Environmental Reform in the Information Age: The Contours of Informational Governance

by Arthur P. J. Mol

• ISBN13: 9780521182652
• ISBN10: 0521182654
• Edition: Revised
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2011-02-17
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

As the information revolution continues to accelerate, the environment remains high on public and political agendas around the world. These two topics are rarely connected, but information - its collection, processing, accessibility and verification - is crucial in dealing with environmental challenges such as climate change, unsustainable consumption, biodiversity conservation and waste management. The information society (encompassing entities such as the internet, satellites, interactive television and surveillance cameras) changes the conditions and resources which are involved in environmental governance: old modes and concepts are increasingly being replaced by new, informational ones. Arthur P. J. Mol explores how the information revolution is changing the way we deal with environmental issues; to what extent and where these transformations have (and have not) taken place; and what the consequences are for democracy and power relations. This book will appeal to scholars and students of environmental studies and politics, political sociology, geography and communications studies.

Table of Contents

Introduction: new frontiers of environmental governance

Theory:

From information society to information age

Social theories of environmental reform

Informational governance

Praxis:

Monitoring, surveillance and empowerment

Environmental state and information politics

Greening the networked economy

Environmental activism and advocacy

Media monopolies, digital democracy, cultural clashes

Information-poor environments: Asian tigers

Conclusion:

Balancing informational perspectives

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