Stanford University). “The book lays out, sector by sector, what is needed to shape a brighter future for the nation and, by extension, the world community. The next administration would be wise to use this as a guide book for its policies.” (The Honorable Timothy E. Wirth, President, United Nations Foundation and Better World Fund)

Cradle to Cradle
By William McDonough & Michael Braungart
North Point Press, 2002

William McDonough's new book, written with his colleague, the German chemist Michael Braungart, is a manifesto calling for the transformation of human industry through ecologically intelligent design. Through historical sketches on the roots of the industrial revolution; commentary on science, nature and society; descriptions of key design principles; and compelling examples of innovative products and business strategies already reshaping the marketplace, McDonough and Braungart make the case that an industrial system that "takes, makes and wastes" can become a creator of goods and services that generate ecological, social and economic value.

The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability
By Paul Hawken

The Ecology of Commerce: A Declaration of Sustainability outlines the environmentally destructive aspects of many current business practices, but offers the vision of businesses adopting new practices to promote environmental restoration.

Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly on the Earth
By: Bill McKibben
From Publishers Weekly

In this book, Hope, Human and Wild: True Stories of Living Lightly, McKibben embarks on a journey--in the Adirondack Mountains, a Brazilian city, and a state in India--that convinces him that the world and nature can recover some of its glory.

The Natural Step for Communities: How Cities and Towns Can Change to Sustainable Practices
By Sarah James and Torbjörn Lahti

Sustainability may seem like one more buzzword, and cities and towns like the last places to change, but The Natural Step for Communities provides inspiring examples of communities that have made dramatic changes toward sustainability, and explains how others can emulate their success.

Protecting the Future: Stories of Sustainability from RMIT University
By Sarah Holdsworth and Tricia Caswell

Showcases tangible examples of the practical implementation of global sustainability and the triple bottom-line plus one (comprising environmental, social and cultural economic and governance dimensions) in the scholarship and operations of RMIT University.

The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift
By Andrés R. Edwards; Foreword by David W. Orr

By Andrés R. Edwards; Foreword by David W. Orr
Sustainability has become a buzzword in the last decade, but its full meaning is complex, emerging from a range of different sectors. In practice, it has become the springboard for millions of individuals throughout the world who are forging the fastest and most profound social transformation of our time - the Sustainability Revolution.