the sustainability revolution: portrait of a paradigm shift

by Andrés R. Edwards, New Society Publishers (Second Printing), 2005

A comprehensive primer on the history, evolution and future of the movement toward sustainability. 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.

The Sustainability Revolution paints a picture of this largely unrecognized phenomenon from the point of view of five major sectors of society:

1. Community (government and international institutions)
2. Commerce (business)
3. Natural Resources (forestry, farming, fisheries, etc.)
4. Ecological Design (architecture, technology)
5. Biosphere (conservation, biodiversity, etc.).

The book analyses sustainability as defined by each of these sectors in terms of the principles, declarations and intentions that have emerged from conferences and publications, and which serve as guidelines for policy decisions and future activities. Common themes explored include: stewardship, economic restructuring, respect for the principles of nature and an intergenerational perspective on solutions.

Concluding that these themes in turn represent a new set of values that define this profound transformation, The Sustainability Revolution describes innovative sustainable projects and policies improving the lives of people in Colombia, Brazil, India and the Netherlands and examines future trends. The first book of its kind, it will appeal to business and government policy makers, academics, and all interested in sustainability.

For more details (Foreword, Table of Contents, Reviews, etc.) and to buy the book go to The Sustainability Revolution web site.

Praise for The Sustainability Revolution

Like a father penciling his kids' height marks on a door jamb, Andrés Edwards has lovingly taken the measure of the sustainability movement's leaps-and-bounds growth. Seeing our collective wisdom arrayed in a single book is powerful medicine for long-time solution seekers, and an irresistible invitation to a new generation wondering "How Shall We Live Here?"

-- Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired By Nature and Co-founder, Biomimicry Guild

The Sustainability Revolution presents a clear, concise, straightforward articulation of the most powerful force sweeping the world. This book is a great source of inspiration, showing us just how much is going on behind the scenes all over the world.

-- Spencer B. Beebe, founder, Ecotrust

In The Sustainability Revolution, Andrés Edwards has written a compelling, practical guide to the rapidly evolving field of sustainability. Whether you're a business person, journalist, educator or citizen activist, this book illustrates dozens of ways the environment can be restored while at the same time opening up new economic opportunities.

-- Christopher Flavin, President, The Worldwatch Institute

No need to reinvent the sustainability wheel! In The Sustainability Revolution, Andrés Edwards collects a comprehensive set of sustainability principles into the definitive desk reference. The principles are complemented with an excellent overview of social movements and the evolution from environmentalism to sustainability. This book is a fundamental tool for those building a better world -- a must for your library!

-- Randy Hayes, founder of Rainforest Action Network, director of sustainability for the City of Oakland

The Sustainability Revolution is an immensely useful book. Edwards provides an impressive guide to the future by examining pathbreaking actions and innovative ideas already moving ahead in today's world. The Sustainability Revolution is at once practical and visionary.

-- James Gustave Speth, Dean, Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies

The Sustainability Revolution is a compelling reminder of the power each of us has to make this world a better place through our everyday actions. Indeed, if we are to survive we must recognize our place in the natural world and make a concerted effort to leave lighter ecological footprints. The Sustainability Revolution shines light on the path that we all must follow to make this world a more sustainable and peaceful place for all living things.

-- Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, The Jane Goodall Institute, UN Messenger of Peace

As Andrés Edwards clearly demonstrates, we are indeed in the early stage of a global sustainability revolution, and yet few of us can see it. The Sustainability Revolution gathers together accounts of the underlying dynamics, global visions, definitions and effective models of this quiet revolution, and informs us of the most important societal movement ever; one that will not only change the essence and metrics of business, but will determine our future.

-- David A. Gottfried, founder, US and World Green Building Councils and author of Greed to Green

The Sustainability Revolution is a key reference for environmentalists -- the kind of reference that will fuel good work and good thinking in the years to come.

-- Bill McKibben, author of Wandering Home, Enough and The End of Nature

Andrés Edwards has done society a great service with The Sustainability Revolution. He has helped us envision a sustainable world and given all of us hope about the future by illuminating the thousands of positive efforts worldwide that are helping move toward this vision. The book is both an inspiration and a testimony to the programs that are hardly ever addressed by the mainstream media. It is a much-needed shot in the arm for the sustainability movement.

-- Anthony D. Cortese, president of Second Nature, leader in the Education for Sustainability movement in higher education

Andrés Edwards maps one of the most significant yet least understood landscapes: the landscape with the paths to the place where all people can flourish, within the means of one generous, but ultimately limited planet. His map brings clarity to the formerly confusing mountains and valleys of sustainability principles, ideas, concepts, and indicators. I wish this book becomes everybody's "Rand McNally Atlas" to guide us on the rally to sustainability. This is the best rally since we can all win. Andrés' brilliant book shows us how.

