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Ecovillages are settlements that aim to combine human well-being and environmental sustainability. They serve as sites of social learning for sustainable consumption practices and may inspire lifestyle changes in mainstream society. However, most ecovillages fail in the first few years of establishment. Through an in-depth study of a Norwegian ecovillage's efforts at expansion, this article explores the factors that adversely affected the well-being of ecovillage residents and threatened the community's survival. The study applies mixed methods combining needs-based workshops, a well-being survey, and in-depth interviews. The transformation of the ecovillage into a larger settlement with modern houses was driven by a developer and with minimal involvement of residents. The resulting divergence in visions and values, coupled with structural problems of the homes, led to protracted conflicts, and resulted in the developer's bankruptcy. The study identifies strong social institutions and affordable infrastructures as crucial elements for both well-being and the success of ecovillages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development in the agriculture of the future will lead to innovative production, providing the possibility of obtaining better quality agricultural products. In turn, these innovative agricultural products will fit into new social lifestyles. Therefore, in this study, the authors asked the following research questions: (i) How do respondents perceive innovative agricultural production and innovative products in the area of food economy?; (ii) what is the relationship between selected lifestyle elements and the perception of innovative agricultural production and products? The research tool was a survey questionnaire. The diagnostic study was conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) technique. The study was partial and non-probabilistic in nature. Participation in the study was voluntary and anonymous, and completion of the form could be interrupted at any time. The target group were adults aged ≥ 18 years. They were residents of south-eastern Poland, from the Podkarpackie and Lublin provinces. The study was of a correlational nature, as it sought relationships between the elements studied, without the possibility of influencing the level of individual variables. A five-point Likert scale with a neutral value was used for the assessment. Spearman correlation analysis (rS) was performed to find the relationship between the items. This type of correlation was chosen because the variables subjected to calculations were on an ordinal scale. The Kruskal–Wallis H test was also calculated to determine the effect of independent variables (lifestyle elements) on dependent variables (perception of innovative production and food products). The Mann–Whitney U test was utilized to calculate and identify differences between groups (sex and place of residence). Statistical significance was assessed at the level of α = 0.05. To illustrate these differences more clearly, categorized graphs of the average ratings of the items studied were also drawn up. The research results indicate a different approach from men and women to the issues studied. The place of residence and the approach of the respondents from south-eastern Poland to the studied lifestyle elements influenced their perception of sustainable agricultural production and innovative features of agricultural products. The examined lifestyle elements demonstrated a varied impact on the perception of innovative production and innovative food products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the impact of green consumption on adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a simple conceptual model is developed, and hypothesized relationships are tested in the context of a developing country—India. Using proportionate stratified random sampling, data were collected from 422 respondents from five districts in Tamil Nadu, southern India. First, the psychometric properties of the survey instrument were tested by PLS-SEM, and hypotheses were tested using path analysis. The findings show that (i) green product literacy (GPL) is not associated with green product purchase attitude (GPPA), (ii) green product orientation (GPO) is positively related to GPA, and (iii) social influence is positively associated with GPA. The results also indicate that GPA is a precursor to green purchase behavior (GPB), resulting in a sustainable lifestyle. This study found that social influence strengthens the positive effect of GPO on GPPA. From a practical standpoint, this study can provide valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and organizations aiming to promote sustainable lifestyles by encouraging green consumption. As with any survey research, common method and social desirability biases can be significant limitations. However, every effort has been made to minimize these biases. To the best of our knowledge, the conceptual model is developed and tested for the first time, particularly in the context of a developing country—India. Thus, this study makes a unique contribution to the literature on sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human resource management (HRM), under the influence of the sustainable development paradigm, is evolving towards sustainable HRM. Contemporary HRM is a cross‐functional task that becomes increasingly important in the creation of corporate sustainability. Therefore, HRM plays an important role in building sustainable development. At the same time, HRM becomes more and more human‐centred. HRM is not only recruitment or appraisal orientated; one of its aims is to help different shareholders live sustainable lifestyles. Meanwhile, a sustainable lifestyle is analysed mainly in the context of consumer behaviour. The role of HRM in the promotion of a sustainable lifestyle is overlooked too often. The aim of the paper is to verify the importance of our ascertainment that HRM may (and should) be a link between sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles. We also want to confirm/deny a research gap related to the HRM's role in promotion of a sustainable lifestyle. We used two literature review methods: traditional and systematic review. The research pointed out that the researchers examine the idea of sustainable development as well as analyse the concept of a sustainable lifestyle. The systematic literature review identified a research lacuna in HRM regarding its role in promoting sustainable lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic waste presents a significant challenge due to its non-organic nature, leading to a substantial accumulation of plastic waste globally. Plastic bowls, in particular, are widely-used in daily use, making the development of multi-millet edible bowls a viable substitute for traditional plastic options. In this study, we optimized multi-millet edible bowls using major ingredients such