Sustainable consumption as a means to self-realization: a Hindu perspective on when enough is enough

In this paper, I investigate the religious notion of self-realization or self-actualization in the context of sustainability, and argue that sustainability is the means to this end. I am particularly interested in Hindu perspectives on self-realization or the Purusharthas. The Purusharthas provide an interesting sustainability critique because they consider the satisfaction of material want as an important step to self-actualization; the reconciliation of want and need is a fundamental sustainability tension. The issue of growing want is doubtless an important one, given the rapidly growing middle classes in the developing world that aspire to Western material dreams, as illustrated by the case of Delhi. The Purusharthas may be seen to give consumption legitimacy; however, I argue that it is the selective understanding and institutionalization of the religious message that causes the sustainability problem. Viewed in their entirety, the Purusharthas provide the correct prescriptions for the sustainable enjoyment of want, and take the adherent beyond sustainability into greater transcendence or self- awareness.

Embracing off-site innovation in construction in China to enhance a sustainable built environment in urban housing

With the rapid rate of urbanization and pressing need for higher levels of sustainable development within the built environment in China, the housing construction industry presently is facing urgency of shaping a sustainable construction process. This paper examines several sustainability challenges from the large-scale urban housing construction, and explores the connection between off-site innovation and sustainability within a context of China's housing construction industry. The study also identifies four pillars of strategy agendas that could enhance an enabling innovation environment for the ultimate goal of sustainability: (1) institutional environment, (2) public housing market, (3) organisational actions and (4) technological capacity. The knowledge and research findings presented in this paper would provide a ground framework that helps evaluate and assess the significances of off-site innovation to assist with a sustainable built environment.

The unique inter-disciplinary requirements of a museum development : a case study of the Kelabit Highland community museum development project.

Each museum development presents complex and unique challenges. In particular, the Kelabit Highland Community Museum Development Project (KHCMDP) is a museum development that requires both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary collaboration to reach the common goal of the preservation and conservation of the fragile Kelabit heritage. Still in its infancy, however rich with potential, the engagement required to realize the development of this community-based museum, in the remote region of Bario in the Highlands of Borneo, offers a stimulating environment in which both discipline specific and creative interdisciplinary thinking are utilized to create a suitable and sustainable development. This paper will describe the process of extensive community consultation required by the interdisciplinary team of academics to address the areas of curatorial policies, preservation and conservation, the design of the built environment and the creation of the communication strategies for the project. It demonstrates the unique opportunity for diverse tertiary disciplines at Deakin University to further develop their knowledge of museology, preservation, identity creation and issues of representation and communication from an interdisciplinary perspective. Within each of the areas of concern, the interconnecting nature of the project has resulted in a strong intersection of each of the normally separate professional departments. Furthermore, adding to the complexity, this case study is a multi-disciplined research opportunity situated in a cross-cultural context.

Explaining the environmentally sustainable consumer behavior: a social capital perspective

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of social capital within a community on the adoption of consumer eco-behaviour or environmentally sustainable behaviour of consumers. The authors draw on the behavioural perspective model (BPM) of consumer behaviour and social capital theory in arguing that social capital shapes a consumer's knowledge of environmental issues and pro-environmental attitudes, which in turn influence a consumer's perceived capability to engage in eco-behaviour. Design/methodology/approach - This study uses partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling of survey data involving 1,044 consumers in the Philippines. It involves testing of a measurement model to examine the validity and reliability of the constructs used in the study. This is followed by testing of the structural models to test the hypothesised relationships of the constructs. Findings - The results suggest the substantive influence of social capital on environmental knowledge, pro-environmental attitudes and eco-capability. Both knowledge and attitudes have positive effects on eco-capability, which in turn positively shapes eco-behaviour. Research limitations/implications - Future studies can examine how social capital as a multi-dimensional construct impacts context-specific consumer behaviour. Practical implications - Social and environmental marketing may focus on social network activation to encourage eco-behaviours of consumers. Social implications - Findings highlight the role of social capital within one's community as a resource channel to encourage environmentally responsible consumer behaviour. Originality/value - The study extends the BPM by offering a social capital view as a more nuanced explanation of consumer eco-behaviour.

