A Practitioner’s Guide to Applied Sustainability: Initial Explorations

For decades, coal has been king in central Appalachia. The people of this region have devoted their lives to providing energy to the nation, fueling the first and second industrial revolutions and providing nearly 40 percent of the energy used in the United States today. Known as one of the unhealthiest communities in the nation, the city of Williamson, located in southern West Virginia, is working to encourage healthy living by diversifying its energy portfolio, providing new economic opportunities for businesses, creating a strong workforce with competitive skill sets, growing local food systems to encourage healthy living, and increasing the quality of life for this community. Operating under the banner of “Sustainable Williamson” and utilizing the emerging concept of applied sustainability, this community is developing a “praxis of theory” approach with a specific focus upon the socio-economic effects of ideology. This thesis explores the theoretical intersections between ideology and new materialism in order to provide existing and emerging practitioners of applied sustainability with an initial framework for developing successful projects in central Appalachia and beyond.