as little, kodo, and barnyard millet flours and compared with control edible bowls made from refined flour. The optimised multi-millet edible bowls exhibited significantly lower levels of calories, fat, moisture but higher levels of dietary fibre and protein compared to the control edible bowls. Furthermore, the multi-millet edible bowls exhibited slightly thicker structures, higher hardness but with significantly reduced water absorption properties (~ twofold) and oil absorption properties (~ threefold) in comparison to control. Scanning electron microscopy images of the multi-millet edible bowls revealed the starch granule structure offering valuable insights into their composition. High-resolution mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the presence of 3092 distinct metabolic products, comprising of 24 compounds, including primary and secondary metabolites. Additionally, preliminary soil degradation test indicated that the developed bowls were biodegradable within 42 days. In conclusion, the development of multi-millet edible bowls offers a promising, environmentally conscious alternative to traditional plastic-based bowls and biodegradability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Pendidikan Indonesia is the property of Publikasi Indonesia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Ecovillages are settlements that aim to combine human well-being and environmental sustainability. They serve as sites of social learning for sustainable consumption practices and may inspire lifestyle changes in mainstream society. However, most ecovillages fail in the first few years of establishment. Through an in-depth study of a Norwegian ecovillage’s efforts at expansion, this article explores the factors that adversely affected the well-being of ecovillage residents and threatened the community’s survival. The study applies mixed methods combining needs-based workshops, a well-being survey, and in-depth interviews. The transformation of the ecovillage into a larger settlement with modern houses was driven by a developer and with minimal involvement of residents. The resulting divergence in visions and values, coupled with structural problems of the homes, led to protracted conflicts, and resulted in the developer’s bankruptcy. The study identifies strong social institutions and affordable infrastructures as crucial elements for both well-being and the success of ecovillages.

How do citizens express environmentalism and lead sustainable change in an authoritarian country like China, where contentious political civic actions have limited saliency? Can we re-imagine what forms of citizen action build ’environmental movement’ in this socio-political context? Based on 41 in-depth interviews and seven months of participant observations in China’s zero waste community, this article proposes networked sustainable lifestyle activism as an important form of environmental movement in China’s socio-political context. Drawing on lifestyle movement (Haenfler et al. 2012) and sustainable materialism (Schlosberg 2019) theories, I analyze the growth, characteristics, and limitations of the zero waste movement in China. It consists of sustainable lifestyle activism that adopts lifestyle change for broader sustainability, pursues anti-consumerism authentic identity and well-being as a site of change, and grows through social media and informal networks. Meanwhile, the movement goes beyond individual lifestyle change as networks of secondhand material flow and collective, non-contentious environmental actions. Difficulties to promote widespread, thorough sustainable lifestyle change and constrained political engagement are important factors that limit the movement’s effects. My research contributes to the literature on new environmental movements, theoretical discussion of environmental movements in China, and empirical understanding of civic environmental actions in this socio-political context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The zero-waste lifestyle (ZWL) is considered a reasonable step towards controlling waste generation and minimizing the consequences of human activities on the environment. The main aim of this study is to examine the behavioral antecedents of ZWL. Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on the theoretical underpinnings of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the norm activation model (NAM) to develop a conceptual framework to understand the antecedents to ZWL. A cross-sectional survey among 349 randomly-selected consumers provided data analyzed with the partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) methodology. Findings: The results demonstrate that personal norms, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control positively influenced the intention to adopt ZWL. Additionally, the study showed that the awareness of consequences influenced personal norms, attitudes and subjective norms. However, the study identified an intention–behavior gap in adopting ZWL. Originality/value: This study serves as a pioneering exploration of the behavioral factors that impact the adoption of ZWL. Additionally, the paper endeavors to elucidate the underlying reasons behind the intention–behavior gap within this particular context. Consequently, the study offers substantial theoretical and practical implications aimed at promoting and fostering greater adoption of ZWL practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the impact of green consumption on adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a simple conceptual model is developed, and hypothesized relationships are tested in the context of a developing country—India. Using proportionate stratified random sampling, data were collected from 422 respondents from five districts in Tamil Nadu, southern India. First, the psychometric properties of the survey instrument were tested by PLS-SEM, and hypotheses were tested using path analysis. The findings show that (i) green product literacy (GPL) is not associated with green product purchase attitude (GPPA), (ii) green product orientation (GPO) is positively related to GPA, and (iii) social influence is positively associated with GPA. The results also indicate that GPA is a precursor to green purchase behavior (GPB), resulting in a sustainable lifestyle. This study found that social influence strengthens the positive effect of GPO on GPPA. From a practical standpoint, this study can provide valuable insights for policymakers, businesses, and organizations aiming to promote sustainable lifestyles by encouraging green consumption. As with any survey research, common method and social desirability biases can be significant limitations. However, every effort has been made to minimize these biases. To the best of our knowledge, the conceptual model is developed and tested for the first time, particularly in the context of a developing country—India. Thus, this study makes a unique contribution to the literature on sustainability.