Florestas e Desenvolvimento Sustentável: A Gestão de Políticas das Florestas do Gabão

O objetivo principal deste trabalho é investigar de que forma as populações tradicionais são uma ameaça ou resistência ao desmatamento no Gabão , África. Na ótica de um estudo de caso, analisa-se o direito tradicional de propriedade de terra , da política florestal do Gabão, e a organização social e econômica das populações rurais, com o intuito de estabelecer uma relação entre esses elementos e o desenvolvimento sustentável das florestas. Finalmente, demonstramos que a proteção das florestas tropicais é compatível com as regras do direito tradicional de propriedade das aldeias. O direito ocidental pode ajudar a proteger ou destruir as florestas , dependendo de como é usado.

A Contribuição do IBGE para a avaliação dos programas do plano plurianual

Esta dissertação tem por objetivo analisar a participação do IBGE no processo de avaliação do Plano Plurianual 2004-2007. O estudo inicia pela contextualização da melhoria da gestão pública e pelo embasamento teórico sobre a temática de avaliação de programas, seus indicadores e a perspectiva da efetividade. O planejamento na administração pública brasileira passou por várias fases, cada qual com suas características marcantes, chegando ao modelo atual, o Plano Plurianual, que integra planejamento e orçamento, busca dar transparência aos objetivos e prioridades do governo e melhorar a gestão orientando-a para resultados. O IBGE tem atribuições definidas em lei, um papel importante no desenvolvimento do país e competências reconhecidas, que o legitimam perante a sociedade como o principal coordenador e produtor de informações de natureza estatística e geocientífica. Assim almeja-se verificar a real participação do IBGE e das informações divulgadas por ele nos programas do PPA 2004-2007, dando um enfoque maior no processo de avaliação dada a sua relevância para a gestão pública. Para tanto, a pesquisa utiliza como métodos a pesquisa bibliográfica, a revisão documental e questionários com pessoas-chaves que são os gerentes de programa do Plano Plurianual. A pesquisa se restringiu aos programas considerados finalísticos e de serviços ao Estado. Os resultados obtidos nesta pesquisa demonstram que a atuação do IBGE se encontra muito aquém de sua competência técnica reconhecida nacional e internacionalmente, da credibilidade e qualidade de suas informações, e de sua relevância percebida pelo Governo para o processo de gestão do PPA. Pode-se concluir que o IBGE tem um vasto campo de atuação de modo a contribuir efetivamente para o desenvolvimento sustentável do país.

Participação de instituições locais em projetos de revitalização urbana : o caso do Projeto Porto Maravilha na cidade do Rio de Janeiro

