DOCSLIB.ORG

State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
State of the World 2010: Transforming Cultures 2 0 1 0 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability THE WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE 2 0 1 0 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability Other Norton/Worldwatch Books State of the World 1984 through 2009 (an annual report on progress toward a sustainable society) Vital Signs 1992 through 2003 and 2005 through 2007 (a report on the trends that are shaping our future) Saving the Planet Who Will Feed China? Beyond Malthus Lester R. Brown Lester R. Brown Lester R. Brown Christopher Flavin Gary Gardner Sandra Postel Tough Choices Brian Halweil Lester R. Brown How Much Is Enough? Pillar of Sand Alan Thein Durning Fighting for Survival Sandra Postel Michael Renner Last Oasis Vanishing Borders Sandra Postel The Natural Wealth of Nations Hilary French Full House David Malin Roodman Eat Here Lester R. Brown Brian Halweil Hal Kane Life Out of Bounds Chris Bright Power Surge Inspiring Progress Christopher Flavin Gary T. Gardner Nicholas Lenssen 2 0 1 0 STATE OF THE WORLD Transforming Cultures From Consumerism to Sustainability A Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society EriK Assadourian, Project Director Mona Amodeo Joshua Farley Pamela Miller Robin Andersen Susan Finkelpearl Kevin Morgan Ray Anderson Kate Ganly Peter Newman Cecile Andrews Gary Gardner David W. Orr Judi AubeL Amy Han Michael Renner Albert Bates Jim Hartzfeld Jonah Sachs Walter Bortz Toby Hemenway Ingrid Samuelsson Robert Costanza Yoshie Kaga Juliet Schor Cormac Cullinan Ida Kubiszewski MichaeL H. Shuman Jonathan Dawson Susan Linn Roberta Sonnino John de Graaf Johanna Mair Wanda Urbanska Robert Engelman Michael Maniates Linda Starke and Lisa Mastny, Editors W . W . NORTON&COMPANY NEWYORKLONDON Copyright © 2010 by Worldwatch Institute 1776 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W. Suite 800 Washington, DC 20036 www.worldwatch.org All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. The STATE OF THE WORLD and WORLDWATCH INSTITUTE trademarks are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Worldwatch Institute; of its directors, officers, or staff; or of its funders. The text of this book is composed in Galliard, with the display set in ScalaSans. Book design, cover design, and composition by Lyle Rosbotham; manufacturing by Victor Graphics. First Edition ISBN 978-0-393-33726-6 W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 500 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10110 www.wwnorton.com W. W. Norton & Company Ltd., Castle House, 75/ 76 Wells Street, London W1T 3QT 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 This book is printed on recycled paper. Worldwatch Institute Board of Directors Tom Crain James Cameron Akio Morishima Chairman UNITED KINGDOM JAPAN UNITED STATES Cathy Crain Sam Myers, MD, MPH Robert Charles Friese UNITED STATES UNITED STATES Vice-Chairman James Dehlsen Ajit Nazre UNITED STATES UNITED STATES UNITED STATES Geeta B. Aiyer Treasurer Christopher Flavin Izaak van Melle UNITED STATES THE NETHERLANDS UNITED STATES Nancy Hitz Ed Groark Wren Wirth SecretarY UNITED STATES UNITED STATES UNITED STATES Satu Hassi Emeritus: Ray Anderson FINLAND Øystein Dahle UNITED STATES Jerre Hitz NORWAY L. Russell Bennett, Esq. UNITED STATES AbderrahMaN KheNe UNITED STATES Jeffrey Lipton ALGERIA Marcel Brenninkmeijer UNITED STATES Andrew E. Rice SWITZERLAND UNITED STATES Worldwatch Institute Staff Erik AssadouriaN Yingling Liu Mary RedferN Senior Researcher China Program Manager Director of Institutional Relations Benjamin BlocK Trudy Loo Staff Writer Director of IndiVidUal GiVing Michael Renner Senior Researcher Amanda Chiu Lisa Mastny Project Associate Senior Editor, World Watch Lyle Rosbotham Art Director Juliane Diamond Alice McKeown Development Assistant Vital Signs Online Director Janet Sawin Assistant to the President Senior Researcher JohN Mulrow Robert Engelman MAP