Publication Type: Traditional Presentation
Abstract: A project by the New South Wales Chapter of the Australian Association for Environmental Education. NSW environmental educators were calling for case studies that highlighted the lessons learned by educators on the ground. In response, NSW AAEE captured four diverse sustainability education case studies that shine light on the roles of people in change, the place of creativity in means, and what the sustainabilty education principles can look like when they hit the ground.

Publication Type: Hands-on Sessions
Abstract: Sustainability education today has to come from a holistic approach that encompasses all sectors of society in all dimensions of human activity. Come and learn how you can take an unconventional, more effective and long lasting approach to sustainability education.

Publication Type: Abstract
Abstract: Given the non-consumptive nature of wildlife viewing, whale watching is often regarded as a means of conserving natural cetacean populations, while providing local economic opportunities for coastal communities. The principal contention of this study is that a sustainable whale-watching system is governed by a multiplicity of ecological, economic and social factors which can be characterized as agents of strength (which reinforce sustainability) or agents of vulnerability (which inhibit sustainability or indicate a non-sustainable system). A framework is presented to ascertain the agents of strength and vulnerability within the commercial whale-watching industry in the lower Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada. The framework is used to assess the management, environmental and economic sustainability dimensions of the region’s whale-watching industry. The study is based on personal interviews with tour operators and self-administered questionnaires from whale-watching customers. Several factors were found to be positively reinforcing the industry (e.g. the consistency of whale encounters, the diversity of tours offered by the operators, and the high level of customer satisfaction). Conversely, a number of variables were identified as potential areas of vulnerability, including: the present downturn in tourist visitation to the region, on-ground competition between the operators, and the need for a consolidated marketing program.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: Issues of environmental sustainability have moved to the forefront of national topics. Faced with the reality of a finite planet with limited resources, more and more entities are interested in exploring and understanding America’s opinions on these issues. Sustainability is most commonly defined as the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The growing concern for a sustainable food and agriculture system provides new opportunities for public opinion research on knowledge of sustainability issues and the demand for sustainable goods.

These researchers managed a study that used multi-mode data collection methodologies to explore and better understand the public’s opinion and behaviors regarding sustainable foods. This paper reports on key findings from this study. Topics reviewed in this paper include current research performed nationwide on production, distribution and consumption of sustainable foods, survey and focus group methodologies used to better understand these issues and the opportunities and constraints facing social research on sustainability. In a broader sense, this paper discusses the important contributions that public opinion researchers make to decision-making processes and to sustainable policies and projects in the United States.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Concerns on global warming and climate change made environment a central topic appealing trans-boundary solutions. Yet it is not possible to talk about a theoretical consensus. Neo-colonial approaches, as well as certain post-modern scholars, criticize th