Dentro do contexto do desenvolvimento urbano sustentável, diversas metrópoles estão revitalizando áreas centrais degradadas. Regiões portuárias são exemplos de áreas degradadas que têm passado por processos de revitalização. O envolvimento de diferentes atores locais (Poder Público, mercado e sociedade civil) no processo de decisão e também durante a implementação das obras de revitalização deve ser visto como ponto chave na garantia de um processo transparente e particular para cada revitalização executada. Para subsidiar tal abordagem, este trabalho utiliza como referencial teórico a gestão social e seus critérios do processo de discussão, pluralismo e bem-comum para a implementação de políticas públicas, onde a multiplicidade de atores deve participar em igualdade de direitos nos processos decisórios deliberativos na busca do bem-estar social. Na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, em 2009, a instituição por lei da Operação Urbana Consorciada da Área de Especial Interesse Urbanístico da Região Portuária do Rio de Janeiro garante que o projeto de revitalização chamado Porto Maravilha possa ser implementado. Por ser fruto de uma Operação Urbana Consorciada, o projeto deve contar com a participação de proprietários, moradores, usuários e dos investidores para revitalizar uma área de aproximadamente cinco milhões de metros quadrados. Assim, considerada a importância de diferentes atores para garantir um processo decisório legítimo e considerada a obrigatoriedade da participação de diferentes atores na implementação do projeto Porto Maravilha, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar como as instituições locais participam no Projeto Porto Maravilha. Para tanto, realizou-se pesquisa de campo por meio da participação em reuniões das instâncias participativas na região portuária, da aplicação de questionários às instituições locais e da realização de entrevistas semiestruturadas com representantes das instituições locais e outros atores envolvidos com o projeto. Para o tratamento dos dados obtidos utilizou-se o método da análise de conteúdo com grade mista, cujas categorias definidas foram relacionadas com os critérios do processo de discussão, pluralismo e bem-comum da gestão social e um tratamento estatístico para a elaboração de uma matriz que permitiu relacionar o grau de participação e a posição das instituições locais frente ao projeto. Para o tratamento final, a triangulação metodológica foi utilizada e os resultados foram confrontados com o referencial teórico. Os resultados mostraram que a revitalização da região portuária despertou interesse para que instâncias participativas que já existiam na região se reestruturassem e que novas instâncias fossem criadas. Independente de serem a favor ou contra o projeto, há uma mobilização por parte das instituições locais em se envolverem no projeto, embora este não possa se caracterizar como um processo deliberativo de construção conjunta definido a partir de um consenso, pois, as diretrizes gerais do projeto Porto Maravilha foram instituídas por lei. A maioria das instituições locais concorda e participa do acompanhamento e da implementação do projeto por meio do compartilhamento com o Estado da responsabilidade de criar espaços educativos e investir em programas sociais que possam garantir a melhoria das condições de vida da população local.

Sustainable silvopastoral systems: theory and a practical case

Muitas transformações são esperadas por causa das mudanças do clima, especialmente das atividades agrícolas realizadas nos trópicos. Esta tese centra-se em dois aspectos. O primeiro deles é o de reunir o conhecimento de sistemas silvipastoris; este ponto de vista estabelece a importância de solos tropicais e sua gestão adequada de acordo com as normas ambientais e sustentáveis. A segunda parte da tese é a aplicação desses princípios em um caso específico: a fazenda "El Paraíso". O objetivo central ou problema a resolver da segunda parte é propor um projeto para melhorar as atividades de produção de carne e, ao mesmo tempo, ajudar a preservar e melhorar o meio ambiente e especialmente os ecossistemas tropicais. A metodologia utilizada na tese foi buscar e analisar informações sobre o assunto. Depois disso, a investigação experimental e de campo foi realizada para levantar o projeto que combinaria as duas partes da obra. No final, com a informação recolhida uma proposta de projeto foi feita. O objetivo era propor a transformação dos processos de produção na fazenda selecionada. Logo de desenvolver e apresentar o projeto, foram analisadas as possibilidades de implementação do projeto. A conclusão do estudo foi o de apresentar e discutir três cenários possíveis após a implementação. Finalmente, a conclusão geral apresenta as realizações, as oportunidades e possíveis expansões futuras do projeto.

Análise do licenciamento ambiental como instrumento de política do meio ambiente no Rio Grande do Norte Período 1992-2003

This analysis on the ambient licensing is based on a research that identifies the fragilities and advances of the application of this instrument of politics of the environment in the ambient politics of the Rio Grande do Norte, in the period of 1992 the 2003. The isolated urban area of Búzios, situated in the City of Nísia Floresta/RN, situated in the eastern coast of the State, where concentrates the boarding of the ambient question as a matter in the Brazilian process of urbanization, over all the institutionalization and implementation of the ambient licensing. They are distinguished in the used methodology in consultation to the diverse involved social segments with the ambient subject in study, the example of the managers, technician and specialists, as well as the application of the legislation and norms techniques, the forms of appropriation of the common wealth and the procedures of ambient licensing of the competent agencies. The results of the research designate that the ambient licensing while instrument of the ambient politics is one of the alternatives more efficient as techniques in the process of sustainable development, since it is beyond the prerogatives to conciliate the activities and enterprises with the conservation of the environmental resources and natural benefits to the societies. In the RN one evidenced progress in the ambient legislation and the instructions techniques, and that the imperfections and limitations in the system of ambient licensing are not directly on to the instruments, but in the implementation of mechanisms of the ambient agencies. This because they do not make use of operational structure to apply in practical and established abilities, as an ambient management, institutional joint and deliberations of the State Counselor for Environment

