Monday, October 26, 2015

Alam, Atapattu, Gonzalez, & Razzaque: International Environmental Law and the Global South

Shawkat Alam (Macquarie Univ. - Law), Sumudu Atapattu (Univ. of Wisconsin - Law), Carmen G. Gonzalez (Seattle Univ. - Law), & Jona Razzaque (Univ. of the West of England - Law) has published International Environmental Law and the Global South (Cambridge Univ. Press 2015). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:
The unprecedented degradation of the planet's vital ecosystems is among the most pressing issues confronting the international community. Despite the proliferation of legal instruments to combat environmental problems, conflicts between rich and poor nations (the North-South divide) have compromised international environmental law, leading to deadlocks in environmental treaty negotiations and noncompliance with existing agreements. This volume examines both the historical origins of the North-South divide in European colonialism as well as its contemporary manifestations in a range of issues including food justice, energy justice, indigenous rights, trade, investment, extractive industries, human rights, land grabs, hazardous waste, and climate change. Born out of the recognition that global inequality and profligate consumerism present threats to a sustainable planet, this book makes a unique contribution to international environmental law by emphasizing the priorities and perspectives of the global South.