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The compelling true story of a hard-fought environmental win, set in motion by a tenacious government scientist and an unrelenting journalist—resulting in the polluting companies paying for the $1 billion, 20-year cleanup. Booklist raves, Paper Valley'is a compelling human-interest tale on par with Erin Brockovich and Jonathan Harr'sA Civil Action.'A 2024 selection by the Sierra Club, Wisconsin Chapter Book ClubWinner, Midwest Book Award!When government scientist David Allen arrived at his new jobsite in the 1990s, the Fox River near Wisconsin's Green Bay was dominated by hulking paper mills, noxious industrial odors, and widespread ecological damage. Confronted by his lack of resources to force the politically powerful'Paper Valley'polluters to fix their mess, Allen proceeds against all bureaucratic odds in building a $1 billion case against the paper company bosses. Two small but vital players, Allen along with journalist Susan Campbell were relentless in bringing the case to the public at the time. They do so again in this book: an act of radical transparency to uncover the intrigue that nearly blocked the cleanup behind the scenes at US Fish and Wildlife, Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, and the US Environmental Protection Agency. In a rare and major environmental win, the Fox River became the site of the largest polychlorinated biphenyls cleanup in history, paid for by the paper companies rather than taxpayers, to the tune of $1.3 billion, and completed in 2020.This true story of struggle, perseverance, and success inspires hope for environmentalists who strive to restore natural landscapes. The detailed account given in this book is meant to inspire and offer practical knowledge and solutions for those fighting similar opponents of environmental cleanup and restoration. Allen and Campbell eloquently outline the problematic bureaucracy involved in environmental cleanup efforts and reveal tactics to compel corporate entities who would dodge accountability for decades worth of contamination.

A WASHINGTON POST BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR'An essential read.'—The Washington Post'Essential… This book belongs on the shelf next to Merchants of Doubt, Dark Money, and Kochland.'—Roy Scranton, author of Learning to Die in the Anthropocene'The petroleum industry is guilty of a Big Tobacco–style public cover-up, according to this vivid exposé.'—Publishers Weekly STARRED ReviewBurning fossil fuels will cause catastrophic global warming: this is what top American oil executives were told by scientists in 1959. But they ignored that warning. Instead, they developed one of the biggest, most polluting oil sources in the world—the oil sands in Alberta, Canada. As investigative journalist Geoff Dembicki reveals in this explosive book, the decades-long conspiracy to keep the oil sands flowing into the U.S. would turn out to be one of the biggest reasons for the world's failure to stop the climate crisis.In The Petroleum Papers, Dembicki draws from confidential oil industry documents to uncover for the first time how companies like Exxon, Koch Industries, and Shell built a global right-wing echo chamber to protect oil sands profits—a misinformation campaign that continues to this day. He also tells the high-stakes stories of people fighting back: a Seattle lawyer who brought down Big Tobacco and is now going after Big Oil, a Filipina activist whose family drowned in a climate disaster, and a former Exxon engineer pushed out for asking hard questions.With experts now warning we have less than a decade to get global emissions under control, The Petroleum Papers provides a step-by-step account of how we got to this precipice—and the politicians and companies who deserve our blame.Published in Partnership with the David Suzuki Institute

A David and Goliath battle for truth A specialist in GM foods and pesticides, the biologist Gilles-Éric Seralini has studied their toxicity and effects on people's health for many years. In September 2012, for the first time in a major scientific journal (Food and Chemical Toxicology), he published a study showing the effect on the liver and kidneys of two of Monsanto's flagship products: Roundup weedkiller and the GM foods created to absorb it. Images from the study of tumor-ridden rats fed with GM foods and Roundup went viral. The study was a PR disaster for Monsanto. The multinational soon bounced back and did everything in its power to cover up the study—leaning on the publishers to retract the findings. Monsanto began a series of smear campaigns to discredit Seralini and fellow researchers and intimidate their supporters, while pumping out their own collection of fake research findings and testimonies. These practices were met with huge suspicion, but there was no concrete evidence until, in 2017, Monsanto was ordered to publish tens of thousands of confidential documents in a class-action lawsuit presented by thousands of individuals afflicted with serious illnesses from their use of Roundup. The'Monsanto Papers'that were produced subsequently proved the company's cynical attempts at a cover-up as well as its fraudulent practices. Gilles-Éric Seralini and Jérôme Douzelet delved into the documents and discovered how, in the pursuit of its own short term economic interests, Monsanto used sophisticated methods of deceit to bypass legislation devised to protect millions of people. Seralini and Douzelet discovered how Monsanto managed to provide phony assessments to conceal the poisons its products contain, thus deceiving the public authorities and the scientific and medical communities.

This book examines how the on-paper hydropower boom impacts the safe and fair access to water and energy in emerging economies.The global hydropower boom is largely made up of small hydropower plants located in emerging economies, but a lack of funding, over-ambitious planning, and corruption have halted the production of these projects. Describing this state as the ‘on-paper'hydropower boom, this book shifts attention to the hydrosocial problems arising from hydropower projects that remain on paper. It examines how these proposed but unbuilt projects can lead to disruptions in the control and governance of water resources and increase the international dependence of emerging countries due to deep problems in their sustainable development planning and how all this can affect both ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. In doing so, it critically examines the dominant discourses on energy security and sustainable development, emphasises the extent to which the effects of global imperialism are at play, and examines the effects of international power relations in the hydrosocial context and their implications for perpetuating international relations of dependency. Further, this book provides a unique perspective on the global hydropower boom by highlighting that although the global hydropower boom largely remains on paper, it can still have a significant impact on human–water systems. Contributing to the debate on hydrosocial relationships, each chapter offers an insightful examination of the social, cultural, and political interactions that humans have with water and uses these insights to provide a nuanced understanding of the challenges and issues associated with on-paper plans.This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of water politics, water governance, political ecology, corruption and environmental economics, as well as sustainable development policymakers.