Vocational High School (VHS) students carry out a significant number of project activities as outputs of learning science projects, necessitating the use of large quantities of materials. In addition, the sustainability of the project products has not been thoroughly considered, as the focus often stops at the title of the work. This article aims to analyze the application of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) values in learning science projects in VHS to build a sustainable lifestyle. The study utilized a quantitative descriptive approach, examining the results of questionnaires filled out by respondents who are vocational teachers in Central Java. The results showed that, on average, each school had not applied SDGs values in learning science projects. Some carry out the principles of SDGs such as orienting to economic or environmental aspects, but they do not fully understand the essence of these values. These indicators are integral to the SDGs, and their application has not been optimal. In addition, in the application of science project learning, the determination of project themes and materials is still oriented towards product creation. Therefore, students have not been encouraged to align their thoughts with building a sustainable lifestyle. Thus, there needs to be an effective learning strategy to integrate SDGs values in learning science projects in VHS so that projects are oriented towards product production alone and pay attention to sustainability values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Happiness is considered a measure of countries' development level, in the sense that the realization of human happiness passes through development. Accordingly, being kept away from the pursuit of happiness has prompted the UN to set sustainable development goals as a comprehensive roadmap and an action plan for realizing the right to happiness within four categories namely social, economic, social health and lifestyle development. In so doing, states' planning and development policies should be framed in such a way that the social and economic ground is laid for people to realize happiness. With such importance and necessity, understanding the meaning of the right to happiness in the light of sustainable development goals, the legal nature of this right in respect of legal foundations and documents as well as the relation between right to happiness and sustainable development goals constitutes the main idea and problem of this article. This article investigates this subject matter on the basis of a descriptive-analytical method and library studies. The result would be that the positive sustainable development approach can be a reliable avenue toward the right to happiness, which is subject to many requirements and instruments in the scope of social, economic, social health and lifestyle development [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The waste bank is one of the important solutions in overcoming the waste problem and forming a sustainable lifestyle. In the waste bank system, waste is collected, processed and recycled to create products of economic value. This abstract discusses the results and discussion of waste bank operations in the context of establishing a sustainable lifestyle. The operational results of the waste bank include reducing waste in landfills (TPA), increasing recycling, creating valuable products, and environmental education. By managing waste efficiently, waste banks reduce negative impacts on the environment and help reduce the use of natural resources. In addition, waste banks also play an important role in shaping a sustainable lifestyle through several discussions. First, the waste bank increases environmental awareness among the public, changes the mindset towards waste, and inspires changes in behavior towards a cleaner and more sustainable environment. Second, active community participation in the waste bank strengthens community involvement in waste management and creates a participatory climate in environmental decision-making. Third, the waste bank opens local economic opportunities by creating products from waste, helping to empower the local community's economy, and reducing social inequality. Furthermore, the waste bank reduces the use of new natural resources by processing used goods into useful products, helping to reduce pressure on the environment. Finally, the operation of the waste bank makes the public aware of the problem of waste and the importance of collective action in dealing with this problem. Overall, waste banks play an important role in shaping sustainable lifestyles by creating positive outcomes and driving behavior change and environmental awareness. The waste bank is an important first step in changing the perspective of waste and forming a more environmentally responsible society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Policy and practitioners’ initiatives to stimulate sustainable consumption have so far failed to have notable impact on individuals’ behaviors. The current commentary is a plea to social and sustainability scientists, particularly to economists dealing with sustainable agri-food systems, to dig deeper into the notion of narratives to trigger societal dynamics that stir consumers toward more sufficient lifestyles. As dominant cultural narratives have a critical role in shaping shared meanings and acceptable behaviors, in the future they could guide dramatic changes in individuals’ conduct, triggering drastic modifications of current consumption patterns. Based on the power that concepts as the Circular Economy and the Anthropocene have had in the recent past, a future step to develop an ecological worldview across society, and nourish individual identities deeply committed with the preservation of natural ecosystems, is working on narratives based on the notion of human-nature interdependence.

Flourishing has been identified as a central concept in the new approaches based on the idea of positive psychology emerging at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. A culture based on the idea of harmony may never have existed among the large public in the history of human thought. An educational system of this type could be based on what we propose here as a «presence-centered» pedagogy (in contrast to the contemporary «information-centered» and «skill-centered» pedagogies). The alternative education process that we propose is also particularly fitted to be conducted amongst nature and outdoor spaces rather than within a classroom, based on the extensive literature on the positive effects of contact with nature for human health and wellbeing. From a philosophical perspective, a presence-centered pedagogy would result in the promotion of a new sense of agency: an identity developed by exercising our co-dependence with the rest of the ecosystemic processes and life-support systems, as opposed to an identity conceived as being separated from the external environment. We argue here that such a revolutionary change of human’s self-definition could result in higher likelihood of changing our lifestyles in the direction of sustainability and collective wellbeing.