Sustainable Energy Patricia Shyne Vice President for Programs Fellow Director of Publications and Marketing Barbara FalliN Danielle Nierenberg Director of Finance and Senior Researcher Molly Theobald Administration Research Fellow Alexander Ochs Christopher Flavin Director of Climate and Julia Tier President Energy Communications Associate Gary Gardner Thomas Prugh Senior Researcher Editor, World Watch Brian Halweil Darcey Rakestraw Senior Researcher Communications Director Worldwatch Senior Fellows Zoë Chafe Mia MacDonald Payal Sampat Anna da Costa Eric Martinot Molly O’Meara Sheehan Hilary French Sandra Postel Acknowledgments This book was conceived in the falL of 2008 as well, which complement the longer articles duriNg a coNversatioN over diNNer with forMer and add more voices and views to the report. WorLdwatch Board Chair ØysteiN DahLe. Over Many thanks to these authors as well for their pasta in Oslo, the two of us discussed how tiMe aNd thoughtfuL coNtributioNs: YaNN much consumer cultures will need to change Arthus-BertraNd, Eduardo Athayde, ALMut for the human species to truly thrive. UpoN BeriNger, MichaeL BrauNgart, RaJ CheNgappa, returNiNg to WashiNgtoN, I proposed the idea PatricK Curry, ØysteiN DahLe, ANNe H. EhrLich, of coNfroNtiNg this issue head-oN iN State of the PauL R. EhrLich, Gregory C. FarriNgtoN, Satish World 2010. SoMewhat to My surprise, the KuMar, Serge LaTouche, WiLLiaM McDo- WorLdwatch staff aNd Board of Directors gave Nough, JuLie OzaNNe, Lucie OzaNNe, aNd me the green light to proceed. First, a thank Alexander Rose. you to aLL of theM for trustiNg that such a Those who heLped with the research over topic would be a valuable theme for our flag- the past year deserve speciaL atteNtioN here. I ship pubLicatioN, eveN if it proves coNtroversiaL. aM gratefuL for the ideas shared aNd the assis- ThaNKs especiaLLy to WorLdwatch PresideNt taNce giveN iN MaKiNg this booK possibLe. Christopher FLaviN for trustiNg Me to ruN with ThaNKs to FraNNy ArMstroNg, DiaNe this idea. AssadouriaN, ANdrew BaLMford, MarK BeaM, After that brief MoMeNt of eLatioN, the LoNg Guy P. Brasseur, GeNe BrocKhoff, BriaN BurKe, process of buiLdiNg this booK begaN. A State of ToNy Carr, Robert CoreLL, JoeL CowaN, Scott the World coMMittee was forMed aNd the couN- DeNMaN, NaNcy DurKee, DuaNe ELgiN, HiLary seL of its MeMbers proved esseNtiaL throughout. FreNch, JiM FreuNd, NiNa FrisaK, MarciN Ger- MaNy thaNKs to aLL of you for the hours speNt wiN, ALex HaLLatt, Harry HaLLoraN, Jody Hey- discussiNg the Newest ideas as they deveLoped, MaNN, Yes¸Ne IreN, Chris JuNg, HayrettiN for suggestiNg authors aNd topics, aNd for heLp- Karaca, WiLLiaM KiLbourNe, LyNNe LaCar- iNg the proJect Move forward. rubba, ShawNa LarsoN, KaLLe LasN, ANNie Much of Last spriNg was devoted to recruit- LeoNard, LiNg Li, Lisa Lucero, JaN LuNd- iNg the highLy taLeNted group of authors who are berg, Mia MacDoNaLd, MichaeL MaNiates, Listed oN the CoNteNts page. I waNt to especiaLLy SusaNNe MartiKKe, Marc Matthieu, JiM thaNK these iNdividuaLs—aLL of whoM agreed to McDoNough, KrystaL McKay, BiLL McKibbeN, freeLy share their KNowLedge aNd iNsights with OLivier MiLhoMMe, MoLLy O’Meara SheehaN, State of the World readers. Without their geN- Pete PaLMer, NadiNa Perera, Barbara Petruzzi, erosity, this booK wouLd Not have beeN possibLe. ANdrea Prothero, PauL ReitaN, JoaN Roberts, This year we have a NuMber of short Boxes RegiNa RowLaNd, Peter SawteLL, VerNoN Scar- BLOGS.WORLDWATCH.ORG/TRANSFORMINGCULTURES vii Acknowledgments STATE OF THE WORLD 2010 borough, BLair ShaNe, David Stoesz, Robert Helene Gallis—interN of many countries, WeLsch, aNd, at UNESCO, ALiNe Bory-AdaMs, caNdid, aNd creative—started wheN this proJect BerNard CoMbes, HaNs d’OrviLLe, MarK Rich- was stiLL forMLess aNd pLayed aN iMportaNt MoNd, aNd AriaNa StahMer. I aM gratefuL to earLy roLe iN MoLdiNg it. She theN coNtiNued to aLL of you! prove herseLf iNvaLuabLe as she heLped out to the I’d also like to thanK Muhammad Yunus, very eNd, researchiNg, reviewiNg, aNd