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This volume purports to explore questions about the changing role of nonprofit organizations in contemporary urban America. The stated theme is to explain how and why such organizations "attempt to sculpt the landscape of urban policy and political action rather than simply react or adapt to it" (p. 1), although the nine articles do not embrace it with equal rigor. The editors, who also contribute a chapter, further state that the text will explore "when and where such efforts are effective and when and where they are not''(p. 1). These are timely and important issues, given the Bush administration's stated goal of increasing reliance on nonprofit organizations.

This essay reviews Malthusian themes in current discourses about resource scarcity and environmental security. It argues that these themes are unjustifiably dominant in current discussions, and suggests that increased attention should be to paid to discourses revolving around Sustainable Development, as well as on institutional designs that can influence patterns of resource consumption and collective responses to perceptions of resource scarcity

Examines the history & role of global environmental conferences. UN conferences on the environment are reviewed from their inception as part of a wider effort to solve global problems. The multiple functions of these conferences included mobilizing concern about new problems; coordinating actions to study & monitor environmental quality; developing cooperative ways to prevent environmental degradation; & endorsing new policy doctrines. A analysis of the most important conferences held between 1972 & 1997 evaluates their effectiveness in terms of observable environmental impact; impact on national policies; global agenda setting; consciousness raising; identification of new challenges/threats; adoption of new norms; spearheading administrative reform; & promoting mass involvement. Prospects for the future of global conference diplomacy are discussed, especially the potential for reaching the sustainable development goals set at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment & Development. It is hoped that Rio+10, to be held in Johannesburg in 2002, will encourage multilevel participation; streamline institutional responsibilities within the UN & Bretton Woods systems for sustainable development; & improve the relationship between civil society & states. 1 Table. J. Lindroth

This essay reviews Malthusian themes in current discourses about resource scarcity & environmental security. It argues that these themes are unjustifiably dominant in current discussions, & suggests that increased attention should be to paid to discourses revolving around sustainable development, as well as on institutional designs that can influence patterns of resource consumption & collective responses to perceptions of resource scarcity. 45 References. Adapted from the source document.

This article investigates the role played by formal international institutions in the broader process of international efforts to respond to & manage global & transboundary environmental risks. Because few international institutions are designed to deal with the broad nature of environmental risks, it focuses on institutional learning. By analyzing the experiences of the UN Environment Program, World Meteorological Organization, & other international institutions involved with global warming, this article identifies institutional properties (or functions) that encourage or inhibit social learning in the management of global environmental risks by international institutions, & that influence the adoption of such lessons by their constituent members. 56 References. Adapted from the source document.