Abstract Background Local government authorities are well positioned to change the way food is produced and consumed through the implementation of integrated food policies. By facilitating the uptake of healthy and sustainable diet-related practices, integrated local government food policy can trigger change throughout the food supply chain. This study aimed to provide insights as to how the policy hierarchy surrounding local governments may be influencing local government’s capacity to create integrated food policy. Methods Content analysis was conducted on local government food policies (n = 36) from signatory cities of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact were mapped to seven global regions. A set of 13 predetermined healthy and sustainable diet-related practices, organized into three categories: “where to source food”, “what to eat” and “how to eat”, was used to assess the level of integration of each local government food policy. Additional policies from the broader policy hierarchy that were mentioned in each local government food policy were sourced and then screened for relevancy, charted according to their level of administration (local, national, global region, international) and analysed to consider which diet-related practice(s) each broader policy was likely to promote. Results Analysis revealed three key insights: (i) local government food policies across all included global regions (n = 4) mostly promoted practices in the “where to source food” category, (ii) local government food policies across all global regions referred to policies from higher levels of administration (local, national, global region and international) which tended to also promote practices in the “where to source food” category and (iii) regarding the level of integration, local government food policies in Europe and Central Asia targeted the highest number of diet-related practices. Conclusions The level of integration of food policy at national, global region and international levels may be influencing that of local governments. Further research is required to understand why local government food policies are referring to some relevant policies and not others, and to determine whether a greater focus on the diet-related practices of “what to eat” and “how to eat” in policies from higher levels of government would support local governments to also prioritize these practices in their food policies.

This study aimed to determine the implementation of the Independent Curriculum project with the theme of a sustainable lifestyle in class X at one of the senior high schools in Pandeglang, Indonesia. The method used in this research is descriptive research through a qualitative approach with data collection techniques, namely questionnaires of 140 sample class X students at one of the senior high schools in Pandeglang, Indonesia. The independent curriculum is an intracurricular learning curriculum that gives students more time to explore concepts and competencies. One of the programs from the Independent Curriculum is Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project, or the Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project, with the theme of a sustainable lifestyle. Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project activities in this independent curriculum have a positive impact. Based on the research results, 70.7% of class X students agreed that implementing Pancasila Student Profile Strengthening Project with the theme of a sustainable lifestyle had an impact and was effective for students in caring for the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policy and practitioners' initiatives to stimulate sustainable consumption have so far failed to have notable impact on individuals' behaviors. The current commentary is a plea to social and sustainability scientists, particularly to economists dealing with sustainable agri-food systems, to dig deeper into the notion of narratives to trigger societal dynamics that stir consumers toward more sufficient lifestyles. As dominant cultural narratives have a critical role in shaping shared meanings and acceptable behaviors, in the future they could guide dramatic changes in individuals' conduct, triggering drastic modifications of current consumption patterns. Based on the power that concepts as the Circular Economy and the Anthropocene have had in the recent past, a future step to develop an ecological worldview across society, and nourish individual identities deeply committed with the preservation of natural ecosystems, is working on narratives based on the notion of human-nature interdependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influential and trusted opinion leaders play a crucial role in society, particularly in influencing the public about values and lifestyle aspects. However, studies that have explored the impact of opinion leaders on a sustainable lifestyle and Islamic values in a Muslim-majority country such as Malaysia are scarce. Hence, this present study investigated the moderating effect of opinion leaders on the relationship between Islamic values derived from Maqasid Shariah and a sustainable lifestyle in Malaysia. The two methods deployed in this study were survey and in-depth interviews. Data retrieved from 682 questionnaires completed by Malaysian respondents were analysed using Smart PLS. The outcomes showed that, among the five proposed hypotheses, only one was accepted—the moderating effect of opinion leaders on the relationship between preserving intellect and a sustainable lifestyle. In-depth interview sessions were held with 18 respondents encompassing Islamic figures, environmentalists, and survey respondents. Most respondents claimed that the role of opinion leaders is important, and a healthy mind (preserving intellect) should be the priority to achieve a sustainable lifestyle. The study outcomes may serve as a reference for the Malaysian government to devise effective plans for sustainable lifestyle education by incorporating the Islamic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Local government authorities are well positioned to change the way food is produced and consumed through the implementation of integrated food policies. By facilitating the uptake of healthy and sustainable diet-related practices, integrated local government food policy can trigger change throughout the food supply chain. This study aimed to provide insights as to how the policy hierarchy surrounding local governments may be influencing local government's capacity to create integrated food policy. Methods: Content analysis was conducted on local government food policies (n = 36) from signatory cities of the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact were mapped to seven global regions. A set of 13 predetermined healthy and sustainable diet-related practices, organized into three categories: "where to source food", "what to eat" and "how to eat", was used to assess the level of integration of each local government food policy. Additional policies from the broader policy hierarchy that were mentioned in each local government food policy were sourced and then screened for relevancy, charted according to their level of administration (local, national, global region, international) and analysed to consider which diet-related practice(s) each broader policy was likely to promote. Results: Analysis revealed three key insights: (i) local government food policies across all included global regions (n = 4) mostly promoted practices in the "where to source food" category, (ii) local government food policies across all global regions referred to policies from higher levels of administration (local, national, global region and international) which tended to also promote practices in the "where to source food" category and (iii) regarding the level of integration, local government food policies