-- Mathis Wackernagel, Executive Director, Global Footprint Network

Andrés Edwards has written a much-needed book - a comprehensive, extremely readable guidebook to the Sustainability Movement, its history, principles, and applications. At a time when so many people feel the bad guys are winning, Edwards shows us the quiet good news that doesn't get headlines, yet is changing the world for the better as "business as usual" unravels. We and the planet have a chance. The Sustainability Revolution shows why and how in this carefully researched, passionate book.

-- Sim Van der Ryn, architect, author of Ecological Design and Design For Life

The Sustainability Revolution is a passionate, hopeful account of the shift in thinking that's happening worldwide. Andrés Edwards provides a profoundly encouraging confidence booster -- definitely required reading for anyone thinking about or working within the sustainability movement.

-- L. Hunter Lovins, president, Natural Capitalism Inc., and co-author of Natural Capitalism: Creating the Next Industrial Revolution

The Sustainability Revolution provides a brilliant synthesis of the multiple braids of sustainability. Its comprehensive analysis of sustainability principles and frameworks is particularly valuable.

-- Stuart Cowan, co-author of Ecological Design

What is ecological sustainability, and is it one consistent thing? And can we protect the children of the future and still make a good living today? Andrés Edwards has given us an elegant and concise way to say 'Yes!' to both questions. He shows just how coherent is the worldview of the sustainability movement, and that its principles and practices are moving steadily from grand ideas, and statements of alarm, toward actual, everyday practicality. Today dozens of industries, hundreds of communities and thousands of companies have found that what is practical for everyday economic activities can be redesigned to be very good for the environment and our long-term future. So the more concrete and practical are those big sustainability principles, the more they spread around the planet as actual green practices. It's not just that "a better world is possible." It's happening. It's real.

-- Paul H. Ray, co-author of The Cultural Creatives

Sustainability is more than a buzzword; it is a concept that defines what is needed for our civilization to survive. The discussion about sustainability is therefore the most important one now occurring on the planet. Andrés Edwards has summarized the current state of this discussion in a thorough, upbeat, and understandable way. The Sustainability Revolution highlights not only the ideas, but the courageous efforts of people around the world who are creating a way of life that is not only more survivable, but more just and satisfying as well.

-- Richard Heinberg, professor of human ecology, New College of California, and author of The Party’s Over: Oil, War and the Fate of Industrial Societies and Powerdown: Options and Actions for a Post-Carbon World

By the simple act of gathering in one place dozens of lists of "sustainability principles," Andrés Edwards has sketched the landscape -- and given us a glimpse of the trajectory -- of the sustainability revolution.

-- Gil Friend, President & CEO, Natural Logic Inc., and author of A Declaration of Leadership

Reviews of The Sustainability Revolution

"This book is a compelling reminder of the power each of us has to make the world a better place."

-- Resurgence Magazine

"This is an excellent summary of how the idea of sustainability came to grip the ecology movement.

-- Philip Woodard, Planet Drum Pulse

In this book, Edwards, an educator and media designer who has specialized in sustainability topics for the last 15 years, briefly sketches a portrait of the sustainability revolution as a social movement that contains a “revolution of interconnections.” Summarily describing the birth of sustainability, he then applies sustainability thinking and practice to four areas: (1) community, (2) commerce, (3) natural resources, and (4) the biosphere.

Deftly summarizing in some 20 pages each the important developments in each area, Edwards adds a useful resources chapter of organizations, as well as online resources for each of those areas. His last chapter, “Future Pathways,” presents an original two-and-one-halfpage table that traces the development of the principles of sustainability, divided into scopes, sectors, and types, and argues that we must go “beyond green” towards a new vision of the future. The book concludes with an annotated bibliography.

The Sustainability Revolution is particularly useful for environmental educators, for it presents in clear, concise language a compelling, practical guide to the rapidly evolving field of sustainability. It shows how environmental education can transition into a “sustainability framework,” which would give EE greater depth and make it more effective in enhancing personal and organizational perspectives that match the urgent plight of people and planet.

Sustainability is more than a buzzword: It is a concept and a movement that defines what civilizations need to survive. Therefore, by seriously considering sustainability principles in their environmental education work, educators engage in perhaps their most important work to date. They would be critically applying their expertise in the articulation of this most powerful force that is today sweeping the world, for it is civilization that is at stake.

In other words, evaluating one’s work in terms of sustainability is a variant of the question: Are we doing the right thing or are we doing things right?

Frans C. Verhagen (gaia1@rcn.com) is a sustainability sociologist, the director of sustainability research and education at Earth and Peace Education Associates International (EPE), and adjunct associate professor of sustainable communities at Pace University in New York, NY..

