Marien M. 1996. "Environmental Problems and Sustainable Futures: Major Literature from WCED to UNCED." Futures (Oct): 731-757.

Thesis:

The work on sustainable development reflects a glut of information that needs to be integrated into a framework that provides a "broader, systemic view of environmental problems and the transition to sustainability" (p.743). Marien provides a bibliographic overview of 312 English language works on the topic from 1987 to 1992.

Summary:

Marien has selected 312 articles that he considers to be the most important works on sustainable development from 1987 to 1992. This bibliographic overview is organized by the following categories:

I. Environmental Problems (pp.733-736)

A. General

Global overviews; Regions and nations; Human population growth; Global environmental change

B. Endangered resources

Overviews; Biodiversity; Deforestation; Land and protected areas; Freshwater, wetlands and oceans

C. Pollution

Air and water pollution; Other concerns

D. Waste and Hazards

Solid and toxic waste; Nuclear waste and radiation; Natural hazards

II. Towards a sustainable future (pp.736-742)

A. New environmental thinking: ecophilosophy

B. Elements of a sustainable society

Overviews and agendas; Ecological economics; Green business; Ecological agriculture; Green technology and transportation; Energy; Cities and communities; Other sectors

C. Actors and environmental movements

D. Government

E. Information Frontiers

Marien concludes that the works he cites are valuable in providing new "categories--and their relationships to each other--to encourage a broader, systemic view of environmental problems and the transition to sustainability" (pp.724-43). However, he contends that a new article or book on environmental problems or sustainability "may do little, if anything to promote the learning necessary for transition to a sustainable future" (p.243). The 312 articles are drawn from 80 periodicals, none of which serves as a central clearinghouse to for broad-range thought. This illustrates a glut of information and a lack of communication. What is needed greater attention to integrative overviews, dissemination of knowledge to broader audiences, and application of k

Keywords: sustainable future, infoglut