Revelando os modos de vida da Ponta do Tubarão

It is analyzed the social struggle held by locals at Barreiras, Diogo Lopes and Sertãozinho communities (Macau-RN) in order to avoid the ownership of its mangrove area to hotel managers, in 1995 and to hinder the destruction of Ilha dos Cavalos mangrove by the shrimp producers, in 2000, what led to the creation of Ponta do Tubarão Reserve of State Sustainable Development, located at Macau and Guamaré cities, northern coast of Rio Grande do Norte, respectively 180 and 200 kilometers away from Natal, created in July, 18, 2003 by the Decree State Law n. 8.349, to preserve its traditional territory and way of life. It is photographed and analyzed the developed ways of life in this Unit of Conservation, from the sociocultural category, based in pointers of the material production in the life ways as: the work, the leisure, the religion, the popular knowledge and the action of the contemporary men on the environment. In this perspective, it is considered as method strategy a sociocultural photo cartography, created to this research, and to be concretized used photographic documents, observation, interviews, documental research and bibliographic research, being an association of techniques as peculiarities of this strategy of research. It is concluded that the social struggle developed by the collective actors at Ponta do Tubarão Reserve of State Sustainable Development, is characterized as a transforming action against the global and predatory capital, for the maintenance of the environment and the traditional way of life; One also concludes that the sociocultural photo cartography is very important as a proposal of possible procedures to being used in qualitative researches, because of its analytical potentialities providing a more including vision of the sociocultural routine of the studied space, in the attempt to know and to disclose the relations lived for the citizens of the research in Social Sciences

Ordem econômica e política nacional de recursos hídricos: hermenêutica constitucional para o desenvolvimento sustentável

This research proposes a study about the interpretative techniques application that are compatible with the national legal system under the principles for Sustainable Development characterized in Brazilian Constitution. It verifies the actual possibility of reconciliation between national development and environment protection, with reflections under the water legal protection. It was proposed, therefore, to point subsidies for jurisdictional decisions involving development and the environmental goods, protected as constitutionally guaranteed principles. It was assumed that, both development and environment protection represents basic rights that are eventually placed in conflict situations, considering the many legitimate economic activities within the Brazilian State. A representative case analysis was elected within the current national scene, detailing the judicial and political conflict involving the Transboundery water Project from the São Francisco River Basin to another Northeastern river basin in Brazil. The implementation of several constitutional principles with elements from legal hermeneutics provides subsidies for the legal analysis about the conflict between development and environmental protection. It was assumed that the main discussion item about rights due to development today is the institutions influence and their results, among them the rules, laws and interpretative elements for the constitutional text objectivity, as the institutions credibility and the Supreme Courts interpretations. The use of interpretative resources for specific conflict situations about constitutional principles by Superior Courts, on the search, would bring a contributory factor for decision safety, related to sustainable development principles, elimination of inequalities and regional protecting for the environment. Specific aspects of Law No. 9.433/97 that introduced the National Water Resources Policy were examined, with its instruments, in order to specifically contextualize aspects of the Brazilian water resources management politics

O licenciamento ambiental como instrumento de um desenvolvimento verdadeiramente sustentável

