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Americans felt part of 'the greatest nation on earth' and many of the world's citizens, with obvious exceptions, were warily comfortable with America's hegemonic power. That comfort faded dramatically during the Bush administration's rejection of Kyoto and its invasion of Iraq. Many, including many Americans, began to rethink global governance. A more democratic approach to international relations is necessary, especially one that addresses rising inequality worldwide and global financial instability driven by deregulation initiated by national governments. Citizens also demand a collective capacity to protect the natural systems on which we depend and more Americans now ask about the opportunity costs of military spending. Humankind shares a common fate. Accordingly, we need a democratic global capacity to act on common concerns. Rethinking our understanding of citizenship as global rights and obligations as well as national ones is in order, as is active global citizenship as an alternative to hegemony's limits and perils.

A call for a balancing of economic, environmental, and social concerns in the age of global economic integration.The realities of global economic integration are far more complex than many of its supporters or detractors acknowledge. One consequence of simplistic thinking about globalization, claims Robert Paehlke, is that we tend to focus on economic prosperity to the neglect of such other important considerations as environmental and social well-being. A first step toward righting this imbalance is the recognition that economic gains do not guarantee better lives or better communities and societies. Democratic societies face a dilemma. Global economic integration produces a need for global political integration. Without it, national, state, and local governments are under pressure to forego environmental protection and social programs in order to be competitive. At the same time, global governance presents problems because of its scale and its inaccessibility to citizens. This book describes the consequences of this dilemma--such as political cynicism and lack of democratic participation--and proposes ways of dealing with it. Paehlke seeks a middle ground between those who reject globalization and those who claim that it will create the best of all possible worlds. Because there is no returning to a world that is less economically, culturally, and politically integrated, he argues, we should make every effort to advance global cooperation and equity. He suggests specific interventions that could be built into international trade agreements, including global minimum wages and provisos that natural commodities from developing economies such as energy and forest cuttings not be allowed to decline in price relative to the manufactured goods of more advanced economies. He also suggests ways to improve domestic democratic effectiveness.

Focusing on both problems and solutions, this authoritative reference work maintains a healthy balance between science and the social sciences in its coverage of all aspects of the environment. The book is arranged alphabetically and is divided into three major sections: Ecology, Pollution, and Sustainability. The list of 240 contributors reads like a who's who of the world's leading conservation and environmental professionals. Best Reference Source Outstanding Reference Source.

Cet article décrit et analyse les rapports entre deux mouvements : le syndicalisme et le mouvement environnemental en Amérique du Nord anglophone. L'auteur discute d'abord des origines du mouvement environnemental dans les mouvements de conservation, qui sont distincts et plus imciens, en examinant les conflits possibles entre le mouvement environnemental et la gauche traditionnelle. Il présente ensuite un bref historique des contacts récents au niveau orga-nisationnel entre les syndicats et les groupes environnementaux et rend compte de la documentation sur deux sujets importants et connexes : l'hygiène industrielle (pollution sur les lieux de travail) et l'impact des demandes des groupes environnementaux sur les niveaux d'emploi. En conclusion l'auteur analyse les perspectives à long terme pour la coopération entre les groupes environnementaux et le mouvement syndicaliste.