writiNg. who kindly shared his wisdom and his story Eddie KasNer, wheN Not studyiNg pubLic with us iN this year’s Foreword. His support for heaLth aNd farMers’ use of pesticides iN ChiNa, our humble book is quite an honor. heLped recruit severaL authors aNd research One other special contributor I’d like to sustaiNabLe dietary NorMs aNd heaLth care. acKNowLedge is artist Chris JordaN, whose AMy HaN was truLy a “JiLL-of-aLL-trades,” cheer- beautiful image graces our cover. Gyre is one fully becoming the creator and Webmaster of of the Most striKiNg portrayaLs of the threat of the TraNsforMiNg CuLtures Web site, doiNg coNsuMerisM aNd the possibiLity of this research, writing blog posts, and finishing off MoMeNt to chaNge course that I have seeN, aNd with a captivating article on music’s role in we are very happy to have the chance to dis- building sustainable societies. play it on the cover. Valentina Agostinelli of Italy also enthusi- BehiNd the scenes, there were three special asticaLLy assisted with research aNd assiduousLy people without whom this project would not monitored the year of environmental events, have succeeded. First aNd foreMost, LiNda helping to produce this year’s timeline. Kevin Starke, editor extraordinaire and State of the Green was a data-finding machine, which at a World elder, who was a joy to work with and place like Worldwatch is a compliment of the seLfLessLy put this proJect over herseLf tiMe aNd highest order. Without KeviN’s diLigeNt again. She was an exemplar of calm through- research, the overview chapter wouLd Not be so out the stressfuL coNcLudiNg MoNths aNd, coN- chockful of useful information. sideriNg the chaLLeNges, was truLy a roLe ModeL MaMi ShiJo, coMiNg froM our partNer orga- for me. Thank you, Linda. nization Worldwatch Japan, played an impor- A Large thaNKs aLso to Gary GardNer for taNt roLe iN fiNdiNg severaL bits of data aNd heLpiNg to iMprove severaL of the coNtributioNs, heLpiNg to expLore the JapaNese bLogosphere— iNcLudiNg My owN. WhiLe sureLy a thaNKLess Job a project interN Emiko Akaishi expanded fur- at times, I appreciate the many hours of the ther in her month here.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Mayor Fred Co
    ORMOND BEACH CITY COMMISSION MEETING HELD AT CITY HALL COMMISSION CHAMBERS October 5, 2010 7:00 p.m. Present were: Mayor Fred Costello, Commissioner Lori Gillooly, Commissioners Ed Kelley, Troy Kent, and Bill Partington, City Manager Joyce Shanahan, Assistant City Manager Ted MacLeod, City Attorney Randy Hayes, and City Clerk Veronica Patterson. A G E N D A 1) Meeting call to order by Mayor Costello. 2) Invocation by Reverend Neal J. Ganzel, Jr., Coquina Presbyterian Church in America. 3) Pledge of Allegiance. 10/19/10 1:03 PM City Commission – October 5, 2010 4) PRESENTATION: Employee-of-the-Quarter Award to Officers Greg Stokes and Lloyd Cornelius. 5) AUDIENCE REMARKS: 6) APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES of the September 21, 2010, meeting. 7) CONSENT AGENDA: The action proposed is stated for each item on the Consent Agenda. Unless a City Commissioner removes an item from the Consent Agenda, no discussion on individual items will occur and a single motion will approve all items. A) Resolution No. 2010-155 of the City of Ormond Beach opposing the transferring of mail processing services from the Daytona Beach main distribution center of the United States Postal Service located at 500 Bill France Boulevard in Daytona Beach, Florida, to the Mid-Florida Processing and Distribution Center. B) Resolution No. 2010-156 authorizing the execution of a lease agreement between the City of Ormond Beach and Prosperity Bank for the use of office space as a Police Department substation. ($1 Annually) (Police Chief) C) Resolution No. 2010-157 authorizing the execution of a deductive Change Order Number One (1) to that contract awarded to Brasfield & Gorrie, LLC, regarding the Wastewater Treatment Plant Rehabilitation and Expansion project, by decreasing the contract price by $408,959.