The book focuses on environmental monitoring, pollution discharge control and management, environmental pollution governance, ecological remediation technology, and environmental sustainability. With the rapid growth of global population and the development of industry and cities, environmental pollution problems are becoming increasingly serious, affecting people's lives and social development. In order to protect the environment and achieve sustainable ecological development, we need to maintain research on environmental pollution governance and ecological remediation. This book aims to promote scientific information interchange between scholars from the top universities, research centers, and high-tech enterprises working all around the world and is a valuable resource for those in both academia and industry.

United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs'(UNODA) Occasional Papers is a series of ad hoc publications presenting, in edited form, papers or statement made at international meetings, symposiums, seminars or workshops organized by the Office for Disarmament Affairs. They deal with topical issues in the field of arms limitation, disarmament and international security and are intended primarily for those concerned with these matters in Government, civil society and in academic community. This document explains the Biological Incident Database based on proposals by experts from interested Member States and on public information available in case studies. Its purpose is to strengthen the capabilities of States to prevent and combat terrorism.

The conference on Karachi in 2013 was the first event arranged by a newly-created body, The Karachi Conference Foundation, designed to deliberate on all aspects of the city's life. This book, bringing together the papers presented at the Conference, represents a landmark in scholarship on the mega-city and its issues. It is always a matter of great interest to see how certain societies have developed, starting out as Stone Age sites and flourishing as throbbing urban centres. While not every stage of this process is always documented, the records of remnants collected often help in painting a portrait that provides insights into this transformation. This is what Studies on Karachi does.Lay readers and scholars in a range of different disciplines with an interest in how a sleepy settlement in the late medieval period developed into a mega-city will find this book particularly useful. What emerges from the various chapters is the depiction of a city that, despite its vibrancy, is afflicted with numerous problems, ranging from poor planning to colossal mismanagement.Women, marginalized communities, neglected areas, issues of planning and development, and the history, and the anthropology of Karachi are all particular foci of attention throughout the book.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Four Forum lectures and one award paper•Sendai Landslide Partnerships, Kyoto Landslide Commitment, and International Programme on Landslides.•Landslide-induced tsunamis•Landslides at UNESCO designates sites and contribution from WMO, FAO, and IRDR•Education and Capacity Development for Risk Management and Risk GovernanceProf. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Matjaž Mikoš is the Vice President of International Consortium on Landslides and Vice President of Slovenian Academyof Engineering. He is a Professor and Dean of Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.Dr. Shinji Sassa is Head of Soil Dynamics Group and Research Director of International Research Center for Coastal Disasters, Port and Airport Research Institute, National Institute of Maritime, Port and Aviation Technology, Japan.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.Dr. Khang Dang is the Secretary General of the Fifth World Landslide Forum. He also serves as the Research Promotion Officer of ICL and a Lecturer at the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

Managing the climate transition will be one of the biggest challenges ever faced by business and government. While the technical and financial elements of climate transition are vast, the social challenges are even greater. If local populations and workers feel the transitions are not “just” they will resist, and that social opposition now represents one of the greatest barriers to reaching Net Zero by 2050. While the phrase ‘Just Transition'was in the preamble to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, it is only now that business, finance and governments are starting to discuss what this might mean in practice. Thousands of companies are now starting to develop transition plans alongside those of governments. This book shows how all managers can best integrate social elements into these plans, consult with the people most affected by the transition out of the high carbon economy, and ensure that what looks good on paper works in practice. It takes a systems-thinking approach, focusing on the interconnections and interdependence of environmental, social and governance issues. The challenge is immense, and the changes will need to be profound. Each chapter in the book will look at the main domains in which management and policy challenges will be faced. From massively increasing the extraction of rare earth metals, most of which sit below, or adjacent to, indigenous land, to building the infrastructure needed to generate and distribute green energy, possibly over “Not in My Back Yard'objections, the task of business and government in ensuring that these changes are fair, and perceived as fair, is immense. This book provides the roadmap for how to get there. Managing the social impacts of the climate transition will be one of the biggest challenges ever faced by business and government.

Potential health effects from chemicals that disrupt endocrine function pose an environmental health concern because of their ability to interfere with normal hormone function in human and wildlife populations. The endocrine system regulates biological processes throughout the body and is sensitive to small changes in hormone concentrations. Endocrine-disruptor research has focused primarily on chemicals that affect three hormone pathways that play important roles in reproduction and development - the estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone pathways. Some of this research has identified dose-response relationships that have nonmonotonic curves. Nonmonotonic dose-response curves (NMDRs) are of concern because they do not follow the usual assumption made in toxicology that as dose decreases the response also decreases. The existence of NMDRs has been a controversial topic for decades, and there has been considerable debate about their implications for how chemicals are tested and for how risks from such chemicals are assessed. Toxicity tests are designed to identify hazards and to characterize dose-response relationships, so tests are aimed at finding a (high) dose that elicits a response, and dose-response is explored by testing lower doses spaced to identify statistically a no- or lowest-observed-adverse-effect level. The concern for NMDRs is that such studies, as currently designed, might not detect the inflection of the dose-response curve if only a few doses are tested or if the change in inflection occurs below the range of doses tested. Another concern is that some NMDRs are found for biological effects that are not usually evaluated in toxicity tests. If current testing strategies are inadequate to account for NMDRs, changes to risk assessment practices might be necessary. To help address these issues, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a draft State-of-the-Science Evaluation: Nonmonotonic Dose Responses as they Apply to Estrogen, Androgen, and Thyroid Pathways and EPA Testing and Assessment Procedures. EPA asked the National Research Council to conduct an independent review of this evaluation to ensure that it is scientifically sound and of high quality. Review of Environmental Protection Agency's State-of-the-Science Evaluation of Nonmonotonic Dose-Response as they Apply to Endocrine Disrupters evaluates whether EPA's evaluation presents a scientifically sound and high-quality analysis of the literature on NMDRs. This report reviews how well the EPA evaluation described how the assessment was performed, whether consistent methods and criteria were applied in the analysis of different evidence streams, and whether appropriate methods were applied to evaluating the evidence. The report makes recommendations to improve EPA's process and strengthen the evaluation.

