This essay studies the ideological dimension of unsustainability. It is analysed the Occidental system of thought, ideology that hinders to think about the biosphere limits and the unsustainability problem of the actual civilizatory model; it is reviewed its rationality and myths and the way culture is "reinvented" under the influence of the market and the media. It is discussed too the ethical dimension of sustainability analysing a literary work that explores human behavior: The lord of the flies, by William Golding (Nobel Prize of Literature in 1983). The study done make us think about the end of freedom: the acknowledgment of ecological, energetic and sociocultural systems limits, compels human beings to adopt ways of life and thought inscribed in an ecological rationality: there's no space for all. (Article in Spanish)

Improvement of the international governance of the environmental debtes. Do we need an Environment World Organisation?
Manuel Fernández González

This present article reviews the main proposals addressed to improve the international governance of the environment from the point of view of the multilateral organizations. The weaknesses of the present international architecture and some possible routes of improvement of the system of protection of the environment raised in a theoretical debate are analysed, even though this debate has not yet been reflected in strategic decisions within the international panorama. One of these proposals is to create a World Environmental Organization, an attractive solution but not well defined by its supporters in terms of design, functions, structure and way of creation.  (Article in Spanish)

Pro-Environmental behaviour. An approach to the study of sustainable development focused on subject-environment behaviour
Joel Martínez-Soto

What continues is a theoretical position that justifies the inclusion of the psychology in the study of the environmental behavior after a sustainable development. The present work has as purpose to provide an approach in the definition of the environmental problems in connection with who it causes them. Where the appearance of the environmental psychology is crucial for a better understanding the human beings face the problems of our environment.  Recently is demonstrated  that a future where are studied a great variety of thematic environmental in the relationship man-environment-behavior appears as a promising field in the environmental education.  (Article in Spanish)

A biodiversity era: environment, reflective consumers and cosmetic society
Mauricio Genet Guzmán Chávez

The theory of the ecological modernization suggests an analysis centered in the processes of institucional reform. In this text its teses are projected considering the relation between the industry of cosmetics and the speeches that emerge of the conservation of biodiversity. The quarrel is centered in the implications that for theory has said a type of reflective consumer, if assumed as handspike of the changes most important in that it refers to the production and consumption of cosmetics in high modernity.  (Article in Portuguese)

Commune environmental management in Argentina: strategies design to management and formation of human resources
Fabio Peluso y Eduardo Usunoff

This paper offers a diagnose of the status of the community environmental management in Argentina as a framework to present a proposal for a change taking into account the current situation.
Community environmental management is neither effective nor efficient due to several reasons: legal empowerment, technical know-how, and available resources are very limited al the municipal level, which does not allow the achievement of the three main goals of any community environmental management agency: descentralization, transectorization, and social participation.
The proposal for a change is based on the redefinition of the active role of research and scientific and technologic transfer groups, on one hand, and the professional and technical educational sector on the other hand. Research and development centers may include in their agendas environmental topics of municipal interest (sponsored themes). That would be complemented by a shift on the profile of university graduates, pointing to professionals that may successfully meet the local and regional demands, thereby increasing the potential of being part of the sponsored themes and the municipal technical resources. (Article in Spanish)

Weak Landscape-Strong Emission Impact Based Development: Is this the Most Likely Response in All Countries to Global Warming Issues?
Lucio Muñoz

One of the most politically sensitive development issues in all countries today is related to how to best proceed to comply with international agreements made to effectively and fairly address global warming issues.   The objective of this paper is to show, using qualitative comparative means, that currently the most likely development scenario for developed and developing countries alike when facing global warming issues is one that is based on achieving weak landscape impacts and strong emission impacts at the same time as this type of program would reflect clearly the best economic interest of all of them and would allow them to display a more environmentally friendly attitude.  (Article in English)

Water handling in rural sector of Argentina pampean region
Sergio Montico

Important changes in land use, have taken place the last three decades in rural sectors of Argentina pampean region. Soils and water, were the most impacted natural resources, directly linked with the agricultural production. In spite of isolated initiatives, the administration of superficial hidrics resources and groundwater, were not approached with integrated approaches to territorial ordering. In this work, the most excellent aspects related with water handling in rural sector stand out, and are linked with environmental, productive, sanitary questions and administration.  (Article in Spanish)

Natural capital degradation and globalisation
Judith Cherni

Numerous are the opportunities to reduce environmental degradation during the current period of globalisation. The application of technology innovation, environmental management or regulation could facilitate a larger environmental protection. Yet, a striking gap stands between use and abuse of the natural resources. The liberalization process has not only relegated the economic significance of globalisation on the environment. Also, it has underestimated the value of the environment as natural capital for the process itself. Industrial, human, social and natural capitals interact to enable a flow of goods and services. Natural capital in particular, has become fundamental for global wealth creation during neo-liberalism. The paper discusses the importance of natural capital and critical natural capital for society. Critical natural capital is responsible for essential functions such as sink, source, life-support, health and wellbeing. Despite attempts to replace many of the environmental functions, neither industrial nor other capitals may substitute natural functions. The capacity of an ecosystem to provide goods and services is determined by the quantity and quality of its basic resources. This work evidences environmental decline in developing countries. It argues that a deteriorating environment categorically indicates the likelihood of an unsustainable flux of goods and services that derive from it. The need to extend analysis into globalisation and problems of development are discussed. It is claimed that solutions must be sought that look into global as well as local environmental problems by linking declining natural capital to unequal trade, international competition and weak protecting regulation. (Article in Spanish)

Recovering groups in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires between 1999 and 2003
Verónica Paiva

The article is about the characteristics of recovering groups in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires between 1999 and 2003. These are entities thar work by collecting inorganic waste in different places of the metropolitan area ant that have been organized as groups in the order to regulate and revalue this activity, improve the conditions in which this job is carried out and get more rentability throug team work. The article analyses the aims and objetives of the groups, their achievements and difficulties, and their role in the process of solid wste managemment. (Article in Spanish)

Portada y Contenido / Cover and Contents 
Instrucciones para los autores /Instructions for Authors
Consejo Editorial/Editorial Board  

Theomai: palabra de origen griego que significa ver, mirar, contemplar, observar, pasar revista, comprender, conocer
Theomai is a word of greek origin wich means: to see, to contemplate, to observe, to understand, to know

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Universidad Nacional de Quilmes