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A discussion is presented of an article by Andrew B. Whitford and Karen Wong, "Political and Social Foundations for Environmental Sustainability," published elsewhere in the same issue. It is noted that the article helps to address the need for social sciences to make greater use of empirical hypothesis testing and quantitative models. However, Whitford and Wong's use of the components of the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) as dependent variables is said to be problematic. It is argued that the ESI is not a valid measure of sustainability, and that this detracts from the soundness of Whitford and Wong's conclusions.

This article quantitatively investigates several possible foundations for environmental sustainability, as measured across countries with varying geography, development patterns, social customs, and political arrangements. Two central hypotheses about the roles of democracy and federalism, as well as other hypotheses about economic development, religion, and demographics, are tested. The study provides moderate evidence that sustainability levels depend on democratization, but little evidence that it depends on the presence of federalism. In addition, it is found that the effects of environmental interests, development paths, and religious orientations vary across different measures of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]