    [Show full text]
  • A Concise History of the Global Ecovillage Movement
    A Concise History of the Global Ecovillage Movement by E.C. Mare Autumn 2000 Elisabeth’s House COPYRIGHT © 2000/2012 – Village Design Institute – All Rights Reserved 1 The “ecovillage” is the latest conceptualization in a long history of utopian visions: model living situations that have the potential for bringing out the best in human nature. It seems that every age has its own version of Utopia, which literally means ‘no place.’ Sir Thomas More set the stage in 1518 by publishing the first Utopia, an ironic satire of Elizabethean England at the dawning of the Age of Colonialism. His story subtly ridiculed the pretentiousness, avariciousness, and pompousness of the colonial gentry and noble classes by depicting an ideal society in a fictional new land that achieved social stability, peace and justice by adopting values of simplicity and egalitarianism. In Utopia, captured military intruders were paraded around in gaudy gold jewelry and elaborate clothing while the native population were unadorned and wore unassuming plain linen cloth.1 Many more utopian visions were practiced, preached, or experimented on in Europe – and especially in the new land of America – in the next several hundred years: the Puritans, the Luddites, the Zionists, the Amish, the Quakers, the Mormons, Amana, Walden and Walden Two, etc….the list is quite long, and includes varied backgrounds – religious, secular, social co-operative, political. All of these groups were revolutionaries or reactionaries of some kind that sought to address the excesses and problems of their respective times by setting themselves apart somewhat from the mainstream and adopting and following creeds and values believed to be qualitatively superior to the status quo, often creeds and values of a spiritual nature that framed human potential in a higher, more resplendent light.
    [Show full text]
  • Econ 243: Political Economy of Gender, Race, and Class
    THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF GENDER, RACE AND CLASS Economics 243, Wellesley College, Spring 2015 Professor Julie Matthaei Office Hours: Economics Department Thurs. 5:30-6:30 PNE 423, x2181 & by appointment Emily Grandjean, Teaching Assistant The Roots of Violence: Wealth without work, Pleasure without conscience, Knowledge without character, Commerce without morality, Science without humanity, Worship without sacrifice, Politics without principles. -- Mahatma Gandhi Objectivity is male subjectivity, made unquestionable. --Adrienne Rich No problem can be solved by the level of consciousness that created it. --Albert Einstein Be the change you want to see in the world. --Mahatma Gandhi Youth should be radical. Youth should demand change in the world. Youth should not accept the old order if the world is to move on. But the old orders should not be moved easily — certainly not at the mere whim or behest of youth. There must be clash and if youth hasn’t enough force or fervor to produce the clash the world grows stale and stagnant and sour in decay. --William Allen White If to change ourselves is to change our worlds, and the relation is reciprocal, then the project of history making is never a distant one but always right here, on the borders of our sensing, thinking, feeling, moving bodies. --J.K. Gibson-Graham Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love. --Martin Luther King Give a man a gun, he can rob a bank. Give a man a bank, and he can rob the world.
