Promoting Sustainable Living : Sustainability as an Object of Desire

Current images of sustainability often are designed to instill fear and force change, not because we believe in it, but because we fear the consequences of inaction. We also far too often are faced with adverts that use sustainability images in order to sell their product, which are not sustainable at all.

This book identifies the factors that motivate people to aspire towards sustainable living and determines the role of communications in persuading people of the benefits of sustainable living. It introduces the notion of sustainability as an "object of desire", that will allow people to not be scared of the future but rather, to dream about it and look forward to a better quality of life. The book traces the history of major changes in our society that have dramatically changed our perceptions, beliefs and attitudes as related to sustainability. It describes our current desires and dreams and explains why we need to change. Further, it identifies the factors that motivate people to aspire towards sustainable living and determines the role of communications in persuading people of the benefits of sustainable living. Finally it suggests what could be done to not only make sustainability an object of desire, but also introduce hopes and dreams for a better future into our everyday lives.

This inspiring and interdisciplinary book provides innovative insights for researchers, students and professionals in a range of disciplines, in particular environment and sustainability, sustainable marketing and advertising, communication studies, and behavioural studies.