Why do we claim to value sustainability while acting in anunsustainable fashion? How can we reduce our consumption drasticallyand move toward a sustainable social system when our society isspecifically based on consumption? These two linked questions are atthe heart of this important book, the result of a four-yearinterdisciplinary study of British Columbia’s Lower FraserBasin.

Taking the slogan “think globally, act locally” to heart,the contributors to Fatal Consumption are theoretical as wellas practical. They conceptualize the policy analysis they provide,while also proposing useful tools for those charged with makingdecisions. Though specific in focus, the analysis in FatalConsumption can be generalized to most North American urban areas.It offers both an understanding of the present and hope for asustainable future, counterbalancing a discussion of the opportunitiesfor change with a frank examination of the barriers to such change.

Fatal Consumption will appeal to urban planners, to policymakers, and to scholars and others interested in the relationshipbetween health and a sustainable society.