Global Political Ecology [Hardcover]

The world is caught in the mesh of a series of environmental crises. So far attempts at resolving the deep basis of these have been superficial and disorganized. Global Political Ecologylinks the political economy of global capitalism with the political ecology of a series of environmental disasters and failed attempts at environmental policies.

This critical volume draws together contributions from twenty-five leading intellectuals in the field. It begins with an introductory chapter that introduces the readers to political ecology and summarizes the books main findings. The following seven sections cover topics on the political ecology of war and the disaster state; fuelling capitalism: energy scarcity and abundance; global governance of health, bodies, and genomics; the contradictions of global food; capitals marginal product: effluents, waste, and garbage; water as a commodity, a human right, and power; the functions and dysfunctions of the global green economy; political ecology of the global climate, and carbon emissions.

This book contains accounts of the main currents of thought in each area that bring the topics completely up-to-date. The individual chapters contain a theoretical introduction linking in with the main themes of political ecology, as well as empirical information and case material. Global Political Ecologyserves as a valuable reference for students interested in political ecology, environmental justice, and geography.

Chapter 1. Global Nature Michael Watts, Paul Robbins and Richard Peet  Part I: Food, Health and the Body: Political Ecology of Sustainability  Chapter 2. Excess Consumption or Over-production: US Farm Policy, Global Warming, and the Bizarre Atribution of Obesity Julie Guthman  Chapter 3. Killing for Profit: Global Livestock Industries and thelƒæ