Sustaining Life on Earth Environmental and Human Health through Global Governance

by Soskolne, Colin L.; Westra, Laura; Kotzé, Louis J.; Mackey, Brendan; Rees, William E.; Bosselmann, Klaus; Brown, Donald A.; Brown, Valerie; Burkhardt, Helmut; Crabbé, Philippe; Leo, Giulio De; Dellapenna, Joseph W.; Dolderman, Dan; Döring, Ralf; Dyson, Ro

• ISBN13: 9780739117309
• ISBN10: 0739117300
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-10-29
• Publisher: LEXINGTON BOOKS

Summary

As global warming, famine, and environmental catastrophes have become daily news items, achieving a sustainable environment to maintain the future of life on Earth has become a global concern. Sustaining Life on Earth is an important contribution toward assessing such problems and making the Earth hospitable to life for generations to come. With an interdisciplinary team of international scholars, this masterfully edited collection approaches the problems facing sustainability from a perspective of global governance. To date, powerful economic forces have misguided decision-making processes in favor of short-term gain rather than long-term sustainability. As global awareness has increased and individual citizens have begun to alter their lifestyles to be more environmentally conscious, it is also necessary for governing bodies to take these concerns seriously. Sustaining Life on Earth makes the case that, for all the recent neo-liberal emphasis on the autonomous individual, humanity has collective problems, and it is only through collective action that solutions will be found. It shows that the global community is beginning to acknowledge the interdependencies among population, affluence, and technology. In the book, analysts from many disciplines advance solutions that could shift us away from growth-bound status quo development approaches toward more ecologically responsible and socially equitable ways of living. They suggest ways to move forward that would ensure health and well-being for all in both present and future generations. While success necessarily entails many changes at all levels, the book highlights one soft-law instrument that reflects many of the values and principles necessary to set humanity onto a sustainable path: The Earth Charter of 2002. Sustaining Life on Earth is a ground-breaking contribution to the burgeoning study of sustainability. Designed for a general non-specialist readership in the first year of university or beyond, this book will be of interest to anyone concerned with the impacts of global change on human well-being and the ecosphere, including people in environmental NGOs and those working in public policy.

Table of Contents

Figures, Tables, and Text Boxes	p. xi
Foreword	p. xiii
Preface	p. xvii
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Teacher's Guide	p. xxi
Introduction: Global and Local Contexts as Evidence for Concern	p. 1
Tying Governance to Ecology, Economy, and Human Well-Being
Institutions for Global Governance	p. 9
A Covenant of Covenants: A Federal Vision of Global Governance for the Twenty-first Century	p. 27
Market Society and Ecological Integrity: Theory and Practice	p. 41
A Full Spectrum Integrity Index of Nations	p. 51
Globalization, Human Rights, and the Human Condition
Linkages among Globalization, Human Rights, and Health	p. 65
Toward Sustainability with Justice: Are Human Nature and History on Side?	p. 81
Protecting Society from Itself: Reconnecting Ecology and Economy	p. 95
Strong Sustainability and Environmental Policy: Justification and Implementation	p. 109
Governance for Ecological Integrity, Sustainable Ecosystem Function, and Public Health
Evolution of the Ecological Integrity Debate	p. 127
Collective Decision-Making Bridging Public Health, Sustainability Governance, and Environmental Management	p. 139
Toward Sustainable Environmental Governance in South Africa: Cooperative Environmental Governance and Integrated Environmental Management as Possible Solutions to Fragmentation	p. 155
A Sense of Possibility: What Does Governance for Health and Ecological Sustainability Look like?	p. 171
Covenants and Respect for All Life, Public-Good, and Traditional Knowledge
The Earth Charter, Ethics, and Global Governance	p. 197
The Copenhagen Consensus: A Global Public-Good Perspective Comparing the Earth Charter with Other Recent Declarations	p. 209
Intergenerational Sustainability and Traditional Knowledge in Africa: The Natural Resource Management Perspective	p. 227
Governance amid Ideological Influences in a Globalizing World
The Ominous Rise of Ideological Think Tanks in Environmental Policy-Making	p. 243
Cutting CO[subscript 2] Emissions in the Atmosphere: A Realistic Goal or a Mere Utopian Ideal?	p. 257
Ecological Governance at Work: A Community Challenge to Genetically Modified Organisms	p. 269
Rights to Food and Water
The Future: World Population and Food Security	p. 285
Refining International Water Law	p. 299
Water as a Human Right: The Sri Lankan Experience	p. 311
Cooperation in Promoting Ecological Integrity and Socioeconomic Justice in Marine Fisheries: European Community-West African Relations	p. 321
Social Forces at Play in Environmental and Human Catastrophes
The Institutionalized Use of Force in Economic Development: With Special Reference to the World Bank	p. 339
Globalization and the Degradation of Rural Livelihoods: A Comparative Study of Mexico and Vietnam under Trade Liberalization	p. 355
A Toolkit for Ecoepidemiological Enquiry under Global Ecological Change	p. 369
The Rights of Children: Health and the Culture Environment
The Culture Environment: Implications for Public Health, Human Rights, and Ecological Sustainability	p. 385
The Child's Rights to Health and the Role of the World Health Organization	p. 397
Conclusions: Challenging Our Individual and Collective Thinking about Sustainability	p. 413
The Earth Charter	p. 425
Index	p. 433
About the Contributors	p. 449
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.