Electronic Green Journal

Articles

Environmental Sustainability for Public Libraries in Portugal: a first approach

Dias, Sandra Moura

This article shares the results of the investigation on environmental sustainability practices within public libraries in Portugal for the Master Course in Library and Information Science at Lisbon University.

The work intends to be a line of thought that meets the goals for sustainable development outlined by the United Nations and the International Federation of Libraries Association – a proposal for the inclusion of libraries and information in the post-2015 agenda.

The research of green libraries around the world demonstrated a growing number that applies environmental sustainability criteria in their strategic and management action.

Are emerging academic research, conferences and seminars devoted to the theme, proposals for revision of the academic curriculum in Library Information Science. Library professional associations worldwide are creating working groups and encourage debate on environmental sustainability and the concept of "global library".

To understand the Portuguese situation in this matter, questionnaires were sent to all municipal libraries in each district, resulting in a sample of 84 public libraries.

1 supplemental PDF
1 supplemental file

Creating a Culture of Transformation in Guatemala: One Fruit Tree at a Time

Hoffman, August John

Community gardening and "green" ecologically-minded service programs have recently become popular areas of research addresing not only the benefits that are directly afforded to the community, but also towards those individuals who are involved in these project (Shan & Walter, 2015). The current qualitative mixed-methods study addressed the impact of nine volunteers who paticpate din a fruit tree planting project in a rural Guatemala community. Participants were interviewed after the project and surveyed regarding their subjective experiences as they relate to key domains in community service work. A significant correlation emerged between perceptions of the importance of community service work (CSW) activities (r = .948; p < .01) and perceptions of "connectedness" to one's community and likelihood of participation in future CSW activities (r = 877; p< .01). Suggestions are offered for future research.

2 supplemental files

Essays

Earth system governance. Ruling climate across society

Ferrara, Enzo

This paper collects notes and reflections emerging from the survey of three volumes published in the Earth System Governance MIT Press series, dealing with issues of world politics, international institutions, consensus, deliberative democracy, and leadership of global governance in the dawn of the Anthropocene. The gathering arguments of the texts discussing the social, cultural, economic, and practice difficulties actually hindering the transition to a viable society worldwide ruled according to safe conditions for the environmental cycles and living beings. Progressively, the series unpacks implications for global-scale governance at the epoch of the ever-increasing impact of men. Authors consider Earth governance offering analytical insights and normative perspectives on the possible implementation modalities, including questions on democratic means and the possible role of national and transnational organizations to achieve sustainability, before the irreversible destruction of the biodiversity wealth constituted on Earth through entire eons.