Pathways to sustainability: Reflections on some western attitudes and institutions

The goal of my study is to augment the ideas that are associated with sustainability. A particular aim is to link flourishing humanity and flourishing nature together in this concept. To achieve this, I discuss some beliefs, values and institutions that appear to hinder and some that appear capable of facilitating a shift towards ecological sustainability based on human well-being. Key to this discussion is the concept of 'dematerialization' or the process of adjusting the economy and way of life to the shrinking access to natural resources; 'dematerialization' demonstrates the need to challenge many of the fundamental aspects of the dominant capitalist approach to our economy on social and environmental grounds. Ultimately these explorations lead to the final conclusion for this study: that rather than 'market mechanisms', 'planning' based on research, analysis, and policy is the most effective organizing method for achieving ecological sustainability.