Featuring entries written by international leaders in environmental sustainability selected by a distinguished board of consulting editors, the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability features new and updated articles, more illustrations, and a growing list of international contributors. No other reference so thoroughly and dynamically surveys the history, current research, and developments that are of vital interest to students, professionals, and general readers. No library can be called complete without it.

Advance Articles

The articles listed here have been accepted for publication in the second edition of the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability. They have been peer-reviewed, copyedited, and reviewed by the author/s, and we would under normal circumstances be putting them into pages for a print edition. The closure of colleges and libraries during the pandemic has changed our plans, and of course delayed some of the work on the publication, which has contributions from experts around the world. We are therefore offering a sample of the new contents as Advance Articles at this website. Please refer to them as forthcoming, and if quoting or linking to them, ensure that you include the full citation.

For information on placing an order, or getting access to the first edition (hosted by Oxford Reference, please visit this page.

Biosphere Reserves

Bitcoin and Other Blockchains

Environmental Justice

Impact Investing

Railways and Sustainability

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Biosphere Reserves

Author/s: Maureen G. REED, School of Environment and Sustainable Development, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Citation: Encyclopedia of Sustainability, 2^nd ed. Anderson et al. Forthcoming.

https://doi.org/10.47462/1408240605

Advance publication date as per post date

Category: Ecosystems

Abstract

UNESCO Biosphere Reserves were first established under the Man and Biosphere Programme of UNESCO in the 1970s. Their mandate has expanded beyond conservation to include sustainable development and local capacity enhancement. As institutions under UNESCO, they also work on “building peace” by seeking to reconcile relations between peoples, and between people and the natural world. View article

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The Impact of Bitcoin and Other Blockchains on the Environment

Author/s: Alex DE VRIES, Founder of Digiconomist.net

Citation: Encyclopedia of Sustainability, 2^nd ed. Anderson et al. Forthcoming.

https://doi.org/10.47462/1486248434

Advance publication date as per post date

Category: Technology

Abstract

While many new technologies carry the promise of creating a better world, they often have unintended consequences. The promise of blockchains is trust-minimizing and immutable peer-to-peer interactions, but early blockchain platforms have faced a great deal of skepticism regarding their environmental sustainability, and continue to cast their shadow over the technology’s potential today. View article

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Environmental Justice

Abstract: While the term environmental justice has different nuances of meaning for activists, academics, and politicians, most agree that it encompasses the need for a healthy environment for all with the same degree of protection from environmental risks and with equal access to environmental goods. This is in line with sustainability goals to fulfill the needs of the present without compromising the future. Research is currently underway to define and assess how environmental justice will be incorporated into the future of sustainability practices.

Author/s: Francesca ROSIGNOLI, Stockholm University; Larissa BASSO, Stockholm University

Citation: [AUTHOR/S (2021). “TITLE”] in Anderson et al. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Sustainability, 2^nd ed. Great Barrington, MA: Berkshire Publishing.

https://doi.org/10.47462/1579790654

Any figures or illustrations or illustrations included here are not finalized for publication. Advance publication date as per post date. Copyright Berkshire Publishing Group.

Category: Business & Economics

Abstract

Railways for passengers and freight offer strategic advantages in terms of energy efficiency and the ease of adaptation to electric mobility. The relatively small infrastructure footprint of modern rail also facilitates integration into densely developed spaces like city centers. These advantages and other benefits—such as the economic revival of regions left behind by globalization—fit well with current imperatives to lower carbon emissions while advancing sustainable mobility. View article

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Impact Investing

Author/s: Vivek BHANDARI, Former Director, Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA), India; Aastha DHANDHIA, Startup Oasis, Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (IIM-A), India

Citation: Encyclopedia of Sustainability, 2^nd ed. Anderson et al. Forthcoming 2021.

https://doi.org/10.47462/1586179931

Advance publication date as per post date

Category: Business & Economics

Abstract

The term “impact investing” describes the work of companies, organizations, and funds seeking to achieve measurable social and environmental gains while also generating financial returns. This sector has struggled with how to measure—quantitatively and qualitatively—the impact of investments. The past decade has witnessed the emergence of formal institutions that have achieved some success in addressing this challenge, while the sector also works to reconcile its profit motive with an enduring commitment to sustainability. View article

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