Since the second half of the 20th century, mankind concerns about life quality and environment preservation began to grow. In Brazil, the edition of the Law nº 6.938/81, that instituted the National Policy of the Environment (Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente PNMA), contributing significantly to the singular treatment towards the environment by the Federal Constitution of 1988 (Constituição Federal de 1988), can be appointed as a landmark of this awareness. The Law nº 6.938/81, following the line observed on the legislation of some Brazilian States, predicted on its 9th article the instruments of PNMA, among which the environmental licensing can be highlighted. This instrument presents itself as indispensable to the construction, installation, extension and operation of enterprises and activities that utilize environmental resources, seen as effective and potentially polluter industries, or even to those that can cause environment degradation. On a parallel way and as a consequence of this awareness, the concept of development begins to acquire a new shape. The development of a country or a region begins to consider not only economical factors, but also environmental, political, cultural and social aspects. Ecodevelopment, or sustainable development, then, arises. In this way, through research on legislation and on theme related doctrine, this work has the intention of analyzing environmental licensing as a PNMA instrument responsible for uniting economical development and the right to an ecologically balanced environment, that is, by the consecution of a truly sustainable development

O regime constitucional da contribuição de intervenção do domínio econômico aplicável ao setor de combustíveis

The performance of the State in the economic area is only legitimized when to be given in virtue of the protection of the principles established constitutionally. Thus, the economic intervention of the State prioritizes the formation of a joust economic order and in this context, it fulfills to us to define, to the long one of this work, the contours of the intervention of the State in the economic domain in the presence of the Federal Constitution of the Republic of 05 of October of 1988, and, more specifically, in the petroliferous economic sector by means of the interventive contribution instituted after the Constitutional amendment 33/2001, with Law 10.336/2001. With the creation of this institute, in Brazil, emerged innumerable quarrels concerning its constitutional legitimacy, directing uncurling of the research to the study of the state intervention through this contribution and its constitutional limits, in the purpose to demonstrate the parameters for its institution and application. In this way, the interventive contribution in the fuel sector (CIDE-Combustíveis) shows itself as an intervention instrument on the economic domain, acting in way to finance the indirect performance of the State, specially in what concerns to the promotion of the principle of sustainable development principle. Therefore, CIDE-Combustíveis is an able instrument to concretizes the mentioned constitutional principle. Thus, the division of its incomes promotes the consolidation of the principle of the cooperative federalism. In this direction, from premises of the environmental tax law, this intends to demonstrate the utility and constitutionality of this exaction tax, primordially with regard to the realization of the basic right to the balanced environment

Os instrumentos de incentivo à produção e uso de biodiesel no Brasil: uma análise constitucional sob o princípio do desenvolvimento sustentável

The recent insertion of biodiesel derived from oily vegetables in the Brazilian energetic matrix calls for the study of some aspects that belong to it. The analysis of the carbonized energetic pattern concerns the paradigm of economic development that is constitutionally enshrined sustainable development which make environmental protection compatible with the needs of the economic rationality. This text is structured according to the ideas of modern hermeneutic that sees substantial value in the principles capable of create a harmonious relationship between law and society. The study of the constitutional principles to conduct a legal analysis about the National Program for Production and Use of Biodiesel - PNPB. The aim of the research is the study of PNPB ahead with the constitutional principles governing the economic order. To achieve this end we studied the sustainable development as a constitutional principle. We start with the notion that the thematic principles, and fundamental to understanding the dimension of sustainable development institute, since its concept is closely related to the applications of the principles enshrined in virtually all the constitutional order of the Western world. Then this was the National Energy Policy, initiating the approach by guiding principles of the National Energy Policy to develop the theme of public policy in the energy sector. Therefore, we studied the National Program of Biodiesel Production and Use - PNPB. From a technical introduction to the concept of biodiesel and a brief historical background, analyzing their advantages compared to fossil fuels predominantly used. Then it became a regulatory overview of the Brazilian legislation on the subject, central to understanding the plans and objectives pursued by the Brazilian government with encouraging the production of biodiesel. Finally discussed the tax incentives for production and use of biodiesel in Brazil. From the idea of federalism, characterized the tax as an instrument of state intervention in the economy. And finally it brought the tax incentives of Law No. 11.116/2005 in the face of the constitutional principles of economy and tax, and tax incentives from projects related to the Kyoto Protocol