"Environmental Technology Strengths: International Rankings Based on US Patent Data"

Patent information has been used by economists and researchers in the field of innovation to analyse current and forecast future technological directions. The recent surge in patenting activities in developed countries reaffirms the strong position of the patent system in a globalised world dominated by market mechanisms. This paper analyses the technological position of the top twelve foreign patenting countries in the USA, namely Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and UK, using four technological strength indicators based on patent data. These are the technological specialisation index (for national technological priorities), patent share (for global impact), citation rate (for further knowledge development) and rate of assigned patents (for market potential). The technological strength indicators are calculated for patents relating to environmental technologies between 1975 and 2000. These technologies are expected to have a significant impact on society, the economy and the natural environment as they have the potential to reduce the effects of global climate change. The empirical findings demonstrate that the expertise and strengths in environmental technologies are concentrated in a relatively small number of countries, namely Germany, Canada and Japan. Nevertheless, these countries show different priorities, being more successful in some aspects of technology strengths than in others.

Renewable energy technologies in Asia: analysis of US patent data

The paper explores the link between patent trends and national innovation systems for aselection of Asian countries, namely China, India, Japan, Russia, South Korea andTaiwan, in the case of renewable energy. It uses 1975-2007 data from the US Patent andTrademark office. The concept of technological trajectory is also analysed suggesting thatwe are yet to witness an uptake in renewable energy. The imperatives of climate changehowever pose serious challenges to the world and in particular to the Asian countrieswhere most of the economic growth is likely to occur in the future. Japan is the dominantleader in foreign patenting in the US but renewable energy does not appear to be anational priority, as is also the case with South Korea, China and Taiwan. For Russia andIndia thou these technologies are emerging as an area of specialisation. All Asiancountries will need to strengthen their innovation systems in order to allow fortransformations towards a less fossil-fuel dependent global economy to occur

Five dimensions of community

The Five Dimensions of Community concept places culture and heritage within the context of planet Earth and the cosmos. This allows space to discover what universal wonder means for people of different backgrounds and to share moments where natural experiences have taken your breath away and provided new sights. Through a greater awareness of the elements of the Five Dimensions of Community we can better engage in the interconnectedness between heritage and culture, the built and natural environment, corporate living and spirituality. This paper proposes that in order to contextualize our cultural heritage, we need to go beyond the triple bottom line and the four pillars sustainability frameworks that seem to separate us from the rest of the world, and look for the spiritual links that connect us to each other, the Earth and the universe so that new or renewed sustainable traditions can emerge

Transformational Marketing: Linking Marketing and Sustainability

Current marketing practices promote goods and services irrespective as to what their impacts on the environment and human society are. As this often has serious negative ecological and social consequences, change in practices and better education are required. The paper argues for the need for transformational marketing which links marketing with sustainability values in order to contribute towards mitigating or reversing the environmental and other harm caused by humans because of their poor consumption choices. Such new sustainability approach to marketing would allow to: (1) change the way marketing is perceived; (2) improve its role within society and (3) emphasize the long-term responsibility of business and consumers in relation to the marketed products, services or activities. Incorporating sustainability into education for marketing would inspire marketers to develop a new business ethics that puts global human and ecological values ahead of short-term business profits. Most importantly, such ethics would build the foundations of trust and respect allowing marketing to support only moral and responsible businesses, the benefits from which would be long-term and to broader society

Models of Sustainability

The paper presents a general classification of the models being developed in the area of sustainability arguing that the existing models represent the historical conceptualisation of sustainability starting from environmental constraints and moving towards economic valuation and social behaviour and policies. Coupled with computer power, sophisticated models with a varying levels of complexity have also been developed (static/dynamic; local/global; specific/general). However as any model is a simplification of the complex reality, the main purpose of any sustainability modelling should be to allow for co-evolution to be represented, including the role of humans as sustainability guardians

A biblical argument for veganism

This paper argues that veganism is the ideal diet for a religious and spiritual biblically endorsed lifestyle. Both Christians and Jews are guided by the Old Testament’s injunctions and writings, which equally support a vegan lifestyle. Areas of discussion include G-d’s first intention, the biblical goals of preservation of health, compassion for animals, equitable sharing of food with the hungry, environmental protection and wellbeing, including conservation of resources, preserving and healing the world, seeking and pursuing peace. It concludes that in light of the animal, human and environmental impacts of modern livestock production and consumption, veganism is the moral, ethical and spiritually-supported choice for those who subscribe to lifestyles led and inspired by the stories, interpretations, commentaries, injunctions and guidance of the Hebrew bible. It also offers spiritually-directed followers a sacred way to actively, yet non-violently, oppose daily human, animal and environmental welfare violations caused by meat production and consumption

