Suchergebnisse

The legal and institutional framework -- The environment and international society: issues, concepts and definitions -- History -- Governance: states, international organisations and non-state actors -- International law-making and regulation -- Compliance: implementation, enforcement, dispute settlement -- Principles and rules establishing standards -- General principles and rules -- Atmospheric protection -- Climate change -- Freshwater resources -- Biological diversity -- Oceans, seas and marine living resources -- Hazardous substances and activities, and waste -- The polar regions: antarctica and the arctic -- Environmental impact assessment -- Environmental information and technology transfer -- Liability for environmental damage -- Human rights and international humanitarian law -- International economic law: trade, investment and intellectual property -- Future developments

Amid growing alarm over the rising atmospheric concentration of greenhouse gases, increasing attention is being given to 'geo-engineering' technologies that could counteract some of the impacts of global warming by either reducing absorption of solar energy (solar radiation management (SRM)) or removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Geo-engineering has the potential to dramatically alter the dynamics of global climate change negotiations because it might cool the climate without constraining fossil fuel use. Some scholars have expressed concern that certain states may be tempted to act unilaterally. This paper assesses the approach that China is likely to adopt towards governance of SRM and the implications this holds for broader international climate negotiations. We survey Chinese public discourse, examine the policy factors that will influence China's position, and assess the likelihood of certain future scenarios. While Chinese climate scientists are keenly aware of the potential benefits of geo-engineering as well as its risks, we find that no significant constituency is currently promoting unilateral implementation of SRM. China will probably play a broadly cooperative role in negotiations toward a multilaterally governed geo-engineering programme but will seek to promote a distinctive developing world perspective that reflects concerns over sovereignty, Western imperialism and maintenance of a strict interpretation of the norm of common but differentiated responsibility. (Pac Rev/GIGA)

Atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are currently above 400 ppm, and they are rising at a rate of about 2 ppm per year. A two-degree global temperature increase will be 'locked in' unless global greenhouse gas emissions peak and begin declining in the very near future. The global process for dealing with carbon dioxide emissions--the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, under which the Kyoto Protocol is subsumed--failed to meet 2012 targets and continues to be deadlocked on what to do post-2012, with the most recent agreement to develop an agreement for the post-2020 period. Negotiations are deeply and increasingly divided along North-South lines, with additional deep fissures within both developed (North) and developing/underdeveloped (South) camps. Here, Biro mobilizes the insights of Western Marxism and the Frankfurt School to speculate about what 'the good life' in the gas greenhouse of the Anthropocene will entail. Adapted from the source document.

"The follow up to An Inconvenient Truth and companion to Al Gore's new documentary, this book exposes the reality of how humankind has aided in the destruction of our planet and delivers hope through groundbreaking information on what you can do now. Vice President Gore, a leading expert in climate change, brings together cutting-edge research from top scientists around the world; approximately 200 photographs and illustrations to visually articulate the subject matter; and personal anecdotes and observations to document the fast pace and wide scope of global warming. He asserts that the fact of global climate change is not in question and that its consequences for the world we live in will be assuredly disastrous if left unchecked. Follow him around the globe as he tells a story of change in the making. He connects the dots of Zika, flooding, and other natural disasters we've lived through in the last 10+ years. A comprehensive how-to guide on exactly how we can change the course of fate. With concrete, actionable advice on topics ranging from how to run for office to how to talk to your children about climate change, An Inconvenient Sequel will empower you to make a difference, and lets you know how exactly to do it. Al Gore is the author of Earth in the Balance, An Inconvenient Truth, The Assault on Reason, and Our Choice."--Provided by publisher

In the last 30 years, environmental challenges in the Asia-Pacific have gone from sitting at the margins of political discourse to featuring prominently in academic and policy debates about institutional capacity, economic sustainability and regional futures. Those challenges are extensive: they include loss of biodiversity and species, land degradation and deforestation, water pollution and scarcity, drought, wildlife smuggling, ozone depletion, other forms of atmospheric pollution, and climate change. This article explores regional responses to environmental challenges through a global governance lens. It examines the ways in which vertical and intergovernmental arrangements have been supplemented by institutions and networks that reflect horizontal and transnational approaches. It reveals that this has been an uneven process, with coherence and fragmentation equally represented. In its focus on the two key subregions of Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia, it shows how environmental cooperation has been implicated in a crisis of regionalism and caught up in states' efforts to demonstrate that governance can still be effective in the absence of binding multilateral agreements. (Pac Rev/GIGA)

"Although the earth has been around for millions of years, humans have only been seriously interested in protecting and preserving the environment for less than 200 years; the terms "conservationism" and "environmentalism" are little more than 100 years old. The Industrial Revolution brought with it many benefits such as the production of coal, steel, cement, and mass-produced chemicals and fertilizers; it also brought pollution and, shortly thereafter, a serious concern for the environment. This book presents the most up-to-date government information on various environmental topics. Critical Government Documents on the Environment presents official governmental positions on many of the leading environmental issues facing us today. All the material in this book is from published sources, including: Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, the White House, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather Service, U.S. Global Change Research Program, U.S. Geological Survey. This book does not offer any new science but attempts to present important government information on various issues facing our environment. Areas covered include global warming and greenhouse gases, water, air and marine pollution, and renewable energy. It includes a timeline of important environmental events over the last 200 years and has an extensive glossary of environmental terms."--Page 4 of cover