Books

*** COMING SOON ***

Toward an Integrated Science of Wellbeing

Rieger, E., R. Costanza, I. Kubiszewski, and P. Dugdale (eds). 2023. Oxford University Press.

An integrated science of wellbeing connects diverse scales and perspectives to better guide research and public policy. The contributing authors are distinguished in their respective fields, and provide a synthesis of this wellbeing research. But in each chapter, they also consider the interconnections between the psychological, human biological, societal, and environmental domains of wellbeing research. Hence, while the book is divided into four sections representing each of these domains, integration across all scales is sought throughout. This integrated approach offers a first step toward a more complete understanding of wellbeing that can propel wellbeing research and initiatives in novel and fruitful directions.


Sustainable Wellbeing Futures: A Research and Action Agenda for Ecological Economics

Costanza, R., J. D. Erickson, J. Farley, and I. Kubiszewski (eds). 2020. Edward Elgar.

Ecological economics can help create the future that most people want – a future that is prosperous, just, equitable and sustainable. This forward-thinking book lays out an alternative approach that places the sustainable wellbeing of humans and the rest of nature as the overarching goal. Each of the book’s chapters, written by a diverse collection of scholars and practitioners, outlines a research and action agenda for how this future can look and possible actions for its realisation.

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An Introduction to Ecological Economics, Second Edition

Costanza, R., J. C. Cumberland, H. E. Daly, R. Goodland, R. Norgaard, I Kubiszewski, and C. Franco. 2014. Taylor and Francis.

Ecological economics explores new ways of thinking about how we manage our lives and our planet to achieve a sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Ecological economics extends and integrates the study and management of both “nature’s household” and “humankind’s household”―An Introduction to Ecological Economics, Second Edition, the first update and expansion of this classic text in 15 years, describes new approaches to achieving a sustainable and desirable human presence on Earth. Written by the top experts in the field, it addresses the necessity for an innovative approach to integrated environmental, social, and economic analysis and management, and describes policies aimed at achieving our shared goals.

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Creating a Sustainable and Desirable Future: Insights from 45 global thought leaders

Costanza, R. and I. Kubiszewski (eds). 2014. World Scientific.

The major challenge for the current generation of mankind is to develop a shared vision of a future that is both desirable to the vast majority of humanity and ecologically sustainable. Creating a Sustainable and Desirable Future offers a broad, critical discussion on what such a future should or can be, with global perspectives written by some of the world’s leading thinkers, including: Wendell Berry, Van Jones, Frances Moore Lappe, Peggy Liu, Hunter Lovins, Gus Speth, Bill McKibben, and many more.

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Building a Sustainable and Desirable Economy-in-Society-in-Nature

Costanza, R., G. Alperovitz, H. Daly, J. Farley, C. Franco, T. Jackson, I, Kubiszewski, J. Schor, and P. Victor. 2013. ANU Press.

In this book, we discuss the need to focus more directly on the goal of sustainable human well-being rather than merely GDP growth. This includes protecting and restoring nature, achieving social and intergenerational fairness (including poverty alleviation), stabilizing population, and recognizing the significant nonmarket contributions to human well-being from natural and social capital. To do this, we need to develop better measures of progress that go well beyond GDP and begin to measure human well-being and its sustainability more directly.

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Vivement 2050! Programme pour une économie soutenable et désirable

Costanza, R., G. Alperovitz, H. Daly, J. Farley, C. Franco, T. Jackson, I, Kubiszewski, J. Schor, and P. Victor. 2013. Les Petits Matins.

Les principes qui fondent l’économie mondiale doivent changer, et vite ! Nos modes de vie s’accompagnent de prélèvements qui détruisent les ressources limitées de la planète et menacent les bases mêmes de la vie. Pire, la poursuite de la croissance a cessé d’améliorer le bien-être dans les pays riches tandis que pauvreté et sous-alimentation perdurent au Sud. La bonne nouvelle est qu’il serait possible de satisfaire les besoins de tous, de concilier le nécessaire et le souhaitable, et de vivre mieux dans une économie rendue enfin durable. Ce livre brosse un panorama des solutions à mettre en oeuvre: prendre en compte les limites écologiques (émissions de déchets, exploitation des ressources), abandonner l’objectif de croissance du PIB au profit de l’amélioration du bien-être humain, rediriger nos techniques de production vers des solutions durables, renforcer le capital humain et social (réduction du temps de travail, lutte contre les inégalités), réaliser des réformes financières et fiscales écologiques. De quoi aller vers plus de bien-être, de prospérité et de démocratie dans le respect de la biosphère. Cela ne se fera pas en un jour. D’où la nécessité d’engager rapidement les mutations nécessaires. Vivement 2050!

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