The maritime distress of migrants on the high seas and the anthropogenic climate change represent two of the most significant humanitarian and political challenges of our time. Referring to the Radbruch formula, this paper examines the question of whether state and supranational failure to act on these two complex problems can be classified as extreme injustice from a legal ethical perspective, and what minimum ethical requirements this would imply for states and communities of states. A plea is made for the development and use of corresponding analyses and discourses as normative guidance - doing applied legal philosophy, not only for migrant and climate protection politics, but also for law makers and public discourse. Die Seenot von Migranten auf hoher See und der anthropogene Klimawandel stellen zwei der größten humanitären und politischen Herausforderungen unserer Zeit dar. Unter Bezugnahme auf die Radbruch'sche Formel geht Eckardt Buchholz-Schuster der Frage nach, ob national- und überstaatliches Unterlassen in Bezug auf diese beiden komplexen Probleme aus rechtsethischer Perspektive als extremes Unrecht eingestuft werden kann und welche ethischen Mindestanforderungen dieser Befund für Staaten und Staatengemeinschaften impliziert. Er plädiert dafür, entsprechende Analysen und Diskurse als normative Orientierungshilfe zu entwickeln und zu nutzen - angewandte Rechtsphilosophie für Migrations- und Klimaschutzpolitik, aber auch für Gesetzgeber und öffentlichen Diskurs.

A transdisciplinary approach to investigating relationships between biomass burning and human health outcomes Environmental degradation is causing severe impacts on the various Earth ecosystems. Unsustainable development and anthropogenic pressure have altered the natural balance. From this perspective, sustainability has become a major issue to frame a greener and cleaner Earth for future generations. It can be argued that the worst example of unsustainable development is habitat degradation. Therefore, ecorestoration and other ecological practices are becoming increasingly important in our march toward sustainability. The present book covers all the aspects of ecorestoration and sustainability and how various areas intersect in this space. Environmental degradation is increasing all over the world at an unprecedented rate. This includes air, water, soil, and other natural resources resulting in the depletion of natural resources and an unsustainable planet. Therefore, it is incredibly important to restore the ecosystem's health and services to maintain homeostasis. In this context, ecorestoration approaches in the form of eco-friendly technologies need to be formulated to promote the protection and conservation of various ecosystems. These approaches include freshwater bodies, soil and mined-out wasteland, degraded forest, biodiversity, and other degraded ecosystems. This important new volume from Wiley-Scrivener tackles these problems from a practical perspective, offering solutions and new methods for restoring our suffering global ecosystem. Edited by a team of experts, this collaboration of papers on these issues is a further step in our march toward sustainability. Whether for the engineer, scientist, or student, it is a must-have for any library.

This book contains a set of papers which explore the links among climate change, health, and hazards and demonstrate how they interact. It emphasizes the urgency of immediate and more ambitious action to address climate risks. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), human-induced climate change is known to be causing dangerous and widespread disruptions in nature and is affecting the lives of billions of people around the world, despite efforts to reduce the risks. Climate change is also negatively influencing health and is mounting threat to our wellbeing and a healthy planet. The world is also facing significant climate hazards over the next two decades, with global warming expected to soon reach 1.5°C. Even temporarily exceeding this warming level will result in additional severe impacts, some of which may be irreversible. There is therefore a perceived need for publications which may foster a greater understanding of how climate changeconnects to human health and the role played by hazards in this context. It is against this background that this book is being prepared.

This edited volume presents the conference papers from the 1st International Conference on Business, Economics, Management, and Sustainability (BEMAS), organized by the Centre for International Trade and Business in Asia (CITBA) at James Cook University.This book argues that the orthodox methods of external risks, climate change adaptation plans, and sustainable economic growth in cities are no longer adequate. These methods, so far, have not only ignored the ongoing structural changes associated with economic development but also failed to account for evolving industries'composition and the emergence of new comparative advantages and skills. Specifically, this book looks at the vulnerable communities and exposed areas, particularly in urban areas, that tend to experience higher susceptibility to external risks (such as climate change, natural disasters, and public health emergencies) have been largely ignored in incremental adaptation plans. Vulnerable communities and areas not only require different adaptive responses to climate risk but also possess unlocked adaptive capacity that can motivate different patterns of sustainable development to achieve the goals of the 2030 Agenda. It is essential, therefore, to view transformative growth and fundamental reorientation of economic resources as integral parts of the solution. Social disorganisation and vulnerability are other undesired outcomes of the unpredictable and widespread external economic shocks. This is due to a sudden and tough competition between members of society to acquire precious resources, most of which may be depleted during unprecedented events such as natural disasters or pandemics resulting in an even more chaotic and disorganised conditions.

These 50 full-color tear-out posters feature original artwork that conveys the urgent need to take action to combat climate change. Whether you're an activist, a student, or are looking for the perfect environmental gift, this collection of original posters from a series of international artists and designers is sure to inspire change. In a time when our environmental future is uncertain, natural disasters are becoming more frequent, and the window to avoid further irreversible climate damage is closing, collective action is essential. Compiled from an open call (design poured in from all over the world), 50 winning designs were selected from more than 800 entries. A global problem requires a global solution. Historically, posters have been one of the most common mediums of communication for dissent and social change, and the 50 tear-out posters in Posters for the Planet allow you to voice the importance of taking action now. Printed on 11-by-17-inch FSC paper, each of the perforated posters features a unique design that you can proudly display or distribute to convey how crucial it is to act responsibly, fight climate change through environmental policy, and create a bright future for ourselves and future generations. Partial proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to Indigenous Environmental Network, Clean Air Task Force, and Coalition for Rainforest Nations.

