Eco-homes: People, Place and Politics

As a civilization, we are now very aware of what steps we need to take in order to have any hope of mitigating climate change. Yet worldwide, humans still have made shockingly little substantial progress towards that goal, despite overwhelming evidence of its necessity. This includes the need for sustainable eco-housing--arguably the most essential change required for human survival--although the knowledge and technology needed for good eco-houses already exists.

With Eco-Homes, environmental geographer Jenny Pickerill comprehensively explores eco-housing from both a social and a political perspective. Featuring over thirty case studies on eco-housing from Britain, Spain, Thailand, Argentina, and the United States, Eco-Homes takes a novel approach to examining why radical changes to our homes--such as making them more temporary, using natural materials, or relying on manual heating and ventilation--necessitates significant social changes in how we live. It isn't technology or politics holding us back from fighting climate change, Pickerill argues, but deeply-rooted cultural and social understandings of how we live and what we expect from our houses. With an international perspective and a crucial message, Eco-Homes provides clear policy suggestions during an important era of environmental solutions.