Preface

“What does it mean to go Green?”

I asked this question to my students in Nigeria. The response was silence and a sea of blank faces. I waited patiently, but not a single hand was raised. Not one student in the group of 250 bright minds was confident enough to talk about the most urgent issue facing our planet and species. I decided that the time for patience was over; I started working on this text which aims to inspire a green movement in the hearts and minds of readers of all ages.

The core purpose of this book is to use the breakthroughs in sustainability science to address the problems afflicting the environment and present measures for improving economies, societies, and human behaviour by applying this emerging science through best practices. The book is both informative and prescriptive in its approach to sustainability, a combination missing in previous publications.

Sustainability in science leads to proactive measures geared towards the adoption of knowledge, skills, activities, and attributes necessary for using the existing resources in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There have been monumental sustainability texts produced prior to the publication of this book and I applaud their contributions. However, Sustainability Science is unique in its scope and accessibility. It acts as an introductory book for the average reader, but can still be used as a condensed knowledge base for the more advanced. It is not just an academic text but a call to action for nations and individuals. It’s an easy read filled with hard truths. It provides the basic know-how of sustainability science needed for the reader to start contributing today.

Everyday anthropogenic activities are responsible for the problems of our planet and there is a need to salvage the situation through creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Now more than ever, there is great potential for sustainability science’s incorporation into programs, policies, and cultural norms because of the common consensus on the need to develop proactive measures to protect and preserve the planet’s finite resources. This level of common consensus is itself uncommon, and we must not squander this potential. To help accomplish these goals, this book is adapted to present the proposed ideas by using empirical evidence as the basis for achieving sustainability. This is a results-based approach which takes an honest look at unemployment, health, disease, unsustainable production, waste management, environmental ethics, and harmful anthropogenic activities. Whereas past literature has mainly examined sustainability as a purely environmental issue, the proposed book expands this conversation into other fields, including mathematics, biology, agriculture, computer science, engineering, and physics. By examining the application of sustainability in all areas of study, it illuminates the path to sustainability as defined by the World Commission on Environment Development in its Our Common Future report. The plethora of information this text offers combines intrigue with practicality and intellect with wisdom.

The text is also authoritative as it moves through each chapter, citing case studies of individuals with notable contributions to sustainability efforts. The achievements in sustainability from the likes of Ken Saro-Wiwa, Wangari Maathai, Jeffrey Sachs, and Elon Musk add an inspirational weight to the text as the reader learns the core concepts of sustainability. Finally, using examples from Africa and the Middle East add a sense of grounding to the issue. These real-world examples of sustainability efforts show how the applications can lead to real progress and have dire consequences if ignored.

I invite you to view this book as a personal invitation to join the conversation on sustainability and actively engage in saving our planet for all its residents, present and future.

Adenike Akinsemolu

Ondo Kingdom, Nigeria November 15, 2019