in Europe and Central Asia targeted the highest number of diet-related practices. Conclusions: The level of integration of food policy at national, global region and international levels may be influencing that of local governments. Further research is required to understand why local government food policies are referring to some relevant policies and not others, and to determine whether a greater focus on the diet-related practices of "what to eat" and "how to eat" in policies from higher levels of government would support local governments to also prioritize these practices in their food policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Communities can play an important role in the transition toward sustainable living; however, a meso perspective bridging individual behavior and social context has rarely been applied. To address this issue, our study introduces the broad landscape of nonprofit community-based organizations as meso-level entities whose activities relate in one way or another to sustainability. Through an exploratory study relying on in-depth interviews, we examine the meaning of community and the role of sustainability in the operation of these communities. The emergence of a new authoritarianism in Hungary gives a special context for the study and enables identification of the characteristics of urban communities from "illiberal democracy." The findings indicate the presence of five different types of community-based organizations with sustainability-related activities. We argue for the analytical usefulness of a meso-level perspective and for the importance of researching how community-based organizations help individuals in transition to a more sustainable lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The household sector is a major driver of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, most existing studies have only estimated households' carbon footprint from their expenditures. Households' daily activity time, a scarce resource that limits and determines their consumption behavior, has rarely been integrated into the estimation. Incorporating the daily time-use patterns should thus provide a more practical perspective for mitigation policies aiming at promoting sustainable household lifestyles. In this study, by linking household time-use data and expenditure data of Japan, the carbon footprint and the GHG intensity of time of 85 daily household activities constituting the 24 hours in a day are estimated. Compared to the maximal 20-activity disaggregation in existing studies, our detailed 85-category disaggregation of daily time enables unprecedented details on the discrepancies between the carbon footprint from daily activities, many of which have previous been treated as one activity. Results indicate significant carbon mitigation potential in activities with a high GHG intensity of time, such as cooking, bathing, and mobility-related and activities. Average daily GHG emissions were also found to be higher on weekends as time-use patterns shift from paid work to free-time activities, highlighting the need for mitigation strategies on a weekly scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for ecological products is in line with the trend towards the ecologisation of consumption, which has become key in times of striving to achieve sustainable development that aims to satisfy consumer needs while respecting the natural environment and future generations. The shaping of pro-ecological attitudes and behaviours in consumers requires continuous monitoring of such behaviours on the market of ecological products and investigation of the factors that influence consumers' decisions and market choices. The aim of the article is to present the motives behind the purchase of ecological products, and the factors that shape the purchasing decisions of these products by Polish consumers. The article is based on an in-depth study of the literature and the results of proprietary empirical quantitative research conducted on a national sample of 1032 respondents, of whom 509 had purchased an ecological product within the last 3 months, and 523 had not made such a purchase in this period. Analysis of the results revealed the motives for purchasing ecological products, divided into egotistical motives and altruistic motives. The variation in these motives was also indicated depending on the socio-demographic characteristics of the consumers studied. It was shown that there is a dependency between consumers' self-assessment of their level of knowledge on the functioning of the natural environment and the effect of humankind on it, and the purchase of ecological products. Analysis was also conducted of the factors perceived by consumers as restricting the purchase of ecological products, as well as the likelihood of a growth in the demand for and consumption of such products. There was shown to be a dependency between the reasons perceived by respondents for restricting the purchase of ecological products or the decision not to make such purchases, and consumer attitudes towards ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Professional & Vocational Education (JPVE) / Ammattikasvatuksen Aikakauskirja is the property of Finnish Vocational Education Research Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The financialization of society has generated an ethos based on the desire for profit without ethical limits worldwide, leading to the destruction of natural ecosystems and cultures, and poverty and inequality. Moreover, the financial lack of control has led to the crisis of the system itself, not only economically but also environmentally, because financial capitalism is not sustainable, since it needs to grow indefinitely to maintain itself. Naturally, this is not feasible for the simple fact that we live in a closed system, with limits that cannot be surpassed, which is Earth. Therefore, the grounds of this article rely upon the following hypothesis: the strategy against financial capitalism and consumer society resides in the transformation of the “American way of life” into a sustainable lifestyle. First and foremost, the present article aims to describe and offer an in-depth perspective about what, in the specialized literature, is known under the name of “The American way of life”. Our main goal is to pinpoint some of its key features and try to offer, for each one of them, a sustainable counterpart. Hence, a systematic literature review of the subject matter has been carried out with a search for information in various media such as books, magazines, newspapers, and web pages. The main topics pondered were: political and economic news; critical philosophical thinking with capitalism; the history of ecology and current proposals; and conferences of international institutions related to sustainable development. Therefore, the article is structured as follows: the first part of the article aims to review the current situation, based on recent informative data, books on the main theme as well as documents from international organizations. Thus, an analysis of the role of culture in civilization is being carried out, focusing on the cultural model of capitalist civilization and the reasons for its crisis, throughout the literature review. Secondly, we try to explain why there is a global need to move towards sustainable development by analyzing the possibilities of evolution. Finally, we try to advocate for a sustainable-oriented paradigm of doing business, one that can help us redirect and reconfigure our business effort of growing and expanding, underpinning research and practice of sustainability and development. It is therefore essential to adopt a core framework for practice and research on human-environmental systems, to bridge gaps between science and practice – on one hand, and social, ecological, professional sciences - on the other hand.