    [Show full text]
  • This Thesis Has Been Submitted in Fulfilment of the Requirements for a Postgraduate Degree (E.G
    This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e.g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: • This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. • A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. • This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. • The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. • When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Promoting Lower-Carbon Lifestyles: The role of personal values, climate change communications and carbon allowances in processes of change Rachel Angharad Howell Doctor of Philosophy The University of Edinburgh 2012 1 Declaration This thesis and the papers within it have been composed by me and are my own work, except where otherwise stated. No part of this thesis has been submitted for any other degree or qualification. Rachel Howell September 2012 1 2 Abstract Climate change is a pressing problem and substantial reductions in the greenhouse gas emissions that cause it are necessary to avert the worst impacts predicted. The UK has targeted an 80% reduction from 1990 emissions levels by 2050. This thesis investigates how to promote behavioural changes that will reduce emissions associated with individuals’ lifestyles, which comprise a significant proportion of the UK total.
    [Show full text]
  • Seeking a New Jurisprudence … for Earth Matters
    1 The Long View Summer 2012 Oregon State Bar Sustainable Future Section Photo: J. Michael Mattingly The Long View Seeking a New Jurisprudence...for Earth Matters By Pat Siemen, JD, OP What is Earth Jurisprudence? Earth jurisprudence is an emerging field of law that encompasses both environmental ethics and legal practices. It builds on the pioneering work of Christopher Stonei, Aldo Leopoldii, and Thomas Berryiii, as well as indigenous traditionsiv. Thomas Berry, a priest, cultural his- torian, scholar, and self-described “geologian” first used the term “Earth jurisprudence.” In April 2001, Berry presented his outline of “The Origin, Differentiation and Role of Rights,” an articulation of the quantitative rights of nature that has been foundational in shaping the field of Earth jurisprudence. This document, later revised as “Ten Principles for Jurisprudence Revision,”v continues to provide critical conceptual foundation for the advancement of a “rights-of-nature” movement. In it, Berry sets forth his assertion that the rights to exist, flourish and fulfill one’s purpose in the Universe are not only innate to humans, but also apply to the nonhu- man world because the rights are grounded in the Universe, rather than any of human law. Earth jurisprudence examines the “wisdom or philosophy of law” for the sake of the viable functioning of the Earth community. Recognizing that we face unprecedented ecological challenges that impact the physical and spiritual health of both humans and the larger natural world, Earth jurisprudence calls for a major shift in consciousness. It requires an understanding of humanity’s integral relationship with larger, interdependent natural systems, and therefore, the recognition that laws, policies and economics need to be designed to protect the natural systems, species and entities that sustain life.
    [Show full text]
  • Howell Aos Paper 1
    Edinburgh Research Explorer Lights, camera ... action? Altered attitudes and behaviour in response to the climate change film The Age of Stupid Citation for published version: Howell, RA 2011, 'Lights, camera ... action? Altered attitudes and behaviour in response to the climate change film The Age of Stupid', Global Environmental Change, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 177-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.09.004 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.09.004 Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Peer reviewed version Published In: Global Environmental Change General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 24. Sep. 2021 Lights, camera … action? Altered attitudes and behaviour in response to the climate change film The Age of Stupid Rachel A. Howell Email address: [email protected] Abstract The film The Age of Stupid depicts the world in 2055 devastated by climate change, combining this with documentary footage which illustrates many facets of the problems of climate change and fossil-fuel dependency.
