Planetary management

Abstract: The Anthropocene is a radical reconceptualisation of the relationship between humanity and nature. It posits that we have entered a new geological epoch in which the human species is now the dominant Earth-shaping force, and it is rapidly gaining traction in both the natural and social sciences. This article critically explores the scientific representation of the concept and argues that the Anthropocene is less a scientific concept than the ideational underpinning for a particular worldview. It is paradigm dressed as epoch. In particular, it normalises a certain portion of humanity as the 'human' of the Anthropocene, reinserting 'man' into nature only to re-elevate 'him' above it. This move promotes instrumental reason. It implies that humanity and its planet are in an exceptional state, explicitly invoking the idea of planetary management and legitimising major interventions into the workings of the earth, such as geoengineering. I conclude that the scientific origins of the term have diminished its radical potential, and ask whether the concept's radical core can be retrieved.

Abstract: Political Ecology addresses environmental issues which Innis was concerned with, from a contemporary, political economy perspective. They explore a wide range of themes and issues including: * sustainability * risk and regulation * population growth * planetary management * impact of humanity on environment * role of technology and communication. Case studies provide further insight into issues such as industrial racism, women and development and collective action by highlighting ethical and political questions and providing critical insights into the issues and debates in political ecology.

Abstract: This article explores the relationships between geographers and the ‘Anthroposcene’. The latter comprises the networks, institutions and publications devoted to comprehending and responding to a fast-changing Earth departing from Holocene boundary conditions. The Anthroposcene necessarily mediates peoples’ understanding of what are said to be epochal alterations to our planetary home. It is currently dominated by geoscientists and certain environmental social scientists. Some geographers are among their number. Whilst these researchers are working hard to alert decision-makers and publics to the epic scale, scope and magnitude of ‘the human impact’, their work currently tends to screen out the insights of both critical social science and the environmental humanities. Both forms of inquiry are strongly represented in contemporary Anglophone Geography and have been central to human geography’s ‘environmental turn’ this last 20 years. The article suggests reasons why many geographers who are not currently pa...

Abstract: Traditional views of global environmental politics take the structures and relations of international politics as a given. Solutions to environmental problems, then, must be products of concession, negotiation, and inevitable compromise - a world of top-down planetary management. Lipschutz challenges students to question these conventional approaches. He argues that much light can be shed on global environmental degradation if we look beyond the politics of conflict and cooperation and explore environmental problems from their very 'roots.' Using a framework that accounts for the ontologies, material conditions, and power relations that structure global environmental problems, Lipschutz is able to more effectively question attempts to clean up the globe and sustain the world's natural resources. Throughout the text, the author uses compelling cases to illustrate the effects of globalization and capitalism, yet is careful to make the link between the local and the global to show how we, as individuals, are both consumers of goods and producers of pollution. This title includes a powerful new approach. How is the financing of a water system in Bolivia linked to long-standing forestation practices in India? Taking nothing for granted, the root causes of major global environmental problems are exposed and subjected to rigorous analysis. Lipschutz shows, for instance, how privatization operates in different global contexts with strikingly similar consequences. In what ways are liberalism and realism actually two sides of the same coin? Both make self-interest - of the individual and of the state - key operating terms. In a revealing comparison, Lipschutz explores the limits of these dominant political models to effectively frame and solve environmental problems. What kinds of political, social, and environmental practices bring about meaningful change? By emphasizing the global impacts of local actions, the text shows how attempts to control environmental problems may actually reproduce the very systems they are meant to ameliorate. It is combined with practical pedagogy. Rich historical background helps contextualize contemporary issues. Extensive suggested reading lists at the end of each chapter guide students to further research, while tables and figures elegantly show data and concepts. The emphasis on assessing the root causes of global environmental problems and models encourages critical thinking. Students are also encouraged to rethink their own role in the global environmental system and to get involved in effective forms of social change.