In order to minimize climate change it is important that people take up a sustainable lifestyle. Sustainable lifestyles call for pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in several domains, such as in-home energy use, mobility, and consumption of food and goods. However, studies show that people often do not consistently behave pro-environmentally in all domains. In this study we investigated how a combination of personal motivation, and the difficulty and the perceived effort of a PEB, predicts the performance of PEBs in various domains, using a survey (n = 1,536). By means of Rasch analysis we identified the difficulty of 17 PEBs and estimated respondents’ pro-environmental motivations. In addition, we investigated if performance of certain PEBs increased the probability of performing other PEBs. This way we could identify for each level of motivation which behaviors respondents were (probably) performing and which behaviors they did not yet perform, but would be least effortful new behaviors. Furthermore, using a non-recursive structural equation model we investigated the relations between perceived effort, PEB performance, motivation, underlying traits, and demographics. Results showed a feedback loop between motivation and perceived effort: when respondents were motivated they perceived behaviors as less effortful and also lower perception of effort was related to higher motivation. Our results imply that people mainly perform PEBs that fit their level of pro-environmental motivation and that they are inclined to do the things of which they can justify the effort they need to invest. This amount of effort seems quite similar for people: no one wants to invest too much effort, but people highly differ in how effortful they assess different behaviors. Our study thus indicates that rationalizations play a key role. Encouraging people to embrace more sustainable lifestyles may involve step-by-step increases in PEB performance. We propose that people should be encouraged to perform behaviors that are closest to their current motivation level in order for them to progress from performing easy to more difficult PEBs.

The pandemic brought significant changes to the functioning of society. This article examines the opinion of consumers in south-eastern Poland on lifestyle elements such as shopping preferences, physical activity, holiday preferences and others, against the background of the COVID-19 situation. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between selected components included in the lifestyle of society in the context of the COVID-19 emergency situation. The research was conducted from 9 November 2020 to 17 January 2021. In order to identify the respondents' attitudes and their perception of the issues discussed in this study, a questionnaire was created containing a number of theses formulations assessed by the respondents in terms of compliance with their beliefs. The evaluation was carried out using a seven-point bipolar Likert scale with a neutral value. The study was not probabilistic, therefore the inference applies only to the studied group. A total of 737 questionnaires meeting the research assumptions were collected. The form was used to identify ecological attitudes, shopping behavior, food preferences, physical activity and tourist preferences in the COVID-19 situation in which the research was conducted. Also identified were holiday destinations in 2019 and 2020, preferred diet type, and socio-demographic background: sex, age, place of residence and approximate per capita income. The research revealed that the purchasing behavior of the respondents was a predictor of their physical activity and tourist preferences. Studies have also shown that the food preferences of the respondents are an important part of their balanced lifestyle and depend on the sex of the person. The respondents preferred an active lifestyle as a form of pro-health activity when living in the situation of COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic, respondents' interest in domestic tourism also increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the article is to present the concept of practical consumer ethics, which may constitute the axiological basis of sustainable consumption and such an attitude of the consumer that will prevent the negative impact of food consumption on the natural and social environment and will counteract the food waste. The authors consider ethical consumption against the background of the normative pattern of sustainable consumption, which is the practical operationalisation of the concept of sustainable development. This pattern implies, on the one hand, consumer ethics and, on the other hand, an environmentally and socially responsible lifestyle. Against this background, the authors postulate the concept of frugalism as a practical ethics of consumption, based on aretological assumptions and the values of Henryk Skolimowski's ecological ethics. Frugalism, in its normative assumptions, contributes to deconsumption by changing the system of values, attitudes and preferences of a consumer, who voluntarily decides to limit the amount of purchased products, preferring those that are recycled and more sustainable. The authors present comparative statements of the features of the consumerist and frugalistic attitudes.

This paper presents research conducted in the United Arab Emirates with the management of Bareburger, the chain of sustainable restaurants, as well as among its clients. In our project, we are interested in the relation between the offer of sustainability and the culture of conscious consumption. The opinions of industry experts and customers collected in an interview session are analyzed to derive the answer to the research questions. The research focuses on finding the possibility of changing the mindset and habits of consumers and creating an impact on consumer behavior by offering a responsible and sustainable nutrition model. An experiment was conducted to analyze the effect of sustainable restaurants on consumer culture in terms of cultivating healthy food habits. In our case study, we analyze Bareburger, a healthier fast-food chain that originated in the United States, which took the concept of sustainability to a completely new level, from ideation to implementation. Observing this process, we checked whether the unhealthy eating habits that we observe in the Middle East can be changed through the carefully composed model of a responsible restaurant.

