This book proposes a paradigm shift in how human and nonhuman well-being are perceived and approached. In response to years of accelerated decline in the health of ecosystems and their inhabitants, this edited collection presents planetary well-being as a new cross-disciplinary concept to foster global transformation towards a more equal and inclusive framing of well-being.

Throughout this edited volume, researchers across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences apply and reflect on the concept of planetary well-being, showcasing its value as an interdisciplinary, cross-sectoral changemaker. The book explores the significance of planetary well-being as a theoretical and empirical concept in sustainability science and applies it to discipline-specific cases, including business, education, psychology, culture, and development. Interdisciplinary perspectives on topical global questions and processes underpin each chapter, from soil processes and ecosystem health to global inequalities and cultural transformation, in the framework of planetary well-being.

The book will appeal to academics, researchers, and students in a broad range of disciplines including sustainability science, sustainable development, natural resources, and environmental humanities. Calling readers to assess, challenge, and rethink the dominant perceptions of well-being and societal activities, this rich resource that explores the interconnection between human and nonhuman well-being serves as a tool to foster transformative action towards a more sustainable society.

The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.

About the Author

Merja Elo is a postdoctoral researcher of community ecology at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, covering topics from macroecology to conservation biology and restoration ecology.

Jonne Hytoenen is a research coordinator at University of Jyvaskyla and a postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University Department of Built Environment. He conducts research on sustainability transition in spatial planning.

Sanna Karkulehto is a professor of literature at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland, whose most recent publications include the ESCL Collaborative Research Award Finalist Reconfiguring Human, Nonhuman and Posthuman in Literature and Culture (2020, Routledge, ed. with A-K. Koistinen and E. Varis).

Teea Kortetmaki is a senior researcher in social sciences and philosophy at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. She conducts research on environmental ethics, climate policy, and sustainability transitions.

Janne S. Kotiaho is a professor of ecology and director of the School of Resource Wisdom at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. He is the chair of the Finnish Nature Panel and a scientific advisor to the government of Finland in issues related to biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.

Mikael Puurtinen is a research coordinator at the School of Resource Wisdom at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. He conducts evolutionary ecology research and coordinates interdisciplinary sustainability education at his home university.

Miikka Salo is a senior lecturer at University of Jyvaskyla, Finland. He conducts research on energy politics and environmental governance and citizenship.

Reviews

"The work of IPBES has shown that many sustainable development goals will not be met by 2030 with current negative trends in biodiversity and may only be achieved through transformative changes across economic, social, political and technological factors. Transformative change calls for deep systemic transformations in our production and consumption habits, and in the way people value nature and conceive a good quality of life. This novel work on planetary well-being addresses the critical need for more work on transformative change, in particular by conceptualising well-being for all life on Earth, for humans and non-humans."

Anne Larigauderie, Executive Secretary, Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

"This wide-ranging, multifaceted volume advances a bold theoretical proposal: Earth as a whole, as an integrated complex system, can fare better or worse - in specifiable, measurable, theoretically defensible terms. Then the volume advances another, equally bold suggestion: thinking in terms of planetary wellbeing can inform policies in novel ways at various scales - to include and balance the needs, interests, leanings, and powers of all those humans and nonhumans that across time concur to propel Earth's transformations. This volume opens and most competently orients a whole new research program, which is as ambitious and urgent as the theoretical and practical tasks it sets for itself."

Marcello Di Paola, Assistant Professor in the History of Philosophy, University of Palermo, Italy

Book Information
ISBN 9781032368283
Author Merja Elo
Format Hardback
Page Count 270
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g