This book establishes theories and methods of climate change economics based on the perspective of human development. The book, in two volumes, consists of papers and research reports authored by Pan Jiahua or researchers under his guidance. Professor Pan Jiahua is a leading figure in the field of political economy in climate change and has written extensively. The book is divided into four parts, covering theories, methods, governance, and policies. • The theory part includes the general economics of climate change, the political economy of climate change, carbon emissions, and human development. • The method part covers the economic analysis of greenhouse gas reduction and economics of low-carbon economic development. • The governance is on the design and construction of international climate regimes and China's role and choice. • Finally, the policy part consists of three chapters: policy choices for low-carbon transformation, energy-saving emission reduction, and low-carbon development and adaptation to climate change. The disciplines involved in climate change economics include welfare economics, development economics, international political economics, and property rights economics. In the context of multidisciplinary cross-cutting, the economics of climate change has evolved. The book proposes theories, methods and offers policy solutions and cases. It is of high academic and empirical value for developing countries to strive for fair rights and interests in international climate negotiations, obtain development space, and pursue a low-carbon and ecological economy. Professor Jiahua Pan and his team at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences have contributed greatly to the development of climate change economics in China. Their work has laid the foundation of climate change economics from basic concepts, frameworks, and systems and has a great significance in promoting the development of climate change economics.

This book offers a selection of research papers and case studies presented at the 3rd international conference “Smart and Sustainable Planning for Cities and Regions”, held in December 2019 in Bolzano, Italy, and explores the concept of smart and sustainable planning, including top contributions from academics, policy makers, consultants and other professionals. Innovation processes such as co-design and co-creation help establish collaborations that engage with stakeholders in a trustworthy and transparent environment while answering the need for new value propositions. The importance of an integrated, holistic approach is widely recognized to break down silos in local government, in particular, when aimed at achieving a better integration of climate-energy planning. Despite the ongoing urbanization and polarization processes, new synergies between urban and rural areas emerge, linking development opportunities to intrinsic cultural, natural and man-made landscape values. The increasing availability of big, real-time urban data and advanced ICT facilitates frequent assessment and continuous monitoring of performances, while allowing fine-tuning as needed. This is valid not only for individual projects but also on a wider scale. In addition, and circling back to the first point, (big) urban data and ICT can be of enormous help in facilitating engagement and co-creation by raising awareness and by providing insight into the local consequences of specific plans. However, this potential is not yet fully exploited in standard processes and procedures, which can therefore lack the agility and flexibility to keep up with the pulse of the city and dynamics of society. The book provides a multi-disciplinary outlook based on experience to orient the reader in the giant galaxy of smart and sustainable planning, support the transposition of research into practice, scale up visionary approaches and design groundbreaking planning policies and tools.

The Climate Change Encyclopedia responds to the outstanding risk, survival, and ethical issue of our time, requiring action and providing opportunity. Primary-source expert authors write in a unique case-study structure that enables the Encyclopedia to be approachable, informational, and motivational for the public. The key focus areas are Climate Change and Finance, Economics, and Policy, with many other related climate categories included. The over 100 case studies provide realistic and interesting views of climate change, based on authors'published papers, reports, and books, plus climate-related activities of organizations, and selected topics. This inspiring work can enhance optimism and courage to act urgently and persistently on climate change, with foresight for a livable future.For more information on the list of contributors, please refer to https://www.worldscientific.com/page/encyclopedia-of-climate-change.Related Link(s)

Sustainability Principles and Practice gives an accessible and comprehensive overview of the interdisciplinary field of sustainability. The focus is on furnishing solutions and equipping students with both conceptual understanding and technical skills. Each chapter explores one aspect of the field, first introducing concepts and presenting issues, then supplying tools for working toward solutions. Elements of sustainability are examined piece by piece, and coverage ranges over ecosystems, social equity, environmental justice, food, energy, product life cycles, cities, and more. Techniques for management and measurement as well as case studies from around the world are provided.The 3rd edition includes greater coverage of resilience and systems thinking, an update on the Anthropocene as a formal geological epoch, the latest research from the IPCC, and a greater focus on diversity and social equity, together with new details such as sustainable consumption, textiles recycling, microplastics, and net-zero concepts. The coverage in this edition has been expanded to include issues, solutions, and new case studies from around the world, including Europe, Asia, and the Global South. Chapters include further reading and discussion questions. The book is supported by a companion website with online links, annotated bibliography, glossary, white papers, and additional case studies, together with projects, research problems, and group activities, all of which focus on real-world problem-solving of sustainability issues.This textbook is designed to be used by undergraduate college and university students in sustainability degree programs and other programs in which sustainability is taught.

The Stockholm Conference of 1972 drew the world's attention to the global environmental crisis, but for people in Sweden the threat was nothing new. Anyone who read the papers or watched the television news was already familiar with the issues. Five years early, in the summer of 1967, the situation was very different. So what happened in between? This book explores the ‘environmental turn'that took place in Sweden in the late-1960s. This radical change, the realisation that human beings were in the process of destroying their own environment, had major and far-reaching consequences. What was it that opened people's eyes to the crisis? When did it happen? Who set the ball rolling? These are some of the questions the book addresses, shedding new light on the history of environmentalism.

In order for the joint research by Network of ASEAN-China Think-tanks (NACT) to reach out to a much wider audience, NACT began to publish joint research of all Working Groups since 2019. This book is a collection of research papers contributed by ASEAN and China scholars who attended NACT Working Group Meeting on Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Energy Development on April 16, 2019 and NACT Working Group Meeting on Environmental Protection in ASEAN and China on May 17, 2019. The contributing scholars give their ingenious and insightful thoughts on ASEAN-China energy and environmental protection cooperation from either a national or a regional perspective. Two NACT Working Group Reports are also incorporated in the appendices of this book, including innovative and practical policy recommendations on strengthening ASEAN-China sustainable energy and environmental protection cooperation in existing priority areas and identifying new ones.

