Ulrich Grober is a publicist, broadcaster and journalist, whose work covers cultural history, future visions, sustainability and ecotourism. Born in West Germany, he studied Philosophy and German and English Literature at the Universities of Frankfurt and Bochum. His writing on deep ecology and sustainability has appeared in Die Zeit, Resurgence and Greenpeace magazines, amongst others. His best-selling second book, Vom Wandern – Neue Wege zu einer alten Kunst (On Hiking – New Ways to an Ancient Art), was published in 2006.
"Grober's impressive research unearths a wealth of detail about the
key moments in the evolution of the idea of sustainability...
Grober is correct that the terms of the debate on sustainability
must not be defined solely by a neo-liberal vocabulary of growth
and competition. He claims that 'in the looming shadow of climate
catastrophe, this vocabulary is an inherited semantic burden', one
as pernicious as the 'legacy of industrial garbage and hazardous
waste sites, or the toxic assets created by the debt crisis'.
Grober's determination to resist this by tracing the history of a
more sustainable school of thought is both a timely and worthwhile
endeavour."
*The Times Literary Supplement*
"Sustainability is surely territory worth fighting over. Is it too
late to reclaim it? Is it still possible to follow Confucius'
teaching and rectify the term? In his book, the German author
Ulrich Grober makes a valiant and convincing attempt to do so. Not,
however, by offering a new definition. Like all truly valuable
concepts, he insists, sustainability resists simple definition.
Instead he invites on a long a fascinating journey through time and
space in order to rediscover the essence of the word, its history
and its soul... Our fossil-fuel era, which granted us a short
interlude of licensed unsustainability, is fast drawing to a close.
Before this era set in, we were in a global solar age, based only
on renewable energy sources; after it has passsed, we will return
to that. Finding our way back to the principles of sustainability
is therefore not one option amongst others, but the only viable
path. How are we to achieve this? Grober proposes a simple litmus
test comprising only two parts. Of every proposal we should ask
these questions: does it reduce the ecological footprint? Does it
widen access to a good quality of life?... Grober demonstratees
convincingly that the concept of sustainability, and the term, are
essential to the green project. Arguably, sustainability is the
green project. What are all our efforts directed towards if not
sustainability?"
*Resurgence*
'The fashion for labelling as “sustainable” everything from fossil
fuel extraction to the latest washing powder risks rendering the
term almost completely meaningless. Ulrich Grober’s work on the
origin and history of sustainability could therefore hardly be more
timely. In Sustainability: a cultural history, Grober sets
out to capture its inner meaning, the essence of the term, through
an exploration of its origin and development. But his book is far
more than a linguistic history. It is a rich and compelling
immersion into over 800 years of art, literature, politics and
culture. By firmly locating sustainability as an expression of the
basic human need for self–preservation, for security and resilience
in the face of a real threat of collapse, he reminds us that what
is at stake is nothing less than life or death. “This word”,
he claims, “contains everything that matters.” On the basis
of this book, it would be hard to argue with him.'
*Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion*
"Ulrich Grober offers a compelling analysis of the meaning of
sustainability and the development of the modern concept. He
examines the depth and richness of our cultural relationships with
nature across the centuries and around the world... Well researched
and written, and expertly translated, this book fills a gap on our
environment bookshelves. I recommend it to all
environmentally-minded readers. Anyone who wants to understand
where we are now, to see better our sustainable way forward, should
find this book interesting."
*Green World*
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