    [Show full text]
  • Exercises Final Edit
    _______________________________________________________ THE SIMPLICITY EXERCISES A SOURCEBOOK FOR SIMPLICITY EDUCATORS Mark A Burch Simplicity Institute Report 12k, 2012 SPECIAL ISSUE ____________________ SIMPLICITY INSTITUTE PRAISE FOR THE SIMPLICITY EXERCISES: Mark Burch is the real deal—it’s evident from The Simplicity Exercises that he’s spent a lifetime integrating simple living principles into his own life, and luckily for the rest of us, has developed and honed exercises to help others do the same. Seasoned voluntary simplicity facilitators will appreciate how thorough and well-presented these activities are. In fact, the material is so well-thought out that informal educators new to simple living could use Mark’s book with confidence. If you’re ready to change your game plan or help others do so, this book ofers real transformative opportunities. C. Jones, M. Div., Adult Educator and Simple Living Enthusiast Refraining from adding to the critique of current social, economic and ecological challenges, Burch makes a notable shift towards positive social transformation, opting to share the rewards and potentials of simple living with others rather than additional criticism and analysis of contemporary problems. … The sourcebook is therefore an important and valuable resource for all educators or individuals interested in exploring simplicity further,.. Natalie Swayze, Research Associate, Centre for Indigenous Science Education, The University of Winnipeg In The Simplicity Exercises, Burch provides us with a path through that mental barrier [to transformative change] with comprehensive and well-thought-out group thought- experiments and exercises. Drawing from years of real-world experience, the book provides us a path beyond fear, critique and common despair-ridden questions about how to move forward to solve the challenges of our time.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Road Again a Financial and Extra-Financial Analysis of the Auto Industry
    SRI - EFI Sector Research On the road again A Financial and Extra-financial Analysis of the Auto Industry p Caught in the void Î fuel prices, carbon and pollution p Charting new terrain becomes key Î alternative power trains p Cost is king Î it determines the way forward p Don’t forget Î governance, BRICs, legacy costs and offshoring p Toyota is our global champion Î other winners could emerge Pierre-Yves Quéméner, Financial Analyst +33 1 45 96 77 63 [email protected] November 2005 Valéry Lucas Leclin, SRI Analyst +33 1 45 96 79 23 [email protected] Sarj Nahal, SRI Analyst +33 1 45 96 78 75 [email protected] On the road again This report follows a request from a group of asset managers working with the United Nations to analyse the environmental, social and corporate governance issues that may be material for company performance and to then identify potential impact on company valuations. The United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) works closely with 160 financial institutions worldwide, to develop and promote linkages between the environment, sustainability and financial performance. UNEP FI Asset Management Working Group (AMWG) explores the association between environmental, social, and governance considerations and investment decision-making. Asset Managers that have participated in this project have combined mandates of 1.7 trillion USD. Asset managers: ABN AMRO Asset Management Brazil Acuity Investment Management BNP Paribas Asset Management BT Financial Group Calvert Group Citigroup Asset Management
    [Show full text]
  • Postmodern Visual Dynamics in Amy Heckerling's Clueless
    e Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy Hyping the Hyperreal: Postmodern Visual Dynamics in Amy Heckerling’s Clueless Andrew Urie York University Toronto, Ontario, Canada [email protected] ABSTRACT An iconic staple of 1990s Hollywood cinema, director-screenwriter Amy Heckerling’s Clueless (1995) is a cult classic. This article examines the film’s postmodern visual dynamics, which parody hyperreal media culture and its connection to feminine teen consumerism amidst the image-saturated society of mid-’90s era Los Angeles. Keywords: Clueless; Amy Heckerling; Jane Austen; Emma; Popular Culture; Visual Culture; Film Studies; Media Studies; Postmodernism; Hyperreal 38 Volume 4, Issue 1 Hyping the Hyperreal A contemporized reworking of Jane Austen’s 1816 novel, Emma, director-screenwriter Amy Heckerling’s Clueless (1995) stands out as a notable cultural artifact of 1990s Hollywood cinema. While an abundance of scholarly articles exist on how Heckerling adapted the key plot dynamics of Austen’s novel for a postmodern audience,1 this article will largely eschew such narrative analysis in favor of focusing on the film’s unique postmodern visual dynamics, which constitute an insightful parody of hyperreal media culture and its particular connection to feminine teen consumerism amidst the image-saturated society of mid-’90s era Los Angeles. Less an adaptation of Emma than a postmodern appropriation, Clueless pays parodic homage to an oft- overlooked thematic element embedded in its source text. Transposing the decadence of Emma’s upper echelon Regency-era society for the nouveau riche decadence of Beverly Hills and its attendant culture of conspicuous consumption, the film focuses on the travails of its affluent sixteen-year-old heroine, Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone), whose narcissistic preoccupations revolve around consumerism and fashion.