This edited volume explores the opportunities and challenges facing the European Union in the future from different disciplines and assesses the EU's prospects across various policy areas. Using the European Commission's 2017 White Paper presenting five different scenarios for the future of Europe to 2050 as an organising framework for analysis and debate, the volume reflects upon the drivers of the EU's future, including its changing place in an evolving world, a transformed economy and society, heightened threats and concerns about security and borders, and questions of trust and legitimacy. The concluding chapter summarises and compares the findings to determine which of the scenarios is the most instructive to understand and plan European Futures to 2050, and beyond. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European integration, EU politics/studies, and more broadly international relations, as well as European policy-makers.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:Part I with topics is mainly about landslides and earthquakes; landslide dams and outburst floods; catastrophic large-scale landslides in mountainous regions.Part II with topics is mainly about impact of climate change; loess landslides; mapping, monitoring and modeling of landslides; stabilization and mitigation; application of new technology in landslide studies.Prof. Vít Vilímek is the vice-president of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) and a member of the evaluation committee, Editor-in-Chief of the university journal AUC Geographica and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Geoenvironmental Disasters. He is a Professor of Physical Geography at Charles University,Prague, Czech Republic.Prof. Fawu Wang is the President of the International Consortium on Geo-disaster Reduction (ICGdR) and the Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Geoenvironmental Disasters. He is a Professor at the School of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, China.Dr. Alexander Strom is a chief expert at the Geodynamics Research Center LLC, Moscow, Russia. He is also an Adjunct Professor at Chang'an University, Xi'an, China, Visiting Professor at SKLGP, Chengdu, China, and an alternative representative of the JSC “Hydroproject Institute” in ICL.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takarais the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the following parts:•Impact of Large Ground Deformations near Seismic Faults on Critically Important Civil Infrastructures•Recent Progress in the Landslide Initiating Science•Earth Observation and Machine Learning in Landslide Science•General Landslide StudiesProfessor Željko Arbanas is the Vice President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor of Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka, Croatia. He is the Assistant Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides.Professor Peter Bobrowsky is the President of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of GeologicalSurvey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Professor Kazuo Konagai is Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Principal Researcher at the ICL Headquarters. He serves as the Secretary-General of the Fifth World Landslide Forum.Professor Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Professor Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book asks, how would a stable, prosperous economy of the future look if one started with a blank sheet of paper? Given that the world's economy is locked into a coevolution with nature, the urgency of this question is brought into stark relief by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic and ongoing climate change. While physical technologies to build such an economy mostly exist, the social technologies, in the form of institutions, governance and policies, do not. The development of these social technologies will necessitate a reconsideration of economic norms: in particular, what is the economy for, and what are we, as actors within it, striving for? This book integrates normative, institutional, political and economic requirements into a systematic framework to drive our present growth economy toward a future planetarian one. It outlines a suite of interrelated policies to increase the economy's material efficiency, establish a basic living standard, and reform the money system, while along the way eliminating economic debt and balancing government budgets. The framework and policies together form a paradigm of market planetarianism: the idea that the power of markets may be used to steer the economy toward a desired long-term goal. The methodological aspects of this paradigm are covered in the companion volume, Economics of a Crowded Planet.

Exploring the relationship between place and identity, this book gathers 30 papers that highlight experiences from throughout the Asia-Pacific region. The countries profiled include China, India, Japan, Indonesia, and Thailand. Readers will gain a better understanding of how urbanization is affecting gender equity in Asian-Pacific cities in the 21st century. The contributing authors examine the practical implications of urban development and link them with the broader perspective of urban ecology. They consider how visceral experiences connect with structural and discursive spheres. Further, they investigate how multiple, interconnected relations of power shape gender (in)equity in urban ecologies, and address such issues as construction of Kawaii as an idealized femininity, diversity among homosexuals in urban India, and single women and rental housing. In turn, the authors present hitherto unexplored sub-themes from historiography and existentialist literary perspectives, and share a vast range of multi-disciplinary views on issues concerning gendered dispossession due to the impact of urban policy and governance. The topics covered include socio-spatial and ethnic segregation in urban spaces; intersections of gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, and caste in urban spaces; and identity-based marginalization, including that of LGBT groups. Overall, the book brings together perspectives from the humanities and the social sciences, and represents a valuable contribution to the vital theoretical and practical debates on urbanism and gender equity.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Five keynote lectures•Recent development in physical modeling of landslides•Recent development in numerical modeling of landslides•Recent development in soil and rock testing techniques, application and analysis methods•Recent advancements in the methods of slope stability and deformation analyses•Recent development in disaster risk assessmentProf. Binod Tiwari is a Vice President of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He is the Associate Vice President for research and sponsored project and Professor of civil and environmental engineering at the California State University, Fullerton, California, USA.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President andthe Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•One theme lecture and one keynote lecture•Monitoring and remote sensing for landslide risk mitigation, including one keynote lecture•Landslide early warning systems, forecasting models and time prediction of landslidesProf. Nicola Casagli is a Vice President and President-elect of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL) for 2021–2023. He is Professor of engineering geology at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, and President of the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics – OGS, Trieste, Italy.Dr. Veronica Tofani is an Associate Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Florence, and Program Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Prevention and Sustainable Management of Geo-hydrological hazards, University of Florence.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

This book is a part of ICL new book series “ICL Contribution to Landslide Disaster Risk Reduction” founded in 2019. Peer-reviewed papers submitted to the Fifth World Landslide Forum were published in six volumes of this book series. This book contains the followings:•Keynotes•Landslide detection, recognition and mapping•Landslide susceptibility assessment and modelling•Landslide size statistics and temporal modelling•Data and information for landslide disaster mitigation•Vulnerability to landslides of people, communities and the built environmentDr. Fausto Guzzetti is General Director of Office III – Technical and Scientific Activities for Risk Forecasting and Prevention, Department of Civil Protection, Italian Presidency of the Council of Ministers, on leave from the Italian National Research Council.Prof. Snježana Mihalić Arbanas is a Full Professor of the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering of theUniversity of Zagreb, Croatia. She is the Chair of ICL Network Committee.Paola Reichenbach is a Senior Researcher of the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, an institute of the Italian National Research Council (IRPI-CNR), Perugia, Italy.Prof. Kyoji Sassa is the Founding President and the Secretary-General of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). He has been the Editor-in-Chief of International Journal Landslides since its foundation in 2004.Prof. Peter Bobrowsky is the President of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Senior Scientist of Geological Survey of Canada, Ottawa, Canada.Prof. Kaoru Takara is the Executive Director of the International Consortium on Landslides. He is a Professor and Dean of Graduate School of Advanced Integrated Studies (GSAIS) in Human Survivability (Shishu-Kan), Kyoto University.

