Description: In an era where humans affect virtually all of the earth's processes, questions arise about whether we have sufficient knowledge of human-environment interactions. How can we sustain the Earth's ecosystems to prevent collapses and what roles should practitioners and scientists play in this process? These are the issues central to the concept of environmental literacy. This unique book provides a comprehensive review and analysis of environmental literacy within the context of environmental science and sustainable development. Approaching the topic from multiple perspectives, it explores the development of human understanding of the environment and human-environment interactions in the fields of biology, psychology, sociology, economics and industrial ecology. The discussion emphasises the importance of knowledge integration and transdisciplinary processes as key strategies for understanding complex human-environment systems (HES). In addition, the author defines the HES framework as a template for investigating sustainably coupled human-environment systems in the 21st century.
Brief description: Roland W. Scholz chairs the Natural and Social Science Interface in the Department of Environmental Sciences at the ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Zürich. A mathematician, psychologist and decision theorist by training, he is particularly interested in environmental systems analysis, human-environment interactions, environmental decisions and risk assessment. He has led numerous large-scale transdisciplinary processes to foster sustainable transitions of urban and regional systems.
Review Quotes: "Roland Scholz has written a visionary book that for the first time comprehensively approaches modern sustainability challenges by recognizing the critical role of integrated human, natural, and built domains in the complex systems that characterize the Anthropocene. It is an important step forward in our ability to understand, and respond ethically and rationally to the demands of environment, technology, and society in a context of complexity that is increasingly beyond traditional disciplinary and policy approaches for linking theory and practice."
Braden Allenby, Lincoln Professor of Engineering and Ethics and Professor of Law, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering, Arizona State University, USA