-- NAAEE Communicator North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) Spring 2006, Vol. 36/No. 2

After briefly sketching a portrait of the sustainability revolution as a social movement that contains a "revolution of interconnections," Edwards, an educator and media designer who has specialized in sustainability topics for the last 15 years, summarily describes the birth of sustainability. Then he applies sustainability thinking and practice to four areas: community, commerce, natural resources and the biosphere. He deftly summarizes in some twenty pages each the important developments in each area, adding a very useful resources chapter of organizations, online resources for each of those areas. His last chapter, entitled ÒFuture PathwaysÓ presents a very original two and half page table that traces the development of the principles of sustainability, divided into scopes, sectors and types and argues that we have to go "beyond green" towards a new vision of the future. The book of some 200 pages that sells for $16.95 concludes with an annotated bibliography.

This book is particularly useful for environmental educators, for it presents in clear, concise language a compelling, practical guide to the rapidly evolving field in sustainability. It shows how environmental education is to transition into a sustainability framework which would give it greater depth and make it more effective in enhancing personal and organizational perspectives that match the urgency of the plight of people and planet. Sustainability is more than buzzword: it is concept and movement that defines what is needed for civilizations to survive. Therefore, seriously considering sustainability principles in their environmental education work, educators are engaged in perhaps the most important evaluation of their work. They would be critically participating for their field of expertise in the articulation of this most powerful sustainability force that is sweeping the world. It is a variant of the question: Are we doing the right thing or are we doing things right?

-- Frans C. Verhagen, M.Div., M.I.A., Ph.D., a sustainability sociologist, is the director of sustainability research and education at Earth and Peace Education Associates International (EPE) and adjunct associate professor of sustainable communities at Pace University.

Also published by New Society Publishers is a book authored by Andrés Edwards, The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift - must reading for anyone who wants to understand the roots and development of our field. It traces its history, how it emerged, its core philosophies and tools.

It covers government and international institutions; corporate; forestry, farming and fisheries; architecture and ecological design; and biodiversity conservation. www.sustainabilityrevolution.com

Edwards is the founder of EduTracks, which creates educational exhibits for parks, towns and companies on green building and sustainability.

-- Sustainable Business.com

"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."

There's a brand new book on sustainability from New Society Publishers. The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait of a Paradigm Shift briefly introduces the birth of sustainability and then presents many sets of sustainability principles in five chapters: Sustainability and Community, Sustainability and Commerce, Sustainability and Natural Resources, Sustainability and Ecological Design and Sustainability and the Biosphere.

This is also a very comprehensive list of resources. It could be seen as a 'sustainability encyclopedia'. It is quite accessible: less than 20 pages long. A very good resource indeed and a good reference book on sustainability for those who don't know much about the concept.

-- The Watershed Sentinal

Andrés R. Edwards' The Sustainability Revolution: Portrait Of A Paradigm Shift (0865715319, $16.95) tells of millions around the world who are undertaking the Sustainability Revolution, incorporating the values and foundations of sustainability into their lives, policies, and businesses. Chapters trace the origins and enactments of different principles, design values, and alliances with an eye to showing how these connections are made, fostered, and grow.

-- Midwest Book Review

The Sustainability Revolution is a thorough review of the evolution of sustainability. For a text loaded with facts and details, Andrés wrote it so it would be understandable for those who are new to the history and principles of sustainability. The resources section is especially helpful because it lists organizations and contacts mentioned in the book along with brief descriptions about them. I'm sure that many of our customers -- for the DVD "Architecture to Zucchini: The people, companies and organizations pioneering sustainability" -- would be very interested in this book. I highly recommend it to higher education, consultants and business leaders.

-- Doug Freeman, Arnold Creek Productions

A comprehensive and readable distillation of the topic; a decent primer for understanding sustainability's many dimensions, and for sharing with colleagues.

-- The Green Business Letter

During the past two decades, "sustainability" has become a catchword, yet few people know exactly what it is supposed to mean. Most dictionaries don't even define it but rest content with a definition of the adjective "sustainable." Part of the problem is that the word can signify several things, depending on the context. Even David Orr, in his foreword to the present book, speaks of it as an "indefinite term," and yet in the context of ecology and economy, "sustainability" does in fact have a specific sense.

Edwards, who is an educator and environmental systems consultant, has written over 200 pages to explain what sustainability stands for and why it is such a vital concept today. Already millions of people have rallied around this notion, so that it is possible to speak of a "Sustainability Revolution"-an international social movement that emphasizes a mature, responsible approach to living, which is not detrimental to our Earth habitat nor our fellow beings (both human and nonhuman). This movement is made up of thousands of interest groups worldwide, each of which has its own concerns and agenda, but these synchronize with the concerns and agendas of other groups.

The present book is something of a manifesto for the Sustainability Revolution. After examining the movement's history, he analyzes its core concerns-the three "E's," namely ecology/environment, economy/employment, equity/equality, to which he adds education of the larger public. He then goes on to analyze sustainability in terms of community, commerce, natural resources, ecological design, and the biosphere-all key issues in the Sustainability Revolution and all related to each other.

Edwards's clear mind, formidable command of his material, and sharp eye for common principles make his book a remarkable and convincing document, which undoubtedly will become a classic reference work.

-- Georg Feuerstein, PhD