In Climate Change Law in China in Global Context, seven climate change law scholars explain how the country's legal system is gradually being mobilized to support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in China and achieve adaptation to climate change.There has been little English scholarship on the legal regime for climate change in China. This volume addresses this gap in the literature and focuses on recent attempts by the country to build defences against the impacts of climate change and to meet the country's international obligations on mitigation. The authors are not only interested in China's laws on paper; rather, the book explains how these laws are implemented and integrated in practice and sheds light on China's current laws, laws in preparation, the changing standing of law relative to policy, and the further reforms that will be necessary in response to the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change.This comprehensive and critical account of the Chinese legal system's response to the pressures of climate change will be an important resource for scholars of international law, environmental law, and Chinese law.

This collection of primary sources, illuminated by extensive contextual analysis, provides a comprehensive and balanced survey of the evolution of global climate change policies and politics in the United States.This extensive collection of primary documents examines the history of climate science; various policy prescriptions for addressing the effects of climate change; political fault lines with respect to international efforts to address global warming; claims regarding the influence of industry groups and environmental'radicals'on climate policy and science; and the impact of climate change on other policy areas such as public health, energy, economic development, and wilderness conservation. The set includes excerpts from important scientific papers and government reports, political speeches from presidents and other influential lawmakers, perspectives from environmental activists and conservative think-tanks, editorial essays from leading media figures, provisions of major laws, and more. Together, these documents provide a broad range of perspectives, from scientific fields as well as from political and ideological standpoints that have emerged in response to the debate surrounding climate change. They offer readers a greater understanding of the arguments not only of lawmakers, activists, and scientists leading efforts to fight, mitigate, and adapt to climate change but also of those skeptical of climate change.

How should we evaluate the ethics of procreation, especially the environmental consequences of reproductive decisions on future generations, in a resource-constrained world? While demographers, moral philosophers, and environmental scientists have separately discussed the implications of population size for sustainability, no one has attempted to synthesize the concerns and values of these approaches. The culmination of a half century of engagement with population ethics, Partha Dasgupta's masterful Time and the Generations blends economics, philosophy, and ecology to offer an original lens on the difficult topic of optimum global population.After offering careful attention to global inequality and the imbalance of power between men and women, Dasgupta provides tentative answers to two fundamental questions: What level of economic activity can our planet support over the long run, and what does the answer say about optimum population numbers? He develops a population ethics that can be used to evaluate our choices and guide our sense of a sustainable global population and living standards. Structured around a central essay from Dasgupta, the book also features a foreword from Robert Solow; correspondence with Kenneth Arrow; incisive commentaries from Joseph Stiglitz, Eric Maskin, and Scott Barrett; an extended response by the author to them; and a joint paper with Aisha Dasgupta on inequalities in reproductive decisions and the idea of reproductive rights. Taken together, Time and the Generations represents a fascinating dialogue between world-renowned economists on a central issue of our time.

This book asks the question, how would economics look today and into the future if one started with a blank sheet of paper? Written mainly for a technical audience, yet accessible to the lay reader, Economics of a Crowded Planet addresses the ontology, epistemology and methodology of a future economics as if from outside the economy looking in. It presents a conceptual framework for a future economics drawing from systems science and hierarchy theory, integrating central concepts from present-day economics, so as to orient the field in a direction that can serve society's future needs in practical ways. The exposition reveals a paradigm called ‘market planetarianism': the idea that the power of markets may be used to steer the economy toward a desired long-term goal. Both a prescriptive doctrine and an economic methodology, it treats the economy and nature as instances of complex, evolutionary systems, demanding analytical tools quiteunlike those of the 20th-century mainstream.

This book is devoted to the issue of how we can learn to live together in the face of division and conflict. It is dedicated to the life and work of a remarkable human being, Dr Epimenidis Haidemenakis, scientist, statesman, visionary leader, President Emeritus of the International S.T.E.P.S. Foundation and founding father of The Olympiads of the Mind (OM). The monograph consists of a collection of papers presented at the 8th and 9th Olympiads of the Mind held in Washington, DC and Chania, Crete respectively. Distinguished international scholars, government and corporate representatives, leading researchers and academics from multiple disciplines and Nobel Laureates Leon Lederman (Physics, 1988), Martin Perl (Physics, 1995) and Yuan T. Lee (Chemistry, 1986) address a broad range of issues all with the aim of improving the human condition and achieving cooperation among the people of the world. The topics include the environment, sustainability andsecurity; diversity and how to achieve integration and peace among people in a fractured world; the important role of brain research; how to overcome poverty and inequality; how to enhance creativity and improve education at all levels; and how new technologies and tools can be used for common benefit. The culmination of the book is a call to action, to join what one might call the “OM Movement”—bringing the best minds in the world together to create solutions to world issues so that we can all live together in harmony.

The politics of scientific advice across four environmental conflicts in Chile, when the state acted as a “neutral broker” rather than protecting the common good.In Science and Environment in Chile, Javiera Barandiarán examines the consequences for environmental governance when the state lacks the capacity to produce an authoritative body of knowledge. Focusing on the experience of Chile after it transitioned from dictatorship to democracy, she examines a series of environmental conflicts in which the state tried to act as a “neutral broker” rather than the protector of the common good. She argues that this shift in the role of the state—occurring in other countries as well—is driven in part by the political ideology of neoliberalism, which favors market mechanisms and private initiatives over the actions of state agencies. Chile has not invested in environmental science labs, state agencies with in-house capacities, or an ancillary network of trusted scientific advisers—despite the growing complexity of environmental problems and increasing popular demand for more active environmental stewardship. Unlike a high modernist “empire” state with the scientific and technical capacity to undertake large-scale projects, Chile's model has been that of an “umpire” state that purchases scientific advice from markets.After describing the evolution of Chilean regulatory and scientific institutions during the transition, Barandiarán describes four environmental crises that shook citizens'trust in government: the near-collapse of the farmed salmon industry when an epidemic killed millions of fish; pollution from a paper and pulp mill that killed off or forced out thousands of black-neck swans; a gold mine that threatened three glaciers; and five controversial mega-dams in Patagonia.

