From the unity of nature to sustainability science: Ideas and practice

Abstract

The ideas of sustainability science are at least two centuries old, but only a decade in practice. This introductory paper reviews some of the key concepts underlying sustainability science beginning with Alexander von Humboldt and the unity of nature, discusses the basic foundation of the science, and illuminates the three major tasks of sustainability science: fundamental research on use-directed problems; nurturing the next generation of sustainability scientists; and moving knowledge into action.