Ecoregionalism

This book provides a comprehensive understanding of environmental regionalism at the international level, analyzing the concept and identifying recurring patterns from six in-depth case studies. While ecoregions or environmental regions are defined on ecological boundaries rather than administrative criteria, ecoregionalism is the idea that regional dynamics should cluster around ecoregions, while ecoregionalization is the tendency of regional dynamics to cluster around ecoregions. Focusing on the international level, this book presents six cases of ecoregional processes from around the world and the regional environmental agreements: two are terrestrial, the Alps and the Andes; two are marine, the Mediterranean Sea and the Baltic Sea; two are related to freshwater ecosystems: the Amu Darya in Central Asia and the Great Lakes in North America. The book analyzes both ecoregional processes focused on the environment, as well as intersectoral ecoregional processes. The case studies are analyzed based on the ecoregional governance framework, developed by the author for this book. Despite the diversity of context, the similarity of the governance system of the six cases is striking. Several recurring patterns have been identified, which may also extend to the subnational level. They are not design principles, but may be taken into consideration for the design or redesign of current and future regional environmental agreements and processes. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental politics, natural resource management, spatial planning and international relations.

Introduction to Sustainable Development is a component of Encyclopedia of Development and Economic Sciences in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on “Introduction to Sustainable Development implies processes of fundamental change in our social systems and institutions. The thrust of this change [entails] … addressing the … new global awareness that the earth is finite, and all of the planet's life support systems – including social and economic systems – are globally interconnected and interdependent.” This volume is aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Bioregionalism is the first book to explain the theoretical and practical dimensions of bioregionalism from an interdisciplinary standpoint, focusing on the place of bioregional identity within global politics. Leading contributors from a broad range of disciplines introduce this exciting new concept as a framework for thinking about indigenous peoples, local knowledge, globalization, science, global environmental issues, modern society, conservation, history, education and restoration. Bioregionalism's emphasis on place and community radically changes the way we confront human and ecological issues.

Robert Bailey is an established authority on ecosystems, and his previous works, Ecosystem Geography and Ecoregions have sold well; Fully illustrated with color diagrams and maps; Includes a Glossary to define terms which may be unfamiliar to professionals working in this cross-disciplinary field; Provides a Resource Guide and a Sources and Recommended Reading section to aid readers who require additional information; Presents a modified approach to land management and conservation in a non-technical and engaging manner

This book, on the subject of global environmental crisis and climate change that has threatened the very existence of humankind and the living system on planet Earth, claims that the current Anthropocene is the most dangerous era of environmental, and ecological crisis the planet Earth has ever witnessed. This book not only insightfully reflects upon the crisis manifested by climate change, breakdown of planetary ecosystem, extinction and annihilation of millions of species, acidification of oceans, desertification of productive lands, and toxic pollution attributing to the current dominant neoliberal economic model but also presents a new ethical development framework that recognizes and promotes the instrumental, relational and intrinsic values in the Earth system which form the basis for social and environmental sustainability. This is a useful book for all stakeholders involved in environmental protection, UN, and development agencies, INGOs, civil societies, NGOs, governments officials and professionals, media personnel, universities faculties, students, and researchers.

The author of this study undertakes an investigation of the metaethical grounds of ""rights"" theory, with special focus on the controversial issue of whether creatures other than humans can and should be considered true subjects of ""rights"". He contends that before assigning rights to this or that individual or group, whether human or not, we need to be very clear about what it is we are assigning, to whom and why. The book argues that the efforts to build a case supporting animal and environmental ""rights"" fail in their quest, and that any such effort resting on a Darwinian evolutionary base is likewise condemnded to fail. The author investigates life phenomena, followed by a detailed comparative study of knowing, communicating and doing, as these are observed in the human and nonhuman animal. This is followed by an overview of diverse views advanced by contemporary environmental ethnicists and animal ""rights"" advocates, including Peter Singer, Tom Regan, J. Baird Callicott, Laura Westra, and Don E. Marietta Jr. Conclusions drawn from this study include the claims that: classic Darwinian theory provides no admissable premise from which to derive a theory of inherent, inalienable rights; no satisfactory explanation of the origin of rghts and obligation can derive save from within the context of natural law theory; the human person alone unqualifiedly possesses rights; and the view that vegetarianism is an ethical mandate is neither compatible with the Christian world view, nor philosophically sound.

Postcolonial Literatures of Climate Change investigates the evolving nature of postcolonial literatures and criticism in response to the global, regional, and local environmental transformations brought about by anthropogenic climate change.