Climate change and other environmental problems are increasingly leading to the displacement of populations from their homelands, whether this be through drought, flooding, famine or other causes. Worse, there is currently no protection in international law for people made refugees by such means.

A discussion of cutting-edge developments in policy on climate change and forced displacement from leading academics and practitioners.

International law has evolved to protect human rights. But what are human rights? Does the term have the same meaning in a world being transformed by climate change and globalized trade? Are existing laws sufficient to ensure humanity’s survival? Drawing on case law and practice and examples from philosophy, law, and ecology, Laura Westra argues that the current system is not adequate: international law privileges individual over collective rights, permitting multinational corporations to overlook the collectivity and the environment in their quest for wealth and power. Unless policy makers redefine human rights and reformulate environmental law and policies to protect the preconditions for life itself -- water, food, clean air, and biodiversity -- humankind faces the complete loss of the ecological commons, the preservation of which is one of our most basic human rights. A new kind of cosmopolitanism, one centred on the United Nations, offers the best hope for preserving our common heritage and the survival of future generations.

This volume explores the factors that give rise to the number of people seeking asylum and examines the barriers they currently and will continue to face. Divided into three parts, the authors first explore the causality that generates displacement, examining climate change, illegal conflicts and the deprivation of natural resources. They argue that all of these problems either originate from human agency directly, or are strongly influenced by human activities, particularly those of wealthy countries in the North West. The study goes on to discuss how migrants are received and the problems they face on arrival, and concludes with confronting the fate and the status of asylum seekers after arrival, and the walls, both virtual and material, that they encounter. The authors propose ways of approaching the situation, beyond the present language and the limited interpretations of the Convention on the Status of Refugees. Written by leading experts in environmental ethics, asylum law, and international law, the book will be essential reading for those working in these and related areas.

Climate change and other environmental problems are increasingly leading to the displacement of populations from their homelands, whether through drought, flooding, famine or other causes. Worse, there is currently no protection in international law for people made refugees by such means. Following on from her previous explorations of environmental justice as it relates to future generations and indigenous peoples, Laura Westra now turns her attention to the plight of ecological refugees. In Part I, Westra provides an overview of what defines an ecological refugee and their present legal status. Part II goes into greater depth as to who the vulnerable are and what protection they have in international law. Part III looks to the future, advocating a comprehensive approach to the problem. With extensive examples and analysis, this is a compelling treatment that will be indispensable for legal professionals, government and business leaders, academics and students of the role of law in the protection of the rights of refugees.

The Law and Politics of Sustainability explores efforts made to address pressing environmental concerns through legislation, conventions, directives, treaties, and protocols. Articles explain the mechanics of environmental law, the concepts that shape sustainable development, case studies and rulings that have set precedents, approaches to sustainable development taken by legal systems around the world, and more. Experts and scholars in the field raise provocative questions about the effectiveness of international law versus national law in protecting the environment, and about the effect of current laws on future generations. They analyze the successes and shortcomings of present legal instruments, corporate and public policies, social movements, and conceptual strategies, offering readers a preview of the steps necessary to develop laws and policies that will promote genuine sustainability.

The growth of corporate power has kept pace with and even exceeded the rapid rise of globalization in the past two decades. With it has come the weakening of a nation’s ability to hold corporate power in check, and the increasing inability of states to protect the rights of individuals within their national boundaries as a result of the growing number of international legal instruments. This work lays bare corporate actions both domestic and international, under the guise of legal "personhood," and shows how corporations flaunt laws and act as controlling powers beyond the constraints imposed on legal state citizens. Corporations are now “embedded” within domestic legal regimes and insinuate themselves to subvert the very systems designed to restrain corporate power and protect the public weal. Using international vehicles like the WTO and NAFTA, corporate collective power effectively supersedes the constitutional mandate of nation states.

This book explores who climate refugees are and how environmental justice might be used to overcome legal obstacles preventing them from being recognized at an international level. Francesca Rosignoli begins by exploring the conceptual and complex issues that surround the very existence of climate refugees and investigates the magnitude of the phenomenon in its current and future estimates. Reframing the debate using an environment justice perspective, she examines who has the responsibility of assisting climate refugees (state vs non-state actors), the various legal solutions available and the political scenarios that should be advanced in order to govern this issue in the long term. Overall, Environmental Justice for Climate Refugees presents a critical interrogation of how this specific strand of forced migration is currently categorized by existing legal, ethical and political definitions, and highlights the importance of applying a justice perspective to this issue. Exploring the phenomenon of climate refugees through a multi-disciplinary lens, this book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental migration and displacement, environmental politics and governance, and refugee studies.

This thoughtful book provides an overview of the major developments in the theory and practice of Ôenvironmental justiceÕ. It illustrates the direction of the evolution of rights of nature and exposes the diverse meanings and practical uses of the conc

"As befits the topic, this beautifully packaged, wonderfully illustrated, interdisciplinary resource has more than 1200 entries written by specialists. A helpful reader′s guide groups topics like agriculture, conservation and ecology, movements and regulations, politics, pollution, and society. A resource guide, chronology, glossary, and list of the UN′s economic indicators complete the set." —Library Journal "...this important work gives a well-focused snapshot of environmentalism in the early 21st Century, and it will remain valuable into the future both for its content and as a yardstick to measure progress toward sustainability and conservation. Summing Up: Recommended. Undergraduates and general readers." —CHOICE Booklist Editors′ Choice 2008 "This superb interdisciplinary work should find a place on the shelves of every public and academic library that has the least bit of interest in environment issues—which should mean just about all." —Booklist (Starred Review) Where does the environment leave off and society begin? When expanding production and consumption drives greenhouse gas emissions that warm the planet, which in turn influence the conditions of economic expansion, it is unclear where the climate ends and the economy begins. This fact is not new to our era, however, our social and natural sciences have only recently come to grips with the incredible complexity of the world described by understanding the environment and society as being of a piece. As a result, in the last decade there has been an unprecedented explosion of new concepts, theories, facts, and techniques that follow from such an understanding. The Encyclopedia of Environment and Society brings together multiplying issues, concepts, theories, examples, problems, and policies, with the goal of clearly explicating an emerging way of thinking about people and nature. With more than 1,200 entries written by experts from incredibly diverse fields, this innovative resource is a first step toward diving into the deep pool of emerging knowledge. The five volumes of this Encyclopedia represent more than a catalogue of terms. Rather, they capture the spirit of the moment, a fascinating time when global warming and genetic engineering represent only two of the most obvious examples of socio-environmental issues. Key Features Examines many new ideas about how the world works, what creates the daunting problems of our time, and how such issues might be addressed, whether by regulation, markets, or new ethics Demonstrates how theories of environmental management based on market efficiency may not be easily reconciled with those that focus on population, and both may certainly diverge from those centering on ethics, justice, or labor Offers contributions from experts in their fields of specialty, including geographers, political scientists, chemists, anthropologists, medical practitioners, development experts, and sociologists, among many others Explores the emerging socio-environmental problems that we face in the next century, as well as the shifting and expanding theoretical tools available for tackling these problems Covers regions of North America in greater detail but also provides a comprehensive picture that approaches, as effectively as possible, a cohesive global vision Key Themes Agriculture Animals Biology and Chemistry Climate Conservation and Ecology Countries Geography History Movements and Regulations Organizations People Politics Pollution Society Packed with essential and up-to-date information on the state of the global socio-environment, the Encyclopedia of Environment and Society is a time capsule of its historic moment and a record of where we stand at the start of the 21st century, making it a must-have resource for any library. These inspiring volumes provide an opportunity for more new ways of thinking, behaving, and living in a more-than-human world.