    [Show full text]
  • Affluenza - Pages 6/4/05 9:03 AM Page 3
    Affluenza - pages 6/4/05 9:03 AM Page 3 Chapter 1 What is affluenza? Af-flu-en-za n. 1. The bloated, sluggish and unfulfilled feeling that results from efforts to keep up with the Joneses. 2. An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the Australian dream. 3. An unsustainable addiction to economic growth.1 Wanting In 2004 the Australian economy grew by over $25 billion, yet the tenor of public debate suggests that the country is in a dire situation. We are repeatedly told of funding shortages for hos- pitals, schools, universities and public transport, and politicians constantly appeal to that icon of Australian spirit, the ‘Aussie battler’. Political rhetoric and social commentary continue to emphasise deprivation—as if we are living in the nineteenth century and the problems facing the country have arisen because we are not rich enough. When the Labor Party lost the federal election in 2004 it declared that, like the conservatives, it must pay more attention to growth and the economy. It would seem that achieving an economic growth rate of 4 per cent is the magic potion to cure all our ills. But how rich do we have to be before we are no longer a nation of battlers? Australia’s GDP has doubled since 1980; at 3 Affluenza - pages 6/4/05 9:03 AM Page 4 AFFLUENZA a growth rate of 3 per cent, it will double again in 23 years and quadruple 23 years after that. Will our problems be solved then? Or will the relentless emphasis on economic growth and higher incomes simply make us feel more dissatisfied? In the private domain, Australia is beset by a constant rumble of complaint—as if we are experiencing hard times.
    [Show full text]
  • Earth Jurisprudence: the Moral Value of Nature, 25 Pace Envtl
    Pace Environmental Law Review Volume 25 Article 1 Issue 2 Summer 2008 June 2008 Earth Jurisprudence: The orM al Value of Nature Judith E. Koons Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr Recommended Citation Judith E. Koons, Earth Jurisprudence: The Moral Value of Nature, 25 Pace Envtl. L. Rev. 263 (2008) Available at: http://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pelr/vol25/iss2/1 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace Environmental Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. PACE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW REVIEW Volume 25 Summer 2008 Number 2 ARTICLES Earth Jurisprudence: The Moral Value of Nature JUDITH E. KOONS* There are times in our lives, particularlyas we grow older, when the long arm of the horizon becomes our teacher.1 I. INTRODUCTION Earth Jurisprudence is an emerging field of law that calls us to pause as we enter the twenty-first century to consider the ground under our feet and the teachings bearing down on us from the horizon. 2 As planetary environmental crises advance toward * Associate Professor of Law, Barry University School of Law, Orlando, Florida. B.A., J.D., University of Florida, M.T.S., Harvard Divinity School. Copyright, Judith E. Koons, 2007. I offer my gratitude to Thomas Berry for his long life of soulful work and natural wisdom; to Sr. Pat Siemen, O.P., J.D., for her devotion to the call to "wear out rather than rust out"; to Julie Perry for her passionate and talented research assistance; to Pat Tolan and Eric Hull for their helpful comments; to the many ear- nest thinkers whose work graces this article; and to Earth for continuing to count us among her own.
    [Show full text]
  • Alternative Political Ecologies Through the Construction of Ecovillages and Ecovillagers in Colombia
    Chapter Thirteen Creating Alternative Political Ecologies through the Construction of Ecovillages and Ecovillagers in Colombia Brian J. Burke and Beatriz Arjona Ecovillages as Alternative Political Ecologies Ecovillages are spaces and collectivities that are reinventing sustainability in its ecological, economic, communitarian, and worldview dimensions. They are experiences of life in community and in search of a more respect- ful relationship with the earth, others, the Other, and ourselves. Real and concrete paths for right livelihood and living well, now and in the future, they are pockets of hope. In this sense, ecovillages are laboratories for alter- native political ecologies and their cultural and subjective underpinnings. They are experiments in alternative systems of relationships with the nat- ural environment, human communities, productive processes, broader economic dynamics, and state structures. Global ecovillage movement supporters hope they will become lifestyle options “possible for every- body on the planet” (R. Jackson 2004: 2), and a broad range of actors have adapted the highly fl exible ecovillage model to their local conditions. In this chapter, we focus on two cases that highlight the wide range of ecovillage experiences in Colombia and, we hope, help advance the ef- fort to make ecovillages a more widely accessible and realizable political ecological possibility. Beatriz Arjona’s story exemplifi es the most common ecovillage dynamic in Colombia—that of a disaffected middle- or up- per-class urbanite seeking a more fulfi lling life through new connections with nature and community. We especially examine the challenges she has faced in becoming an ecovillager, inspired by J. K. Gibson-Graham’s assertion that “we must be ready with strategies for confronting what 236 | Brian J.
    [Show full text]