Analysis of the experiences of four farmer groups set up to learn how to jointly manage local natural resource issues shows that the groups are going though two simultaneous processes. One builds technical competency in natural resource management and the other is the underpinning social process that allows the groups to make decisions and work…

We investigated preferences for climate change mitigation policies and factors contributing to higher levels of policy support. The sample was comprised of 316 Michigan and Virginia residents, all of whom completed mail surveys. Of the eight policies proposed to reduce the burning of fossil fuels, respondents overwhelmingly indicated they would…

In this article, the authors explore the following propositions: (1) Human behavior, individually and through institutions, is seriously threatening the earth and humankind; (2) A sustainable, equitable, harmonious future is desirable and possible; (3) Colleges and universities, as social institutions, have a general role to play in this scenario,…

The German packaging ordinance is an example of legislated extended producer responsibility (also known as product take-back). Consumers can leave packaging with retailers, and packagers are required to pay for their recycling and disposal. It can be considered to be successful in reducing waste, spurring the redesign of packaging to be more…

Environmental sustainability education, the dissemination of environmental education for sustainable development into the community, should be a lifelong process and not one restricted to a learner's years in higher education. Informal environmental sustainability education, including personal involvement in NGO environmental action, can be an…

When the United Nations General Assembly authorized holding the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, it was hardly a secret--or even a point in dispute--that progress in implementing sustainable development had been disappointing since the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. With poverty deepening and environmental…

This paper argues that an anthropocentric fallacy permeates thinking within both technological and ecological approaches to environmentalism. In consequence, sustainable development is an incoherent concept through the weakness of its anthropocentric ethical grounding. Using the Judaeo-Christian tradition as an example, this paper examines the…

One of the main challenges of European environmental policies is to recruit local-level actors to fulfill set targets. This article explores how targets of European agri-environmental policy have been achieved in Finland. It also analyses how implementation practices produce conditions for agri-environmental management and how policy success-or…

This article outlines the leading concepts which are being discussed in the current debate on education for sustainable development (ESD) in Austria, detailing their historic development and characteristic features, as well as the empirical experience gained in school development to date. These concepts are environmental education, development…

In this article, the authors examine how 4 innovative secondary schools model sustainable practices to their students. During school visits, the authors conducted interviews, observed daily life, and reviewed school documents. They found that modeling is a valuable approach to sustainability education, promoting both learning about sustainability…

Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of one-off short continuing adult education courses for expanding the penetration of sustainable development education beyond current tertiary students. Design/methodology/approach: Pre- and post-course questionnaires are used to evaluate the effectiveness of a series of short training courses on…

Design education is an aesthetic and humanistic approach for teaching how to contribute to the improvement of the conditions that affect everyone's lives. This article offers an overview of some important concepts to teach young people about regeneration design and the future of our changing environment. It is becoming increasingly evident that we…

School administrators have always labored to find ways to squeeze more value out of their limited budgets. However, in recent years, more educators and administrators have been looking at their spending decisions from a long-term perspective. Planning education facilities for the long term has led many schools and universities to adopt different…

Presented in this paper are the top 10 issues most likely to affect public higher education across the 50 states in 2009, in the view of the state policy analysis and research staff at American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). While numerous topics shape state higher education policy, each affecting the issues of…

As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curricula need to develop students' understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change. For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what their students' prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey…