Greener by degrees: exploring sustainability through higher education curricula
edited by Carolyn Roberts and Jane Roberts. Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK, Geography Discipline Network (GDN), 2007, 343 pp., £8.00, ISBN 979‐1‐86174‐180‐6
The subject of this review is the University of Gloucestershire, a relatively new university but one that can claim to be the first university in the UK to gain certification to the ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. Sustainable Development underpins each of the University's Strategic Priorities and the University is recognised as a sector leader by the Sustainable Development Commission and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the University provides a model for the integration of sustainability.
Summary of contents
The book represents the outcome of a staff development exercise with multiple purposes. It aims to identify innovative examples of education for sustainable development (ESD) in the University's curriculum, to provide a forum for ESD practitioners to exchange and discuss their approaches and experiences and to disseminate good practice the pages of the book.
The book is presented in three parts:
-
Sustainability in the Classroom (17 case studies);
-
Sustainability through local, national and international partnerships (14 case studies);
-
Towards a Sustainable University (6 cases).
Main strengths and any shortcomings
The case studies are presented using a template that is particularly useful. Typically, the cases include sections on: aims; rationale; implementation; active learning; feedback; and strengths and weaknesses. Most cases are supported by useful references and case C6 provides an annotated bibliography of some 40 references on general as well as specific educational sources. The principal shortcoming for an engineer is the absence of case studies that deal specifically with engineering disciplines.
Readership
This is not a text book; it is directed at staff rather than students. It is unique because it shares the experiences of so many practitioners responsible for embedding sustainable development within modules and courses. Anyone faced with the need to incorporate sustainability within their own modules but especially those charged with developing an ethos throughout a course, department or faculty will find inspiration in this book.
Allen Clegg
Wolfson School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, UK, A.J. [email protected]
© 2008, Allen Clegg
Design for sustainability: a practical approach
by Tracy Bhamra and Vicky Lofthouse, Aldershot, Gower Publishing Limited, 2007, 184 pp., £55, ISBN ‐13: 9780566087042
The book ‘Design for sustainability – a practical approach’ is aimed at both design professionals and students of industrial and product design. It is written by two recognised academics who have industrial experience in the field of environmental design. This is an important text for all designers as it provides a practical approach to the complex problem of design within a sustainable development context.
In the first and second chapters, a historical account of sustainable development is discussed within the design context. The importance of design practitioners in terms of influence is highlighted and in particular the challenges to achieving sustainability thinking. The authors explain a practical concept of sustainable development in terms of the triple bottom line. Challenges, major drivers and the scale of response are discussed. A business response chapter describes all the approaches to help organisations understand and apply sustainable development, e.g. ‘Natural step’ and ‘Five capitals’. Legislation, such as the waste and electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and packaging and waste directives, is described.
Environmental and social responsibility are described in terms of the product development process. Mechanisms of design for sustainability are investigated by focussing both on product life cycle and on meeting human needs. The context of these design models are well argued in terms of current product development industry practice and strategic change requirements. Practising design methods and tools to support design for sustainability through every stage of the product development process are introduced. This book is very successful in terms of the identification and careful practical consideration of meaningful use of tools within the design process. These tools are grouped in terms of environmental assessment, strategic design, idea generation, user centred design and information provision. Each method is fully explained with assessment from a design perspective, with full referencing to websites and published text.
The following chapters of this excellent book provide the reader with practice‐based studies of product improvement, case studies of systems and services. Nine industrial case studies including product, furniture and packaging design are used to provide the reader with demonstrations of sustainable design progress. This section is particularly useful as detailed product design development changes and innovation are evaluated in terms of environmental issues. A service view of delivering product function and the subsequent opportunity to improve environmental improvement is comprehensively reviewed. The cradle‐to‐cradle and system innovation approach to design is discussed providing enhanced environmental benefit possibilities for long‐term solutions. The closing chapters provide another 10 case studies concerned with systems and services within product design that demonstrates the environmental benefits from a more radical approach to product delivery. These case studies of system or service approaches provide the reader with valuable insights into the practical application of new design philosophy. A final guidance chapter helps the reader apply the tools and techniques described and illustrated within the book throughout the design process.
This excellent book is written using clear prose with illustrations and references throughout. The numerous case studies provide a useful reference and practical guidance over a wide ranging field. This book is well worth reading and provides a good source of reference for industrial and product design practitioners.
Mark Hadfield
Sustainable Design Research Centre, School of Design, Engineering and Computing, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK, [email protected]
© 2008, Mark Hadfield