Bøker i Routledge Explorations in Environmental Studies-serien

The missing part in today¿s environmental debate is an in-depth understanding of the idea of Naturalness, and what, if anything, it denotes. This book elucidates what we mean by "natural" in general and works out an original concept of naturalness that can serve as a guide to understand the real limits of our manipulations in times where our powers to rearrange nature reaches new levels continually. Arguing that naturalness can be understood in light of a dispositional ontology, the book shows that it is possible for someone to maintain that there is a right and a wrong way to manipulate nature.

The futures discussed in this book primarily arise from awareness of the potentially disruptive impact of climate change and ecological instability on human societies. This book¿s framework embraces an appreciation of difference and non-holism, as it is unlikely that one solution to the many disruptive futures perceived throughout the world can be found. Indeed any such `one solution¿ may increase the disruptive effects found in local situations. Each chapter invites reflection on diverse ways of comprehending global warming and other manifestations of major environmental change, as well as on the forms, and shapers, of agency that influence people¿s understanding and response. In order to encourage the appreciation of the different future worlds either imagined and emergent in the present, the scope of the chapters extends beyond the usual geopolitical focus on the North Atlantic world, to encompass Nepal, islands in the Pacific, Sweden, coastal Scotland and remote, regional and urban Australia.

Over the course of the book, academics and practitioners from various fields demonstrate why transitioning into a `green economy¿ ¿ a future economy based on environmental sustainability, social equity and improved well-being ¿ is not an option but a necessity for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States. Through chapters covering key economic sectors and cross-cutting issues, the book examines the GCC states¿ quest to align their economies and economic development with the imperatives of environmental sustainability and social welfare, and proposes a way forward, based on lessons learned from experiences in the region and beyond.

This book addresses how to move towards sustainable development and enhanced resilience against natural disasters. Stressing the economic aspects of disasters, the book proposes both mitigation and adaptation measures and how they can be applied to minimize the impacts of disasters in a variety of situations. With this focus, the book starts with a call for more investment in mitigating the impacts of natural hazards, goes on to propose additional adaptive measures against growing uncertainties, and proceeds to present enablers for making effective environmental and economic policies.

Drawing on cutting-edge research from leading scholars, this book investigates state preferences for regime creation and assesses state capacity for executing these preferences in Northeast Asiäs energy domain, defined as the geographical area comprising the following countries ¿ Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea.

"This book charts the framework and political evolution of the Kyoto Protocol negotiations and examines the ensuing failure of the international community to adequately address climate change. The focus is not on the science or consequences of climate change but on the political gamesmanship of the major players throughout the UNFCCC negotiation process"--

This book argues that there is no way to make progress in building a sustainable future without extensive participation of non-state actors. It will be of great interest to students and scholars of climate change, sustainability and environmental policy.

The book addresses some of the major conceptual challenges of the Anthropocene. Drawing on stories of migration, environmental activism, and encounters with the living beings that inhabit waterways, it considers the personal relationship with urban waterways and how it links to contemporary global issues.