The fundamental cause of many of the global challenges we are currently facing is our disconnection from ourselves, our fellow humans, and our planet. We have consistently failed to recognize the inner consciousness that dictates our relationships and decisions, an awareness that could be the first step toward humanity’s quest to set civilization on a more sustainable trajectory. Rooted in both secular spirituality and scientific evidence, Applied Spirituality and Sustainable Development Policy articulates a new model of sustainable development that is not just based on narrow definitions of GDP and economic growth, but that includes and even forefronts the social, environmental, and internal development of human beings. Drawing on fields from physics to public policy, 18 pioneering authors discuss: A distillation of the spiritual gems at the core of the world’s major religions, including Indic and Buddhist philosophy Root-cause analyses of major sustainable development policy challenges like climate change Connections between spirituality and law, and how our legal frameworks can reflect these values Role of gender in spirituality, specifically how gender equality can be approached by addressing our inner selves Recognizing a global need for healing, this book rejuvenates how we think about development and nurture our innate spirituality, and challenges us to shift our collective mindset from one of having to one of being.

This book presents a comprehensive review on the various processing and post-processing methodologies for biodegradable polymers. Written by professionals with hands-on experience on polymer processing, this book provides first-hand knowledge of all contemporary processing techniques. The current status and future challenges in the field are described, as well as a framework for designing novel devices for desired applications.