Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World (Urban and Industrial Environments) [Paperback]

Julian Agyeman (Editor), Robert D. Bullard (Editor), Bob Evans (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0262511312 | ISBN-13: 978-0262511315 | Publication Date: February 28, 2003 | Edition: 1

Environmental activists and academics alike are realizing that a sustainable society must be a just one. Environmental degradation is almost always linked to questions of human equality and quality of life. Throughout the world, those segments of the population that have the least political power and are the most marginalized are selectively victimized by environmental crises.Just Sustainabilities argues that social and environmental justice within and between nations should be an integral part of the policies and agreements that promote sustainable development. The book addresses many aspects of the links between environmental quality and human equality and between sustainability and environmental justice more generally. The topics discussed include anthropocentrism; biotechnology; bioprospecting; biocultural assimilation; deep and radical ecology; ecological debt; ecological democracy; ecological footprints; ecological modernization; feminism and gender; globalization; participatory research; place, identity, and legal rights; precaution; risk society; selective victimization; and valuation.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A thought-provoking argument links the chapters of this edited volume... Just Sustainabilities contains enough interesting material to make this a useful introduction to the issues, and a worthwhile addition to reading lists, particularly for upper level undergraduate and graduate courses." Environment and Planning C: Government and Policy

" Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World does a remarkable job of presenting the theories and challenges that exist practically and philosophically with regard to environmental and social justice and sustainability." Nicole M. Smith Culture and Agriculture

"This book provides an integrated approach to the questions of sustainable development, environmental justice and equity." Oxfam

"The authors have undertaken the important task of linking research, activism, and discourses around environmental justice and sustainable development. This is a crucial project because of the real divisions that exist between proponents of each vision. The book is quite original and well researched, and the range of the case studies, literatures employed, and theoretical perspectives chosen is impressive."--David Naguib Pellow, Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, San Diego, author of *Garbage Wars: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago*

"*Just Sustainabilities* is a significant work. This diverse and sophisticated compilation offers both documentation and trenchant analysis of the global links among environmental degradation, racial oppression, and economic exploitation. It's also a compelling road map for addressing them in a sustainable fashion."--Luke Cole, Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment

"*Noxious New York* is a breath of fresh air in a world suffocating from pollution. Julie Sze has established herself as an authoritative voice on environmental justice movements. She uncovers two of the most ominous forces shaping all our lives today - and particularly the lives of the disenfranchised: the scourges of privatization and deregulation. Corporate power dominates our society from top to bottom, and the best hope for taking the planet back lies in the hands of activists like those featured in this outstanding book."--David Naguib Pellow, Ethnic Studies Department, University of California, San Diego, author of *Garbage Wars: The Struggle for Environmental Justice in Chicago*

About the Author

Bob Evans is Professor and Director of the Sustainable Cities Research Institute at Northumbria University, Newcastle, UK.

Product Details

• Paperback: 367 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; 1 edition (February 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262511312
• ISBN-13: 978-0262511315
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #107,004 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Julian Agyeman grew up in East Yorkshire in the UK during the 1960s and '70s. He is currently Professor and Chair of the Department of Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning (UEP) at Tufts University, Medford-Boston, MA, USA. His expertise and current research interests critically explore aspects of the complex and embedded relations between humans and the environment, whether mediated by institutions or social movement organizations, and the effects of this on public policy and planning processes and outcomes, particularly in relation to notions of justice and equity.

He is co-originator of the concept of 'just sustainabilities,' the integration of social/spatial justice and environmental sustainability, defined as "the need to ensure a better quality of life for all, now and into the future, in a just and equitable manner, whilst living within the limits of supporting ecosystems".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Comprehensive Look at EJ and Sustainability, June 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World (Urban and Industrial Environments) (Paperback)

This book does a wonderful job of taking different approaches and tools of looking at how sustainability and equity relate to each other. It scans the globe, distinct definitions of environmental justice, and a variety of environmental issues to create a less U.S. centered look at what environmental justice means and its relationship with sustainability around the world. The editors and contributors are well-known and distinguished in the field of environmental justice and sustainable development, making this book a must read for a comprehensive look at how two sometimes disparate and sometimes intertwined concepts interact. It also works well as an introduction to environmental justice and sustainability. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in equity issues; environmental justice is often one of the last considerations in environmental battles. Works like this will help make equity one of the first considerations.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Service, September 5, 2010

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This review is from: Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World (Urban and Industrial Environments) (Paperback)

I just received the book "Just Sustainabilities: Development in an Unequal World." Service was quick and the item was in very good condition--better than I thought based on its presentation on Amazon. Would recommend seller to others.