This title was first published in 2001. This is a seminal collection. For the first time, leading scholars and practitioners from Taiwan join with counterparts from Britain to offer comparable commentary on key social policy and social service issues affecting their respective countries. The result is as thought-provoking as it is informative. The approach adopted - of encouraging writers to speak for themselves virtually without restriction - could well provide a model in itself for encouraging and easing contributions from previously unpresented countries into the mainstream of comparative cross-national social policy debate. Concluding papers, on the prospects for East-West comparative social policy in general, confirm the significance of this collection by emphasizing its contribution to broader, social and political debates.

This book addresses key issues related to the choice between governments regulating and enforcing society's sustainability and social responsibility objectives, and firms reporting on their sustainable and socially responsible activities so stakeholders can exert pressure on firms to achieve society's goals. While these may be considered as the two endpoints of a continuum, it is clear that there are differing perspectives on the role of governments in sustainability and responsibility. At one end of this continuum are stakeholders who believe the only way to achieve a sustainable and socially conscious society is to establish and enforce regulations with the concomitant governmental organizations to oversee and enforce those regulations. At the other end are those who consider firms to be crucial organizations for achieving sustainability and socially responsible outcomes, and who feel it is the responsibility of stakeholders to determine the legitimacy of firms'actions. It is probably not the case that any economies exist at either end of this continuum, but it is clear that the availability of reliable information is critical for any stakeholder to review the performance of either the governments or the firms. This book presents a varied set of papers that explore the issues that must be considered, regardless of which position a stakeholder takes.

Sustainability Mattersis a compilation of some of the best research papers by students from the National University of Singapore's inter-disciplinary graduate programme in environmental studies, the MSc in Environmental Management [MEM]. This collection is for the period 2009/10 to 2011/12.As the period covers 3 academic years, the papers have been split into two volumes: Sustainability Matters: Asia's Green Challenges, and Sustainability Matters: Asia's Energy Concerns, Green Policies and Environmental Advocacy. These two volumes are the third and fourth compilation by the programme, and respectively comprise sixteen and fourteen of the best research papers completed during this period. The papers have been edited for brevity. These papers analyze the many challenges to effective environmental management in the context of different countries including India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Nepal, Singapore, and Thailand, and propose insightful solutions.The first compilation, Sustainability Matters: Environmental Management in Asia, was published in 2010 (World Scientific) and comprised the best papers from 2001/2 to 2006/7. The second, Sustainability Matters: Challenges and Opportunities in Environmental Management in Asia was published in 2011 (Pearson), and comprised the best papers from 2007/8 to 2008/09.

This book showcases vital lessons learned from research, field projects and best practice examples with regard to climate change adaptation in countries throughout the Pacific region, a part of the planet that is particularly vulnerable to and affected by climate change.The book's primary goals are to document the wealth of experiences in the region available today, to encourage cross-sector interactions among the various stakeholders in the region, and to help transfer results to other countries and regions. Accordingly, it gathers a set of papers presented at a symposium on climate change adaptation held in Fiji in July 2016, focusing on'Fostering Resilience and Improving the Quality of Life'. In these contributions, local and international experts present a variety of initiatives showing how Pacific countries are coping with the many problems associated with climate change, including initiatives in education and awareness work taking place across the region, operational aspects and their implications for policy-making, and challenges in urban and rural areas.

State of the art in sustainability thinking, inspired by interdisciplinary ideas of ecological economics. This book is focusing on sustainability pathways, new economic theory, democracy and institutions, multidimensional assessment of sustainability, macroeconomic modelling and policies, climate change and renewable energy, resource flows and circular economy, regenerative cities, environmental conflicts and values. It will be helpful for MSc and PhD students in Economics, Management, Environmental Change, Ecological Economics, Development Economics, Sustainability and practitioners in business, international and nongovernmental organizations. Rich, diverse and thought provoking collection of top level contributions, it will help to facilitate the transition towards sustainability and educational reform. A fabulous composition of papers by the authors who really count! Ernst von Weizsäcker, The Club of Rome The authors present a refreshing perspective on the possibilities of human progress in harmony with nature, without the need for economic growth to secure long term human welfare and wise use of nature's services. Extremely relevant. Peter May, Past President, International Society for Ecological Economics and Professor, UFRRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The book goes well beyond the Green Economy, offering arguments and blueprints for a complete makeover of the current economic system. With multi- and interdisciplinary contributions ranging from moderately to fundamentally critical of current economics, it raises fundamental questions of value and power, draws on a wide range of theories, opens the eyes for the historical processes that brought about the current crises and demonstrates the value of ecological, but also classical economic thinking to their solution. If better politics require better theories, this is a must read for academics and decision makers in the time of climate crisis. Joachim Spangenberg, Sustainable Europe Research Institute, SERI Germany e.V.

This new volume draws from provocative discussions on the urban social contract among policy makers, researchers, public intellectuals, and citizens at the 2015 UIC Urban Forum. Michael A. Pagano presents papers that emphasize political agreements, disagreements, challenges, and controversies on health, energy, and environmental policies. Authors explore the substantive and philosophical changes in the urban social contract and offer proposals for remaking it in the new century. Topics range from big-picture analyses to specifics covering areas like public services, the smart cities movement, and greening strategies. Contributors: Alba Alexander, Megan Houston, Dennis R. Judd, Cynthia Klein-Banai, William C. Kling, Howard A. Learner, David A. McDonald, David C. Perry, Emily Stiehl, Anthony Townsend, Natalia Villamizar-Duarte, and Moira Zellner.

The main theme of volume 5 of Eco-ethica is “Ethics and Environment”, offering a serious take on the social-environmental crisis that our world suffers from today. In the first part the authors look at ethical responsibility in relation to the natural environment, whereas in the second part the authors examine ethical responsibility in the cultural and social environment. The third part is papers devoted to the philosophy of Paul Ricœur (1913-2005), written by Ricœur scholars who have published books on him in the last years. They all focus, in one way or another, on ethics and the natural, social or cultural enviroment in Ricœur's thought.

