Behind the Book: Reflections from the Editor of Choices for Sustainable Living

Behind the Book: Reflections from the Editor of Choices for Sustainable Living

This is the second post in our three-part series celebrating the newly updated edition of Choices for Sustainable Living. If you missed our first post on the book’s history and impact, you can catch up here.

Sustainability is Always Changing — So Are We

As the editor of Choices for Sustainable Living, one thing is clear: the world of sustainability never stands still. The challenges we face—climate change, environmental justice, resource scarcity—are complex and constantly shifting. So too are the ways we respond as thoughtful, creative, and hopeful people working for change in every corner of the world.

That’s why we knew this new edition couldn’t simply be an update—it needed to be a reflection of now. It needed to speak to this moment, amplify more voices, and shine a light on real solutions that are already reshaping the future.

What It Takes to Update a Book on Sustainability

Every new edition begins with questions like:

• What’s changed since the last edition?
• What ideas are just as relevant today as they were years ago?
• What new voices, trends, and breakthroughs do we need to include?

We started by reviewing the entire 2017 edition and identifying what still resonated and what needed to be sunsetted. We then made a list of new and emerging themes, and themes that deserved more attention—participatory democracy, youth-led activism, Indigenous knowledge, and more. We collaborate with readers, discussion group facilitators, and issue-area experts to help us refine that list, offer feedback, and suggest new content.

Next came the deep dive: reviewing dozens of potential articles, videos, stories, and activities to determine what would best reflect the current landscape of sustainability. These resources went through multiple rounds of review, each one refining how we could best meet the needs of today’s readers.

Once content was finalized, we updated discussion questions, prompts, and activities to reflect a more inclusive and solution-focused approach—one that centers dialogue, critical thinking, and connection. We also updated the book’s design with an eye on accessibility and added something brand new: a free audiobook version so you can listen on the go.

A Broader Range of Perspectives, A Richer Conversation

This edition is also the most inclusive yet. We worked hard to amplify a broader range of perspectives—across race, age, ethnicity, sector, worldview, and geography—so that readers hear from youth organizers, Indigenous thought leaders, democracy advocates, spiritual leaders, researchers, artists, and more.

Our goal was to expand the lens of sustainability to include not just environmental issues, but also the systems, histories, and communities connected to them. Because sustainability isn’t just about problems—it’s about people and the solutions we create together.

A Labor of Love Two Years in the Making

This update took nearly two years and a whole team of thoughtful collaborators, reviewers, educators, and community partners. I’m proud of what we created together: a resource that honors the legacy of Choices for Sustainable Living while stepping hopefully into the future.

If you're curious about the new edition, I hope you’ll take a look—and maybe even bring others along to explore it with you. Whether you use it in a classroom, community group, faith network, or with friends, the book is designed to spark the conversations we need most right now.

▶️ Watch the short video introduction to the new edition below!