This study evaluated the actual environmental behaviours in an eco-development case study in the UK, which was designed to enable more sustainable lifestyles. Data analysis was based on the resident responses to a development-wide questionnaire survey (n = 89), household interviews (n = 12) and waste measurements. Reported energy- and water-saving behaviours were fairly common. The mean waste recycling rates (45% to 60%) were similar to local and national averages, and were below the target of 80%. The mean rates of purchasing organic food (37%), growing food (31%) and meat consumption (in 36% of all meals) indicated that the food behaviours were not more pro-environmental. Car-based modes of transportation were used for 71% of all the reported trips on average, which was higher than the national average, and the target of 55%. Despite these reported behaviours, most of the residents regarded their new lifestyles as more sustainable. This was related to the notion of energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies, rather than changes in behaviour. The findings of this study and similar studies indicated that enabling environmental behaviours in new developments is challenging. New policies need to be more holistic and support the delivery of not only well-performing buildings, but also developments that make sustainable urban living a reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to outline the philosophical and psychological dimensions of a sustainable lifestyle based on responsible consumption. In the author’s opinion, moderate consumption and an ecologically balanced way of living should, for their durability, have a broader mental and worldview background. The article will present and compare the concepts of the eco-philosophy of Henryk Skolimowski and the ecopsychology of Theodore Roszak in terms of cognitive, ideological, and axiological propositions of these concepts that can form the motivating basis for responsible living on Earth. In the author’s opinion, apart from the economic dimension, the adoption of ecological ethics and of ecological sensitivity is crucial for the permanent rooting of sustainable consumption patterns in people's attitudes. Ecophilosophical and ecopsychological concepts can significantly help in this, contributing to human sensitivity to environmental issues related to the contemporary ecological crisis. The ecophilosophical and ecopsychological approach, in the author’s opinion, need each other because they use complementary perspectives and methods of building ecological awareness. In the process of environmental education and shaping sustainable life attitudes, they are equally necessary for the effectiveness of achieving the goals of education for sustainable development and promoting an environmentally responsible lifestyle in society.

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Urban residents need to live in an ecologically sustainable way to mitigate and adapt to climate change. To discuss the model of urban ecological life, this paper focused on Satoyama landscapes and reviewed academic articles on the existing cases of Satoyama conservation by urban residents in the Greater Tokyo Area. We analyzed activities performed by participants, benefits to participants, and targeted and achieved ecosystems. Several findings were obtained from the review of published literature. First, the participants were mainly elderly men aged 60 years or older, who were not necessarily local people and who were motivated mostly by the need to conserve nature and improve their health. People with intellectual disabilities also enjoyed the benefits of Satoyama woodland management. Second, participants tended to recognize benefits in terms of health promotion, social cohesion, recreation, and resource utilization, rather than landscape and biodiversity conservation. Third, there were different directions of Satoyama conservation from the perspectives of nature and humans. The broader ecosystem beyond each site was not necessarily considered in Satoyama conservation. These findings show the potential of, and the necessity for, attracting other urban residents by including various activities that consist of not only vegetation conservation but also communal events based on different preferences. There is also a need for balancing environmental and socio-economic perspectives, and the targeted ecosystem should be further explored in collaboration with experts in ecology and landscape planning to make urban ecological life feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Society is facing multiple challenges, including lifestyle- and age-related diseases of major public health relevance, and this is of particular importance when the general population, as well as the workforce, is getting older. In addition, we are facing global climate change due to extensive emissions of greenhouse gases and negative environmental effects. A lifestyle that promotes healthy life choices as well as climate and environmentally friendly decisions is considered a sustainable lifestyle., Objective: This study aims to evaluate if providing information about a sustainable lifestyle encourages individuals to adopt more nutritious dietary habits and increase physical activity, as compared to receiving information solely centered around health-related recommendations for dietary intake and physical activity by the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and the World Health Organization. Novel features of this study include the use of the workplace as an arena for health promotion, particularly among office workers-a group known to be often sedentary at work and making up 60% of all employees in Sweden., Methods: The Sustainable Office Intervention (SOFIA) study is a 2-arm, participant-blinded, cluster randomized controlled trial that includes a multilevel sustainable lifestyle arm (intervention arm, n=19) and a healthy lifestyle arm (control arm, n=14). The eligibility criteria were being aged 18-65 years and doing office work ≥20 hours per week. Both intervention arms are embedded in the theoretically based behavioral change wheel method. The intervention study runs for approximately 8 weeks and contains 6 workshops. The study focuses on individual behavior change as well as environmental and policy features at an organizational level to facilitate or hinder a sustainable lifestyle at work. Through implementing a citizen science methodology within the trial, the participants (citizen scientists) collect data using the Stanford Our Voice Discovery Tool app and are involved in analyzing the data, formulating a list of potential actions to bring about feasible changes in the workplace., Results: Participant recruitment and data collection began in August 2022. As of June 2024, a total of 37 participants have been recruited. The results of the pilot phase are expected to be published in 2024 or 2025., Conclusions: Given the ongoing climate change, negative environmental effects, and the global epidemic of metabolic diseases, a sustainable lifestyle among office workers holds important potential to help in counteracting this trend. Thus, there is an urgent unmet need to test the impact of a sustainable lifestyle on food intake, physical activity, and environmental and climate impacts in a worksite-based randomized controlled trial. This study protocol responds to a societal need by addressing multilevel aspects, including individual behavior changes as well as environmental and organizational changes of importance for the successful implementation of sustainable lifestyle habits in an office setting., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): DERR1-10.2196/57777., (©Katarina Bälter, Abby C King, Johanna Fritz, Annika Tillander, Oskar Halling Ullberg. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 31.07.2024.)

