Edited by Akimasa Sumi, Nobuo Mimura and Toshihiko Masui
Climate Change and Global Sustainability: A Holistic Approach
Climate Change and Global Sustainability: A Holistic Approach
Edited by Akimasa Sumi, Nobuo Mimura and Toshihiko Masui
ISBN: 978-92-808-1181-0
325 pages; paper; US$35.00
January 2011
Sample chapter (1.0 MB PDF)
Climate change owing to global warming is a paramount concern for society in the twenty-first century, and it is not an issue that can be solved by individual academic or scientific disciplines working in isolation. Because climate change involves a wide range of interlinked problems, solutions must be pursued in an interdisciplinary manner. This book adopts just such a holistic approach in examining various aspects of global warming, and offers readers a comprehensive overview.
First, the mapping of knowledge about global warming is presented as a framework for addressing the issue. This is followed by a discussion of risk in relation to global warming and of the communication of risk between academia and society. Impacts, adaptation strategies, the institution of a low-carbon society and a number of other policy concerns associated with climate change are then reviewed. Because human behaviour is a critical factor in the move towards a low-carbon society, issues involving quality of life are also presented, with an emphasis on philosophy. Finally, the book considers the integration of three scenarios for society—a low-carbon society, a resource-circulating society, and a society in harmony with nature—and presents a comprehensive vision of the future.
Akimasa Sumi is Executive Director of the Transdisciplinary Initiative for Global Sustainability / Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan. Nobuo Mimura is Director of the Institute for Global Change Adaptation Science and a Professor at the Center for Water Environment Studies, Ibaraki University, Japan. Toshihiko Masui is Chief of the Social and Environmental Systems Division, National Institute for Environmental Studies, Japan.
Contents Overview
- Introduction: From climate change to global sustainability, Akimasa Sumi and Nobuo Mimura Structuring knowledge of climate change, Ai Hiramatsu
- Communicating climate change risk, Seita Emori
- Climate change: Impacts and adaptation
Contributors include: Nobuo Mimura, Yasuaki Hijioka, So Kazama, Hiroyuki Kawashima, Yasuhiro Yamanaka, Masahiko Fujii, Hisamichi Nobuoka, Satoshi Murakami and Makoto Tamura - Designing climate policy
Contributors include: Tatsuyoshi Saijo, Hiroshi Hamanaka, Seiji Ikkatai, Shell - International BV (Nami Kitamura) and Shunji Matsuoka
- Transformation of social systems and lifestyles
Contributors include: Keisuke Hanaki, Tokuhisa Yoshida, Hideo Kawamoto - The building of a low-carbon, resource-circulating society, Toshihiko Masui
- Future vision for a sustainable society, Akimasa Sumi
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