A worldwide surge in poaching and wildlife trafficking is threatening to decimate endangered species. This crisis also threatens the security of human beings in ways ignored until recently by decision-makers slow to begin to treat what is typically viewed as a ‘conservation issue'as serious crime.Over the past decade, as the scale and profitability of poaching and wildlife trafficking have grown, politicians, journalists and campaigners throughout the world have begun to take notice – they are offering striking appraisals of the threat posed not only to endangered species but also to human populations. Many of these appraisals, however, are made in the absence of a detailed body of empirical research and analysis to underpin them. The result is the growth of a range of myths and misperceptions around the security threats posed, particularly as they relate to Africa.Poaching, Wildlife Trafficking and Security in Africa examines the most common narratives on poaching, wildlife trafficking and security. It critically analyses the dominant discourses on poaching and wildlife trafficking as threats to human security, as drivers of conflict, as funders of terrorism and as a focus for organised crime. In doing so, it seeks to sort myth from reality, to clarify how poaching and wildlife trafficking, as much cited threats to security, can most accurately be conceived. Such a study is crucial to the efforts of stakeholders now rightly looking to respond not just to the threat posed to endangered species, but also to the security and wellbeing of human beings.

This is the third volume of papers in the topical area of environmental management. Arising from work done by the International Centre for the Environment at the University of Bath, the papers address inter-disciplinary environmental themes particularly from a business and management perspective.

The Berlin Workshop Series 2010 presents selected papers from meetings held September 28–30, 2008, at the eleventh annual forum co-hosted by InWEnt and the World Bank in preparation for the Bank's annual World Development Report. At the 2008 meetings, key researchers and policy makers from Europe, the United States, and developing countries met to explore the problems that climate governance poses for development, which are later examined in depth in the'World Development Report 2010'.This volume presents papers from the Berlin workshop sessions on climate governance and development, covering climate change as a development priority; policies and technologies for energy and development; natural resource governance for adaptation, mitigation, and development; non-state actors and climate governance; financing adaptation and mitigation in an unequal world; and changing institutions of governance for climate change.IN THIS VOLUME:Introduction by Aehyung Kim and Boris Pleskovic; opening remarks by Carola Donner-Reichle; keynote addresses by Rosina Bierbaum and Justin Yifu Lin; and papers by Richard J. T. Klein, Judith A. Layzer, Claudia Kemfert, Siri Eriksen, Kedziora and Zbigniew W. Kundzewicz, David Rogers, Charlotte Streck, John Scanlon and Clara Nobbe, and Hugh Compston and Ian Bailey.

This volume examines current and previous environmental policies, and suggests alternative strategies for the future. Addressing resource depletion and climate change are pressing priorities for modern economies. Planning energy infrastructure projects is complicated by uncertainty, as such clear government policies have a crucial role to play.

To date, climate change adaptation and mitigation have been treated separately both in research and in the climate negotiations. However, a growing body of literature is now being developed that points to actual and potential synergies and trade-offs between responses to climate change and sustainability. This literature has evolved in a spontaneous way with diverse approaches and no common methodology to help practitioners explicitly plan for these synergies. This special issue of the Climate Policy journal addresses this gap between scientific knowledge and practitioners'needs by focussing on linkages between climate change and sustainable development at the level of conceptual framework and methods. In particular, the papers address in an integrated way local development options involving both adaptation and mitigation in order to promote resilience to climate change in human and natural systems. The special issue provides policy and methodological guidelines for linking local deveopment pathways with responses to climate change, based on collaboration between local practitioners, the public and scientists.

An argument that secretariats—the administrative arms of international treaties—are political actors in their own right.Secretariats—the administrative arms of international treaties—-would seem simply to do the bidding of member states. And yet, Sikina Jinnah argues in Post-Treaty Politics, secretariats can play an important role in world politics. On paper, secretariats collect information, communicate with state actors, and coordinate diplomatic activity. In practice, they do much more. As Jinnah shows, they can influence the allocation of resources, structures of interstate cooperation, and the power relationships between states.Jinnah examines secretariat influence through the lens of overlap management in environmental governance—how secretariats help to manage the dense interplay of issues, rules, and norms between international treaty regimes. Through four case studies, she shows that secretariats can draw on their unique networks and expertise to handle the challenges of overlap management, emerging as political actors in their own right. After presenting a theory and analytical framework for analyzing secretariat influence, Jinnah examines secretariat influence on overlap management within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), two cases of overlap management in the World Trade Organization, as well as a case in which the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) secretariat failed to influence political outcomes despite its efforts to manage overlap. Jinnah argues that, even when modest, secretariat influence matters because it can establish a path-dependent dynamic that continues to guide state behavior even after secretariat influence has waned.

The current policy for climate change prioritises mitigation over adaptation. The collected papers of Climate Change as Environmental and Economic Hazard argue that although efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are still vital, the new policy paradigm should shift the priority to adaptation, with a special focus on disaster risk reduction. It should also consider climate change not purely as a hazard and a challenge, but as a window of opportunity to shift to a new sustainable development policy model, which stresses the particular importance of communities'resilience. The papers in this volume explore the key issues linked to this shift, including:'Increasing research into the Earth Sciences, climate reconstruction and forecasting in order to decrease the degree of uncertainty about the origin, development and implications of climate change;'The introduction of more binding and comprehensive regulation of both greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation measures, like that in the United Kingdom;'Matching climate policy with that for disasters and mainstreaming it into overall development strategies. The volume is a valuable addition to previous climate change research and considers a new policy approach to this new global challenge.

The wall chart on Population, Development and the Environment 2013 presents the latest data available on 15 demographic, socio-economic and environmental indicators at the national, regional and world levels. It also contains illustrative maps and graphs, along with brief explanatory texts of selected regional and global trends on population, development and the environment.