The Sustainability Revolutionists: Heroes and Hope for Our Planet's Future - Paperback

by Lucia Athens (Author)

This book is for you if, like thousands of others, you have realized that sustainability's moment has finally come. Shifting our world from its current unsustainable path will require a revolution of hearts, minds, and bodies. It will take people from every corner of the planet, at every level, from the grass roots to those in power, to be a part of the change. Hope is one of sustainability's critical components. The book delivers a greater sense of optimism about our ability to achieve a sustainable future.

One of our biggest challenges is that there are still many among us who are left out of the story. This book offers up sustainability as an integrative, inclusive concept, reliant upon solutions that address and balance environmental, social, and economic needs. These three key pillars represent the widely recognized framework for sustainability, and the book's central organizing concept.

The Sustainability Revolutionists delivers a masterclass in one of today's most elusive concepts. Learn the deeper meanings of sustainability through the powers of story. This collection of tales, surrounding a pantheon of relatable revolutionist super-heroes, draws a roadmap to guide you through a challenging subject. Revolutionists are special people. They are the change-makers who don't take no for an answer, and who march to the beat of a different drummer. Revolutions tend to be messy endeavors, but without them we'd be forever stuck in the past, chained to realities that no longer serve us.

Riding on a rich menu of stories, an imaginary dinner party brings three historical revolutionist figures around the author's dinner table. Renowned explorer Jacques Cousteau provides a foundation in environmental sustainability. Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop retail chain, offers lessons in economic sustainability. The heartbeat of social sustainability appears in the trials and triumphs of legendary labor organizer César Chávez.

Sustainability is a journey. The Sustainability Revolutionists takes you on an unforgettable trip, full of faraway places and inspiring people. Based in research and reporting, these stories of sustainability in action provide new perspectives for tackling the challenging times we live in. With equal measures of wisdom and hope, this book is a manifesto for the Sustainability Revolution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lucia Athens is the City of Austin's first Chief Sustainability Officer, where she has served since 2010. She previously led the City of Seattle's green building program over a ten-year period in which they achieved a significant portfolio of new sustainable projects. A a licensed Landscape Architect, is leader in climate action and sustainability, she brings over 30 years of experience and wisdom to the table. Athens helped develop Austin Energy's Green Building program, the first program of its kind in the world, and later chaired the LEED(R) 2.0 Site and Water technical group. She has served on the National Board of Directors for the US Green Building Council, Green Business Certification Institute, and EcoDistricts. She currently co-chairs the WELL for Cities Advisory Council, and serves on the LEED for Cities and Communities Working Group. Athens has collaborated with many organizations, including Forbes IGNITE, Rocky Mountain Institute, World Resources Institute, Clinton Global Initiative, and the Center for Maximum Potential Building Systems. In 2015, she was awarded a Rockefeller Foundation residency fellowship at the Bellagio Center at Lake Como, Italy.Athens is a frequent keynote speaker on behalf of organizations including The Economist, The Atlantic, Metropolis Magazine, and the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine. A native Texan, Athens makes her home in Austin with her husband and two adorable rescue dogs.