Our Common Journey: A Transition Toward SustainabilityWorld human population is expected to reach upwards of 9 billion by 2050 and then level off over the next half-century. How can the transition to a stabilizing population also be a transition to sustainability? How can science and technology help to ensure that human needs are met while the planet's environment is nurtured and restored? This book from the National Research Council (NRC) examines these questions and draws connections between scientific research, technological development, and societies' efforts to achieve environmentally sustainable improvements in human well being. The book argues that societies should consider sustainable development as an ongoing, adaptive learning process rather than a destination and proposes a strategy for using science to better inform policies regarding fertility reduction, urban systems, agricultural production, energy and materials use, ecosystem restoration and biodiversity conservation, and suggests an approach for building a new research agenda for sustainability science.

The Conservation Ecology JournalThe Conservation Ecology Journal is a free, peer-reviewed scientific journal available online that publishes research on ecological and sustainable development related sciences. It provides a forum for report and discussion of issues and ideas surrounding the important concepts of ecology and economics, and how they relate to sustainable development and world resources. Contributions are invited on topics related to major environmental issues such as biodiversity, climate change, resource management and wildlife conservation, especially those which deal with Third World ecosystems and developing countries. The journal is free and both abstracts and full journal articles are available at this site in HTML and journal quality PDF format. In a world where science is so easily set aside by the many special interest that prefer to ignore the threats of growing world populations and limited natural resources, this journal is a precious and badly needed resource.

The International Journal of Sustainable DevelopmentHere is another excellent journal devoted to the science and economics of sustainable development. The International Journal of Sustainable Development is a refereed, international journal, published quarterly that provides an international forum and authoritative source of information, analyses and discussions on all aspects of the subject. The site gives access to abstracts and information on how to subscribe.

Cooperating with Nature: Confronting Natural Hazards with Land-Use Planning for Sustainable CommunitiesThis book by R.J. Burby from the National Academy of Sciences Press explores the limitations of the Earth's carrying capacity and why the use of natural resources and the impacts of human activity on the biosphere must be managed. It focuses on the breakdown in sustainability - the capacity of the planet to provide quality of life now and in the future - that is signaled by disaster. The authors bring to light why land use and sustainability have been ignored in public policies addressing natural hazards and resource use. They lay out a vision of sustainability, concrete suggestions for policy reform, and procedures for planning their implementation. The book chronicles the long evolution of land-use planning and identifies key components of sustainable planning for hazards. Stressing the importance of balance in land use, the authors offer principles and specific reforms for achieving their visions of sustainability.

Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal ForestsIn this book The NRC addresses the federal role in nonfederal forest management that presents a comprehensive look at the current landscape of America's forests and forest management and recommends improvements for their sustainable management to better serve public and private interests. The federal role in the management of nonfederal U.S. forests was once relatively simple: to assist in the prevention and control of wildfires. The administrative structure to carry out this role was similarly uncomplicated, with most programs under the aegis of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In recent years, however, both the management and administrative landscapes have changed dramatically. Responsibility for the federal role in nonfederal forests has been expanded to include a number of cabinet departments and independent agencies, which must address many issues that are critical to the continued, sustainable use of these forests such as reforestation, wetlands disruption, and biodiversity protection.

Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment in the Humid TropicsIn this book the NRC focuses on the global loss of rainforest, its impacts on biodiversity and indigenous communities, and options for sustainable management. Rain forests are rapidly being cleared in the humid tropics to keep pace with food demands, economic needs, and population growth. Without proper management, these forests and other natural resources will be seriously depleted within the next 50 years. Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment in the Humid Tropics provides critically needed direction for developing strategies that both mitigate land degradation, deforestation, and biological resource losses and help the economic status of tropical countries through promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. The book includes practical discussions of following: 12 major land use options for boosting food production and enhancing local economies while protecting the natural resource base, recommendations for developing technologies needed for sustainable agriculture, a strategy for changing policies that discourage conserving and managing natural resources and biodiversity, and detailed reports on agriculture and deforestation in seven tropical countries.