Drawing on both social practice and social innovation research, this article analyzes 48 qualitative interviews to explore the narratives of self-described green parents who live in Lowcountry South Carolina. The interviewees talked about their motivations, challenges, and understandings of the goals and meanings of green parenting. They reported that the arrival of young children represented a new challenge but also triggered motivations to continue and often intensify green lifestyles. Parents voiced three key challenges: living "green" in a "red" state, time and financial constraints, and navigating environmental media. In parallel, they articulated three main goals: to limit their impact on earth, to live healthier lives, and to socialize their children into green living. When asked about meanings, parents stressed the overlapping importance of engaging in conscious decision-making, building connections to people and nature, and cultivating overall well-being. This study suggests that parents remain resilient in the face of multiple challenges and innovate by socializing their children to live green lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the article is to present the concept of practical consumer ethics, which may constitute the axiological basis of sustainable consumption and such an attitude of the consumer that will prevent the negative impact of food consumption on the natural and social environment and will counteract the food waste. The authors consider ethical consumption against the background of the normative pattern of sustainable consumption, which is the practical operationalisation of the concept of sustainable development. This pattern implies, on the one hand, consumer ethics and, on the other hand, an environmentally and socially responsible lifestyle. Against this background, the authors postulate the concept of frugalism as a practical ethics of consumption, based on aretological assumptions and the values of Henryk Skolimowski's ecological ethics. Frugalism, in its normative assumptions, contributes to deconsumption by changing the system of values, attitudes and preferences of a consumer, who voluntarily decides to limit the amount of purchased products, preferring those that are recycled and more sustainable. The authors present comparative statements of the features of the consumerist and frugalistic attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article identifies resources and problems in the Pentecostal-Charismatic tradition concerning environmental action and engagement. The purpose is to motivate Pentecostal and Charismatic churches to reflect on how they should respond as the world faces the prospect of an ecological crisis. The study begins by identifying a core narrative in the Pentecostal-Charismatic tradition. This core narrative is used as a hermeneutical key to interpret eco-theological elements in the biblical story of creation, fall, redemption, and final consummation. The study also discusses common objections towards eco-theology among Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians. These objections include the fear of an alternative or eco-centric spirituality, the implications of different forms of eschatology, and how Pentecostal and charismatic Christians understand their being in the world with regard to both evangelism and politics. The article argues that Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have spiritual resources that may empower them to transcend an anthropocentric worldview and develop a visionary virtue-ethic that may guide and enable a sustainable lifestyle and constructive environmental engagement. The article concludes by identifying seven themes that may encourage constructive action-reflection and stimulate further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to consider an implication of ethical consumption as a pursuit of self-interests from the perspective of Kate Soper’s concept“alternative hedonism.”Ethical consumption has been regarded as an expression of anti-consumerism, but Soper recognizes that ethical consumers experience the intrinsic pleasure in their environmental and social preservations. Soper emphasizes that ethical consumption should be understood on the base of the theory of hedonism rather than asceticism, however it does not mean maintain of existing consumerism but renovation of the criticism of consumerism. This paper examines the theoretical structure of alternative hedonism through Soper’s criticisms of Amartya Sen and Theodor Adorno. In the criticism of Sen, Soper insists that citizenship and individual living standard should not be separated but should understand the concept of living standard in the term of quality of life and regard environmental and social consideration as an improvement of the living standard. Then, in the criticism of Adorno, Soper supports the Adorno’s hedonistic position against modern consumerism but point outs that he excludes any personal experiences and assume“true”need which located in the sublime culture. Soper attempts“de-naturalization”of Adorno’s hedonism through the studies about symbolism and provides the perspective that the pleasure of ethical consumption is contiguous with esthetics of ordinary and banal everyday consumption. The perspective of alternative hedonism, therefore, has an implication that ethical consumption would play an important role in steady-state economy but based on consumer’s pursuit of own pleasure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]