Current images of sustainability are often designed to instil fear and force change, not because we believe in it, but because we fear the consequences of inaction.

Moving away from negative portrayals of sustainability, this book identifies the factors that motivate people to aspire towards sustainable living. It introduces the notion of sustainability as an "object of desire" that will allow people not to be scared of the future but rather to dream about it and look forward to a better quality of life. Tracing the history of major changes in our society that have dramatically...