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Distributed for University of British Columbia Press

Striving for Environmental Sustainability in a Complex World

Canadian Experiences

In the face of growing anxiety about global environmental sustainability, George Francis, a leading authority in the field of sustainability studies, examines initiatives undertaken in Canada over the past twenty-five years to protect some of our unique environments. Focusing mainly on collaborative studies of thirty-one landscape regions – designated as “Biosphere Reserves” by UNESCO or as “Model Forests” by the Canadian Forest Service – Francis also summarizes smaller sustainability projects across the country. The author concludes on a hopeful note, looking at solutions considered, proposed, and in some cases already implemented by groups striving for sustainability in an increasingly complex world.


Table of Contents

Introduction

1 Adopting Complexity to Guide Inquiries: Framework, Methods, and Rationale

2 The Landscape Regions: Biosphere Reserves and Model Forests

3 Governing Landscape Regions: Learning from Experience and Surprise

4 Technologies and Innovations: Recent Origins and the Canadian Situation

5 Innovations and Sustainability in the Landscape Regions: Looking Ahead, Looking Back

6 Other Approaches toward Desirable Sustainability for Canadian Communities

7 Where Next? Possibilities Being Explored

8 Where Next for Complexity Thinking Itself?

Appendices

Notes

References

Index

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