Tag: economic development2
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Interdependence, Sustainability, and a Sense of Place
As important as global economic and cultural forces may be, I see the push for distinctive identity and a sense of place ensuring that communities and nation states will maintain their power in a more globally interconnected world. Part of it is expressed in Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY) local politics that resists development…
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The False Trade-Off Between Economic Growth and Environmental Protection
The investment in environmental clean-up often stimulates other upgrades that enable businesses to more effectively compete in a global economy. Moreover, a clean environment reduces illness and that reduces the need for expensive health care.
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Open Dialogue and Sustainability Education
Among the academics I find a mix of optimism and dire pessimism. It’s a recurring theme—can we build an economic life that can preserve the planet, or is it already too late? My responsibility is to ensure that our students hear both perspectives.
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Moving the Global Economy Toward Sustainability
Using something finite and dumping it into a hole in the ground is less efficient and more costly than a system build on photosynthesis, renewable resources, and reuse of finite resources. In other words, an organization managed according to the principles of sustainability should be able to outcompete the organization sticking to the old, polluting…
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The Sustainable City
By concentrating human population in cities, we will make it possible to preserve land for wilderness, ecosystem maintenance and agriculture. People will travel to these places and will experience nature, but only a fortunate few will live close to nature.
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A Sustainable Lifestyle and the Changing Nature of Work
In the process of changing the economic role of the city, we need to pay more attention to the impact of our production and consumption on the environment and on all elements of the supply chain that bring goods and services to us. Building systems that reduce environmental impacts is more important than individual consumption…
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Sustainable Shipping and EPA’s Truck Mileage Standards
The huge vertically integrated companies and large factory complexes of the 20th century have been replaced by the networked organization of the 21st. This enables more specialized and efficient production because the cost of shipping is low enough to be easily covered by the reduced costs of production. Shipping of finished products is also increasing…
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An Inside Look at “The Toughest Job You’ll Ever Love”
This semester, the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development was pleased to host Carey Clinton, Regional Recruiter, and BriAnne Watkins, Assessment Specialist Recruiter, of the Peace Corps at the Earth Institute as part of the Sustainability Speaker Series.
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Roads: An Essential Element of Development
Roads data are critical to planning and development of rural transportation in developing countries, where better transportation systems can help improve livelihoods.
