Global Environmental Politics: Problems, Policy and Practice

✍ Scribed by Hayley Stevenson

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Year: 2017
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 368
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Concern about humanity's impact on the planet has never been greater, but what are the drivers of environmental change? This wide-ranging introductory textbook outlines the competing explanations of why environmental problems occur and examines the different political approaches taken to address them. Adopting a case study approach, Hayley Stevenson enables students to gain a detailed understanding of how theories and concepts are applied in practice. Diverse perspectives on a variety of contemporary environmental challenges, from climate change to hazardous waste, as well as various responses, from multilateral diplomacy to consumer-focused campaigns, provide students with an in-depth understanding of the merits and limitations of different forms of political action. Refined on the basis of classroom feedback, features include textboxes, key points, a glossary of key terms, questions, further reading suggestions and supplementary online resources. This lively book is an essential resource for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate courses on global environmental politics and environmental policy.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
List of Figures
List of Tables
List of Maps
List of Boxes
Preface
List of Abbreviations
1 Global Politics and the Environment
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
State of the Planet
The Politics of Environmental Change
Outline of this Book
Discussion Questions
PART 1: WHY DO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OCCUR?
2 The Tragedy of the Commons
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Core Assumptions Underpinning the ‘Tragedy’
Human Beings are Self-regarding and Short-sighted
‘The Commons’ are Unmanaged and Freely Accessible
Privatisation and Socialism are the Only Possible Solutions to Avoid Degradation
Critiques and Corrections
Human Nature and the Commons
Historical Inaccuracies
Alternative Governance Options
The Global Commons
What are the Global Commons?
Managing the Global Commons
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
3 Population and Poverty
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
The Malthusian Renaissance
Solving the Population Problem
Trends in Population Growth
Is Population Control the Answer?
Is Poverty the Main Driver of Environmental Degradation?
The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)
Questioning the Validity of the EKC
Outsourcing Production and Pollution
Do Wealthier People Care More About the Environment?
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
4 Capitalism
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
The Contradictions of Capitalism
The Traditional Contradiction
The Ecological Contradiction
Capitalism’s Rifts
Alienation from Nature
Metabolic Rift
Ecological Rift
Ecological Imperialism
Over-consumption
Is Sustainable Capitalism the Solution?
Eco-socialism
Steady-state Economy and Degrowth
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
PART 2: RESPONDING TO GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
5 Conflict and Securitisation Water Scarcity
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Conflict and the Natural Environment
Conflicts Over Natural Resources
Water and Conflict
State of the World’s Water
Water Wars: Theory and Evidence
Weaknesses in International Cooperation
Securitising the Environment
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
6 Multilateral Diplomacy Sustainable Development
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Multilateral Diplomacy
Environmental Multilateralism
The Environmental Movement
The Birth of Environmental Multilateralism
North–South Tensions Emerge
The Golden Age of Environmental Multilateralism
Environmental Multilateralism in the Twenty-first Century
Legal and Political Status of MEAs
Sustainable Development
The Concept of Sustainable Development
Institutionalising Sustainable Development: Earth Summit, 1992
Reality Check: World Summit on Sustainable Development, 2002
Facing Up to Unmet Promises: Rio+20 and Beyond
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
7 Transnational Governance Experiments Climate Change
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Transnational Governance
Climate Change
The Science of Climate Change
A ‘Wicked’ Policy Problem
Multilateral Cooperation on Climate Change
Transnational Climate Change Governance
Governance Experiments
Virtues of Transnational Climate Governance
Limitations of Transnational Climate Governance
Coordinating Governance Experiments: NAZCA
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
8 Aid and Finance Deforestation
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Aid and Financial Assistance
Multilateral Environmental Agreements
The Environmental Impact of ODA
Debt-for-Nature Swaps
Payment for Ecosystem Services
Finance and Deforestation
The Nature of the Problem
Drivers of Deforestation
Global Forestry Governance
Deforestation and the Global Climate Regime
REDD+
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
9 Individualising Responsibility Unsustainable Consumption
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Consumption and Its Environmental Impact
Mobile Phones
Fashion
Sustainable Consumption: Intergovernmental Initiatives
Private Sector and Civil Society Initiatives: Individualising Responsibility
Voluntary Simplicity
Ecological Footprint
Carbon Neutrality
Eco-labelling
The Limits of Individualising Responsibility
Over-stating Consumer Sovereignty
‘Greenwash’
Attitude–Behaviour Gap
Depoliticising Unsustainability
Defending Individual Responsibility
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
10 Problem Displacement Hazardous Substances
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Toxic Elements
Mercury
Lead
Cadmium
Dioxins and Dioxin-like Substances
Global Governance of Chemicals and Hazardous Waste
Fragmented Global Chemical Governance: Overlaps and Gaps
Displacing the Problem
The Khian Sea
Environmental Injustice
Understanding Environmental Injustice
The Basel Convention: Weaknesses and Limitations
E-waste Dumping or Much Needed Trade?
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
11 Resistance and Localisation Unsustainable Agriculture
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
Social Movements and Resistance
Globalisation and the Environment
Agriculture and the Environment
The Rise of Modern Agriculture
The Relationship Between the Environment and Agriculture
Resisting Unsustainable Agriculture
Demanding Sustainable Agriculture
Practising Sustainable Agriculture
Brazil and the Landless Rural Workers Movement
Campesino a Campesino, Central America
Cuba and Organic Agriculture
Questioning Agroecology
Conclusion
Discussion Questions
12 Appraising Global Environmental Governance
Summary of Key Points
Introduction
The Nature of Environmental Problems
Evaluating Policy and Practice
Distributing Environmental Harm
Temporal Inequality
Social Inequality
Geographic Inequality
Towards Effective and Equitable Governance
Discussion Questions
Glossary
References
Index