Health Sciences (Sustainability)

A critique of Ferrari's for All:In defence of economic prgress by Daniel Ben-Ami

by Benny Goodman

As the name indicates, this book is a justification for further economic growth and progress. It is based on the idea... more As the name indicates, this book is a justification for further economic growth and progress. It is based on the idea that humanity is apart from nature (human exceptualism) and is capable of enormous technical, cultural and progressive ingenuity. Humanity should strive to achieve more in terms of economic development so that everyone should have access to a Ferrari (if they want it). It is a counter to what he terms ‘growth scepticism’, i.e. the ‘tendency to undermine economic progress by indirect means’ (p3). What follows is a critique of the arguments around economic growth v limits put forward in part two of the book. It will argue that Ben-Ami’s faith in human progress is based on inductive reasoning, ignores a key statistical problem, and is over confident that limits (on energy supply for example) can be overcome. His faith in growth is thus based on wishful thinking and a confidence in the statistical analysis of a few commentators (notably Bjorn Lomborg).

Sustainability, Consumption or Contraction.

by Benny Goodman

published 2008

Climate change, Sustainability and Health

by Benny Goodman

Higher Education Academy  01.17. Newsletter Autumn. 2008

The world’s population is facing, perhaps, an unprecedented
challenge to its very existence with public health... more The world’s population is facing, perhaps, an unprecedented
challenge to its very existence with public health implications
becoming clear. As the heating happens,1 changes in
temperature and sea levels for example, could bring shifts in
living patterns we may not be prepared for.

The need for a ‘sustainability curriculum’ and for the curriculum to reflect Education for Sustainability (EfS) principles.

by Benny Goodman

We argue there is a ‘sustainability-climate change-health’ triad (Goodman and Richardson 2010) which makes it an... more We argue there is a ‘sustainability-climate change-health’ triad (Goodman and Richardson 2010) which makes it an imperative that we examine notions of sustainability and climate change in the curriculum. This paper will begin by briefly outlining the need for addressing sustainability (and climate change) in the BSc nursing curriculum by reference to global issues. This will be followed by a discussion on the implications for education, focusing on the ‘what is education for’ question. An answer is to base education on some key principles such as that of Education for Sustainability (EfS) which focuses on transformative rather than transmissive education, then we will be considering Selby’s (2007) ‘10 propositions’ followed by a Nurse Education for Sustainable Wellbeing framework. To further assist thinking there will be a list of recommendations for consideration by curriculum planners.

Nursing, Sustainability and Climate Change.

by Benny Goodman

published on http://www.theclimateconnection.org

'Climate change (is) the public health challenge of the 21st century and will come to dwarf all others.'... more
'Climate change (is) the public health challenge of the 21st century and will come to dwarf all others.' (Griffiths 2007).


Of the many global challenges to health, climate change and unsustainable lifestyles are arguably the most important factors in determining the future health of populations. If this is the case, and if nurses are to play a part in health promotion, education for health must include education for sustainability. It may be argued that there needs to be a paradigm shift within nursing from individualistic, narrowly defined vocational and biomedical models towards a more radical ecocentric paradigm. Supporting this is the fact that sustainability and health care is now a policy objective of the UK government (DH 2008c). This chapter will not outline the links between global warming and health in great detail, but rather will address some of the challenges and how Nursing Education is currently responding.

We will begin the discussion by:

1) Briefly outlining what we may mean by ‘sustainability’.
2) Briefly noting the impacts on health by the changing climate.
3) This will be followed by an overview of the current response by nursing and other organisations to the challenges. This will be done by within the context of accessing developments for nursing as a profession and its education base.
4) The Public Health ‘forum’, which is shared with medicine, appears to be the lens through which nursing can see the ideas and apply them in a more obvious manner than if viewed from the context of, say critical care. Therefore developments in this field will be highlighted.
5) The curriculum is the foundation upon which nurse education rests and ideas for curriculum development will be offered for critical debate and issue raising.
6) Finally, we will be asking the question: ‘what needs to be done?’