Planetary health and reduction in meat consumption

Background: With an annual meat consumption of 110 kg per capita, Australia is one of the top countries in the world according to this indicator. High meat consumption however is associated with adverse impacts on the planet’s ecological systems and also has potential undesirable impacts on human health due mainly to cancer risk. Despite scientific evidence about the negative connection between the consumption of animal-based products and planetary health, people continue to adhere to meat-rich diets. Based on a 2018 survey of residents in Sydney, Australia, this paper explores meat consumption and its influence on planetary health by investigating issues related to frequency, reasons, impacts and planned dietary changes. Results: The survey reveals lack of general awareness about the negative implications to human wellbeing and the health of the natural environment of high meat consumption. Only 10% of the Sydney residents report to be currently adhering to a predominantly plant-based diet. A large fraction of the respondents (42%) see meat as a healthy and nutritious choice contrary to recent dietary guidelines. Meat is further associated with strength (19% of the respondents) as well as culture and family traditions (18%). Only 29% of the participants are aware of livestock’s negative impacts on planetary health and even within this group, a large fraction (88%) continues to consume meat. Although there are signs of dietary changes towards more plant-based options, their extent is not big enough to significantly transform the current trends and prevent further negative impacts from people’s preference for meat. Conclusions: An argument is put forward for social marketing interventions to influence people’s dietary behaviour. In addition to building awareness about the negative consequences on planetary health from high consumption of animal-based foods, popularising the achievements of vegan athletes can help dispel existing myths about the link between meat and strength. A new dietary culture which endorses plant-based foods is required for the Anthropocene to arrest existential threats related to climate change, the use of land and other resources, and help shift Australians’ preferences away from high meat consumption. This will contribute to better nutrition, food security and achievement of global sustainable development goals

Preventing further climate change: A call to individual action through a decrease in meat consumption

As the threats and realities of global warming, and the concomitant urgency of decarbonising cities and regions become increasingly apparent, academics, governments, NGOs, local and international think-tanks and policy initiators, continue to concentrate on initiatives largely aimed at reducing fossil fuels (specifically transport and energy use) and increasing development of economies based on renewable energies. Yet, to date, the progress has been slow. Despite being one of the greatest causes of anthropogenic greenhouse gases, meat production and consumption seldom get attention. The negative effects of the ever-increasing livestock sector are felt across a wide range of areas and much scientific evidence is left unnoticed. This includes serious contributions to environmental concerns, including climate change, water and air pollution, deforestation, land degradation, decreases in habitat and biodiversity as well as direct negative social impacts such as direct responsibility for deteriorating human physical and mental health, global inequality and world hunger, and non-sensitivity to factory farming and slaughter. This paper uses extrapolation and generalisation in assessing the impact of meat consumption on the globe, including putting it into perspective in comparison to other commonly acknowledged and accepted factors, such as transport. It also highlights some stumbling blocks, vested interests and existing attitudes that make the meat problem not only persist but also expand over the developing world.The study suggests that current decarbonising focuses are disempowering and as a result, to date, insufficiently effective. It proposes a new ethics model of increasing vegetarianism to empower individuals to make a meaningful and significant, personal contribution to climate change mitigation. It is easy and does not require significant policy, institutional or industrial changes. If adopted and implemented, such an ethics model will ensure that, individually and collectively we have the power not only to address and resolve a currently overwhelming number of social and environmental threats, but essentially, to change the current global warming trajectory and return the planet’s climate patterns to safer levels

Sustainometrics: Measuring sustainability

The paper argues for the need of "sustainometrics", i.e. a science that studies, models and measures sustainable development, including measuring progress towards sustainability, measuring the status quo, benchmarking and best practices. There are already vast bodies of research as to how to study and measure the economic, social and environmental but we do not know how to study and measure the whole. To make things even more complex, this whole is dynamic as it is constantly co-evolving with its components. This often results in the emergence of unexpected properties, an example of which is climate change. A new area of knowledge (and profession) is currently appearing which is sustainability. In order for it to inform policy decisions and guide human behaviour it will need to also develop its modelling and measuring tools (including sustainability indicators, ecological footprint and food miles among other) and information systems (local, regional and global), which sustainometrics should provide

Influencing dietary changes in a zoonotic disease crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic is requiring us to reconsider our relationship with the animal world. A large proportion of newly emerging diseases have a zoonotic origin, and human society should acknowledge that it has severely impacted the habitat of animals through livestock production and consumption as well as land clearing for agricultural purposes. There is a role for government in avoiding similar crises by sending clear and transparent messages to the public concerning the benefits of a reduction in the intake of animal-based foods. Two potential solutions are suggested: the use of taxation and a new sustainability social marketing model built on the 4-S mix (sustainability, strength, self-confidence and sharing)