Description
Book SynopsisThis book argues that environmental problems are, first and foremost, political and, therefore, about power. Using a framework of political economy and political ecology, the authors deconstruct current environmental problems to identify root causes and address those problems through mobilization of collective action and social power. The second edition also offers: •Updated examples and stories of political struggles and the actors involved •Explicit attention to various forms of power in environmental politics, including structural and social power •Local politics and collective action as related to global environmental politics •Discussion of emerging issues such as synthetic biology; commodification and financialization of nature, including carbon markets; and geoengineering
Trade ReviewA welcome critical introduction to the theory and praxis of global environmental politics. -- Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn, University of Waterloo
This text provides a foundation from which to understand how fundamental change can occur, and offers a call to action for students to play a role in creating change. -- Loren Cass, College of the Holy Cross
Emphasizes the relevance of issues to students, along with applications for action and activism across scales. -- Desserae Shepston, University of Illinois, Springfield
[THe authors] explore the underpinnings of contemporary environmental problems by adopting a framework of political economy and political ecology. They conclude that the world’s environmental problems are essentially political and therefore can only be understood through a focus on political power. They bemoan the capture of environmental discourse by neoclassical economists. They claim that the discussion of environmental issues is rarely seen as a matter of ethics, but instead as a problem in economics. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsChapter 1: What are “Global Environmental Politics?” Chapter 2: Deconstructing the Global Environment and “Global Environmental Politics” Chapter 3: Capitalism, Globalization, and the Environment Chapter 4: Civic Politics and Social Activism: Environmental Politics “On the Ground’ Chapter 5: Domestic Politics and Global Environmental Politics Chapter 6: Global Environmental Politics, Society and You
